Okay guy’s this is the first time posting anything like this.
I grew up hunting public land, wildlife management areas mostly, hunted almost every weekend rain or shine and any other day that I could. Over the past few years, I haven't been able to hunt as much as I would like. So you learn to go when you can.
It was unseasonably hot for this time of year 78°F, normal highs are around 55°F and 65°F. I made the comment to my wife I would like to hunt this weekend with it being the last hunt of the year (for one of my favorite WMA we use to hunt) but really hated to go because of the heat, she quickly replied with "You haven't been able to go much and your not going to get one if you don't go." and with that I simply replied yes ma'am. That week I did some virtual scouting (another first) of an area that I hadn't previously hunted. I settled in on a route that I could easily adjust depending on the wind once I got in there.
Saturday morning came early a cup of coffee, a little breakfast and I was off with plans on not seeing much and hunting hard from dark to dark. The drive to the WMA was uneventful not seeing any wildlife along the way. I parked the truck grabbed my gun, pack and sled (Game Wardens must weigh and age the deer so no packing out). I turned my flashlight on low just enough to pierce the dark ahead of me and headed out to find that elusive heat wave buck.
After about a mile the flashlight gave way to the morning's gray light. I paused long enough to stow my sled, got a drink of water and thought to myself its already HOT, but oh how I still enjoy this time of day. I found a ridge about 100 yards away to take in the morning, survey my surroundings and enjoy a cup of coffee. As the squirrels and birds were greeting the morning, I slowly started down the old firebreak that paralleled the hill side with 15-year-old pines above and a mixture of hardwood below leading into a thick cutover.
Not cutting much deer sign, I debated on crossing over the mountain into some big timber in hopes that I might catch one bedded in the morning sun. I slowly continued knowing from my virtual scouting that a saddle was up ahead. As I closed the distance on the saddle, the timber began to open below. Stopping between two pines to survey the hardwood bottom and further contemplate crossing over, I thanked God for the ability to enjoy such a beautiful morning. Just then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, was that a flicker of an ear or a bird, just to my left in the pines. As much as I try, I just can't make anything out, hesitant to move I think about raising my binoculars but decide to stay still and observe. While focusing on the flicker there was movement to my right something coming around a blowdown root ball, a battle-hardened buck cruising for that last estrus doe. As the adrenalin started to rise along with my heartbeat, I surveyed his rack 1, 2, 3, 4 on one side yep a legal buck. About that time he saw or smelled something he did not like, he jumped about ten feet to the left and just froze he was now quartering away from me. I raised my gun placed the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger the buck hunched up and ran back the way he came. I watched as he ran around the blowdown losing sight of him then picked him up at the other end, I thought. I thanked God for the opportunity and began waiting after about 20 minutes I started over to where I last saw the deer, no sign not even a hoof mark, that's odd I was sure I hit him then the wind shifted I could smell the musk of a rutting buck looking around I didn't see anything. So I went to where I had shot at the deer (like you are supposed to), hair okay, three more feet good blood yes! After a short trailing session there he lay. Yes, that was a deer flicker to my left.
