The Sawmill Buck

     I have a friend that owns a sawmill here in the Carolina's and is also a farmer.  Over the years this gentleman and I have became good friends.   My real job is being a safety man for loggers and my initial interest in buying corn from the farmer led us to meeting.   Over the years, I have kept the farmer in clothes from buying corn but was able to hunt around his sawmill.
     This was  the most interesting situation that I have ever seen.  There was about 40 acres of soybeans planted at that time.  The field was in sight of the sawmill.   Because of the lay of the land, I was pretty much able to hunt right outside the sawmill.  You would think a soybean field would be a great evening stand, but there was just too much traffic during the day and even on Saturdays to hunt in the evening.  The only way I found to hunt the field and see deer was to hunt in the morning.  The problem was the mill started promptly at 8.  The sawmill being a corn farmer also wanted any deer that I saw to be shot, so now you have a picture.
     It was a cold Saturday morning the week of Thanksgiving.   I had a metal scaffolding set up on a hill right near the soybeans.   I slipped into the stand that morning well before daylight and sat waiting on daylight.  I had pretty much figured out that I was only able to catch the deer at daylight so I had to be ready.  I sat in the stand shivering watching the sun rise on a beautiful North Carolina day when out in the field ran a doe.   I raised my 7 Rem mag and promptly shot the doe.   She ran off a short distance and fell in her tracks. 
     I was looking at the doe when I noticed a buck standing at the corner of the field.  Oh crap, a racked buck!  He was standing about 120 yards away.   I took a rest and placed the scope on the chest of the buck and shot.  The buck fell in his tracks.
     I got down out of the stand and walked over the buck first of course.  I admired his rack and looked him over a little.  I then walked over the doe.  She had been laying there was at least 5 minutes and  she managed to get up a run off into the woods before I could get  off a shot.  I was able to find her later but I was shocked that she got up and ran off.
     The 7 point was not my biggest.  I would have love to let him grow if he lived anywhere else other than the sawmill.  I however earned points with my friend for killing 2 deer off his field and it was just a fun day to be hunting.   The sawmill field has been converted to pretty much dove hunting only.  The owners son put up a house right next to where I shot the buck, so its sort of off limits now.  The buck and that morning do however live on in my memory and its one of the reason I love to hunt DEER.