Yesterday was definitely One for the books. Opening day of gun season is something my family and friends live for. It should really be a holiday. We wake up early, chat for a quick minute, then we’re headed to the stand. I got in my stand about 6-6:15am, plenty of time before legal shooting light. Sitting there before daylight was extremely peaceful. Thennn 6:50 rolls around. I hear something walking, getting closer and closer to me. I look through my binoculars and it’s a big mature doe and she’s within bow range but it’s not legal shooting hours. So, she strolls on by and makes a loop and walks out of sight. I look at the time, 6:55. It’s go time. But….. the fog, was so unbelievably bad, I couldn’t see past 80 yards. Good news is, if something were to come through in that range, it’s a chip shot. Some time goes by, and the fog starts going away. I check time again it’s about 10-10:30. I look through my binoculars and start scanning around, I see a deer laying down and it moves its head and I see horns. My eyes are glued at this point. I get a little video of it and send it to a couple buddies and my dad. It’s a basket 8 point. But enough to get your heart pumping. So I wait and wait and wait, and 11:30 rolls around and dad asks if I want to go get some lunch. Well I saw the buck stand up, and I start videoing again. I got some decent footage of him and he’s staring in the woods. I’m trying so hard to see what it is he’s staring at while still videoing him, and I don’t see anything… at first. As he starts walking in the woods I see another deer that body wise, makes the basket 8 look like a baby and it steps in an opening to where I saw him on the video and all I saw was his rack. I even said “oh my!”. So I keep videoing and after the basket 8 steps out of sight the bigger one lays down. I texted dad and said “I think I’m gonna have to pass on lunch” he says “okay Good Luck”. Now I’m committed to an all day sit. I check my phone battery and it’s just about dead. So I turn my phone off and just sit for a while, keeping a close eye on that tree line. A couple hours pass and it’s about 3-3:30 now. I don’t see anything in the mean time so I turn my phone back on to see what’s happening with the deer camp group. I look around a little bit and see 2 deer in the field. I get my binos up, and the first one, is a doe. The second one. Is a real nice buck. At first glance, I’m nervous and excited. But I watch him in the binos because he’s too far to shoot. He starts walking behind his doe and I notice he’s limping really bad. So instantly I try thinking of a game plan and start getting ready. His doe walks out the back of the field onto the neighbors and I check the time, 4:00. Still plenty of time. He feeds in the field for a little bit, and then beds down. I got a little video of him. Some time goes by and he stands up and starts feeding again, really struggling to walk. But let me tell you, he’s a tough one. There were a couple other small bucks in the field and he didn’t like it. So, as a good mature deer does, he starts runnin them off, showing them who’s boss and who’s territory it is. His doe, comes back to my field and I know he’s gonna be not long behind her so I get a range on her and she’s at 352 yards that’s a little too far. So I wait, and check time again and it’s 4:45 still have time. He gets in the field and I stays in the same spot for what feels like hours. I range him and he’s still at 352 yards. I start thinking of what I can do to get him closer or myself closer and check time 5:20, I say “I think I can get another 100 yards or so and that will be close enough.” I look to make sure he hasn’t moved, range him again and he’s still at 352. I text the group and ask their opinion and they say get down and get closer. Then I got thinking what time is last legal shooting time, so I texted and they say “5:40! You got 10 mins!” So unload my gun to get down, get to the first step off my platform, and look up only to see him sprinting closer! I hurry up, get back up on my stand, load my gun and range him when he stopped 242 yards. I dial my scope to the range, get steady pull the trigger, and I heard the “pssss” right past him and he just stares, wondering what happened. Clean miss. I hurry up rack another bullet. I get extra steady, take a deep breath, and squeeze the trigger. “BANG” “psss” “SMACK!” “Got him that time” he takes a step, and falls over. I knew I hit him good, but rack another one anyway. I watch, and his doe runs to him and he gets back up and starts running closer. I hurried and dialed my scope, he stops, “BANG!” “Pssss” “SMACK” and he fell right in his tracks. I’m freaking out at this point. I hurry up get down, and sprint across the field. It took me a minute to find him, but he was down for sure. When I see him laying about 30 yards away, I was super cautious. I get up to him, and the emotions start rollin. I’m happy, excited, thrilled, anything but mad. I text my dad first saying “BBD” (Big Buck Down) then I text the group saying “BBD” and then, my phone died. Which was probably the best thing that could have happened. I finally got to get my hands on my biggest buck to date. I got down, and let me tell you, my smile was from ear to ear.