Well guys, the season has started here in Nebraska, but it was pretty warm this weekend so I decided not to go out. That didn't stop a couple of my buddies, though, so after helping me move some furniture into my house, I let them hunt up back of my place. My one friend used the tree where I got the big buck of mine last year (see page2 of this thread), but because it was nearly 85 degrees, I never thought they would see anything. Well, about 4:00 in the afternoon, I hear a knock at the door and there he stands, shaking and all excited. I thought thatmy other buddy had fallen out of the tree, but Ed (the guy in the picture) tells me he just shot the biggest buck of his lifetime. I still thought he was kidding, but after a few minutes I realize he isn't so I get my field clothes on (I was in shorts and sandals at the time), and we go out looking for it. He hit itwell, though, getting both lungs, so we didn't have to look far. 40 some odd yards later, there he lay.

That's three bucks of roughly the same size that that tree has produced over the same number of years. I'm not too worried about not getting a nice one though. The big boys usually come out in force during the rut, and nobody but myself will be hunting out of that tree from mid October on.

I found myself being very happy for my buddy on Saturday, and not the list bit jealous, which is a big step for me. I think I was just as happy, and maybe more so, that I had played a small role in helping him get his best buck to date, than if I had shot it myself. I was hoping to take that step in maturing as a hunter this year, and perhaps I have made it. I guess I'll know for sure if I don't see another buck that size the rest of the year and end up not filling my tag. If I still feel happy for my buddy, I'll consider this MY best hunting year.