After taking on some new work this year I had to cancel my CO Elk hunt I was suppose to be on this week but instead I was able to take a day and a half off for opening weekend here in FL. This was a quick hunt on some land I've been working on food plots all year thats private and has an 8 point minimum, so I really didn't have my hopes up this year. I got on the stand early Saturday morning and had and nice boar and later a spike show up. Around 9:30 an 8pt shows up and I never really knew what buck fever felt like till this guy appeared out of thin air. He came in fast but stopped just behind a tree at 25yd which gave me the perfect approtunity to get my bow up but I was so nervous I couldn't find my D loop with my release. Finally after fumbling around I get my released nocked and bow up and all I needed him to do now was take one more step and he was mine. Unfortunately that never happened, instead he winded me and bolted in the opposite direction. I sat till 1pm and had a 3 pt show up with a bunch of does and later some more hogs but I figured I blew my one shot at that Buck and I now have to wait till next year. I sat in the same stand that night and didn't see much so the next/last day I was thinking I'd sit somewhere else. I had been fighting the beginning of a cold that week that was progressively getting worse so I really didn't have much hopes on my morning hunt. After a long night of coughing and blowing my nose I ended up getting back on the same stand but much later in the morning. I really just figured I'd sit till 9 or 10am then get a few things done around the camp ground before I headed home. Around 8:30am I hear a deer urinating in the water right below me. I look down and see the 8pt came back in with a couple other bucks but up wild of me of me this time. I couldn't believe it, he was standing there at 15yds quarting away without a care in the world. AGAIN I struggled to find the D loop with my release for what felt like minutes but I'm sure it was only a few seconds. I got my bow up and drawn back and as soon as I got the pin settled on his vitals I let the arrow fly. The buck did a big back kick and took off through the water with two smaller bucks in tow. I couldn't believe it. This was the last sit I'd have this year and I just shot my first whitetail and it was a beautiful 8 point. I heard him run about 20 yds and stop but walk off a few minutes later. I texted my buddy that was hunting in another area near by and about 30 min later I was on the ground looking for blood. We've had a ton of rain so when I found the arrow but it clean of blood from sitting in water. I took two more steps and heard the sound of a deer running away from me through the water, my heart sank. My first buck and I jumped him and may never find him now. I snuck back out and texted my buddy what just happen. He said he was heading that way and would be there in 5 mins. I was bummed and started walking toward the trail that I came in on and I see my buddy about 20 yds away. He yells, you find your buck? I shook my head wondering why he is talking so load after I told him what just happened. He said, its right here in the middle of the road. I give him a half smile back like, funny but I'm not laughing. He said, right here, and as I look up I see this buck laying across the pathway. I couldn't believe it. He only ran 30yds. I high fived my buddy but couldn't wait to get my hands on my first whitetail. What a dream come true. We walked back to camp and grabbed my suburban and loaded him up and started working on getting him skinned and field dressed. I gave my buddy almost half the meat which he ate some of that night. I'm getting him mounted and my wife made some fantastic venison sliders the following night. Fantastic. The Lord really blessed me this year.
Awesome first buck! Thanks for sharing your story. That's a hunt you will never forget. You will be happy you took such good pics of everything including the boar and spike. Good luck on the next one!
Thanks much. I even got the shot on video but was so nervios I put the bow with my camera attached down right after the shot instead of following the deer. I'll get something edited from it later.
