For most of us, it's like having an extra Christmas. The only thing that can make it better is taking a good buck.
This is especially true for young hunters lucky enough to take their first wall-hanger.
Every year, there are several stories worth repeating, both good and bad. This year was no exception. But this tale has a few twists and turns that we're still trying to figure out.
Adairville native Blake Trimble can verify that dreams do come true for those venturing into the woods for the first time.
Blake is a freshman at Logan County High School. He stands about 5'6" with curly blonde hair. He always has a grin on his face when you see him.
Many people think Blake looks a lot like his pet Labrador, Katie. Sometimes, it's hard to tell if it's Blake coming or Katie going.
Blake credits his big brother, Brooks, for all he knows about deer hunting. Brooks has developed quite a reputation of his own; he is known as one of the best trophy doe hunters in Logan County, with numerous near misses to his credit.
It all started on the opening day of gun season...
Blake didn't go that morning, as they were having a Teletubbies marathon on PBS, and he wanted to tape it.
Early that afternoon, he headed to the woods with his treestand. He climbed to his usual height of about three feet before settling in for the day.
Blake didn't see anything for the first hour or so as he sat there, enjoying his usual snack of animal crackers and milk. That's when he heard something banging around in a nearby fence row. Much to his surprise, out walked an eight-point buck.
Blake says he could hear this buck bumping into things before he finally came out, offering a broadside shot at about 15 yards.
Taking aim, Blake calmly squeezed the trigger, just barely missing the buck by shooting over his back by about six feet.
Even more amazingly, the buck continued to stand there, looking one way, then the other.
Blake cranked another shell in the barrel, spilling his milk all over his lap in the process. At least, that's what he told us when we asked him why the lap of his britches was so wet.
On the next shot, a limb over the buck's head exploded, and the animal took off in a dead run back to the fence row.
This is where there is some discrepancy in the story, as Blake claims he hit the buck in the head, and he ran 75 yards before keeling over.
A wildlife officer was notified about this suspicious kill and could find no evidence of a bullet wound. Upon closer investigation, he did notice that the deer had suffered trauma to the head.
The entire time, young Blake kept claiming that this is where he was aiming.
The good news is, it was later determined that Blake was not at fault and was cleared to tag the buck and claim it for his own. However, the wildlife officer did say that the young buck's death after running into a fencepost would have to be ruled a suicide!
Editor's Note: Mike Haynes is a former outdoors writer for the N-D&L. Like most avid outdoorsmen, he has a tendency not to let facts get in the way of a good story.
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