Missouri deer hunt 2011

Finally made it back from my annual road trip,wish I could have stayed a few more days. It was prolly one of the best hunts of my life with my 8 yr old son at my side every day. This kid got up and got his butt ready every day at 4:00 and followed mt to the stand in total darkenss everyday and sat as long as we needed to. He would get a little sleepy sitting there but that was ok. My wife told me before I left, DO NOT COME HOME WITHOUT ANY DOES,so I did what she asked. We got there to set up stand early Fri and while driving in had a giant buck chase a doe up to the truck,then setting up my ladder stand a nice 8 point ran a doe right up to us,my boy spotted them. He got to see what real buck chasing is like for the first time.

Opening morn a fat doe ran out in front of us,Clay couldn't get on her and she was getting rerady to go so I busted her at 75 yards. She face planted and shuffle ran about another 50 before she piled up,the boy was tripping,he couldn't stop smiling. A few mins later a spike came out,in range but not legal ,Clay would have to wait. Nothing else that morning. That evening we seen nothing,usually up there I see at least 4 or 5 legal bucks opening day,this time nothing. Rut was on hard but wind was blowing steady at 30 with some powerful gusts,and it was pretty warm. Brother texted me at around 5 and said buck down,he got a nice 7 point. Next Morn nothing else again,deer were just not moving good,my brother was seeing plenty of deer at first light and right before dark on the edge of a alfafa field.Sunday eve we sat at the hay field and my brother moved to another area. As usual he was covered up with deer,said he seen to bucks that were at least 140" AND 4 other smaller bucks and some does,all out of range for him though. At the hay field around 5:00 3 young deer ran right behing my blind and I whistled loud to stop them,one stopped broadside at 20 yards. I said Clay get on him. Seemed like forever and I told him you better shoot she's fixing to run. That little .243 cracked and that deer bucked and ran. I knew he made a good hit. I decided to wait till dark before looking,10 minutes later another deer hits the hat field,nice buck. He was heading down hill so I grunted at him. Man did that stop him,he wheeled around and looked my way and started posturing all stiff legged looking for a fight. He came straight to the blind. Clay was all over him it took everything I had to tell him not to shoot. Deer had one nice side with only 3 points,the other side was a funky spike. Deer have to have at least 4 point on one side to be legal.

Next morn more does and little bucks,Clay couldn't pull the trigger on another doe for some reason,around 9:30 two more does come across the hay field at around 125 yards. I aimed at the bigger one and squeezed one off,she bucked up and ran 50 yards before she fell. Took the top of her heart clean off. She ended up being DIezilla,I swear she was 175 pound doe,bigget one I ever killed. As far as the buck killing goes,this year I didn't get one. I had a chance at a booner on Sun and blew it. We took a ride around the farm at lunch time and at one of the gates two deer got up and just stood there,a doe and a giant 10 or 12 point,I'm pretty sure the same one we seen Fri. Damn buck just stood there at 50 yards,I got out of the truck,got on him and the trigger would not pull for nothing. After screwing with the safety I finally realized my bolt was open,got back on the scope to watch him run off. Next morn had another big mounter run by me a car had spooked,I took a shot but I was never on him. Her was gettin' it crossing a hill,seen one other legal buck that busted us in our ground blind and bolted right awat. Still it was one of my better hunts and I came home very happy and satisfied and proud of my boy.