VA Hunters:

Guys.... OMG, I almost scored!!!! I just got back from Cumberland SF (man, I am dying... holy sh** the heat - I had to bail out and leave. [:'(][&o] )

Anyway, you all know where I go... I mean, I have blabbed so much, you probably know the exact TREE that I use! You guessed it, I was in "my spot" early this AM watching the sunrise and all settled in. I heard rattling up over the adjacent side of the big field of thickets and whatnot. I checked with my binos and it was most likely another hunter with a muzzleloader. No biggie.... I have "The Can" and I let out doe bleat with it. Shortly after I heard a whistle (you know like calling your dog), so I immitated the same whistle. Therefore, we realized where each of us were and so on. He rattled and scraped and grunted, I used "The Can" and just let it go like that.

I heard smokepoles going off all morning long in Cumberland! So anyway it was about 10:00 and starting to really get warm, when I don't know.... something was telling me to get ready... Perhaps my "Cardeer necklace" was working or perhaps God himself was saying, "get your bow and get ready".... Me being a lefty, I had my PSE bow hanging up by my right shoulder. A quick bend of the elbow and a turn of the wrist, and I had my bow instantly in my hand.

So, I held my bow up and waited.... Something leaped across the trail directly behind me at Mach 4 and stopped. I caught the movement out the corner of my eye. At first I didn't know what it was, so I ever-so-cautiously-quietly got up and turned around.
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IT WAS THE BIGGEST 8 POINT BUCK I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! [8D]
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I absolutely died, I mean I flipped out, spazzed out, wigged out, and darn near crapped my pants!!! Everything just seemed to go by so fast.... I just remember seeing the size of the tines (4 on a side, straight up like a big pitchfork!) and starting to shake. I actually started saying a prayer too... I stayed still until I saw the deer take a quick sniff of the ground. I instantly drew back and forgot to make a "Baaaa" noise to stop him.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! I had him dead set in my 20 yard pin!!!!!!!! [][&o] I jumped the gun too quickly and hit the release. He sensed something, and instantly crouched down like a cat (just at that exact moment I flung the arrow!), then he jumped 5-6-7 feet in the air and took off at Mach 4!!! I was trembling so bad I was afraid of falling out of my tree stand! I really really REALLY thought I nailed him! I mean, I had his chest (right behind the front leg) in my 20yard pin!

I missed!!!! I missed!!!! [][&:][:'(][&o] I sailed the arrow right up over his back!! I mean, I really thought I got him, because of the way he leaped and after crouching down, and then taking off at top speed. I waited about 10-15 minutes to calm myself down, then climbed down and found my arrow (THE *$&@&#$ ARROW WAS ONLY ABOUT 15 YARDS AWAY - NOT 20!!). There was no blood anywhere, and there nothing on the arrow either. Everything was totally clean, except for a dirt caked broadhead!

Man, I am going to see this deer in my dreams for a long time to come! He was all mine and I missed..... Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!

But then again, this is what it is all about. The adrenaline rush that I got (you can just sense it in this whole entire long-winded post) is like nothing that I have ever experienced before! Wow.... My first big buck experience!!! I had him dead to right and I missed.... It is stuff like this that keeps me pressing on and going out more and more and learning more and I go.

Butch A.

P.S. VA Hunters: I was so freaked out, I left my triple hanger and bow hook up in that sweetgum tree in Cumberland!!! Send me a PM if you want to use my area if I am not there. Free use of a bow hook and hanger....