Hey everyone, Happy Thanksgiving.
Well, my daughter Payton did it again and was able to harvest our target deer.
As this year began we created more cover and bedding areas and put in more food plots to try and help keep the deer more on the property, but over the years it’s been getting harder and harder to let deer grow to maturity, due to the amount of people hunting in 1 quarter mile is overwhelming, so I feel extremely lucky to see my daughter harvest an older buck.
This deer and I had multiple encounters but was unable to get clear a shot on him and I did not want to make a bad shot.
We knew he was a good one, and after watching him in full rut chasing doe’s and running other bucks off as I had missed opportunities, and I wasn’t able to get it done then he disappeared.
Anything can happen during rut, and I really thought one of the many hunters around us got him or wounded him as I seen many times in the past.
Little did I know how it would play out, and on November 15th he showed back up.
The morning of the 15th Payton and I hunted together, overlooking the food plots we didn’t see much. We heard many shots and hoped we would see him.
That afternoon my wife Megan went with Payton to the fields while I chose to hunt the swamp. About 45 minutes till dark around 800 yards away I seen him coming out right between us. I texted Megan “the big 8 is going right between us get ready!”.
I got down from my tree-stand to try and get a shot on him, but he decided to head towards Payton. As Megan and Payton were searching for him, he came out at about 150 yards away. Payton said “there he is!”
As Buck Fever started to kick in on Payton, she dumped him with her 350 Legend at 150 yards! And after hearing the shot I couldn’t wait I had to call to see if she got him and Magen said he’s down.
I went and picked up my youngest Emma and headed to pick them up and as we were searching for him Emma said there he is! Payton was very excited, but I thank I was way more!
Great job again Payton you impress me more and more each year as you grow, keep it up!