Opener of gun fell in the middle of the week and I wasn’t able to get any time off. I impatiently waited for the weekend to fall not knowing which stand I was going to hit with not having ANYTHING on camera beside some doe here and there. Saturday morning hit and I was dragging, I was just going to go out behind the house for an easy sit thinking why drive to some property if I haven’t seen anything worth getting after. My girlfriend told me to just go for it knowing all the crazy things I tell her about rut. I get there early and start my walk out, crunchy ground beneath my feet I figured I would spook anything close on my way out and my hopes lowered as I got closer. The sun started to break and the movement began, multiple younger bucks chasing does but nothing I was quite willing to touch one off at. 9:00 am hit and I was hungry. Texting my girlfriend trying to get a warm meal out of her for when I got home I look up and there he stood. On a hot trail heading west I knew I had one lane to set up a shot on him. As he closed in I stopped him prematurely and he stood behind a tree at 65 yards wondering. As he began to carry on his path I stopped him again and was able to capitalize! I knew I hit him good but with shooting off hand in a awkward position I wasn’t able to see where he went after I shot. I listened and did not hear a sound. Knowing I hit him good and thinking about how loud my walk in was I wasn’t sure what really happen. I glassed but did not see anything with the brush standing. Calling waking my buddy up barely able to get words out I tell him I shot a “big buck”. Meeting him at the top of the hill we talk over the story we head for the tree he stood behind prior to the shot. Getting closer I see the deer but I’m not able to see the rack, my heart starts sinking as I thought it was a “big buck” and the antlers weren’t visible yet. Walking up on the deer I realize that he was as large as I thought he was! My buddy just as happy as I was realizing that it was quite a good deer and not just my excitement getting the best of me! I am so beyond happy to harvest a buck this year and the first one off this property!