Hunter: Michael Simons
Points: 16 (6L, 10R)
County: Wilkinson
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
My brother and I discussed where each of us were going to hunt, because he is hunting a big buck that he has seen on a different part of the tract. I told him I was going to hunt in the ladder stand that our dad and me had put up a couple weeks ago, where we thought this buck was laying in close proximity to. About 8:30 I noticed the stand wanting to move on the tree. Feeling that it was going to become unsafe to continue to sit there, I text my brother and told him about the situation (because we are more concerned about safety above anything when it comes to hunting) and that I was going to get down and walk to another stand. I got down and started walking down a road that has plantation cut pines on the left side with native grasses in it and a few water oak trees that we keep manicured for our wild quail population. On the right side of the road is a stand of planted pines that we had thinned earlier this year. The wind was steady in my face as I made my way down the road to my next destination. I noticed a small buck about 200 yards down the road walking away from me. The buck stepped into the plantation cut and started to feed under one of the water oak trees. He didn't notice me so I continued down the road and walked within 20 yards of him before he looked up at me and then looked out into the plantation cut and never looked at me again. I figured he was looking at another deer but could not see what he was looking at. He stood there for a couple minutes, then whirled and ran into the pine trees that had been thinned. I walked up the where he was standing keeping my focus on the direction he was looking. I saw a deer under another water oak tree feeding about 50 yards away with its head in the grass. I got my rifle up and the buck picked his head up, turned broadside and I saw the tine coming off the back of his rack and knew instantly that it was the buck I have been anticipating on seeing! I positioned my crosshairs on him and squeezed the trigger. He dropped immediately. I moved to a better position so I could see him in case he tried to get up, but he did not. I waited about 15 minutes, assuming he had expired, I walked out to where my newly harvested trophy lay. Needless to say I did not make it to the other stand I was going to sit in.
