On his mama’s birthday, my son climbed into the stand on a cool, windy afternoon — a hunt we’ll never forget. He had underdressed for the chilly evening and almost climbed down early, but decided to stick it out. Around 6:15 p.m., a doe and another shooter buck came out behind us in the grass field but wouldn’t present a shot and eventually walked away. About ten minutes later, this buck and another big 8 came in. The other 8 had half of his main beam broken off and stayed in the thicket, while this one slipped quietly through the pines and offered a perfect broadside shot at 15 yards. My son made a great double-lung shot, and the buck ran toward us before expiring in the soybean field just 10 yards away. It was the perfect ending to a birthday hunt we’ll always remember.
Hunter’s name: Jake Farley
Dobson North Carolina
Surry county North Carolina
10/11/25
8-point buck