TiaCerdena

Tia

Cerdena

Chatham County, NC

Chatham County, NC

11/11/2024

5:30

Muzzleloader

30 yards

Ground

Fell immediately

29

Trail Camera

8

107.25

Evening

This was my second buck and first one with a muzzleloader. My brothers have been hunting since they were kids and finally got me into the woods last December. On 11/11/24 they sent me into a ground blind hoping that the 8 pointer I had picked out from the trail cameras would show up. He showed up with 15 minutes left in the evening. I originally had my gun on a tri-pod but the buck was moving around so much that I slowly moved it off the tripod to get a better shot. Finally he stood just right and I pulled the trigger on the muzzleloader. When the smoke cleared, there he was lying out cold on the ground. I’m lucky because the bullet did not exit and there was no blood. If the deer would’ve ran, it definitely would’ve been a difficult hunt to find him.

So:
Not only did I free hand it and drop the buck in his tracks. It was also my first time using a muzzleloader. My older brother was gleaming with pride and joy when he walked back to my ground blind and found the buck lying approx 30 yards away. To me that is what hunting is all about. Sharing the memories and stories of our hunting experiences for years to come.
Grateful for the time spent with my family and my second buck down.

 

About Brian Cope 3313 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@carolinasportsman.com.