Hunter: Kyle Smith
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Jasper
Season: 2017-2018
Hunt Story
I am blessed to have killed a deer of a lifetime! I had several pictures and actually let him walk twice last year with a bow! Not because he was not big enough, but because I was already tagged out. I worried all year someone would kill him. The first picture I got of him, where I knew it was him, was in April of this year. In the picture, you could see his big main beams and his split brows. I was so excited! I got several pictures from April to August 24th. The last picture I got he had just shed his velvet and then he disappeared. I never got another picture of him. Not even at night. Knowing he had not gone far, I still hunted him just like I was still getting pictures every day. Making sure the wind was perfect and the timing was just right, I was only able to hunt him four times since bow season started. On October 30th, I finally got a good west wind and I moved my schedule around at work so I would be able to go after him. I had hung the stand Saturday, October 28th right before the rain. At around 7:45 a.m. on October 30th I heard squirrels begin barking and I started watching the area they were in. This is when I finally laid my eyes on him for the first time in 2017. He was even bigger in person than I expected. I let him get as close as possible. I really wanted to kill him with a bow, which I had with me, along with my gun. The closest he got was 50 yards. He was a little further than I wanted to take with my bow. I reached around the tree and grabbed the gun. I finally got an opportunity and I took it! I could not be more proud to have had the opportunity to take a buck of this caliber. I am feeling very humbled and blessed!
