Every January long after the bucks of North Carolina and Virginia have long forgotten their romantic tendencies, I have long enjoyed going back home to Alabama to see if I can get a crack at one last buck. Some years I went to visit my parents in Wilcox county to hunt in the yellow clay of home, but as of recent I have been going to Pike Couty Alabama. My buddy B Davis has a family farm and we have long hunted this part of the world since college. The January hunt has sort of evolved into a group of friends that meet up for several days of hunting and socializing. Some new guys have showed up and some have went by the wayside, but the hunt and our friendships have continued.
But rewind a little back into history. Kevin Foshee and I , being the out-of-state boys, have sort of made it a tradition to come in a little early and attempt to kill a buck before any of the other guys come in and stink the place up. We know that we can go in and be super-serious about our hunting and try to catch those bucks chasing a doe.
This year was COLD! Kevin brought in a load of black jack oak from Florida that we about burnt up trying to keep warm. We were staying at the old house trying to keep warm---but it was really cold at night. Kevin had a new UTV mule but it didnt have a windshield. We were staying a good 2 miles from the hunting property and I can remember being so cold riding in it to the hunting property. We would get up well before day light, make lunches, and go for an all day event. It would be so cold riding into the property that all I looked forward to was daylight. But thank God for heavy clothes and fire at night. Sure it was cold enough to break ice in the toilet when we got home one night, and we had to sleep with all our clothes on , but Kevin got the price that year. I love to hunt but this year really tested my love for the hunt, but I digress.
So it was the last of our all day hunts before the "locals" showed up. (I am really just giving my friend a hard time.). We were sitting on a perfect evening. I was in the condo stand I believe watching a few does and a small buck or so, when BOOOOOMM! went Foshee and his 7 mag. I sat for a while before Foshee came and got me. Kevin could have left me sit but came and got me as he was excited to find his buck. (haha)
This was a retrieval! Kevin was sitting in a box stand overlooking one of B's well managed green fields. Kevin had shot the buck with a very nice Sako bolt action chambered in my favorite 7mm Remington Mag. Kevin who has a very good eye for picking out deer, had made a very good shot on a big 7 point in the pines right outside of the field. We went into the woods looking and it was time to look for blood. We had to get out our lights even got on all fours. When all of the sudden the blood got heavier! We ended up jumping the buck! You could hear him trying to get away from us but he was in bad shape. I remember urging Foshee to wait till the morning but we progressed.
Within a minute or two, we were on the buck. Kevin aimed the rifle and put a second deadly shot into the buck. And what a buck he was! He was a very nice 7 point. I believe he currently resides on Kevin's wall as a european mount.
What a good memory! All the guys came in the next day. We all celebrated the buck that Kevin had shot and enjoyed time with each other. I didn't get a buck that trip. A buck is what I am after, but it is not what the hunt or that trip is always about. Sometimes is more fun to freeze to death and see beautiful frosty mornings and sometimes is about spending time with good friends. This time is was about helping a good friend find and pull out a nice buck that made memories for both of us.
