Dear, I shot another deer.

Once again early morning second weekend Friday in the stand. Still making it every deer I've ever shot being on that day. You just can't keep me out of the stand Friday second weekend. I was in my stand of Maples that McPhee and I built a week before the 06 season. I didn't have time this year to hang my new portable so I brought it out with me that morning and was going to go walking to find another spot to hang it later that day. I had been sitting for about an hour and as usual I hear a stick break from behind me then leaves. Taking a chance I peeked around the tree I was in. I saw a rack and big body about 50 yards back. I say to myself "that's a shooter" quickly turn and stop for a 1/2 second. Ok, he's still moving grab the 300 and go live. He now stops for what seemed to be about 5 minutes then I hear him start walking again. The wait had given me enough time to catch my breath, calm the heart and think a bit. The gun barrel was on the left but he was facing like he was going right. I needed to get the gun on the right side and make a left handed shot. My feet were stretched out in front of me and I could not take the chance of moving them. He was to close. The deer was still at my back when I made this correction and got set up on my shooting rail well he was still moving. Looking down my scope ahead of him through my left eye I pick out my shot as he is still coming around. He gets about parallel to me 50 yards out with his body behind 2 Maples growing close to one another. With his head sticking out he looks at me. Shit! I'm thinking don't you bolt. He takes a second looking at me looks the other way and then back at me. The deer then takes 2 steps turns 180 degrees. NO! Then 180 again back the way he was headed, OK. Now he is right in my shooting lane but quartering away. This is it! Any more and All I get is an ass shot and more yards between him and I. I take it! BANG! Off my left bicep where my gun is resting. The deer hopped when he was hit and does a couple of bronco kicks trots down a small hill on his way up the other side I see him get dizzy and tip over. AWESOME! It was a good shot. I didn't even load another round. He went down about 80 yards from my stand and I could see him, perfect. With in an hour I had him gutted out and I was on the phone passing the word to whom ever would pick up the phone while in my stand waiting for the next one. I saw a doe about 115 yards out just after gutting this guy and let that one go. The next day (Saturday) at 8:20 I had a good looking 6 point come in from behind me again at 30 yards, I grunted to get him to stop at 60 yards so I could take a good look at him. He'll make for a nice buck next year. I let him go. What a great 07 hunt.

Captain Awesome!

The 300 barked on Friday morning at 7:45am. A left handed shot. He weighed 162lbs, 16inch inside spread and has a 7/8inch sticker on his right beam. A cunt hair shy but I'm still calling him a 9 point.

Right before this picture was taken Maddie asked me "Daddy, why that deer go like this?" I replied "Because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Honey."