Hunter: Derek Ware
Points: 13 (7L, 6R)
County: Jones
Season: 2018-2019
Hunt Story
I had this deer on camera from Feb. 2018, so I knew he made it through last season. I never saw him live or on camera until Feb 2018. I set up in the thick bottoms to hunt him this year. I had hunted that stand twice this season, once was opening day of gun. The second was the evening of 10/30/18. Both hunts I saw no deer. This morning another club member was coming down to hunt his stand. We would have been too close, so I choose to move across the bottom and up on the ridge to a stand I put up two years ago that covers the hardwood ridge and a food plot. The bucks always use the ridge this time of year. Since I chose this stand, I carried my rife. I normally hunt with my bow. I spotted movement over my left shoulder. Deer? Yes. Buck? YES!! Go time!!! He was 35 yards and moving fast away from me. As I raised the gun, my binoculars were draped over it. I then had to stand up and untangle them. I then raise the rife to find the buck in the scope while moving. (Impossible to stop a deer and then find him in the scope) I found him and he was two steps or less from being out of view. I made a mouth grunt at him and he stopped in his tracks. I squeezed the trigger. In a step he was out of sight. My friend texted "YOU" "NEED HELP". I told him I probably missed him keep hunting. He arrived to help an hour later. I directed him down to where I thought he was standing when I shot. I followed down the hill. NO blood, no hair. I told him he headed left so I climbed the hill and moved left about 20 yards to head down hill. I walked no more than 20 yards and saw my deer laying there. WHAT A GREAT FEELING THAT WAS!!
