Weekend Hunting Trip

[GregZ]

Had a great time hunting with a great group a guys recently. My dad, his buddy Eric, and I were invited out to an amazing property to do some hunting with a few members of the hunting club. Man was it an awesome weekend!

We got there Friday night and boozed it up a bit getting to know everyone. Most of us woke up early on sat and got an early duck hunt in. Only had a few ducks come in and one fell, it was a beautiful drake. went back in to grab some food then Eric took some of us out hawking with his red tail. It is unbelievable how well this bird fly and hunted, we weren't able to find anything for it to catch but it was very cool either way.

After the hawking we went back in for more food. Went out around 1 for a quick deer hunt, I have only been out once last year for a deer and didn't see anything. This year was different, the property is huge, 450 some acres and set up to hunt. I was put in one of the most productive deer stands, my dad and Eric took other good ones as well. I was pumped to finally get my first deer. I had a .243 that I was borrowing from one of the guys there Don. I wasn't in the stand 45 minutes when I saw something move about 75 yards away on the edge of a corn field. It finally made its way into site and was a damn cat. My heart was pounding. About 5 minutes later I spot something even further away in a different direction. Thinking its another cat I look down the scope and see a deer. Looks like a doe, good size to put in the freezer. I take a minute to see if any other deer are going to join it so I could take my pick. After what seemed to be an hour, but was maybe a minute I decided to take my shot. I ran through my steps, slow breathing squeeze trigger.. boom I saw the deer drop. Caught it just behind the shoulders and I didn't move a step. I get out of the stand and chamber the next round. walk the 185 yards to the deer and check to see if it is still alive. nope got it on the first shot. It was fairly young, about 75 lbs dressed went back to the house to tell someone and go pick it up with the kubota. That was a rush, everything seemed in either slow motion or fast forward.

After get it cleaned I ran into my dad and Eric, both very excited I got my first deer. I wound up being a small button buck, but boy did it taste good. We all got back to the house around 4 15 to get some dinner and head out for another duck hunt. This one went better than the morning. There were birds everywhere, we stopped shooting and just watched them come in, hundreds of them. One of the guys Bill got his first banded wood duck. and there were several teals and other woodies. It was by far the best duck hunt I have ever been on.

We all went back finished up some food and beers and crashed early. the next morning we did another quick hawk hunt with the same result. and I learned how to process my deer.

It was an amazing time and I couldn't picture a more fun packed weekend. Here are a couple photos from the trip