Well, we got into Hillsboro on Wednesday and I went hunting Thursday afternoon. It was warm and I didn't have a lot of hopes of seeing anything, and I didn't. I scouted out a little area and saw a little bit of sign, but I again, I wasn't hopefull but it was close to the house and it looked like it wasn't being hunted, so I continued. I hunted Friday morning, Friday afternoon and then again Saturday morning. I had put out a little C'mere Deer, hoping that it would help. I again saw no sign. I had Christmas party to go to Saturday night and my father-in-law was receiving an award from the police department, so I wasn't able to hunt that night and because we were out late and I was just plumb give out, I didn't make it to the woods on Sunday morning. It turned off cold and damp and I just knew that the deer would be moving. I had to pull my lock-on stand out of the woods and I had decided to take my son with me. We bundled up and headed to the woods. I took my bow, just in case. The wind was perfect, so we were headed into the wind. We arrived at the stand location and the deer had completely tore up the area where the C'mere Deer was. I wanted to sit in the stand, but with my 8yr old, that wasn't a smart idea. So I decided to pull the stand and move about 20yrds to the edge of a clearing, then I would grunt and rattle in hopes to see something. We eased through some really thing stuff, making a little noise but not too much. As we approached the clearing, I set my stand down and I heard something, big, walking in the edge in the thick stuff. I told my son that it was a deer. I reached for my release, and out he stepped. I nice buck, at least an 8pt. He was on the other side of the thick stuff, where we had just been a min prior. He stopped and looked straight dead at us. He took off, knowing that something wasn't right, but didn't blow, so I'm sure he didn't wind us so I figure he caught movement. Anyway, it was an awesome moment. My son got to experience it. Even though in a way I wish that I hadn't taken him, because I would have sat in the stand until dark, I'm glad he did go because of the excitement from seeing such a deer that close.
Anyway, even though I didn't get to harvest a deer and until the last hour of the last day did I even see one, I'm excited about the area and I'll definitely be back.
Good luck to everyone and I wish you all the best.
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Larry Young
Montgomery, AL
Member, Bowhunters of Alabama
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