Tyler’s buck

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Thanksgiving buck takes hunter back to his youth

After graduating from college a few years ago I moved to Beaufort NC to start a job with Navair at Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point.

Growing up in the small community of Wallburg in northern Davidson County on a family farm, I grew up within the folds of hunting, fishing and farming. These days, one of my greatest enjoyments is to return to my home in Davidson County for holidays and a chance to do a little deer hunting.

Thanksgiving week 2022 was one of those opportunities for me to reconnect to my roots and enjoy deer hunting with my father.

The beginning of the week provided colder than average temperatures and boy was I excited. After seeing several deer on the first couple of hunts, a large mature buck made a brief appearance, but I was unable to get the shot I needed to to make a clean kill. The weather began to take a turn to warmer temperatures and the activity that I enjoyed at the beginning of the week slowed dramatically. With only one more day to hunt before returning to Beaufort I had a lucky break.

Thanksgiving night, heavy rain moved into the area and it rained most of the night, I woke up and checked the radar and saw that the rain would end just after daybreak. I collected my gear, grabbed my climbing stand, and slipped across the hay field toward a grove of mature white oaks where the deer had been feeding. At this point I had one goal, get the job done and put a mature doe in the freezer.

As I crested the top of the hill I saw an old matriarch doe just below me in the draw of the field. I took aim and made a perfect shot and she fell in the open field. With my goal of putting a deer in the freezer accomplished it was still early and I decided to sit a couple of hours in one of my favorite spots underneath a large stand of massive old white oaks.

The heavy rain the night before had done exactly what I had hoped for and laid up the deer, and with clearing conditions at daybreak, the deer were on the move. After seeing several does and a smaller buck working the area, the mature buck that had eluded me at the beginning of the week made a second appearance. From out of nowhere with the ground soaked and the advantage of hearing deer walk in the dry leaves no longer available, the buck just appeared in front of me without any advance warning. He was in perfect position 30 yards in front of me slightly to my left side.

After a perfectly placed shot, he fell right where he was standing.

Immediately I was taken back to all the enjoyment of my youth when life was simple and hunting deer was a priority.

With growing older, starting a job, and marrying the love of my life, priorities are recategorized and hunting trips grow less frequent, success is even sweeter than I can ever remember!

Tyler Lambeth
November, 25th, 2022
Wallburg NC
Davidson County
243 Rifle

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