When The Luck Runs Out

As I said in yesterday's post, Jim, Will, Bri and I took our annual trip to the deer lease for Thanksgiving. Brian joined us after classes on Tuesday night.

For the first five days the weather was hot and the moon was full. It was the most unproductive days of hunting we have ever experienced. We were not even seeing deer, much less getting a shot at one.

On Wednesday Will took a button buck...and we were thinking that was all the deer meat we would be taking home for the season!

We took a break from hunting to spend Thanksgiving with Rosa and her family at the cabin. It was a wonderful day spent visiting with family. But it was hot!!! Sleeveless shirts were the attire of the day.

As we left the cabin that night, the temperatures began falling quickly. Over ten degrees in the time it took us to get back to Crossett...which is only a thirty minute trip. All in all, it fell about thirty degrees in a five hour span of time.

The next morning, I sat in a deer blind with rain, sleet and snow falling all around me!

The good thing about the change of weather is that it also meant that the deer started moving.

As I sat on my deer stand late Friday afternoon watching a spike mill around and eat, I noticed he was very nervous and kept looking to my left. When I turned my head I could see a nice buck staring at the spike. Being 'big man on campus' he started towards the spike strutting his stuff. He moved and darted, making a large circle as he came around near the spike. I had a hard time keeping him in my sights as he dashed and darted and tossed his horns.

And then...he stepped out from around a large oak tree and I knew that if I wanted a shot at him I had better take it then.

One shot fired and down he went. He kicked once, let out a loud grunt and got very still.

I was so excited! I have only taken one buck in my life and that was during last year's muzzleload hunt.

My hands were shaking and I was near to hyperventilating. And then...I thought I saw him raise his head. But he wasn't moving. I decided I had better shift another live round in the chamber just.in.case. I couldn't do it! I was shaking so badly!

I finally got the spent cartridge shifted out and slid the live round into place. That sound sent the spike running off to my right...and, holy cow!, my buck running off to the left! Like he wasn't even hurt!

How could it be?

We spent that evening and the next morning trying to track him to no avail.

I was SICK, SICK, SICK!

Then Saturday night, Debbie calls me over to her house to look at a video she had taken during her evening hunt.

AND THERE HE STOOD! Clear as day...it was my seven point with a minor flesh wound! How could that be? I had knocked him down! I thought he was dead for a good three or four minutes!

But he was not only eating at the feeder, he was also chasing does! Come on! You have got to be kidding me! Right then and there I named him...Lucky 7!

Fast forward to Monday morning. Jim and I had stayed an extra day due to the Polaris breaking down in the woods on Sunday around noon. We sent the kids back home with plans to join them after the Monday morning hunt. Jim kept saying that Lucky 7 would be back to his old stomping grounds soon, so I headed out to the stand to see if I could get lucky.

About an hour and a half into the hunt, who should step out but Lucky 7.

Well, his luck changed that morning along with mine. He is now called Unlucky 7!


He may not be a trophy by most people's standards...but he sure is a beauty to me!