My goal, as it is every year, is to harvest a buck with my bow.

I set the bar at a 120"+ buck for this season, whichis the cream of the cropfor my area. Early on, I passed on a few deer that I normally would've shot, that were in the 90-100" range. I logged a lot of stand time, andhad over 30 encounters with bucks this season, and only three times were the deer big enough to top the 120 mark. One never came into range, and the others... well...

I had two golden opportunities on what was, by anyone's standards, a trophy whitetail and blew them both. I've never blown a shot at a trophy buck until this year, and it's really eating at me. Those wounds will fester until 9/29/07, the dawn of a new day.

I settled for a1.5 year old 4x4 on the last huntable day of the archery season, because it was my last chance to fill my buck tag with the bow, but I really had one of my worst seasons in recent memory - external factors ruining my hunts - weather not cooperating -and myself being unable to seal the deal when an opportunity finally did present itself.

I filled my tag, but I expect a lot more out of myself. I really have a sour taste left in my mouth over the '06 season, but I'm sure that will drive me in '07 to go the extra mile and get it done. The clock is ticking to 2007.