A Big Ole Buck

By Shag Trent
Sharing tradition with someone is a special thing. Being in the woods and sharing the hunting tradition with my dad is one of those special things I will never forget. To this day, I still remember when I was a kid, hunting with my old man and being ready to bag a big ole buck. One hunting trip in particular, when I was ten years old, stands out in my mind.

I had trouble getting to sleep that night but knew in the morning I would wake up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee. This was the day I was going to bag a big ole buck. My dad drove us to our hunting spot, parked, and of course, reminded me not to slam the truck door. He walked me to my spot, told me good luck and showed me where he would be sitting. As he walked away he laughed and said, “You better not shoot me!”

I sat in the dark woods hearing sounds I’d never heard before and as the morning sun dawned, the woods came alive. Hearing the rustle of the leaves, I clicked my safety off to get ready to bag what I was waiting for, my big ole buck. As the sound got closer and closer, my heart started beating faster and faster. I felt my legs start to shake knowing I was about to put a 410 slug in this deer.

I turned slowly and there it was… a big red, fox squirrel. I could have shot that squirrel just for doing that to me. It scampers off. As I watched some birds playing in the trees, I heard the leaves rustling again and 15 yards from me stands a deer that had so many horns I couldn’t count them all. It snorts at me and my legs shake as I think this thing is about to horn me to death. It snorts at me and runs away. I sat there and could not stop shaking in my boots! Hours later I hear my dad’s whistling as he comes to get me for lunch. He said, “Did you see anything?” and I said, “Nope, not a thing!”

The Great Lakes has many top notch hunting opportunities. You can pick your poison or master just one, but learning new ways of hunting different animals is awesome. Watching the morning sun come up over decoys with the morning fog rising or listening to the whistle of wings coming in overhead as they flip into your decoys is an amazing experience.

Walking into the woods that you have scouted out for the last few months ready to bag a big ole buck. You are pumped to just get away from everything and just have some me time. Me time that takes you away from all your responsibilities and it’s just you and God. Take everything in that he has created for you to enjoy. Even a Big Drop Tine Buck!!!

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