bilgerat
Senior
I posted this buck and hunt in the LFTT thread but want to share the story behind of why this hunt was so special to me
This tale began in 1997 or 98 when I was introduced to a young man from western Kentucky who had come down to visit a good friend of mine. The two had grown up together roaming the hills and woods of Ohio county Ky in the 60s , fishing, hunting and generally causing mischief together. His name was Boone McGrew, He was not like the other kids of the area as his mother was full blooded Korean and his dad was retired air force who had been stationed in Seoul during the Korean war. When I met Boone I thought he was one of the coolest, nicest and down to earth people Id ever met. We hit it off like we'd known each other our whole lives. Over the next few years we would talk frequently on the phone and once a year we would meet at the UGA vs Ky football game in Athens or Lexington. We always talked hunting but never really had time to get a hunting trip together but always planned to make it happen. Well in 2003 I finally took the time off work to head up to his dads farm and spend opening weekend with him, We had a great time camping, hunting, eating good and sharing a few adult beverages around the campfire. Boones mom, Pitoon ,treated me like one of her own and made sure we had anything we needed, she was the sweetest little lady and i really liked her from the start. I went back every year from then until the 2009 season with many great times and memories had, In February of 2010 I got a call that no one ever wants to get, it was from Boones Mom who told me that he had passed away from a heart attack at the farm chopping firewood. I was heartbroken and devastated at the news. He was only 48 and strong as an ox, I went up to Ky for his funeral and met his extended family for the first time and felt shunned by his brothers, I think they were jealous of My relationship with Boone and his Mom. Pi as she was called actually had me sit next to her at the ceremony. I returned home knowing my trips up there would prob never happen again due to the brothers and I was right, I got word via a voice mail that they were going to hunt the farm the next fall, and there would not be any room for me. Time passed and over the years Boons Dad and Pi passed and I lost touch with the family. This past spring, I reconnected with My friend who grew up with Boone and we got to reminiscing about the good times we all shared together, I asked if the family still owned the farm and he said yes and Boones little sister lived there now, I got him to send me her contact info and I reached out to her about maybe hunting the farm one more time. Well she called me a few weeks later and said she remembered me from the funeral and had thought of me a few times over the years. I asked her if anyone had been hunting the farm and she said no one had hunted it since Boone passed! We spoke several times about me coming up to hunt but she was hesitant due to the liability if something might happen, well I offered to lease the farm for the whole season, with insurance and sign a release waiver. We struck a deal, and I now could hunt with Boone once again! I took the camper up in mid September and put up a ladder stand , thru up a ground blind , put a few cams out and hunted for a few days. It was great to be hunting the farm again and it felt like Boone was there with me the whole time. I saw plenty of does and a few young bucks but not much as far a good bucks seen or on the cams. I returned for Primitive weapons weekend with not much luck, I headed out last Thursday and set up camp in anticipation of opening week of rifle season. Friday eve I grilled a big T-bone just like Boone and I always did the night before opening day. I set out 2 folding chairs and even though I quit drinking years ago I opened 2 beers and drank one and set one next to the empty chair for Boone. I hunted the ground blind I had set out on opening day and Sunday with lots of deer seen but no shooter bucks. Around 11;30 sunday morn I got a cell cam pic of a good looking buck heading into the woods where my ladder is located. On monday the wind finally shifted so I could hunt the ladder, I hunted it that morn with the normal sightings of does and smaller bucks. That afternoon I got back in the ladder around 2;30 and had deer moving almost steady for the next few hours, At 5:15 I heard a grunt off in the hardwoods and saw movement thru the trees but never saw anything identifiable. I looked up at the tree tops and said "Boone, send me a buck buddy' , Well a few minutes later a little 6 pointer walks right out in front at 15 yards and just stands broadside, I said to Boone 'thanks buddy ; very funny, Now how bout something a little bigger?" Not 15 minutes later I hear leaves crunching to my left and turn to see a beautiful buck coming in on a steady walk. He gets to 30 yards and turns right, walks into a opening and presents a perfect broadside shot. BOOM!! I dont even remembering raising the gun, looking in the scope or pulling the trigger! But there he was , the biggest bodied perfect 8 point buck laying on the ground with a big hole in his heart!!! I think Boone actually took the shot for me!!!
I immediately thanked the lord for making my aim true and thanked Boone for bringing me a great buck!!! This by far is my favorite hunt of all time and I still miss you my brother from another mother....Boone!!!
