Famous Last Words

We have all heard the expression "famous last words," right? Mike Roux's famous last words the week of the first Illinois gun hunting season was, "Someone is going to kill a big deer out of the tower blind this weekend." By now, I have learned that every stand on the farm we hunt can produce an opportunity at a world class trophy buck.

11 Pointer

I passed the comment off as a word to the wise. It was the pep talk telling the men he guides to pay attention at all times because you never know what will walk up on you. I didn't realize how prophetic he would be.

Friday morning, November 18th, 2016 was opening morning. It was windy and the temperature was to begin dropping by thirty degrees over the next twenty four hours. Of course, I selected the tower blind across the field from a well known bedding area for does, as my spot for the day. I settled in for a long morning hunt.

As the sun rose, it happened just as planned. Five does came west from the woods out into an open field to eat. They stayed for about fifteen minutes and then meandered into "Crappie Hole." This is the famous bedding area in the center of the farm. It is a marshy, low lying area that has excellent cover.

I thought to myself, "I am in business when they decide to come out on my side. I will have an opportunity at taking one." You guessed it, nothing happened. I waited for three long hours without seeing a thing.

I saw the land owner, John Caldwell, walk out of the woods from the east and then Mike Roux came riding his four wheeler down a dirt road from the north. It was ten thirty and the hunting crew was pulling out for lunch. At that moment, everything that I had learned from Mike came through my mind. Something told me to hang around for a big buck to move. So I decided to sit for one more hour. It was the best hunting decision that I have ever made.

At ten forty, just ten minutes after the hunter passed by, I saw a doe on the south edge of Crappie Hole. She look distracted and uneasy. Within two minutes she came directly across the field toward the tower blind. I pulled my gun up into shooting position. As I looked through the scope, I saw him, head down chasing her. I could not believe my eyes. He was huge!

In a split second, he was at fifty yards, I bleeped and he stopped. I was able to shoot him in the right shoulder. He ran twenty yards and dropped. It happened so fast. My patience and remembering what Mike told me earlier in the week, proved to be the difference maker. God is good!

Could not do it without this fellow!