I can’t begin to explain the feeling of killing bucks that you’ve set out to kill. Cell cams are the ticket for creating a hit list and knowing what the deer are doing...without entering the woods.

This deer showed up about the same time (12/15/20) as the last buck I killed, but he was on my hunting club. I nicknamed him Palmer, due to the palmated right beam. I kept the corn pile fresh and he would show up a couple nights and then be absent for a few. As the pre rut was starting he got more regular at night. December 29th was the first daylight photo I got. He was at the corn at 0730 that morning. Then it was night pictures until January 8th. He was back in there at 1030 that morning. I had been climbing in there every time I hunted. After the first daylight picture I moved a lock on in there. I hunted in there with the appropriate wind a handful of times, only seeing does.

Fast forward to this week. Members of the club are reporting chasing and I’m seeing several new bucks on camera checking does. Palmer has been there only at night. It was just a matter of time and being at the right place. About 1000 yds from my feed site, I had gotten a picture of him on the power line in a greenfield at night. I knew he was roaming all over now and another member said they were hunting him too. They also had pictures. My dad hunted this particular power line field on Wednesday and he saw two shooters chasing does behind the shooting house, without a shot opportunity.

The last 2-3 days I’ve been getting pictures from all my cameras around late morning, noon, and early afternoon. I decided to go to the field my dad hunted the day before. I had a lock on on the end of the 200 yd field. I get settled in about 1245. At 1315 a fawn pops out and feeds for 5-10 minutes. All is quiet after that and I’m texting some hunting buddies at this point. At 1425, while responding to a text, I look to my immediate right and all I see is a tall rack looking right in my direction coming from across the power line. I immediately knew it was Palmer. This power line is about 60 yds wide with a road going down the middle.

Palmer comes out and is walking straight at me, looking left and right every few steps. He’s not wasting time and is on a mission to get across that open space. I’m caught off guard and sitting in my Millennium lock on with the big reclining seat. I slowly start creeping up with every chance I get when he’s not looking. He’s still coming straight at me! He’s across the road and in the edge of the field (27 yds) when I get to my feet. I start shifting my feet and reaching for my bow all in one motion. He stops and looks hard left and right, up and down the power line. I’ve got my bow off the hook and I get turned enough to draw and twist my body to the right to shoot. He’s walking straight to the tree! There’s a trail just behind the tree he is going to. So I’m at full draw and twisting to the right of where my feet are pointed and he’s walking to me. I grunted with my mouth to stop him at 8 steps. He stops and looks straight ahead in the woods. I can’t shoot because his face is in the way, then he turns his head up and to his right just enough for me to squeeze it by his jaw. The shot hits him at the base of the neck in front of the left shoulder. He wheels and takes off and I see blood flying everywhere. He starts “bulldozing” as he gets back to the wood line where he came from. He crashed through some saplings and gets hung up. He gets untangled and stands up and stops then falls over. Holy crap!!! I just killed another target buck! Palmer is dead after about 2 minutes from me seeing him in person.

He’s a cool deer with all kinds of character. 9 point with two kickers off the right base. His left base almost grows to the right base. I got him at 124 5/8. I will be getting them both scored by AWR to enter in their book. I think their minimum with a bow is 114”.