Hunter: Todd Coursey
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Upson
Season: 2016-2017
Hunt Story
I had all but given up on this deer season. The big ones my brother and I had been after were taken on neighboring property during the rut. My family and I needed meat, so I figured I would give it a few more chances. Work and family made my chances to go hunting few and far between, but I found some time on Christmas eve morning. I crawled into the stand before daylight. I saw a pile of wood ducks and listened to turkeys as the sun came up. There wasn't a deer in sight, but it was a nice morning. Finally, a little after 7:30 I caught a glimpse of a buck coming out the thicket about 50 yards away. I began to reach for my gun, and he caught my movement. I froze for at least 2 minutes as he tried to figure out what he saw. He finally started moving again, but I didn't have a clear shot. He made his way downwind and detected my scent. He slowly retreated away and I figured it was over. I lost sight of him for about 1 minute. Then he appeared across a ravine a little over 100 yards away. I knew it was now or never. As he looked back, I took the only shot I had, which was a neck shot. He dropped in his tracks. He wasn't the big one I was after, but a nice buck.
