It Doesn't Get Better Than This!
by Aaron Cox
5 /07 Kenosha Wisconsin


I grew up next door to my best friend Sean. I hunted with him and his family when we were growing up, until the family got too big to have friends go. So for about seven or eight years, our ultimate dream was to get big bucks together...it never happened until this year. Now that I recently took up bow hunting, I've been able for the last two years to again hunt with Sean on his families land. Although we had to wait twenty years, we finally lived out our dream.

It started out on November 10th last year. We decided to go a night earlier than originally planned just to take advantage of the rut. On the four hour drive to his families land, the check engine light went on on Sean's truck. It was 9PM and we were only half way there, knowing there was no place that was open, we drove to our destination.

The next morning we got out into our stands about forty-five minutes before daylight. Sean decided on one stand and I chose the only stand I knew how to get to in the dark. As the woods started to lighten up, I didn't like what I saw. The land owner turned the stand...Being a Southpaw, I didn't like the stand set up. Even though I knew better, I had to get down and go to a different stand that would better suit my left-handed shooting. So I got down at prime-time about 7AM. As I was climbing into the other stand, Sean called over the radio and told me he just shot a buck but didn't think it was a great shot. So I told him to wait a while and let him lay down. About a hour later it started to rain. Sean called me back afraid he was going to lose the blood trail, so I got down and helped him find his buck.

After a little search we were able to find him about one hundred yards away. Nice buck. I was thrilled for him. I was just so happy to be there with him and to help him find his buck and just share in the whole experience. I thought right then and there that if I didn't get anything, that was fine I was just glad to be a part Sean's experience. After we got done showing of his buck to his family and got it home, I convinced Sean that he needed to get his truck into the dealership before they closed for the night so they could work on it. Meanwhile, it is now a complete blizzard outside.

I decided that I came to hunt, no matter what, so I sent Sean to the dealership and went back into the woods. I finally get back into my stand at about 1PM........1:30 rolls around and in comes BIG BOY. Rolls in at about 35 yards. I decide to take the shot after determining that he is not coming in any closer. With the snowstorm in full effect, I didn't account for wind and shot a little high and forward. He took off with the arrow sticking out of him. I know that it's not a great shot so I know better than to push him......but with the snow coming down as hard as it was, I had no choice, I didn't want to lose the trail.

So I got down after about 30 minutes. I barley see his tracks in the snow, but I can tell that he was bleeding pretty good because the blood was clotted and frozen on top of the snow. So I decided to slowly follow. I walk about thirty feet and jumped him. I sit back down and wait another half hour and do the same thing again. This time I go only about forty yards and I jumped him again. So I know he's not going very far, so I backed out of there and went back later with Sean and his dad and recovered my buck. What an exciting hunt. My first Buck, and My first Bow kill. And sharing this whole experience with my best friend.....It just can't get any better than that!!!....The picture is obviously of Sean and Me (on the Right)