I can say that I preached ....since I started hunting whitetails a little over a year ago.....that all my deer here were small. I said that when the contest started....and I said that even a few weeks ago.

What I can tell you NOW, is.......I've been to the hallowed grounds (it's taken me a year to find them)....and I've seen behind the curtain. I've seen 2 deer that are at least 3-1/2 (based on my admittedly limited knowledge of such). They're HEAD AND SHOULDERS above all the other deer, here (and I've taken a 2-1/2 yr old from these woods....and one from another place). I've put in more than 40 individual hunts, this season alone. It took me until my 31st outing to see what I KNEW was a mature animal (buck). I saw another one the very next day.....and it's the one I had a run-in with on the 4th day of my archery season. I didn't know then that he was a mature whitetail. I just knew he was huge.

Would I have ever dreamed these guys were in my woods......after 30+ trips into them???? Nope. I NOW wonder how many I HAVEN'T seen.....that are STILL, no less, there.

Jeff