Hunter: Courtney Rouse
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Gilmer
Season: 2022-2023
Hunt Story
I started hunting 8 years ago with my boyfriend. I’ve done everything to prepare for this hunt from cleaning out trails to buying $500 worth of gear to stay warm. This morning, I woke up to a good frost and 22 degrees on our little mountain. Honestly, I started to stay home, because I woke up late. However, like Avery always says, “ You can’t kill then laying in bed.” Ain’t that the truth! I made up my mind to go and was able to get set up in settled just in time. Five minutes later, this heartbreaker showed up following two does. I grabbed up my rifle and took aim. I had to wait for the does to move which gave me time to “settle down the Buck fever”. Once they cleared, I held my breath and squeezed cheese on my very first large Buck. He dropped in his tracks. I called the old man, which decided to stay home, and said with a shaky voice, “I did it, I got him.” I’m over the moon with my harvest. Even sweeter, I took him with my 270 Browning automatic that I won five years ago at the North Georgia Buck Hunters banquet.
