When you marry a man who loves hunting just as much as you do—and raise two kids, one of whom practically lives and breathes it—you quickly learn that time in the woods is never just about slipping into a blind. It takes planning, compromise, and a little sweet-talking.
This particular evening, I had to convince my husband to let me take a turn in the woods. It meant juggling childcare, rushing home from work, changing into hunting gear, spraying down, and making it to my blind without a hitch. On top of that, I’d been monitoring the wind all day. With mostly a north wind and the occasional northwest gust, I knew conditions could change everything.
By 3:30 p.m., I was finally settled in. The corn was running low, so I texted my husband. Like the knight in shining armor he always is, he swung by with a bag of persimmon-flavored corn, freshening the spot before wishing me luck and slipping back out. My goal was clear: I was after my target buck, a unique deer I’d nicknamed Criss Cross for the way his antlers overlapped in the front. He’d been showing up like clockwork about an hour before sunset.
For the first couple of hours, things were quiet—just turkeys and crows breaking the silence around 5:30. Eventually, a group of young bucks filtered into the field. But the shifting wind wasn’t in my favor. They passed through without stopping, and as I watched them disappear, I had a sinking feeling the hunt might be over before it really began.
Then, just 30 seconds later, everything changed.
I caught movement to my right and turned to see an unexpected nine-point buck standing just 15 yards from the blind. Buck fever hit me like a freight train—my hands trembled, my heart raced, and every breath felt shaky. He looked like an absolute giant. I forced myself to steady, raised my crossbow, and waited as he stepped into view at 30 yards. Then, I let the arrow fly.
Game over. That deer wasn’t going anywhere.
Before I could even call my husband, my phone buzzed. He was watching the hunt unfold on camera and told me he’d thought to himself, Brittney’s about to shoot. The very next frame showed the buck going down.
Moments later, my husband and two kids came running to congratulate me, grinning ear to ear and ready for pictures. No, it wasn’t Criss Cross—but I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. This nine-point was a surprise, a gift, and a memory I’ll cherish forever.
Because at the end of the day, hunting isn’t just about the deer. It’s about the family that cheers you on, the stories you’ll tell, and the moments that make all the rushing, planning, and sweet-talking more than worth it.
Hunter’s name: Brittney Nielsen
Burlington North Carolina
Alamance
9/16/25
9-point buck