Max Stafford

Spent the morning watching a few small spikes and a couple does before 2 bucks came out and began chasing the does around 7:45. The larger of the 2 chased weaved in and out of the remaining standing corn in the field, taking away any possible shot. The smaller buck ended up running below my stand, chasing the remainder of the does in the field in front of me of me. After everything died down I thought that I was done seeing any more deer for that sit and got on my phone to text with some buddies and see how their hunts are going. Just as I finish up typing, I look up to see this buck working its way across the field at 8:10. I stand up in the stand for a better view and it appears that it will go into the corn around the same area the previous buck did, so I decide to take a shot thinking that it’s the only chance I would have, believing it’s around 50 yards. I drop him in his tracks, and come to find out upon retrieval it was over double that distance at about 118 yards. Not bad for shooting open sights on a 12-gage bird barrel shotgun! First opening day buck, and first buck in 8 years. Extremely grateful for the opportunity, and to share the weekend with my Dad whose birthday was the day before!