On the afternoon of Jan. 22, my dad took me to a new piece of property we had just leased. Dad and my brother Rhett had seen several bucks the week before, so we were really hoping I would get a good chance at a racked deer. Dad took me to a shooting house on a long, narrow field between a cut-over and some thinned out pines. We saw several does early in the hunt, and then late, a good buck stepped out in the back of the field.
I got ready for the shot, and just before the buck stepped into the pines, I fired. My first thought was I missed, but my dad assured me I had made a good shot. The buck ran into the pines but he made it only about 50 yards. The 120-yard shot with my 7mm-08 was right in the shoulders. My first buck and he had a small drop tine! I think my brother is jealous.
