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Barry!!! Seriously, show us pics of "Droptine" Now- no moe dumb stories

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    Barry!!! Seriously, show us pics of "Droptine" Now- no moe dumb stories

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    Eighteen yards away there he lay. Motionless as all the world had stopped around me as well. I had seen this deer four times in the late afternoon of summer at great distances but now he lay surrounded by tall grass only yards in front of me. When this all settled in and tried its best to convince me that this was real, my knees became weak and I could no longer support the weight of my bow in my hands. All I could do was look away, look up, and begin the countless thanks to my creator for moments like these that simply remove any form of words from my vocabulary. So I rested my bow back on the bow hanger and descended quickly to my tree stand’s seat.

    My good friend Adam and I had found a perch on top of a hill overlooking a large open grass field. The field is the first open spot that you come too when you step out of the Canadian river bottom. There is plenty of salt cedars, cotton woods, and plum thickets that hide the movement of all kinds of critters but once you ascend a small hill it opens up to wide open pastures and draws. From our vantage point along with a Leupold spotting scope we were able to watch all kinds of deer this summer. From does and young fawns, to big hogs and their offspring, it was a neat overlook to say the least. It was on these occasions, battling mosquitoes and Texas summertime heat, that the drop tine buck would make his late evening appearances on this large wide open field. In velvet he looked absolutely giant, especially with the velvet hanging down forming a tine on his right side. Adam and I joked about the possibilities of passing on this deer because we had seen larger deer. In fact Adam had seen a much larger eleven point along with a deer he believes may see 200.” With the kind of deer this young man has already taken I knew that was in the realm of possibility for him but given the chance at a droptine I wasn’t sure what I might do. That is if I could do anything with the grandness of the moment, it might be too much for me to take. Anyway, Lord willing the story of the giant Adam takes will be attached with his picture later this year.

    With the large eight points and wide tens we had seen on this field we selected a narrow funnel between two sets of woods that runs towards this large field. With the Canadian river about 75 yards behind the narrow spot we chose we picked our tree and hung a stand. We placed a feeder, cuddyback trailcam, and planted a food plot and then left the area for a few weeks. I remember the Sunday morning before bible class that Adam came upstairs and presented me with pictures he had printed off his computer from our river bottom stand. There was the mainframe 8 with the droptine along with a few other good deer and a ten point that had my heart going. At the time I was unsure if the droptine showed up what I would do with him. Of course it was one of my bow hunting dreams to shoot a droptine deer, a pope and young quality deer, and something big to put on the wall. But truth be told I was really hoping this year might yield a ten point for me. I know what you’re thinking, Barry you are a complete goof. Shoot!!!!

    Sunday night I texted Adam and asked if it would be okay if I sat the river bottom stand the next morning. With a “do it” response I set the alarm for 4:45am and went to bed. Next thing I know the radio was blaring some country song that I could have gone most of my life without hearing and I turned it off to listen. I could hear water droplets hitting my metal roof and I then entertained the thought of turning my light off and pulling the warm comforter back over my head. I didn’t want to get my “precious” bow wet nor did I want to sit in a cold stand with wind and rain blowing in my face. Being early October big buck movement is usually nil for me so it aided in the discussion. It was upper 30’s outside so this to me seemed like a legitimate argument with myself. But then myself fought back and said, “You can’t kill a deer if you aren’t out there!”

    I sprung from the covers with new life and new purpose and began thanking God for yet another breath and day He allowed me to wake up in. I excitedly took my scent free shower and got dressed in my clothes that I have washed just to wear to my hunting spot. Its then we I exit the truck that I dress in my hunting clothes for the walk to the stand and hunt. It’s at this point that I must say this walk in the dark had some anxious times for me. You see, my friend Adam, who graciously lets me hunt his spots, had seen a large cat with a long tail run in the open meadow on opening day carrying what he thought could be a fawn from his mouth. So needless to say, walking along the trail we had to the stand at dark had me examine every nook and cranny with my led flashlight. Yes I was semi- worried about spooking deer with my searchlight going but those thoughts were absolutely destroyed when compared to the possible encounter of a mountain lion trying to convince me he was higher in the food chain.

