Third Time’s A Charm… We HOPE!

We’ve been after a monster 8 point this year for about 2 months now. The first time I saw him was when Holt and I were hunting in the Hog Trap. We had rattled in another nice 8, that Holt was fixing to take a shot on if I could’ve stopped him sooner, when Holt himself spotted movement a couple hundred yards away in the bushes. He whispered,” Mom, look at that buck!” I threw down my horns and grunt, and grabbed the binoculars in time to see a huge, tall, 18-20” wide 8 walking away from us into the brush. I couldn’t get him back, however, because the other 8 had since walked behind the brush, and we could hear the two of them fighting. We left them alone, assuming that we’d go back and see him again in the next couple days, but it didn’t happen.
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Kevin was headed out to the ranch later that week, and of course, not hunting, saw the buck in the middle of the county road that goes through our ranch. With no gun, he drove up a little further where the buck had crossed, and watched him probably 50 yards away, cleaning himself! Isn’t that always how it happens??? Now Kevin knew we weren’t crazy, and he too was after our monster 8!
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Using my Mother’s intuition, lol, I told Holt we were going on top of the hills this time, because I had a feeling I knew where the buck was hanging out. I didn’t really know, but I had a feeling he’d left the flats for the hills since our last encounter. I am determined to get the big boy for Holt! We walked a ways through the hills, and then noticed movement ahead close to 100 yards. It was a couple smaller bucks coming in, probably headed to our hunter’s feeder we heard from the distance. Then they got within 60 yards, and we were still as could be, all camouflaged out. Then what to my eyes did appear??? The monster 8! It was him, exactly where I prayed he was at.

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However, that’s when we discovered Holt had no shot in the position we were now in, totally frozen so as not to scare them away. I had a great shot, as long as I wanted it, but chose to pass because I want Holt to experience this buck! This went on and on for like 10 minutes, that felt like an hour. We were both overtaken with buck fever, breathing hard, eyes tearing up, you know the drill! (If you don’t, you need to because that is the excitement and reason we hunt hard for these chances of a lifetime!) After attempting a couple movements to open our shot up, we saw all 4 bucks turn and walk into the brush. We knew once again we were skunked! However, we now know where he’s hanging out, so stay tuned for the third time, because I truly believe it will be his last somehow, and Holt will have the buck of a lifetime!