I connected on a great Alamance County 6 pointer on Friday evening.  I headed out to the stand (same stand where cousin Ben from Pennsylvania killed his 4 pointer last weekend) around 3:00.  Wind was gusting and deer notoriously move early in this particular cutover. 

I was on the 5th or 6th rung of the ladder, and I look over to the left and there are 2 big does staring at me.  I tried to be still and not move, but finally decided that they would sit there and stare forever if I wanted to do the same thing.  Well, I didn’t really, so I continued up the ladder and they snorted and ran off. 

I figured that the sound of the wind would cover any noises that made, so that was just as well.  It was a slow afternoon until 5 o’clock, so I decided to grab my antlers and do some rattling to shake things up a bit.  This hunting season, I have rattled way more than in the previous years, and have gotten some good responses from deer, just nothing big enough yet.

About 2 minutes after I hooked my antlers back over a cedar branch, I saw a deer step out into a little opening in the cutover about 30 yards away.  I didn’t need binoculars to see that this was the 6 pointer that had already survived 2 archery and 1 rifle encounters this year, no shots fired by the hunters, but close calls nonetheless.

He was just standing there trying to figure out where the fighting bucks had gone to, so I tried to put the crosshairs on him, but there was too much brush.  He would take a step and I would try to find a hole to shoot through, and again…just too much brush.  This went on 3 or 4 more times, before I was getting concerned that he would leave and not give me a shot.

When he stepped the final time, I thought I would have a shot if he looked right at me.  So, I pursed my lips and let out a whistle.  He looked at me and I shot him right in the neck.  He dropped out of sight, and I was sure I had killed him but didn’t see any brush moving or hear any sounds. 

I gave it a couple minutes and cautiously approached where he had been standing.  He was piled up in a heap.  He weighed about 160 pounds and was built like a tank…great big neck, barrel shaped body, short legs.  His tarsals were jet black and dripping wet.  Another buck had scuffed his back and neck up pretty good and halfway tore his right ear off.  G2s were matching 9 inches and his antlers were about as polished as possible.  Not one single burr or gnurling was sticking up around his bases or anywhere for that matter.  A fine buck!

So, needless to say, I am pretty happy right now.  This deer season has been a little tougher than usual, but I’ve been blessed to be in the woods alot with the responsibilities I am carrying this semester, so I’m thankful that when a decent buck did show up and gave me an opportunity, I was able to capitalize.  He’ll make a great European mount, and I’ll think of a freezing cold November day in Alamance County when I look at his antlers on the wall.  Thanks dad for helping with the retrieval and taking some really great field photos.  Great memories!