I posted in the kill thread so most have already seen it, but just wanted to share what a load off that hunt was. I had a little personal streak of killing one good buck for years, dating back to the early 2000s (minus the 2013 season, you old timers may remember the story of that season 
) . But the last deer I killed was in 2020, and although I've hunted still up till now, just haven't been able to find a buck that wasn't just a little young for my expectations on my place. No problem, it happens. But, it still, in the back of your mind, can begin to weigh on a feller. Health issues have been slowly starting to manifest as I get older, and I was beginning to think I didn't have it in me to get out there hardly, let alone get another good buck out from back on my property if I did get one. Well, long story longer 
, I did FINALLY get out there for the first time this year, and on the glorious first day of rifle season no less, and was blessed just to be out there, but not only that but was double blessed to be able to finally have another good buck cross my sights on my place. The buck came in across the ridge behind me and it wasn't really easy to get turned in that little loc on stand 180 degrees to get on him, then, best I can tell I just flat missed the first shot, or hit some tree limbs, not making excuses as I have missed before, but anyway, he skipped a few steps and continued on his way, so I had to regroup, get turned around on the other side of the tree by this time and try to get back on him, and I had one shot as he was about to disappear into the thicker brush, still thick, but I saw a little opening as he entered it, and fired. He didn't act hit at all and kept going. Ok, well I thought that was par for the course with the way things had gone this year, and settled back down to keep hunting, all the while I kept replaying that sequence in my head. Saw a few more deer and even posted a video of the 7 pti saw later. FF finally LOL I got down and went to see if I could find any sign that I had hit him, and I searched up and down, criss crossing his path best I could recall, and not a single drop of blood to be found. I kept going for about 75 more yards, then I spotted him on the next ridge, down. My 2nd shot had apparently hit him back as he was going away, but angled thru and did the job. He coughed up blood the last 10 yards or so until he went down. Getting him out was much easier than I thought it would be on this old man, as he ran back toward my truck and cut the distance by more than half of where I shot him at. About a 150 yard drag, and mostly downhill. Whew, that was a blessing in itself! Anyhow, sorry for the long post, but just wanted to share the story and give God the glory for blessing me once again to be able to hunt His creation. 
) . But the last deer I killed was in 2020, and although I've hunted still up till now, just haven't been able to find a buck that wasn't just a little young for my expectations on my place. No problem, it happens. But, it still, in the back of your mind, can begin to weigh on a feller. Health issues have been slowly starting to manifest as I get older, and I was beginning to think I didn't have it in me to get out there hardly, let alone get another good buck out from back on my property if I did get one. Well, long story longer , I did FINALLY get out there for the first time this year, and on the glorious first day of rifle season no less, and was blessed just to be out there, but not only that but was double blessed to be able to finally have another good buck cross my sights on my place. The buck came in across the ridge behind me and it wasn't really easy to get turned in that little loc on stand 180 degrees to get on him, then, best I can tell I just flat missed the first shot, or hit some tree limbs, not making excuses as I have missed before, but anyway, he skipped a few steps and continued on his way, so I had to regroup, get turned around on the other side of the tree by this time and try to get back on him, and I had one shot as he was about to disappear into the thicker brush, still thick, but I saw a little opening as he entered it, and fired. He didn't act hit at all and kept going. Ok, well I thought that was par for the course with the way things had gone this year, and settled back down to keep hunting, all the while I kept replaying that sequence in my head. Saw a few more deer and even posted a video of the 7 pti saw later. FF finally LOL I got down and went to see if I could find any sign that I had hit him, and I searched up and down, criss crossing his path best I could recall, and not a single drop of blood to be found. I kept going for about 75 more yards, then I spotted him on the next ridge, down. My 2nd shot had apparently hit him back as he was going away, but angled thru and did the job. He coughed up blood the last 10 yards or so until he went down. Getting him out was much easier than I thought it would be on this old man, as he ran back toward my truck and cut the distance by more than half of where I shot him at. About a 150 yard drag, and mostly downhill. Whew, that was a blessing in itself! Anyhow, sorry for the long post, but just wanted to share the story and give God the glory for blessing me once again to be able to hunt His creation.
That thing is almost like pulling a sled on ice. 