    Since it had been drizzling and raining lightly on and off for several days the leaves and dying autumn grass were soft and quiet to walk on allowing me to make it to the stand and quietly get settled in. As dawn approached the woods began to come alive with quail calling, turkey beginning to wake up on their roosts directly behind me, and old hoot owls saying goodnight to each other in the oncoming daylight. Crows then began their morning calls as they flew back and forth across the meadow and at 7:12 the feeder in front of me spun its morning ration of corn. I sat for around fifteen minutes and began to wonder if getting out bed was worth it this morning. Then God humbled me with the thought and reminder that even getting to do this is a blessing even if you don’t see a deer. See, often times I have to remind myself that creation in itself is a glorious blessing and just being able to sit front row in the audience is enough. But that being said, I love to see deer on a deer hunt and hoped I might have some kind of encounter on this Columbus Day. My prayers were answered shortly thereafter. As if he appeared out of the ground, a large buck made its way into the feeder from my right. There was just enough light to make out that this was one of the largest free ranging deer I have ever had in bow range and as I texted Adam on his way to school on the bus, I will tell you. I had barely even entertained the thought of letting an arrow fly his way because I knew what other deer that had filled my daydreams for months now, inhabited this area.

    The 125 class 8 point we have named Stomper kept my watchful eye for over ten minutes when he popped up his head and looked back to my left. From five yards away I saw the droptine deer that I had only seen from the glass of a spotting scope. I first thought Stomper was big, the droptine was bigger. I thought Stomper had dark antlers, but Droptine’s were much darker. I thought Stomper was likely one of the biggest free ranging deer I had seen in bow range, droptine had now moved him easily from that spot. I managed to text Adam that droptine was here. After some slow and determined movement I had been able to stand up, push my seat up, remove the sweater that I had covering my bowstrings so it wasn’t getting drizzled on, and get my feet situated so I could have a steady platform to take a shot. Well, droptine was in no hurry to go anywhere so all of his movements seemed to take hours. On two different occasions I thought Stomper may push him away but he would only lift his head and back droptine away. Droptine headed away from me and I was able to lift my bow off the hanger and rest it on my left leg. He then turned back towards me and walked to seventeen yards and stood broadside. I drew, settled, and reminded myself of the summer practice and all the time getting ready for this moment and then the arrow flew.

    The shot appeared high but he dropped in his tracks. It had punched lungs but then began to exit low on the left side right in the arm pit puncturing the top of the heart. That’s when the rain stopped, the wind ceased to blow, all of the world blurred at least to me and I tried to tell myself what just took place. I had no words only fist pumps towards the sky. I lowered my bow and climbed down. I made my way through the tall grass and then the biggest deer I have ever shot, bow or gun, laid there for me to grasp and call my own. Thank you Lord for these moments you give us….to H^M be the glory

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    #2
    One heck of a buck there Barry!!!! congrats on a big one!!!!!!

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      #3
      Finally!! congrats and a great write up again!

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        #4
        WOW!! What a buck. Great job and story.

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          #5
          Those are some sweet dark chocolate horns! I also love that character around his bases...what a hoss! The write up was very moving and with the buck pictures....someone give this dude a VE!!! Congrats on a beautiful buck Barry. Very well deserved.

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            #6
            congrats! very nice

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              #7
              Alright, Awesome Buck for sure, Congrats again

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                #8
                WOW, what a buck. He's got everything, congrats.

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                  #9
                  Beautiful buck...beautiful.

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                    #10
                    Very nice buck! Congrats

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                      #11
                      Worth the wait!!!! Nice deer!!!

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                        #12
                        That is one purty buck!!! Congrats!!

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                          #13
                          WOW, the pictures were worth the wait. Congrats!

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                            #14
                            Love the writing in the story, thanks for taking us along with you, great deer, he will look great on the wall!!

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                              #15
                              beautiful deer! Congrats!!

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