My Best Day?

The last weekend of October 1988 brought about many changes. We had leased a new tract of land that year from a local lawyer. It was rolling wooded hills and he was pulpwooding parts of the land as fast as he could get it surveyed. Heck, Gerald had already killed a deer that had yellow marking paint on it's side. Of course we'd all claimed we'd painted the "bullseye" on the deer for Gerald's behalf.

I was working as a musician and I hadn't gotten home until Saturday night very late and I didn't wake up until 10:00 Sunday. I got on my hunting clothes and took off down to the lease, forgetting my bullets in the process. Luckily I remembered as I passed the last Country Store and I bought a box of 270's. I know they were Remmington's but that's all I remember. I know I took the only box that they had.

I arrived around 11:30 and the only person there is David who is leaving for the weekend. Even though I asked, he couldn't stay and hunt with me due to chores he had to do at home. I'd been dissatisfied with the location of my stand from the previous weekend. It was on a long hillside of chop-land that was about 100 yards wide and surrounded by pines. I decided to move about halfway down the hill and climb up the largest of a stand of 4 pine trees that stood out in the dead center of the chop-land.

I'm in my stand and settled in and it's 2:00! At 2:30 I saw 3 does and some yearlings working their way through the broomstraw and 6 foot tall pines that filled the chop-land. I let them walk. Off to my right, just inside the tree line is a sudden drop off leading to a creek. Suddenly, just beyond the creek I hear antlers rattling! I hear it again! And Again! Suddenly I hear hoof beats and a crashing through the saplings that sounded like cattle at a full run. I could even see the saplings parting like a Carp swimming through swamp grass!

Seconds later a buck with a head full of horns pops up from the bank that held the creek, followed by another deer and yet another deer. They were at a full run straight at me until they got about 30 yards out. Where the first deer turned to my right and dropped to a trot. Deer #1 held his head erect and deer #2 literally had his antlers sticking the first deer in the rump. I didn't watch the 3rd deer that closely, all I could do was watch deer #1. I raised my Weatherby .270 and began tracking deer#1 in my scope. This could be my finest deer if I didn't blow the shot. I aimed directly for the front right shoulder knowing that I'd take out both front legs and loose allot of meat but I had to get this deer down and fast. From my angle, he passed quickly in an out of the tree tops and when he hit an opening that was about 10 yards wide, the Weatherby barked.

Instantly a pink cloud exploded behind the deer!

DEER #2 RAISED HIS HEAD AND THAT'S WHEN I SAW MY MISTAKE!

Deer #2 held a much larger rack than the first. I'd shot the lesser deer! The Lord was watching over me that day. Deer #2 and #3 froze in their tracks! They are broadside at 30 yards! They are in an opening! If they look at me they are looking into the sun!

I placed the crosshairs into the shoulders of deer #2 and the Weatherby barked again. Deer #2 bolted in the same direction as the first one had and deer #3 (a much lesser deer) bolted back towards the creek. Both of the deer had run into a sinkhole that I could see all around, but not into.

THEN THE SHAKES HIT ME!

I flat nutted up! I dropped 2 cigarettes trying to light one as I watched the quiet sink hole. I was shaking like a dog trying to pass a golf ball.......I knew I was supposed to wait 30 minutes. I waited maybe 4....and began to climb down the tree. When I was down to about 12 feet I jumped my stand (I regretted this later when I had to get the stand down! *G*).

I ran over to the sink hole and found the 2 deer. This was the greatest 5 seconds I'd ever had...and maybe ever will!