This deer has been hunted for the past three seasons. He started out as a target buck for our son in the first season but Grayson was able to let this one go and bag a bigger one down the road at his daddy’s spot. This buck grew drastically in the off season and became my target buck the following year. However, he eluded me last year despite numerous hunts, but made sure to show himself when my husband and son spent one afternoon hunting from my stand. Despite his size and both of them wanting to see him go down, Grayson told his daddy that he would let this buck go because it was “mommy’s buck”. When he showed up on our camera for the first time this year, his mass had increased and an extra point appeared. It was a mission bigger than ever at that point so I decided to do something I had never done before, start hunting during muzzleloader and give the black powder a try. My husband showed me what to do, made sure it was ready to go, and encouraged me to sit in the stand so he and Grayson could go get some birthday presents for me. Dwight said “I have a good feeling about today and everyone needs a “birthday buck””. So, I went and I sat and I saw some does but the activity was scarce even though it had been windy and raining the previous two days. I was about to call it and head out when something told me to look one more time and scan the lanes with my binoculars. I slowly scanned from one side to the other and back again and sure enough on the final scan, a big bodied buck stepped out of the woods and headed to the corn. Although this buck wasn’t my target buck, he was his “little buddy” and about thirty seconds later, my target buck came out. The nerves set in and I was a bit hesitant because I had never shot a muzzleloader. I almost talked myself out of taking the shot even though my buck was just 75-85 yards in front of me. I finally convinced myself to have faith, take a deep breath, and ask the Lord to not let me miss. I took the shot and it was perfect. He went down where he stood and within twenty minutes, I was holding his head up and posing for pictures. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon, but since my birthday was the following day, it made it all that much sweeter…it really was the “icing on the cake”.
Hunter’s name: Jessica Curington
Kinston NC
Lenoir County, NC
10/13/25
9-point buck
