My friend owns land out in Dillon, SC. We’ve typically just gone out for fun, but this year we decided to put in some real effort to attract deer. We cleared a few areas, and it paid off. Deer started to appear regularly.
A few days ago, I went to refresh our corn pile and change the camera batteries. That evening, a large buck showed up on camera. The next afternoon, I returned by myself to set up in the blind. Sure enough, he reappeared, but it was getting dark, and I hesitated, unsure about taking the shot. Rifle in hand, I focused, took a deep breath, and prepared myself for the 45 yard shot. I fired.
After the shot, I heard some thumping, which made me fear I had missed or wounded him poorly. I stayed in the blind for about 20-30 minutes, hoping I wouldn’t have to track him far. When I got out and walked toward the corn pile, I was amazed to find him lying about five feet from where he’d been standing. An instant, clean kill.
I looked at the camera, pumping my fist in excitement, my heart racing, and hands shaking. After I calmed down, I said a prayer of thanks for the opportunity to hunt and a prayer over the deer, even giving him a kiss on the forehead. Then, the challenge of getting such a large buck into the truck by myself set in. After a few failed attempts at lifting the dead weight, I finally managed it.
Still buzzing with excitement, I gathered my gear from the blind, called the processor, and headed that way. This was the first deer I’ve killed since I was 14, and doing it on land where I’d personally invested the effort made the experience incredibly rewarding.
Hunter’s name: Brad Barnett
Murrells inlet South Carolina
Dillon, South Carolina
10/1/2025
8-point buck
