John's Whitetail Buck 2020

The first buck of my life was a tank! It was the second day of Pennsylvania rifle season in 2020, after an unsuccessful day on the first day, we were tired as usual because we wake up at 3:30 AM, get ready, drive an hour and half to our hunting area in the Allegheny National Forest, make the hour and a half hike in, and try to make it to the first spot before first light, which is rare.

After an unsuccessful morning, my brother goes and puts on our routine drive - "The Laurel Drive". I post up on top of a cliff face, while he walks around the back side of the cliff face and pushes through a thick mountain laurel area toward me. This drive almost always pushes deer through, although never had a legal buck come though to date, mostly doe or small young buck.

The stars must of aligned on this day because low and behold, this buck came trotting out from the laurel, I was shaking the moment I saw the rack. He was about 100 yards toward my 3:00 when he came out, though the brush and trees he walked right out in front of my 12:00, a quick "meeeeh" stopped him in his tracks at about 80 yards out, I took the shot at him broadside, perfect shot dropped him where he stood! After a range of emotions went though me I heard my brother on the radio ask "what was it", and I said "Buck Down baby"!

To walk down and see the size of this 8 point as my first ever buck was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. This buck measured a 20" inside spread with nice thick tines. It wasn't the biggest buck in the world, but a great first buck! Now the work began, cleaning the buck, then going through the 4 hour ordeal of dragging him out to the truck a distance of nearly 3 miles through mountain forest terrain, but it was all worth it!