(Pictures below) Thought I would give you all an update for how my 2020 season went. It's hard to comprehend it all still as the season just came to a close but due to the kindness and generosity and just everything that so many of you contributed to me - I just wrapped up my single best season ever with 4 deer tagged between bow and gun season. I have never tagged 3 deer let alone 4 in one season and it's just the biggest blessing ever.
On November 6th, I snort wheezed this big spike 5 yards under me and smoked him with a Blu streak and Exodus combo that was sent to me. He piled up 60 yards later and I heard him fall over. That, was incredible! I had the opportunity to then gun hunt for the first time in my life and on November 24th in the last 45 minutes of light, after watching several deer out of range, I was glassing a small strip of woods and brush and out of nowhere see this nice 8 point standing 100% bone still. No ear twitch - tail twitch or anything. Win for constantly glassing! Took me what felt like an eternity to find him in my scope, but once I did, I settled in and took the shot at 130 yards. This one was super special as it was cold enough to go home, get my wife and wait for my dad as well so we could track it together - I had been wanting to have my wife along for a track job for a long time and to have both of them with me with me means the world. He barely went anywhere and we found him in a few minutes of tracking. I shot him dead in the heart. My first ever gun deer. Needless to say I was pumped up! I have never filled both of my buck tags before and before I went out that afternoon I said a humble prayer that God might offer me an opportunity at a nice buck for my first deer with a gun. I did not deserve such an answer to prayer but God chose to bless me and it still gives me goosebumps replaying that hunt in my head. Then on December 15th, trying to fill a doe tag I saw more deer in one hunt than I've seen in a long time - a total of 31 deer. I shot a nice big doe thru the heart again and watched her drop in front of me. I had permagrin the rest of the night. And finally on December 29th - one of the few times I got to hunt with my dad, I was sitting in a different spot than I had been and he radioed me a couple hours later that a doe was in front of where I normally sit and he suggested I might be able to use the trees as cover and get close enough for a shot. Sweet! So I lined up a few big trees, used my binoculars and sometimes crawled on my knees to get close enough and eventually I got within range. It took me an extra minute to calm my heart rate down but I settled in and took a shot at 187 yards and watched her drop seconds later. That shot as well - straight through the heart. I'm digging this gun stuff. I'll always be a tried and true bowhunter but the opportunity to fill more tags and put meat on the table with a gun has been very rewarding.
My wife and I have been able to fill our small freezer to max capacity! 175 pounds of venison we will be thankful to enjoy meals out of all year long. This has been a huge goal of mine for years to be able to bring home enough deer to last us more than a couple months. God was so good to us. At the end of the day, this right here is the ultimate trophy for why I love hunting and do what I do. Meat on the table!
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart everyone. Being able to spend time in the woods this season has strengthened my mental state in a huge way and helped end what started out as an absolutely crushing year in the best way possible. Here's to a great 2021!
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