Nimrod71
Senior Member
Tuesday morning started out early. Mornings start early every day at my house, got Boykin that wakes up at 5 every morning and has to go out to do his business, or its in his kennel. After letting Barney out its coffee and oat meal time, check weather and get dressed. The temp. was cold so time for heavy gear and those super good hand warmer packs. Got all geared up and headed down the road. I am running late, but that's life. Parked truck by peanut field and headed through pine plantation. It's still early, sky is just starting to lighten up, don't need flash light. Man it's a long walk with these heavy clothes on. Dang, I am breaking a sweat. Now at the woods time to try to find the stand. I decided to use a Gun Slinger today, I plan on a long day in the stand and they sit better than my Tom Cats. There it is right where i left it. Now let me get in this thing. Gun Slingers are good comfortable stands its just you have to figure out how to get in and out of them. The best way I found was to lift the seat part up over your head and then step up on the foot piece, then stand up and slide yourself through the opening in the top and lower it to sitting position. Now you are ready to start climbing. I like getting as high as I can so its is a real work out getting up there. According to my rope I am 30 ft. up and I have a good view of the fire break between the pines and woods and to the oak ridge i am facing. There is a very good deer trail coming from the pines into the woods with several rubs in the pines and scrapes I can see from my stand. I like this position, I have good height and good visibility and with my gear I am snug as a bug in a rug. This feels good. Now just sit, look and weight. Sun's up a cold breeze has started. All is going well. Just sit, time 7:30 squirrels are out running around, geese honking and flying over. There is a rifle shot from the timber cart stand, I thought I was the only one hunting here today. Timber cart is about 1/2 mile from me, I heard the shot at 7: 45 but I didn't hear the slap when the bullet hits the deer. I think who ever it was may have missed the mark. My friend Tommy is the only one I know that hunts this farm and I know he doesn't miss, so I don't know who is here. Deer are moving, I hear the cows mooing they are up feeding. Time to keep focused and your eyes and ears at full attention. I am watching the fire break and scanning the oak ridge. I know I feel like an owl with my head going from side to side. I check my watch 8:05 time is getting close. Most deer I kill are between 8:30 and 10 in the morning. Then I catch a movement on my far right, I turn and best I can and see a big deer coming up out of the swamp. The deer is moving through the scrub oaks, bushes and vines, can't tell what it is. I scan for an opening to try an see what the deer is. I catch the deer going between two pines and its a doe. As I watch there is a smaller deer trailing behind. The big doe is moving fast and runs out on oak ridge to the fire break. She turn wheels around and heads off to the northeast towards the timber cart with the little deer following. I turn back an catch another deer coming up from the swamp. I have been facing the wrong way. As I watch the deer I can tell it is a bigger deer than the doe. Then it hits an opening of sun light. Do you know how sun light makes antlers shine? Let me tell you if its a shooting size deer you don't need a scope to see them. Yes it was like a strobe light flashing. This was a big deer with big antlers. Now the problem, how in the heck am I going to shoot him. I am facing the wrong way, there are trees, vines and bushes as thick as the hair on Barney. I am looking as hard as I can for and opening and the deer is moving fast. He is after the doe. Then my heart sinks, he has seen the doe and is heading away from me at a fast pace and I can't find an opening for a shot. Heck, what a deer and no shot. All I can see is his behind going away. Then he stopped. What happened? I know he didn't see, hear of smell me, he is to far away. Then he turns around and starts walking right toward me. He stops behind a big pine about 30 yards out, all I can see is his nose. If he would only go about 10 ft. and I would have a perfect shot. He turned again and moved a few feet and I could see his neck and right shoulder. Rifle up cross hairs on neck, he moves again. Now or never, pull the trigger Nimrod. The rifle goes Boommmmmmmmmmmmmm. The deer falls right there, he just collapsed in a pile of deer and antlers. I sit back I thank the good Lord for this blessing of good meat. I look at my rifle, it did good. This is a new rifle, 1500 Howa 308 that came with 3.5 to 10 scope, and inexpensive combo deal. The ammo was home loaded with Sierra 150 gr. Pro Hunter over 45.5 gr. IMR 4064. Now the work starts, getting this deer back to the truck over a 1/4 mile away and loaded up. I have had 3 back surgeries and neck and shoulder surgeries. Lucky I have a Honda four wheeler. From the time I shot the deer to driving out of the field 1 hour and 15 minutes. This had been a great hunt. The Lord has really blessed me.
