Had an absolute blast, as always, in Halifax County this past weekend. With 4 sets of father/son combos and 1 father/daughter we set out on one massive cull hunt. The weather was perfect and Saturday was opening day of rifle season in that part of the state.
I was set-up in a lockon about 24ft up with my back to a 300ydx100yd marsh that's flooded in duck season. I ninja'd in there and was sitting pretty at 6am. Good thing too because the suction sound of deer hooves walking in the muck behind me started up at 6:10. He stayed behind me without a shot for a good 30 minutes. He finally popped out broadside but there wasn't enough light for me to tell if he was a shooter. After another 10 minutes the music started all around from all the box stands near me. He didn't like that and started walking away. By this point I could see enough in the scope that this old boy needed out of the gene pool with some gnarly looking bone works up top. With my quary angled away, darn near butt at me I decided I wasn't going to let him pass those genes on this fall. The only way I'm taking that shot is after a rediculous amount of practice with my baby 30-30. A pop-shot at 93yds entered just in front of his back left hip, traveled long-ways through his cavity, exited a quarterinch inside his front right shoulder and stopped in the hide. I couldn't have made a better shot. 30yds later it was all over but the kicking. He's a bad-dude with one side ideal and the other all cockeyed, pitch forked crown and brow tines measuring a good 6 inches in differential heights.
The kids were able to down 6 doe and another dad ended up with a beautiful 2.5yr old 8 point. I love these hunts because the kids faces are truly priceless. We had a few misses from the lads but they had fun. One of the youths made a 225yd shot!
I'm amped for another we may do around late November. For me, it's off to Patrick county this Sunday for a brief morning hunt with my Pops while he is in town.
Here's the view out of the lock-on.
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