An animated story and videos from the catastrophe I call Opening day.

Well it started off about as awful as you could imagine.
Friday: 11-2-2012 Leave San Angelo with my dad and head to our place in Cisco. We arrive in Cisco and start out filling feeders and pulling SDCards from the cameras to see what action is going on where. We get to the 2nd to last feeder and it was our tall Sweeney feeder. I back the Ranger in so we can stand on the bed rails to fill it. Well, amongst all the excitement and looking at the pictures from the game cams, I forgot I had the Ranger in reverse. I pulled the hand brake and started to head to the last feeder. Needless to say, this mindless act of idiocy cost us about 6 hours with a welder and grinder, as we had to rebuild the entire feeder stand I managed to mangle with the Rangers back bumper.
During our rebuilding process my dad catches his crotch and shirt on fire from his hurried attempt to get the feeder back up and operational. Dad said "He was aiming the sparks at his body to keep it from catching the dead grass on fire" which is 100% logical but I don't think I would sacrifice my manhood from saving a small grass fire, even if I had on fire retardant pants. I also forgot to mention that we changed all the game cams from pictures to video, so naturally I have this entire debacle on camera. As luck would have it, my dad saved a copy and put it on his laptop for future black-mailing. I know I will never live this day down.

Video Below:


Day 2, Opening day.
We get up around 4:45-5:00 grab some breakfast and head out to the stands. Obviously, I am sure with all the welding and grinding going on the previous day, that I had ruined any and all chances of anyone seeing a deer or even a rabbit at this feeder. So naturally I opted to take this feeder, seeing it was my ingenious driving skills that most likely scared everything off in Eastland County.
At first light I see 2 does making their way straight to the feeder. I thought, OK great, no harm no foul! They got within 70 yards of the feeder, they must have felt uneasy about something, and both of them bolted; this was nothing I hadn’t seen happen before. Maybe rebuilding the feeder during feeding time didn’t affect anything after-all. I sat there a little while longer and didn’t see another living creature, so I decided to leave and perform the ever so tactical, as many of you call it "Spot and Stalk". I headed south and started walking down a right-of-way; I saw a doe walking down the fence line almost instantly. I dropped to my knees behind a tree so I would not alert her of my presence. As I watched her walk about 30 yards ahead of me, a buck jumps the fence right next to me. Well really the buck almost jumped directly on top of me. He was so close that I could have just about grabbed his hind-leg. At this point I am not sure if I was in such shock and disbelief or if I got instant "buck fever", but I jumped to my feet as I watch him run straight down the right-of-way. I pulled the gun securely into my shoulder, took aim, took a deep breath, and BOOM! Nothing, he continued on like I didn't even fire. I instantly started running after him since he seemed un-phased and unaware of my shot or my presence. I watched him closely as I was running after him like a little boy running after an ice cream truck that he had been waiting for all day. The buck made his way into a thicket and I figured I knew exactly where he was going. I slowly crept through the underbrush and thick mess of oaks, and saw his "white flag". This stupid buck must be cracked out on the rut. He had no idea what he was doing; he was literally running in circles around the thicket. At this point we were playing cat and mouse. I then took another shot as I could just make out his body through the trees. Heck, I figured I caught up to him again I might as well go for it. Yep Miss #2!!!!!!!!!
That's fine, if you knew me very well you would know I rarely miss and I am fine taking an impossible shot, sometimes we all miss. But, what happened next, left such an impact that I don’t know if I will ever forget that feeling or if the disbelief that I am still in, will ever go away.

