As soon as Casey got home at 4:10 pm he did a quick change of clothes, had a snack and we left to take a stand. On the way there we talked strategies and discussed shot placement. At 5 pm we settled into the 2 man stand with strong winds blowing 15 knots out of the NE (to our front) - we’d only have about 55 minutes before it would get to dark to shoot. Five minutes after we settled in we heard a hog grunting behind us (downwind) and saw a black hog cross a narrow opening 70 yards away paralleling us. I didn’t think that was gonna work out….
After about 25 minutes a flicker of movement 70 yards away caught my eye in the oak hammock. Using binocs I saw that it’s a buck and its eating acorns walking towards us. I whispered “BUCK!” to Casey and told him to get ready. He hadn’t seen it yet so I told him it was headed towards an opening in the brush where he would get a shot. Casey had to pivot 90 degrees to shoot and as the buck crossed behind a thick palm tree I told Casey to slide over and set up as his movement would be obscured.
The buck hit the opening 40 yards away with Casey on it with the Marlin 30-30 resting on the shooting rail. Walking forward it gave a perfect broadside shot but Casey didn’t pull the trigger (he said later there was something in the way). Viewing this all from behind Casey I see his head was shaking behind the scope and I’m thinking … “Oh NO Buck Fever!”
The buck turns slightly towards us and is now giving a semi-quarter profile and after a few seconds Casey takes the shot. The buck just drops and doesn’t move! We watch it for 30 seconds and then after some High Fives and “FIRST BUCK!!” statements he climbs down to take a look at his First Buck!
That was FUN!
(the closed mouth smiles are ‘brace smiles’)
Cell phone photo
Working
First buck!
Hoo Yah!!
Brian
Congats. Fine 1st deer great job. 
