Black Hills Whitetail Success

Like most mornings during hunting season, I was up before the alarm clock and I had a feeling today was my day! To be honest I've felt like this before and have come home empty-handed but not this time.

It was my husband and I’s annual week-long hunt-vacation together, and we started with a bang. Our 12 year old daughter shot her very first buck opening morning over the weekend and we were all feeling great.

When we return home after opening weekend it was our turn to head to the Black Hills and chase after a few whitetail bucks. The first day hunting together was great, we saw a few deer but nothing too exciting.

We enjoyed just sending the kids off to school and spending some time together in the outdoors. That Monday night we made a plan to go to an area we had been to earlier that season and see what was moving at sunrise.

Early to bed and early to rise as we made our way north. As we drive down the road bumpy road into the area, we decided I would walk out this tree line and glass the ridge just past it. I made my way through the trees, checking every step I made to avoid the patches of hard snow from a snowstorm earlier that month.

Slowly I made my way through the trees, at times it felt as I was hopping my way through but finally I made it to the edge of the trees. Keeping myself in the shadows of the trees I began to glass, looking through my binoculars for any little movement on the ridge.

The sun continued to light up the scared terrain from a fire years past.

As I kept searching I came across some movement at the top. There they were on the top, sun shining on them. I could see that one of them was a buck but with the sun brightly behind them it was hard to tell how good he was.

With no cover in front of me to get closer, I made the decision to move back keeping myself in the dark shadows of the trees I was in and making my way back to my husband that was glassing another ridge behind me.

It took me a bit to make my way back to him to prevent any loud crunch from the large snow covered craters along the way. I was ecstatic eventually making it back to him and telling him what I saw on the ridge and we agreed that the deer I saw needed a closer look. 

As the sun began to rise that morning, we moved in and I spotted deer. I decided to back out before they saw me and get to a better position to put a stock on them. As we moved toward the area we spotted the doe and if you know anything about November, generally that doe isn't alone.

So I made a move and slowly began to creep down picking my head up just a bit to finally spot the buck that was with her. With my bipod down I was ready, as I pulled my rifle to my shoulder and began to look through my scope except all I could see was the tall grass between me and him. 

Down I go again inching closer to him but he had given me my one chance (so he thought) and he took off but so did I running up the hill after him with my gun in hand and my bipod still down.

I reached the top, pulled my rifle up and still no shot. I quickly scanned the area and saw a small little clearing and moved quickly to it. As I got down and raised my rifle to my shoulder I locked on to him as he was quickly making his way through the trees.

Before I could even think I pulled the trigger. Quickly I jacked another round in and moved in closer. I got down and pulled my rifle up but there was no need for it as I had made a perfect shot and he was down.

I couldn't believe I had made the shot because I have never been that good at moving shots. I couldn't wait to put my hand on him. I sent my hubby a B.B.D! text and we walked up to my buck together. As I walked up to him, he got even better. He was an old mature whitetail.

Hunting in the Black Hills can be a challenge and it has taken me quite a few years to finally notch my tag on what I think is a trophy deer! 

But after all the high fives and pictures it's time to push your sleeves up and get to work. Knowing this will help feed my family throughout the year makes all the long hours and backaches worth it. After pulling him up what seemed like a mountain and into the back of the truck, we decided to take the long way around in case something else popped out, my hubby still had a tag and I still had my archery tag and guess who also had her bow with her.

Now you would never think that it could happen that I would or could fill both my deer tags in one day but it ALMOST happened. As we make our way down the road a few miles we spot a Muley in our path. We pack the truck, I reach back to unhook my bow, go to grab my release but it wasn’t there.

Frantically looking for it and trying to keep an eye on the deer, I knew if I didn't get myself together I was going to miss this opportunity so I just grabbed the first one I could find (lucky my husband and I shot with the same release.)

Out the door I go moving closer and closer to him, I slip an arrow on and the hubby says he's at 60 yards, I take a quick breath, pull to full draw, anchor myself and release the most perfect shot I have ever had.

As we both stand there watching the arrow fly straight to him he takes two steps forward and he kicks the arrow.

My heart aches still as I think about how close I came but as a hunter, I am grateful for the chance to even have the opportunity at drawing my bow. So many times in hunting you wait and wait for the right opportunity and it never happens. I can be happy with the fact that it almost happened to me.

We ended our great week-long hunt-vacation with our son shooting his first buck. I am so blessed to have this outdoor-loving, hunting, and fishing loving family! Doesn't get much better than this.

ReelCamo Girl ProStaff member Kelly McIntosh