After my 2nd shot and miss, I saw him heading towards my dad’s water well. I got out of the thicket and started “stalking” him again. He headed back to the right-of-way and did a complete 360. I am now thinking to myself that I am in a dang circus show I can tell at this point the buck is just toying with me. He went right back to the other side of the thicket. I thought I would head him off since there are really only 2 good entries into the thicket. So I doubled back and low and behold this superman circus buck was right there, AGAIN! We were almost face to face. There was only a small mesquite bush separating us. At this point it was very obvious; both of us were in total shock. During what seemed to be hours, we stood and stared at each other. He even at one point tilted his head to one side, and I can almost hear him saying “hhrmmm, what the hell are you doing”? He is giving me an unheard of 3rd opportunity!! Neither of us knew what to do.
I was frozen in disbelief, he was frozen in disbelief. I wasn't sure if I should hit him with a rock or the butt of my gun. We are literally 12 feet apart. I pull the gun up slowly, take aim, pull the trigger and.... "CLICK".. I couldn't find the shell that I went back to look for to reconfirm the mishap. So I still do not know if that was that “rare bad cartridge” or if during all the hustle and bustle I forgot to chamber a new one in from the last incredible shot I attempted. Well, I think at this point he finally realized I was not there to feed him. He finally shows some sign of terror and jets off from the sound of the the mis-fire “click”. I mean seriously, he never ran hard after hearing 2 previous 308 bullets buzzing by his head, why would a small click faze him? Either way, I jacked the cartridge out and chamber a new one. Again, the all too familiar scenario I am so unaccustomed to dealing with; and I am talking about mental and physical stress and anger at this point. I quickly take aim, and shoot at a running target again.. Guess what MISS #3...
I just sat down right there in the grass and put my hands over my head trying to replay what just happened to me. After about 5 minutes of recollection and my new game plan I decided to text my dad, Here are the two brief texts he received from me. "I am done for the day.." "headed back to the ranger"
I had more misses right there within 10 minutes, than I have ever had in my entire life shooting at anything. I was disgusted! My feelings were in the dumps, my pride blown and my self-esteem... SHOT!!!
At this point I knew that I needed something, maybe a huge glass of whiskey, a direct kick in the nuts, heck maybe even a long nap. Anything to take my mind off of what had just happened!!!!!
About 30 minutes later I saw my dad walking down the road to meet me back at the ranger. Well after telling the story and re-playing the events step by step to my dad. I was all choked up. I couldn’t even fully explain what had happened. We kind of laughed it off, well at least my dad was laughing. We decided to go to eat some lunch at the now famous La Finca’s. Of course being opening day everyone we saw asked. "y'all get anything"? I wanted to scream HELL NO, I had an opportunity at the biggest BUCK I had ever seen in my life, and I MISSED HIM……… 3 TIMES!!!!!!!!!
But being the calm-collected and mostly patient person I was now pretending to be, I laughed it off and said, “nope nothing yet, you”?
The day went on, and over and over the mishaps kept re-playing in my head. My dad joked and said maybe you should put an ad on THF and say free guns come get them. Oh man, salt in the wound… This went on all day. Now the joke was not only that I do not know how to drive a ranger, I can’t shoot either. Talk about embarrassment and 1000% pure rage.
After the lunch settled and we started digesting our food, we headed back to my granddads house.
Everyone in the family agreed there had to be something wrong with my gun. .. My feelings were slowly being repaired as others were making excuses as to why I missed and listing the possibilities for the misses.
Finally, I was taking this in and mentally processing this as having my ego stroked about being such a great shot, and these things happen to everyone, yada yada yada.. I think at this point my dad had already called everyone he could have had possibly had stored in his cell phone contact list and told them the story. We all agreed, yep it’s the scope or the scope mounts.. it has to be! I agreed.
For whatever reason, I licked my wounds and went back out that evening.
We left my granddads house around 4, grabbed a snack and headed back out to stomping grounds. I knew in my heart there was no way I would ever get an opportunity to get a shot off at this buck again. I don’t think I have ever seen him on any of the pictures from any of the game cams either. So it was probably a onetime passing through event. He was chasing tail and she led him right to me, and I failed to execute!!

