Deer Season~

Well, unfortunately.. Todd has not seen or got a thing this year. This is the FIRST time I think that has ever happened. He has kinda given up for this season, but talks now and then about going out, then he starts feeling guilty that we have so much going on with Christmas coming. To me, I dont care really, I just want him to be happy.

In other news, my brother Neal and my son Preston have been slaying them hard. My brother got a 16pt buck and a couple does and I think a spike. Preston has gotten an 2- 8pts and a doe. My brothers was like a horse he said.. big and strong and he had missed a chance with him once before so he was dang sure going to keep hunting until he got him! It paid off! Here he is with his prize and his description of his hunt... I am very proud!What a weekend. I was honored to host Rocky Harris opening day after all Rocky has hosted me the last 7-8 years. Saturday morning Rocky struck first taking a big 9pt then a doe and button buck. Sat afternoon 1SG Richard Banks came up from Joplin to take Rocky's now vacant spot. Richard missed a good buck and I shot a doe. Sunday morning was slow and I stalked a good 8pt but he jumped the fence onto the neighbors property and all I could do was stand there and listen to the barrage of gunfire he started. Sun evening brought SGT Mathew Farmer out to my honey hole, he promptly missed a good buck and a decent 8pt within an hour on stand. The weather was nasty about 49 degrees with winds from the northeast at around 15mph, rain showers were coming and going as I saw two decent 8pts before deciding to shoot a couple does that came out unnoticed by me from my right at about 50yds. 15minutes later my buck stepped out from the same area as the does and stopped right where I had shot the 1st doe. He didn't jump out at me as a big buck at first and I flipped my scope covers open to check the rack out, the front cover clicked on my barrel and he looked right at me. He was high but not wide and I wasn't sure he was the big deer I was after but when he cocked his head I saw his G-4 and knew he was a good ten so I clicked the safety off, he started walking and that rattled me due to me taking so much time to size him up. My shot was hurried and he was walking, I knew I hit him back and he immediately ran straight away from me. I jacked another shell in and popped another at him as he left. Once I dropped the scope away I could not see any movement or white flags waving at me so I let it settle down and slipped out to recover my deer in the am. Off to Wal-Mart to get more doe tags and a restless night sleep wondering did I blow my opportunity. SGT Jason Steel accompanied me Monday morning to again nasty weather and a stiff north wind. No deer sighted by 8am and I was ready to collect my deer. I went to the first doe I could still see from my stand, the coyotes had tore her open during the night. The second doe I was sure was right next to her was not there, so I walked down the fence line and spotted her 50yds farther down from the first doe. I then cut a straight line west to the last spot I had seen the buck heading south and walked right up to him less than 50 yds from the second doe. He grew over night, he was the deer I was hunting and had seen for a brief moment while bow hunting that same area a week earlier. His rack roughly grosses 157BC, with 14 scorable points and 2 point just shy of an inch. My Woods Custom Rifle in .260 Rem had served me well once again, with the follow up shot through the left ear that ultimately brought the big boy down. Kudos to Chris Cauley of MidwayUSA who introduced me to COR Bon 120gr Barnes copper bullets. Now it's time to pack my bags, my girls freezer is now full and I can concentrate on my move to Hawaii 14DEC09. Aloha and Good Hunting SFC Neal Overstreet

The 12 of 12 and other stuff will have to be posted tomorrow or later tonight... Ive got to do some re-arranging with the computers..... back in a bit... :)