Texas Hunting Forum

An 8-point That's Special To Me

Posted By: Novemberyet

An 8-point That's Special To Me - 11/13/14 12:57 AM

My first year hunting this property (2004) was the last year before I deployed to Afghanistan. I missed the '05 season to a deployment and have been blessed to have hunted the same family land for 10 years now. As if hunting here wasn't enough, I've had the honor of sharing hunts with other veterans over the past several years as well.

I scout, put up stands, blinds, fill feeders, check cameras and build pens all by myself. Hunting an 80 acre farm, it's difficult to "manage" to any capacity. But I still throw corn year-round and started protein last year. I try to give the other family members my best advice on where the deer are moving, what time they're feeding and what works. I get more excited than the other hunters when they get something because I feel like I've helped the cause. Hopefully someday, my daughter will reep the rewards to the work that goes on out here.

Yesterday's hunt was uneventful for a solid 2 1/2 hours, but I kept busy on Facebook looking over pictures of the guys I was in Kuwait and Afghanistan with. Stories I went over in my head: walking up the ramp of a C-130 at 3 o'clock in the morning in Bagram headed to Kandahar, setting poles all day in a mine field (unbeknown to us at the time), seeing the thermometer pegged out at 10 o'clock in the morning, eating, showering and training with the same guys for 16-months. We even got up in the middle of the night to watch the Texas-USC national championship game. I had a man tell me once: "the hunting is always good, but the shooting is sometimes slow."

I grunted and wheezed him up blind with 7 minutes of legal light left and thumped him with a 7mm mag using Core-Lokts. He piled up 50 yards from impact. I was worried because I didn't see much blood at all. I could and should have followed my nose instead of my eyes because when I found him, he was rank and heavy....good gosh he was heavy.

We don't have anything special out here, but it's ours. I've seen bigger, called up and rattled bigger, have pictures of bigger and tried to put other hunters on bigger deer....but this one is mine. He's my 10-year anniversary buck out here and got him on Veteran's Day.

Now I know what a real "trophy" is. My wife asked me if I was going to get him mounted....I obliged, not soley for the deer, but mainly for the memories of the past 10 years.



Posted By: dogcatcher

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:02 AM

Congratulations.
Posted By: Western

Re: An 8-point That's Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:06 AM

Not one thing wrong with that buck, everything is good up You earned him and what a VD treat up
Posted By: LuckyHunter

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:06 AM

Thank you Sir.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:18 AM

Congrats on great buck with special meaning to you cheers
Posted By: Wburke2010

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:18 AM

Originally Posted By: SheepHunter
Thank you Sir.


Thank you for your service. Great right up and buck. Congrats. cheers

Walter
Posted By: LandPirate

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:45 AM

Congrats on your special buck. You earned him. Thanks for your service.
Posted By: jdk1985

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:48 AM

Originally Posted By: SheepHunter
Thank you Sir.


And congrats!
Posted By: Texas Tatonkas

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:50 AM

Cool deal, congrats!
Posted By: dlrz71

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:53 AM

Congrats and great memories.
Posted By: rattler03

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:58 AM

Great story and a great buck! And thank you for your service, sir. flag
Posted By: trjscout

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:59 AM

good job and thank you !
Posted By: wtr

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:11 AM

First thank you. Second awesome buck and congrats.
Posted By: Stompy

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:12 AM

Congrats buddy up great story
Posted By: ACKHNTR

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:31 AM

Attaboy Mudddd!! Some great memories were had "over there" but I'm glad you were able to create this awesome memory on Veterans Day! Congrats bud you deserve it!
Posted By: Bulldog4949

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:32 AM

Congrats Sir. Thanks for your service. flag
Posted By: B Razorback

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:22 AM

Very glad for you but especially, thank you for your service! flag
Posted By: MMyrick

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:51 AM

Good job Shane and thanks so much for your service!
Posted By: Tye

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 07:13 AM

Congrats on your buck and thanks for your service!
Posted By: txshntr

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 07:19 AM

Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Congrats on great buck with special meaning to you cheers


And thank you for your service flag
Posted By: cibolo

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 08:04 AM

Congrats and thanks for your service
Posted By: kry226

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 11:54 AM

I missed the 05 season too while I was in Iraq. Congrats to you on a great buck. up
Posted By: Seadog

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 12:05 PM

Originally Posted By: txshntr
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Congrats on great buck with special meaning to you cheers


And thank you for your service flag
Posted By: Erathkid

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 12:22 PM

He's a dandy. Special for sure. Like the others have said, Thank you for what you do for us.
Posted By: erniejs

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 12:57 PM

Cool story and nice buck
Posted By: Elkhunter49

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 12:58 PM

Great story and a fine buck, thanks for sharing. Baker
Posted By: Buddy

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 01:44 PM

like the story and you have a nice buck to cap it off, congrats

And THANK YOU for your service!!!
Posted By: janie

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:20 PM

Awesome read and pic's. Congrat's on a nice buck and Thank You! flag
Posted By: East

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:25 PM

Originally Posted By: dlrz71
Congrats and great memories.
Posted By: SniperRAB

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:52 PM

Thank You for your service and Congratulations on a Nice Buck...Glad you are Honoring the kill with a Mount...
Posted By: Weegs

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 02:54 PM

Thanks for your service, thanks for sharing, and nice buck.
Posted By: TxYoteHunter

Re: An 8-point That's Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:04 PM

That's a good lookin buck. Congratulations. Thank you for your service. flag
Posted By: Radical1

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:11 PM

Awesome story and a nice buck. Thank you for your service sir and a belated happy veterans day flag
Posted By: dkershen

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:31 PM

Nice buck, great story and thanks for doing what you do! up
Posted By: Pitchfork Predator

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:48 PM

Great story and nice buck. Congrats on your 10 year anniversary and thank you for your service to our great country. flag cheers
Posted By: Da-MOON

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 03:53 PM

Thanks for your service. A special buck indeed.
Posted By: Jeff Williams Outdoors

Re: Special To Me - 11/13/14 07:07 PM

Congrats - Great story! cheers
Posted By: DXB

Re: Special To Me - 11/14/14 06:24 PM

cheers
Posted By: Triplesnake

Re: Special To Me - 11/14/14 07:13 PM

flag cheers
Posted By: landsurveyor

Re: Special To Me - 11/14/14 07:49 PM

Originally Posted By: rattler03
Great story and a great buck! And thank you for your service, sir. flag
up
Posted By: 01Z-71

Re: Special To Me - 11/17/14 10:49 PM

First off, thank you for your service bro. My second son was in Habbaniyah, Iraq in 06-07 in the Army. I know a little about MC-130H Combat Tallon 2's since i was an aircraft electrician on the first 6 ships that were modded. Good lookin' 8-point, I took one too on 11-12-2014, in the Sabine National Forest. Aren't 8's great. Congrats! flag
Posted By: Stub

Re: Special To Me - 11/17/14 10:57 PM

Originally Posted By: rattler03
Great story and a great buck! And thank you for your service, sir. flag
up
Posted By: WTGuide

Re: Special To Me - 11/17/14 11:48 PM

cheers
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