Success In The Field

This story goes back to final day of 2023 buck season. Fifteen minutes before dark a doe runs out in the field on my farm and is soon chased by a nice 8 point. They come to 140 yds. of my blind and stop facing me. I wait for the buck to turn....BUT... the doe runs back to the end of the field & the buck follows

First day of bow season this year I'm thinking he may be around. I pass on 10 does & 5 small bucks with my crossbow (can't use a regular bow since I got shot in 1998 deer season in my left arm-5" exit, 40% blood loss). I walk out & look in the field in the above pic.

He's there!!!! 12" G2s, 8-10" G3s. Third biggest deer I've ever seen in 70 years of WV hunting.

Now my bow hunting is ruined. I'm turning down everything! 15+ bucks, 30+ does. My mind is in a state of panic/expectations/desires. I see him 3 more times, once at 400 yds. I could see the antlers without binos!!!

I never shot my bow. Now it's gun season. I turn down 10 bucks & 50+ does the first day!!! I'm wasted. All I think about is that deer.

Second day I turn down another 5+small bucks. Then at 11 AM a decent 8 point comes out in my big field & chases does, a 4 point & spike. He stops that edge of the lower end of my field behind a 6' cedar tree (center of pic at far edge of field)

It's 177 yds. and all I have ready is my Taurus Raging Bull .500 Mag. with a 400 gr. Win. Platinum Tip (aka Black Talon). I see his legs below the tree & the top of his back. I knew he was going to run, so what the heck. I fire straight up the front leg level with his back. He runs,\.

I go look & see deep spots of dirt kicked up on one foot. After 150 yds. he's dead! Nice 8 point( 16 1/2" wide) , but not the big boy. I forgot my phone. Have to walk back, get the phone, backpack with cleaning materials & hacksaw & walk back another 150 yds. I take the meat off (8 minutes), saw his head off, and carry the pack of meat, BogPod that I used to take pic, gun, clothes another 150 yds. I'm getting too old for this crap!!!

Look at the pic. See 2 holes in the side. Apparently, the bullet broke up on the cedar tree, split & made 2 exits. Lots of internal damage, but was too tired to take a pic. Not a bad shot for an old codger!

Still have 10 days to hunt. There every day in rain, snow, brutal wind in my blind. Never see the big boy. The last day I stop at a gas station for breakfast at 5 AM. A guy I know comes up to see what I'm doing. I tell him I'm going after a big one. He says, Oh! the one close to the church? Yeah. He saw him yesterday before daylight!! on the road. I never heard any shots the last 2 days of season. HE... is probably still alive!!!!!!!

Now my mind is totally wasted. I only have 50 more weeks until buck season. I need some nerve pills!!!!