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John's Journal... Entry 169, Day 2

FINDING AND TAKING A TROPHY BUCK

My First Trophy Buck

EDITOR'S NOTE: We all have our own opinions about what makes a trophy buck, and each idea has validity. However, I don't feel I need an organization to define a trophy buck. Actually no one but me has any concerns about the size of my buck. I have to decide what makes a buck I take a trophy buck, and you may have different parameters to define a trophy buck.

While in elementary school more than four decades ago, I went hunting with my dad and saw my first deer track. I became a celebrity when I returned to school because no one else at my school ever had hunted deer or seen a deer track. A few years later, I took my first buck, a 14-inch 8 point, one of the biggest bucks bagged on our hunting club that year. This small buck only may have scored 60 or 70 points on the B&C scale. However, I announced to everyone that I'd taken a true trophy buck and here's why.

I'd stayed up late the night before my hunt and woke up to cold, rainy weather. Nevertheless, I went to my stand before daylight and settled down in the rain. Exhausted from the night before and wearing layers of warm clothes, I fell asleep quickly. But at first light, when I peeked out between the half-open slits of my eyes, I spotted a tremendous buck 30 yards away. I rubbed my eyes to see if I had dreamed the buck. When I saw the buck move, I knew I'd spotted the buck of my dreams.

Mounting my Remington 1100 12-gauge shotgun, I squeezed off the first round of 2 3/4-inch .00 buckshot. My buck went down, but just as quickly, he sprang back up again. I fired a second time and hit him full in the chest as he faced me. Once again he went down. However, when I got to my feet to go claim my trophy, the buck found his legs a third time and started to run. Three more times I fired and believed I'd hit the buck. After I'd waited as long as I could, I went looking for my trophy.

Failing to locate the downed deer, I returned to camp and told five of my buddies about my dilemma. We went back to the spot where I'd shot the buck and searched for him together. Thirty minutes into the search, my brother's brother-in-law, Jimmy Clark, yelled, "Here he is."

I'd seen pictures in magazines of mighty hunters carrying their bucks over their shoulders in victory. So with the help of my friends, I heaved the buck up on my shoulders, stood up and marched about 50 yards. When the weight of the buck finally overcame the adrenaline in my young body, I opted to let my friends help me drag my trophy buck out of the woods.

For weeks -- maybe even months -- our town talked about me and the 8-point buck I'd bagged. At that time, no hunter, including all the male members of my family, ever had taken a better trophy buck. I'll always remember that small buck as one of the finest trophy bucks I've ever taken.

TOMORROW: NO PAIN, NO GAIN

 

 

Check back each day this week for more FINDING AND TAKING A TROPHY BUCK ...

Day 1 - What Is A Trophy Buck?
Day 2 - My First Trophy Buck
Day 3 - No Pain, No Gain
Day 4 - The Bow Buck Trophies
Day 5 - The Enclosure Buck


John's Journal