2022 whitetail tag filled

[KentuckyTJ]

I finally filled my buck tag on the second to last day of rifle season. It was a tough year but had a great ending.

The monster 8 point that me and several other people had been hunting the last few years got taken by a bow hunter during rut. Great guy who put in a lot of time and effort to get him. This left me searching for a new buck to hunt. One I liked broke a main beam before gun season. Big framed deer with short G2’s. He wouldn’t score great but he was impressive. The buck I settled on hunting had 7 points on one side, 4 on the other. Just a good solid mature buck.

I watched him through the spotter because the wind was wrong to hunt the first Saturday of season. Seeing him in person I liked him better than I did from the trail cam pics. The weather turned foggy and rainy, I did not see him again for a week. I hunted every morning and night except one for 11 days, got ranch work done mid day or after dark. I was very careful getting in and out of my hunting spot, I’m fairly confident the deer there never knew I was hunting them. I’ve refined my method for years to get more hunts this way.

Finally last night it all came together. The sun came out for the first time in days and I think the deer were ready for it. Near dark the four does I was watching all focused on the timber below them. Scanning I picked up the buck surveying everything from the timber’s edge. Finally he came out into the open and I got my 264 win mag ready. He skirted the far side of the clearing and I did not have time or light to wait to long on him. I ranged him at 396, then 402 yards with my Leica 10x42’s and then dialed my scope to 400 yards. I rested over the round bale making up the front of my blind and squeezed the trigger. I could not see the impact with my scope dialed up in magnification but heard the whop of a hit. Since I could not see the buck after the shot I backed off to my vehicle and gave the buck some time. About 45 minutes later I went in and found the buck right where I expected to. The 140 grain Berger did its job well and was just poking out the hide on the off side.

It was a grind this year with plenty of adversity, but ended with a nice Sitka Blacktail on Kodiak and a nice whitetail at home. Time to chase coyotes and plan for next year. Tonight I’m taking my nephew out to hopefully take his first buck.

Nice brother!