2023 Rifle Buck -3k Sullivan County 7 point

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On this day I woke up plenty before daylight, had coffee and watched the horizon from my kitchen window as I always do before a hunt, awaiting the sun to start rising.  I hunt behind my house about 150 yards back.  I hunt from my enclosed tower that my dad, and I built together a few years ago.  I have 5 acres here that I live, and hunt on, but am surrounded by thousands of acres of old pine woods. I have always referred to this area as a mini big woods.  We have no ag nearby, and have a low deer density, along with antler restrictions.  Anyways, on this morning I walked out very slowly to my tower as I always do, I climbed up, and was situated around 6:45-7am.  Fast forward to around 8am and I see a small buck chasing a doe in between my stand, and my house…keeping my eyes peeled after they disappear, all goes quiet.  10 mins or so later, I decide to sip on coffee, well as I take a sip i catch movement to my left at 10 o’clock position.  I put coffee down, I see its a doe, and I see horns following her about 20’ back,  I immediately slide open the plexiglass window.  The doe is not at all paying attention to her surroundings, and the buck is sniffing the ground as he follows her.  I slowly grab the old 30-30, pull hammer back, and as I am watching them(now in front of me about 40’ out, I slowly raise rifle.  I find the buck in the scope, he is slowly taking steps broadside, I make a “mehhh woop buh buh” noise he stops walking, I perfect my aim, and pulled trigger.  Buck jumps off the ground from all fours, and runs like a race horse.  I am now shaking, my wife Jenn hears the shot from the house, I get a text immediately saying “omg omg omg babe!” She knows I put many many hours in the stand each season, and even though I am not as successful as many others, It’s not due to being a poor shot, but due to my stubbornness of wanting to hunt my home, as it just means a lot to me to hunt here.  Anyways we are both overjoyed.  I climb down quietly, and take a look at impact site.  It did not look good, I was concerned, but was confident as I was steadily aimed at a motionless deer.  I decided to track about 50’, blood increased, so I backed out, went to the house, called my dad, and talked to Jenn as well.  2 hrs later my dad, and I found the deer about 60 yards from stand.  We gutted him together, and put the buck on an old swing set pipe, and carried him out on our shoulders.  Afterwards I made us all a nice bacon and eggs breakfast to celebrate, and talk.  What a great day, and it was my nephew’s 4th birthday too.  Today I drove the buck 2.5 hrs northeast to @518BowSlayer for a shoulder mount.  This was my first deer with the 30-30 that my dad gave me, there is something about those old rifles….

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