hunter24605
Handloader
- Apr 30, 2016
- 2,560
- 4,304
Found this pic rummaging through the china cabinet....Dang near 30 years ago and I haven't been able to top this fella...The drop tine and one tine that was sort of "hollow" and looked like a piece of celery, makes him stand out in our camp. I remember it was bitter cold in the low teens, and I was second guessing my decision to be out that morning. Back then all I had was some K-Mart cotton long-Johns, that shirt, jeans and a hand-me-down Army field jacket. I sat down under a big cedar, using it to buck some of the wind. Around 8:30 a group of does came through from behind me. I didn't see them until they were to my left. That big cedar that was blocking the wind, also blocked my view behind...After they were well and out of sight, I re-positioned so I could see a little better behind me. Then about 30 minutes after, and in full blown, full body shivers, movement caught my eye. At first, looking through the brush, I thought it was a squirrel messing around on the side of a tree. Just to be sure, I put the 4x Tasco on him. That's when I realized I was seeing an antler tip and held on it until he stepped into better view. By now I'd been holding on him for about 2 minutes, but seemed like 30. Funny, how all of a sudden the cold was the last thing on my mind. It felt like my heart was pounding between my ears. Then the worst happens, something, maybe me, alerted him and he turned like he was on hinges. I had a view of his rear-end and a steep, raking shot at his ribs. He was cocked and ready to launch out of there at any second, Knowing it was now or never, I settle the cross-hairs on his ribs and squeezed the trigger on the old 742 woodsmaster, and sent the 150gr '06 core-lokt on its way. Trying to catch my breath, I was pretty sure I missed. I never saw him take off or fall..I gathered my senses and headed to where I last saw him. Glory-be! There he lays! The bullet entered about 1/2 up the ribs on his right side then exited out his "armpit" and punching a hole through his left leg.He dropped exactly where he stood. MY brother caught up to me a little bit later while I was dragging him out, and said "You smile any bigger and you'll split your face in two"...... Oh, to be that young again, and run the mountains like they were flat...Since then I seen some that are as nice or even a little bigger, but the stars haven't aligned. Maybe not a trophy in a lot of folks eyes, but to me he's pretty doggone special.
