Late Season can PAY OFF!

     I was ending up a spectacular season in the deer woods.   I had taken a huge VA buck, shot a doe, and was just enjoying  the holidays.  I however seldom shoot a buck after Thanksgiving in the Carolinas.    I had in fact just shot a doe a few days earlier trying to get some meat for the freezer and wasn't really thinking I would see a buck.
     This story started out back in November.   I got a trail camera picture of a tall tined 8 point at night and it got me excited.  I shot very cool twelve point earlier in the season and originally thought it was the eight that coming and not him.  I originally took the trail cam picture and judged the deer as a 4.5 year old shooter and made that call because of the length of the face and the glimpse of the body that I got.
     Fast forward to winter and the weekend after Christmas.   My wife's mother was flying into town so my wife and boy went to the airport to pick her up.   I joked with the better half that I was going to kill a big one.   I got to stand early ---I am talking really early about 1:00.  I went to a shooting house and just went in to relax.    The lack of acorns and cold weather had the deer hitting my fields real hard, so I thought this was a good place. 
     I sat and saw what you expect to see early in the afternoon during December well after the Rut---------NOTHING.   At 4:30, a 4 point that I knew well slipped into the field.  The wind was in my face so I just relaxed and watched the buck.   He however looked behind me, got nervous, and walked off.   Out from nowhere, the eight point walked across the field around 5.  He came in from my hard left.   He was crossing the field and I didn't give him time to make it all the way across the 3/4 acre field planted in oats, wheat, clover, chicory, and turnips.   I lifted my 7 Rem Mag and put a 150 grain bullet into his chest.   He made it about 30 yards but never made it out of the field.
     I made it over to the buck and looked at his nice tall rack.   This was the end to a great season and just a fun way to end my last hunt.   Not to take anything away from the buck, but I did think he was a 4.5 years old.  I do however now think and believe he 3.5.  But that is ok.  I enjoyed shooting him, would shoot him again, and it was cool to finally kill a nice buck in this part of the world after November.
     Last but not least.  I wasn't planning on killing a deer.   I left the 4 wheeler at home (Its how I load big deer while alone.).  So I  tied a tie strap to the deers head and lifted him/ secured his head while I got up into the bed of the truck.  I then grabbed the horns and began to pull the buck into the truck.  I was horrified when one of his horns pulled off!  That was a first.   It was clean pull like he was about to shed.  So this was truly a first for me and memory I will never forget.  Hopefully the taxidermist can still make him look cool.