Well to move on, I decided to start the day off rattling. As I made my way to a great spot, I instantly scared off a deer of some gender. I never got a glimpse of it, but sure did hear it run off through the brush. I rattled for a good hour, used a little Tinks69 with no luck so I then headed out to another stand. About 10 minutes after the feeder went off some jack wagon decided to try out his new bump-fire apparatus he must have just gotten. I mean who in their right mind does something as stupid as this during prime feeding time during the OPENING DAY OF DEER SEASON and doesn’t realize that they are being a menace to everyone trying to accomplish something we have been waiting 8 months to do.

But with the characters around here I am not sure that it wasn’t purposely done! But either way back to the story.
That’s right, 5:30PM and a dang zombie apocalypse must have been happening and what sounded to be happening only about 100 yards behind me. Now this wasn’t anyone we knew, it was on someone else’s property, but sound travels great through our place, actually unimaginably well. Heck, you could hear a horse fart from a mile away around here and you would think he was standing directly beside you. I think at that point if I would have seen the zombie killer, it would have been bad news for him and his new toy with the type of day I was already having.
After about the 10th magazine of this hell-fire and damnation act, I heard someone scream some rather colorful obscenities at the shooter. Thank GOD, this jacka$$ finally stopped!!! At this point I am sure everything with a beating heart in Eastland and Taylor County were now running for their life. So I decided again to “Spot and Stalk”, Hell why not, I thought to myself, it was so successful the first time right¿ :\
Knowing where my dad was hunting I had strategically planned out the routes where I could go as to not disturb his hunting. I was heading out to make the rounds. I stopped back by where I had left the soaked cotton balls covered in Doe urine. Nothing! I came back out of the river bed up through another thicket, I was instantly grunted at upon my decent from the river bed. I never saw this deer, but knew it was standing there staring at me somewhere, as I never saw nor heard him run away. But I am sure that the buck I shot AT today so precisely, had already told all of his buddies around to not worry about me. I can hear it now, “the guy in the under amour cap is much more dangerous in the ranger than he is with his gun.”
So I continue on down to this canyon. There I saw a group of above approximately 15 deer, I was able to make out at least one buck and multiple does. I was able to get pretty close to them as I was hoping to push them up toward my dad’s feeder, since I was unable to shoot in this direction. They spotted me pretty instantly and all ran straight up the road, running directly to my dad’s blind as I had planned. I stood there for a few minutes hoping to hear another zombie apocalypse, but this time there was not even a glimpse of a shot. Nope, not a single shot, I guess they never made it to his blind I thought. Either that or he too was out “spotting and stalking” himself.

At this time or as I refer to it, 30 minutes after the zombie apocalypse had passed I thought I would go back to the feeder I started out the day on. This time I would sneak to the back of the field and see if I could make my way to the feeder. I was successful in getting there but unsuccessful in seeing anything. The deer must have still been spooked from all the firing going on. I figured my day was over, so I started heading back up the road back to the ranger. But I thought to myself, “before I decided to call it an evening and go the ranger lets head back to where I had just seen that group of deer. LOW AND BEHOLD! What was this???? Was this the same BUCK that had made a mockery of me this morning???? This time only 40-45 yards away.. I was sweating in my boots. I get another chance!!! Can you believe this buck I thought to myself? But to be sure and not waste any more time, I slowly raised my rifle, took multiple breaths, put the cross-hairs directly on his heart, gently squeezed the trigger, and BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING…………. MISSED AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly think I started crying..
Now I know what it feels like to be a girl, during “that time of the month”.. My emotions were on a freaking roller coaster, I was so confused at his point I didn’t know what to do.. I could tell I was going to snap at any moment. Well I know what I should have done, I should have gone out before I went hunting and made sure my scope was on.. But I didn’t, we were already running behind. It was DE JA VU all over again!!!! The Buck took only one step after another failed attempt. I mean heck he was trying to let me shoot him. This time he opened himself up for an even better broad-side shot. I said the heck with this; I am not using the scope. I turned my rifle to the side and looked straight down the barrel. I quickly shot as to not over think the situation and connection….. Finally!!!!!!!!! I landed the shot!!! BUCK DOWN!!!!!! BUCK DOWN!!!!!!
My emotions were blazing, I had reached climax. The biggest buck of my life is down. All I could think of at his point was I would go up to the Buck and find that I either missed him again or he was going to jump up and run off into the sunset. At this point I was pretty sure it was the same circus clown I ran into earlier during the day. I turn around to set my gun and bag down as I see my dad standing about 55 yards away. He was standing in the middle of the road motionless. I think I remember him saying he was taking a leak but I can’t remember. However, I do know this, if he was “taking a leak” while I shot, his bladder probably emptied in record time. We both head towards the buck to examine him.
After further review, I did realize that it was not the large circus buck from earlier but still the largest buck to date in my book. SUCCESS, and he never got up and ran away into the sunset.

