It’s November 7, 2009 in Wadena, MN at 4:30am. I just woke up and I’m getting my gear on. My dad and I are driving to a relative’s farm. When we get to Jim’s we get a warm welcome from their short and stocky yellow-lab named Peanut. We got our backpacks on and took our cold rifles out of the cases. We met up with the others and said a prayer and discussed what stand to take. We got the central stand. We started to walk into the cold, miserable weather. We got to the stand and climbed the stairs and stepped into the dark enclosed room. About 40 minutes later, I see a Buck and oh boy, is it big! I say, “Dad, I see a monster buck! I think it’s an 8 point.” Dad puts his .270 Win. up to the window and I grunted with my buck call. The buck starts to run, then he stops. BAM! Dad had shot the buck but then he ran into the corn. I told dad, “I can’t hear”. That’s because the barrel was straight out the window instead being angled down. Dad got that buck.
The next day we got to have the stand I wanted which is the tower. We got into the stand and waited 3 hours! We were going to leave to go to the other stand then, “Buck!” I said. I quickly lined the cross hairs on the vitals. BAM! The buck jumped up and pranced into the corn. I tried to put another shell into the chamber. But I couldn't find him. I was so nervous that my legs were shaking wildly. Jim came 15 minutes later to track the buck. We thought that I had skimmed the leg so he only left a little blood. I didn’t get him so we left for the house to eat. Getting back to the house Jim asks, “Can Carver even make the shot?” So, my dad set up a target 100 yards away and I sat down at the bench and fired two shots into the kill zone. I could do it!
In hopes of shooting another deer, we were back up at Jim’s farm a week later. I got up at 4:25 am, got dressed and left with my dad and uncle. We got to Jim’s and got our rifles out of the cases. We said a prayer and discussed what stand were going to be in. We got the tower because dad said, “It’ll be fun.” We got to the stand, climbed up the ladder and stepped into the cold and small room. About 1 hour later, a small 6 pointer came out and was broadside. I was trying to get higher but I couldn’t so I tried to stand on the chair but then was too high. I didn’t get him and boy was I mad at myself. We tried to rattle him out of the forest and grunt with my buck call but we couldn’t get him to come out. About an 1 hour later, 2 doe came out and another was trying to chase them, it was the same 6 pointer that I saw this morning! It happened so fast that couldn’t get him.
Now, Its 9:45 and I said to dad, “Should we go back to the house?” Dad looked to his left and said, “There’s a buck!” I was so excited that I got my rifle and stood on my dad’s foot, put the cross hairs on the buck’s chest with one hand and pulled the trigger. BAM! I looked away from the scope and saw the buck’s legs freeze up as he dropped. We went down and checked him out. I shot him at 75 yards away and he was a 10 pointer! His chest measured 46 inches with an approximate field dressed weight of 244 lbs. I took a ton of pictures with him and now I get to remember the great moment of my first deer hunt as I look at them in my room.
