Hunter: Gunner Blanton
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Fayette
Season: 2024-2025
Hunt Story
On Thanksgiving evening, Gunner and I decided to give it a try since the weather was looking good for the deer to be on their feet. We decided to go sit in a double ladder we have on the edge of a small food plot and some hardwoods. It was a bit windy with occasional swirls, so we knew we needed a little luck. About 4:00, we caught movement in front of us and picked out a couple does. They fed for a bit and eventually caught our wind, then they eased out of sight. About 5:15, I told Gunner it appeared the group of does that routinely fed into the plot around 5:20 each day, were not going to make an appearance. Almost as soon as I said it, three of the four came bouncing by on our left. Shortly after they made their way to the field, the fourth joined the group. Having never killed a buck, Gunner was bound and determined to wait it out. As the four fed, we heard movement again to our left. Gunner looked and said “dad it’s a spike”! I told him to get his rifle ready and set it in the direction he was walking. I looked back to the does and saw two were headed to an area that was going to get us busted…again. Sure enough, they caught us and began bouncing away. The spike made it to the bottom of the field, but stopped behind a tree and did not present a clean shot. He followed the does away and never looked back. We felt like man, doesn’t look like it is going to happen today. A short time later, we heard something behind us. We listened for a few minutes and couldn’t really tell, so I eased my head out of the window of the ladder blind and saw a buck right behind us! Instead of coming in to our left like the others, he chose a path to our right, which was the direction the wind was blowing. Thankfully, after the last heard caught our wind, I placed a scent wick on a limb to our right. The buck continued on the path to our right and stayed behind some limbs. I told Gunner to get ready and as soon as he came into the open to take his shot. The buck stopped in an opening and Gunner picked his rifle up and made a freehand shot, and the buck dropped in his tracks! We both were so excited we could barely talk! This was Gunner’s first buck and he’s laying 30 yards from us! I have been blessed to hunt in many places and have had some amazing hunts, none of those were as anywhere as exciting as seeing one of my sons take his first buck and all of the joy this experience brought to him! This will truly be one hunt I’ll remember forever!