Opening Week Buck 2012

A warm and muggy opening weekend of archery season in South Georgia gave way to a crisp, cool Monday morning. This was my last morning of the hunt and I was already more than satisfied as I had smoked a nice doe on opening morning. When my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. I flirted with the idea of staying in bed; but that thought wouldn't last for long. After walking outside and feeling the cool air that had come in during the night I quickly gathered my gear and jumped into the truck.

Jacob and Noah were going to hunt the big club so I headed solo to the small lease we affectionately refer to as "Wayne's Property". The day before I had carved a trail with hedge trimmers to an area we call "the watering hole" and hung a lock-on stand in an oak tree. We used to access this area from the opposite side until Wayne's sister died and the family sold off the west side of our lease. So for the past year and a half we were cut off from this area by a 200 yard thick wall of brambles and underbrush. Carving a trail was not the easiest task and I'm sure I dropped a couple gallons of sweat in the process. I had sat the same stand in a thick creek bottom all weekend and I was ready for a change in scenery; but my expectations of seeing a deer near the watering hole that morning were not very high.

I was glad I brought my jacket as I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise in the stand on this cool morning. About an hour after sunlight I heard something crashing around in a thick hedge row in front of me. Picking up my bow I waited and continued to listen. After nothing showed itself I wrote it off for a bird or something. I did catch a little movement of branches but didn't want to raise my hopes too high.

Then, to my amazement, out popped a deer's head complete with dark chocolate colored antlers! I could see three nice tines coming off both sides and I assumed that with brow tines he was a nice eight pointer. Carefully grabbing my bow and standing up I kept my eyes on him as he emerged from the hedge row. Behind him was a smaller buck that I didn't look at twice. I had tunnel vision on the first buck. He began quickly walking right towards me. I drew my bow and followed him with my top pin. By the time he stopped he was nearly under my stand quartering sharply towards me.

Aiming between the buck's shoulder blades I released the arrow. To my amazement he simply dropped! I had clipped his spine leaving him paralyzed beneath me. After two more carefully placed shots (I don't like watching anything suffer) he was expired. For the second time on opening week I was blessed with a clean bow kill with no blood trailing required. When I climbed down and examined him I found that he was a beautiful six point, being that he lacked brow tines. While no monster, I was proud to take him with a bow.

I still have one buck left in Georgia that must have at least 4 points on one side and I am going to hold out for a true monster buck. I was hoping to catch up with a couple giants we had on camera last year but when I checked my camera I discovered it had a bad SD card. So I'll have to wait for next time to see who else is on the property this year.

I arrived back at camp before Jacob and Noah and I quickly hid my buck behind the cleaning station. When they returned I waited a bit to tell them. Finally I said, "My hunt sucked; look, I ruined another new broad-head." I Showed Jacob an arrow with a busted broad-head covered in flesh and blood. The look on his face was great! Then the showing off began. As I cleaned my buck Jacob and Noah cleaned up camp and before Noon we were on the road and heading home. Hunting season has barely started and it is looking to be an epic season for me. I hope my good fortune continues, but even if it doesn't I can't complain. I'm a blessed man!