Coming into this season I had a gut feeling it was going to be a good one, but I didn't expect it to be this good. This past spring, my family decided to stop leasing in Kentucky and purchase a piece of property in NE Missouri. We spent summer vacation there hanging treestands, camera and cutting paths. I'll add that driving home 10 hours is no fun with both arms and right eye completely covered with poison ivy. First I started my season off in Ohio. We got a lot of pictures of an old buck that we decided to take if the shot presented itself. Sure enough on an October evening that shot was given to me and I landed the arrow right through both lungs dropping him within sight. This year I decided to take my son with me on a 1 week hunting trip to Missouri. The first 2 days was youth firearm season and I couldn't wait to get him on a deer. The first night of his hunt he had a basket 6 point at 40 yards but his glove got caught trying to pull the hammer back on the single shot 243. The deer got away to live another day. The next morning we go to a different stand and 1/2 hour after sunup we had a doe and button buck at 20 yards. I gave him the option to take him or wait. He tells me he may not have another chance seeing as its the second and final day of his season then successfully pulls the hammer back and drives one into the button buck. We sat in the stand for a while highfiving and celebration his first deer ever. The next few days him and I sat side by side in a tree here in Missouri. This week was already perfect with him getting his first deer. During those few days he experienced encounters with deer he never had before. Deer at the bottom of our tree, buck, doe, turkey and now understands the love for squirrels that we all have. Yesterday we saw countless deer but nothing I even touched my bow for but a nice day none the less. This morning was chilly and the wind had the tree moving almost to the point I needed motion sickness pills. The morning started off slow, a doe feeding in the distance. About an hour later a doe came walking by then turned north and out of sight. About a minute behind was a nice buck with his right side broken off. They came back around 30 minutes later still playing their chasing game with no shots. At 10:30 I get the tap on the shoulder. "Theres a doe" my son whispers. I stand up and get my bow because from experiences earlier that morning, a buck will be following shortly. Sure enough.. 30 seconds back was a buck. A nice buck! I draw back and as he enters the lane I let the arrow go. He runs to the other side of the stand 20 yards away and just stands there. The hit looked like it probably nicked the rear lobe of the lungs but he was just standing there not moving. I nock a second arrow then he turns hard quartering away. I put the second arrow through his heart and he's laying in the creek bottom 5 seconds later.
