I've had a vision, a thought, a dream that plays over and over in my head that wakes me up at 4 in morning, endures the cold, and takes my time away from the women that I love; a dream that drives me to never stop pushing myself even in failures and shortcomings.  A dream that one of these days I'll see a deer walking thru the still wet grass and the view from inside my binoculars will be the buck I've been waiting for.  A dream of an opportunity in a place where the advantage is always his.  And yesterday I got that opportunity.  
      At 4:17 in the afternoon as the biting wind calmed to an eery still a dark body appeared thru the thick brush ahead.  With the view thereafter making my heart race as the cold in my hands and feet disappeared.  The buck lumbered thru day old snow in silence knowing his path ahead.  Now at 5 yards this king of the woods felt something.  This feeling of danger I watched come over him as he stopped in his tracks.  This hunch, as if his sixth sense; I hadn't moved a muscle as he looked up so deliberately, I could feel myself holding my breath.  He turned cautiously looking confused of the moment.  And my window of opportunity had arrived.  

Five minutes after his arrival I now stood with my jaw open, bow in hand, in awe; trying to let my brain catch up to what my body just did.  Replaying it over in my head, knowing the arrow hit directly on his shoulder; seeing it buried half way to the fletching as he disappeared into the snow white obis.  His blood trail lead me 150 yards as he expired in the untouched snow.  My 55# Great Plains Reo Bravo recurve armed with a 605 grain carbon arrow tipped with a Woodsmen Elite broadhead blew straight thru his shoulder and broke off as it was stuck in the opposite shoulder.  What a hunt!!! What a year!!!  Two fall turkeys, a doe the weekend before shotgun season, and now a 12 point buck!


     A few thoughts...    When you step into the woods with traditional equipment there's a different set of rules. Rules unbeknown to me.  Rules that come into understanding only after encounters gone wrong, as well as encounters gone right.  This bow becoming an extension of the hunter.  The skill you need you hold within, just you and your bow.  Maybe this sounds a little crazy but this is how traditional hunting makes me feel.  Taking every step with a new found purity in my heart that I can't get enough of.  Thanks for sharing in my opportunity, I hope you get the same.

Very nice pictures and story. Merry Christmas

Excellant story telling Cole!. And what a magnificant buck. You truley had a blessed season, Merry Christmas. Jim

Congratulations, Cole! Great buck, well written story, and very nice pics. Best of all...You GET it! That's as good of an explanation of how traditional bowhunting feels as I've read in a long time!      

Merry Christmas,  

>>--Ron--<>

Great buck and story congrats!!  

Thats a nice one well done!!

Great story and pics,  congrats on an unbelievable trophy

Great story. What a wonderful buck. Congrats bro.  

Yeah buddy! GREAT buck and great write up.  Congrats on the early Christmas present!

Awesome Buck Cole.

Awesome!!! Great buck and a great story!!!

Excellant story and great photos of a fine buck.Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!!

Great post, great pictures, great deer!  Awesome.  

I was there! I helped celebrate!  Good job cole!

You have a way with words my friend congrats on a great deer

WOW!
  That's a very nice buck congratulations!

Great story and even greater buck.
Jack

Excellent picture, thoughts and DEER!! Congrats

Congrats Cole! Nice buck, and those pictures look great too!