Hunter: Kinley Etheridge
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Jones
Season: 2019-2020
Hunt Story
My dad and I got in the stand about 5:45 p.m, and it was very hot and the wind was changing directions. There was a doe that came in about 6:45. She stayed in front of the stand for about 3 minutes and blew and then winded us. Then she left and came back again and was eating in front of the stand for about 5 minutes. Around 7:30 p.m., to the right of the stand in the pines and hardwoods we heard some bucks rubbing the trees and making scrapes. There were two 8-pointers and a 9-pointer that came out of the trees. I wanted to shoot the 9-pointer, but he would not be still. The two 8-pointers started feeding. Then four more bucks appeared. I was shaking from all my excitement and nervousness since this was my first attempt at a buck, and I told my dad I couldn't wait anymore! He told to wait for just a minute. Then the two biggest 8-pointers started fighting. Dad told me to wait for one of them to get broadsided. They broke up fighting and the biggest one was 32 yards. I couldn't wait any longer! I put the sight on his shoulder and pulled the trigger on my crossbow. I hit him and saw the arrow hit him. We got out of the stand and found a broken arrow, but no blood except on the arrow. We backed out and went to the truck and called Jimmy and Timmy Oller to bring their dog Bella to help us find my buck. They got there at 11:45 p.m. with Bella, a chocolate lab. We started tracking the deer and immediately found blood. We found where he laid down twice. He had made a complete circle, came back to where I shot him, and we ended up finding him in the swamp at about 1:30 a.m. I was so excited because this was the first buck I had ever killed, and I did it with a crossbow! The Muzzy broadhead did the trick by hitting the deer in the front shoulder. We never would have found him if he hadn't had Timmy, Jimmy and Bella.
