The shot felt good.
The buck lurched forward and sprinted, head outstretched, straight back into the South Texas brush.
But it also might have been a tick low.
The mainframe 7-point had been on the “hit list” since he first showed up on trail cameras in September. In fact, he was the first buck we had seen on the new property in Dimmit County when we eagerly pulled the first round of cards to look at them on our computer.
I finally got the chance at him in December, when he walked up to the corn feeder surrounded by several other bucks one afternoon.
The shot was a little less than 200 yards, but was it as good as it felt?
A quick walk to the spot where the buck stood confirmed a good hit — blood everywhere on the ground.
A quick glance to the left and there he was. He hadn’t gone more than 40 yards. The buck would provide some great-tasting venison for the family in the months ahead.
It wasn’t until pulling cards again several weeks ago that he showed up on the trail camera again. That is weird, I thought, as I glanced through them.
Then I clicked to the next picture — a happy hunter giving the thumbs up as he walked by the camera. Wait, I recognize those boots and that gun!
Flipping back one frame, the buck looks hunched over and is sprinting for the brush.
The camera had captured the moment perfectly as the shot took the buck in the shoulder — a great reminder of a fun afternoon and a lot of venison in the freezer at home. I think I may thaw some this week and celebrate the hunt all over again.
