The whitetail rut is a crazy time for deer and deer hunters. Bucks run wild and can show up anywhere, anytime. A hunter’s mind runs wild with anticipation and dreams. My focus was not on work, and no matter how hard I tried to block deer out of my mind, it did not work. There was only one thing to do — sneak out of work early, race home, get into my hunting duds, and drive out for an evening deer hunt. It only took three seconds to convince myself, and the door wasn’t even closed behind me when my truck started.
Strategy ran through my mind like a manual of plays in the football locker room. Mental checks were made of the wind, recent trail camera photos, and deer sightings. The 20-minute drive passed quickly, and I could not remember the last turn I made to get on the highway. Turning onto the side road, I was just three miles from my hunt location. The day unfolded seamlessly until I spotted deer running across the field adjacent to the road. I did not have permission to hunt that land but stopped the truck to watch a doe leading a monster 10-point buck on
