Have nothing to show for VT rifle season (yet… that is…. 
) other than a lot of tears for the op of my hunting lifetime that walked in at 3:00 in the afternoon in the howling winds to catch me off guard and unconfident in my rifle skills as I watched a rather large cruiser buck walk out of my life. I like to say rather large to mask the true situation on largeness. Oh the sleepless nights that followed….. Did I mention the tears? Hey.. im a chick. Im allowed to cry over it 
So I went to NY! Let me tell you. The rut is ON!!!! Full force. The night before the season I watched a MONSTER 9 (maybe a 10) chasing a group of 5 does in one field. Saw a nice 6 mount up and have some fun in another field. I drooled the entire time in anticipation of opening morning (southern zone that is).
Well… opening morning came and went. I hunted the same old stale woodlot that I am too stubborn to abandon despite the advice from others (ie dad and brother) who tell me I should try a few other spots on the property. All I saw was a few does with nothing following and a lot of leaves blowing by me. Let a coyote pass me by in the dim morning light. Was too dark for me to see it properly in my scope.
Sat the entire day minus a lunch hour and pondered a drastic change up the whole time for day 2. Day 2. I reluctantly decided to make a major change in my hunting routine. Im pretty stubborn when it comes to hunting advice. Kinda adversed to change lots of time. As I got ready in the am I said the heck with camo. Everyone else shoots these things wearing blue jeans during rifle season. So I threw on flannel lined jeans and abandoned the woodlot to sit in a stand overlooking the hayfields adjacent to the corn pieces. I was skeptical. A stand that can be either hot.. or not….
6am. The wind was stiff from the south. 615am it started to rain. 630am rain and wind beating me in the face as I watch for activity in the faint morning light. Nothing is going to move in this I thought to myself. Then a figure appeared. It appeared off a finger forest (strip of woods between the fields) about 400 yards away. It milled around for a bit. A doe. As the rain let up the sound of antlers and grunts were carried in the wind.
Holy &8%&! I thought to myself. I see figures embraced in a battle to the death. One buck was so massive I could see his huge white antlers in the faint light in plain view. 
Brush is cracking antlers clanking. The doe runs. Right my way! My heart began to pound. That massive buck is going to follow her. Right to me! Am I ready for such an animal? The figures disappear into the woods. 2 min go by. A little buck comes from my left out of a hedgerow and up on the knoll 100 yards away to investigate the commotion over yonder. 5 min go by. Nothing. The doe is milling in front of me at 30 yards. Finally I see one buck come out from the finger forest where the fight was. It wasn’t the big one but definitely a respectable one with one antler! I see a doe bout 500 yards up the hill come out and start coming my way. I see a few more does come out that went up the hill back to the corn. Sadly I see the huge monster follow them back into the corn. The doe that was under me follows the drainage swale behind me. There is a doe coming down the hill following the other drainage swale and mills around in the same spot as the other was. Then out of nowhere a nice buck comes loping after her. So. Here I am. 7am a buck to my right. A buck to me left. A buck in front.
Well. I don’t know if I will ever have this scenario present itself to me anytime in the near future again! Lets see. I guess I can be picky. Who do I choose. Little buck to my left and big buck in front are having a stare down about 100 yards. Buck 70 yards to my right is staring at the other 2 bucks. Little buck can live. 1.5 year old fork horn. Nice buck to my right. 2.5yo nice rack. Nice 6 possibly 7 or an 8. Buck in front. Nice 3.5yo “Half-N-8er?”. I have seen you before I thought to myself. My buddy who hunts adjacent property sent a trail cam pic of him my way few weeks ago. 
I like you I thought to myself. Has personality.. a bad attitude.. and a story. Too bad I couldn't say he lost the antler in the fight... !!! So I decided on him. Sent a .308 right behind the shoulders at 160 yards He went all of 50 yards and crumpled in the field. His day just went from bad to a lot worse!
I think he is super cool. He will make a super neat European mount. Conversational piece. He dressed completely at 174lbs. Wonder how he broke that antler off
As for the other buck to my right. I scared him across the road and the neighbor shot him. I should have been thanked for scaring him his way!!!!!!
The Canned One 