Hunter: Emily Graham
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Hall
Season: 2022-2023
Hunt Story
My dad and I have had pictures of this deer for the last four years. He disappeared from the property from January to November of 2021, and we thought something had happened to him. He then left again during growing season in of June 2022. He was easy to identify even without antlers because of a big part of his right ear was missing. We had never seen him in person until my dad saw him while he was bow hunting and he didn't present a good shot with the bow the week before I shot him. I got a new Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor for my 16th birthday three days before, and the very first hunt I used it on was the one I got the buck with. I also got my lifetime hunting license for my birthday too. I have been hunting since I was nine years old and have shot a small buck and doe. I have been waiting on a good buck for the past three years. Had a couple of opportunities, but never got a shot at one until I shot the Wide 8 with the missing part of the ear. We have been hunting hard all season long with no luck, but the day of the hunt we had a buck with 4 points on one side and a spike on the other. My dad asked me if I wanted to shoot it, but I decided to hold out, and I am glad I did because a little while later the big 8 walked out at about 70 yards. We were hunting in a ground blind, when I shot him he ran about 75 yards down a hill. We had to call my papa to come and help us retrieve the deer out of the woods. It was a pretty good late 16th birthday present!