This tale began in 1997 or 98 when I was introduced to a young man from western Kentucky who had come down to visit a good friend of mine. The two had grown up together roaming the hills and woods of Ohio county Ky in the 60s , fishing, hunting and generally causing mischief together. His name was Boone McGrew, He was not like the other kids of the area as his mother was full blooded Korean and his dad was retired air force who had been stationed in Seoul during the Korean war. When I met Boone I thought he was one of the coolest, nicest and down to earth people Id ever met. We hit it off like we'd known each other our whole lives. Over the next few years we would talk frequently on the phone and once a year we would meet at the UGA vs Ky football game in Athens or Lexington. We always talked hunting but never really had time to get a hunting trip together but always planned to make it happen. Well in 2003 I finally took the time off work to head up to his dads farm and spend opening weekend with him, We had a great time camping, hunting, eating good and sharing a few adult beverages around the campfire. Boones mom, Pitoon ,treated me like one of her own and made sure we had anything we needed, she was the sweetest little lady and i really liked her from the start. I went back every year from then until the 2009 season with many great times and memories had, In February of 2010 I got a call that no one ever wants to get, it was from Boones Mom who told me that he had passed away from a heart attack at the farm chopping firewood. I was heartbroken and devastated at the news. He was only 48 and strong as an ox, I went up to Ky for his funeral and met his extended family for the first time and felt shunned by his brothers, I think they were jealous of My relationship with Boone and his Mom. Pi as she was called actually had me sit next to her at the ceremony. I returned home knowing my trips up there would prob never happen again due to the brothers and I was right, I got word via a voice mail that they were going to hunt the farm the next fall, and there would not be any room for me. Time passed and over the years Boons Dad and Pi passed and I lost touch with the family. This past spring, I reconnected with My friend who grew up with Boone and we got to reminiscing about the good times we all shared together, I asked if the family still owned the farm and he said yes and Boones little sister lived there now, I got him to send me her contact info and I reached out to her about maybe hunting the farm one more time. Well she called me a few weeks later and said she remembered me from the funeral and had thought of me a few times over the years. I asked her if anyone had been hunting the farm and she said no one had hunted it since Boone passed! We spoke several times about me coming up to hunt but she was hesitant due to the liability if something might happen, well I offered to lease the farm for the whole season, with insurance and sign a release waiver. We struck a deal, and I now could hunt with Boone once again! I took the camper up in mid September and put up a ladder stand , thru up a ground blind , put a few cams out and hunted for a few days. It was great to be hunting the farm again and it felt like Boone was there with me the whole time. I saw plenty of does and a few young bucks but not much as far a good bucks seen or on the cams. I returned for Primitive weapons weekend with not much luck, I headed out last Thursday and set up camp in anticipation of opening week of rifle season. Friday eve I grilled a big T-bone just like Boone and I always did the night before opening day. I set out 2 folding chairs and even though I quit drinking years ago I opened 2 beers and drank one and set one next to the empty chair for Boone. I hunted the ground blind I had set out on opening day and Sunday with lots of deer seen but no shooter bucks. Around 11;30 sunday morn I got a cell cam pic of a good looking buck heading into the woods where my ladder is located. On monday the wind finally shifted so I could hunt the ladder, I hunted it that morn with the normal sightings of does and smaller bucks. That afternoon I got back in the ladder around 2;30 and had deer moving almost steady for the next few hours, At 5:15 I heard a grunt off in the hardwoods and saw movement thru the trees but never saw anything identifiable. I looked up at the tree tops and said "Boone, send me a buck buddy' , Well a few minutes later a little 6 pointer walks right out in front at 15 yards and just stands broadside, I said to Boone 'thanks buddy ; very funny, Now how bout something a little bigger?" Not 15 minutes later I hear leaves crunching to my left and turn to see a beautiful buck coming in on a steady walk. He gets to 30 yards and turns right, walks into a opening and presents a perfect broadside shot. BOOM!! I dont even remembering raising the gun, looking in the scope or pulling the trigger! But there he was , the biggest bodied perfect 8 point buck laying on the ground with a big hole in his heart!!! I think Boone actually took the shot for me!!!
I immediately thanked the lord for making my aim true and thanked Boone for bringing me a great buck!!! This by far is my favorite hunt of all time and I still miss you my brother from another mother....Boone!!!
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