The McDaniel Buck
Wyoming County 8-point

By Doug McDaniel

My mother and I were out in a blind. A field edge is where I decided to brush it in a few days prior just on a whim. We sat in silence since well before sunrise for only a couple squirrels to get our blood pumping. Around mid-morning (10:45), we decided we would head in to get warm. As I open the door to the blind I saw a large figure in the field. My guess was about 600 yards away or so. We waited it out until he made it back to the hedge row and that's when I made my move. Mind you, we were both wielding shotguns.

I slowly made my way up the hill with Mom in the blind watching. As I got closer I could see all of the surrounding fields, so I knew he was still in the thin field drainage hedge. As I got close to where I knew he went in... there he is was. The biggest deer I have had the pleasure to raise up on! It didn't end there, in the heat of the moment I let off a shot and realize now it was just low. As I'm trying to aim for the field edge he was headed to, he didn't pop out as quickly as I thought he would. So I lowered my gun and suddenly there he was 10 yards away... coming straight at me!

Luckily I caught him by surprise and he turned into the open field where I was able to get a clean shot. I am very grateful for this beautiful animal and the food he has given my family and I. There is one little kicker though. I was given my grandfathers head mount of a buck he harvested in the 70's and the rack is identical to the buck I harvested. They even have the same little kicker just on opposite sides.