By Lisa Marie Mooresmith

It was a cold January morning on our 1st anniversary weekend. My husband John & I got up early for our first morning hunt in Tuscaloosa County. I’d only been hunting for three years and my record consisted of a three point, a five point, a few doe and well, some younger deer too. But this year I was hunting for antlers. As usual, I was headed into “Trophy Field” where I had been hunting a big buck all season long. I had estrous in the field, a salt lick, even those smoke sticks. I had heard him crashing through the woods, seen the tracks; he even blew at me a couple of times. I knew he was there, somewhere.

I decided to hunt the road going into “Trophy” until the green field thawed out; but I couldn’t find a spot where I felt comfortable making a good shot, and I was freezing my tail off. The wind was ridiculous! I thought about walking to the hunting camp and going back to sleep, but what would John say? Frustrated, I went into the field and got in the shooting house.

The field was still frozen. The wind was worse than it was on the road, but at least in the shooting house I had a little more shelter. I settled in, wrapped up in my blanket, and pulled out my New American Bible for Catholics to finish the gospels. My New Year’s Resolution was to read the Bible all the way through, something I never had accomplished. I was on The Gospel According to Luke. I loved the warm feeling I got while reading, especially being outdoors.

Movement in the woods out the right window caught my eye. All I could see were antlers flying through the trees. I slowly closed the Bible and reached for my 243, (the Mark’s Outdoors gun my husband grew up with). A big beautiful buck trotted onto the field fast. By the time I had the gun up and out the right hand window, I had to move it to the center window. I was breathing so hard I couldn’t find him in the scope. When I found him again, he had turned, facing where he came out and just stood there like he was waiting for something. I dropped him.

I couldn’t believe it was all happening! Then my mind started to go into overdrive. “Was it only a 6 point?” I grabbed the binoculars to see if I could catch a glimpse of the rack. Still trembling, I had to steady them on the windowsill. Through the binoculars I could see 4 tines. “If there are 4 tines on one side there are probably 4 on the other! Whew, he’s probably an 8 point!”

After a few more minutes, I got down and went to check him out. As I came up on him, I could hardly breathe. He was a mainframe 10 point with 6 non-typical kickers all over the base! His spread was 14 inches and base tines were 5 & 6 inches. He was beautiful. I found out later his Boone & Crockett score was 142. The deer of a lifetime! That was on of the best warm feelings I’ve ever had.

Thank the Lord!