Hunter: Darrin Ray
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Bartow
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
It was the third day of the 4-day hunt. I got to the woods early to get to my spot before anybody else with this being an open hunt. It was another windy and cold morning and colder with the wind. I got to my stand about 6:15 and got settled in. I had to flash off two people and another after daylight and was starting to get frustrated with it, and the wind wasn't helping and making it more uncomfortable. Had a button buck come out around 8 and a doe and fawn about 8:15. I had 3 deer come out about 10:20 running, so I put my scope on them and saw they were all doe. I noticed that their mouths were wide open, so I said to myself that there must be a buck chasing them, so I started watching. I gave up after a few minutes thinking there wasn't a buck behind them, and then I saw him and he was running. So I whistled and he stopped, and all I knew it was a buck and he was about 80 yards, so I shot and he dropped in his tracks. I thanked God for the deer not knowing he was as good as he was. I waited about 30 minutes and got my things together and got out of the stand. When I got to the buck about 45 minutes later, he was a lot bigger than I thought he was and I thanked God again. Then the hard drag uphill began, and he was heavy because I don't field dress where I hunt.