He was a very large bodied mature buck. One which we had seen multiple times on the game cams and actually one I had hoped to get a chance to see. I was relieved to have finally had something go my way. It was a perfect shot to the heart; there he was breathless and motionless, just a few feet from where I shot him. It wasn’t a dream like I had hoped everything else prior to this moment had been. We grabbed the ranger and mustered the strength to flop him into the bed. All the way there I was ecstatic. I was finally that little boy who caught up to that ice cream truck. Man, it was the exact same feeling I had when I shot my first deer. I LOVE HUNTING!!!!! I was shaky, sweaty, my heart was pounding, shortness of breath and I couldn’t wait to get him on the camera so I could send it to everyone I knew.
With this also meant that I would have to tell the entire story to go along with it to give it the full effect. The more and more I rehearsed the story the more and more it felt like I was hunting in the deadly African Plains. But I kept analyzing and realized I was too embarrassed to do.. So after a ton of internal self-struggle the first thing I said to my dad was as we pulled back to the barn was this, “send me that damn video of me running into the feeder. I have one hell of a story to put on the THF”!

The End,
Thank you for sharing a short 2 day fiasco with me! My 2012 Opening Day.

My Buck is on the right on the 1st 3 pics.






Success

Great buck! But I ain't reading that novel you wrote.

It's worth the read.

Awesome story. Well worth the read. Congrats on your buck.

Yep, funny stuff!

Good story!!! Nice buck!!!

I have read it twice and laughed extremly hard both times, congrats on the buck.

This is a great read. I hope a hunting mag picks this up and asks you to submit a short story - not as if there would be much editing, if any.

I was reading it just as if I was there. Thanks!
-dave

Great story and a Great buck! Congrats.


P.S. Maybe before your next trip out there, you should probably sight the gun in. Just a suggestion.

Well I got to know, did ya resight in your rifle yet and was it off?

I did go out the next morning to check. Embarrassing enough, the gun was dead on......

Something was just against me this day.

But I can honestly tell you this. All those misses and running around gave me a new-founded appreciation and love for hunting.

It gave me that irreplaceable feeling that I had just shot my first buck.

Outstanding..I thought that just happened to me

You really should!

Very cool

Entertaining . Congrats on your buck.

Awesome story! Couldn't help but think as I was reading it that you should be an outdoor writer.

thank you for all the nice comments, I had a blast writing it.

Haha awesome story! Sure sounds a lot more successful than my trip. Hopefully next weekend will be another story.

Nice Fearlss! Great story and buck. Those experiences are what make stories worth telling

Congrats

I forgot to ask where to pick up the free rifles?

it's a rare thing for a great hunting story and a great writer to meet. Extremely well-written! The funniest part to me, was seeing you and your dad staring at the crippled feeder, like, "what do we do now?" Good stuff.

Really great story! Well written and very entertaining.

I wasn't going to wade through the whole thing either, but glad I did.

I'd submit it to a few mags if it was me.

Kevin

Congrats on the buck and great story.

I decided against my dad's advice to keep my guns for another future story.