It's every hunters worst nightmare. The rutt is going full blast. You have been after this trophy buck all year. It’s the middle of January, and would you not know it. Typical Alabama weather. The temps spike to the mid 70's, the wind is blowing and a storm front is approaching. Everything that you have ever learned about deer hunting is telling you to just stay in the bed and don’t even bother. Just like everyone else. But that burn, that passion to accomplish your life long dream is driving you to get out of that bed, suit up and go, to the call of the wild that is in all of us. I went that January morning. Fully dressed. With grunt call in tow. Had a pretty good morning. Called in a couple of spikes and seen a few does. Still, not the buck I was after. After leaving the shooting house I was walking out, and came upon a log road I had never walked down. So being the snoopy person I am, I decided to check it out. And my goodness. All the pressure on this buck had pushed him away from the power line where he had been crossing, to this more secluded and thick crossing. He had rubs and scrapes all the way up and down this road. Not believing what I had seen, I called my husband and told him that I was pulling out and was coming back to set up on him that evening. The weather got worse throughout the day. The temps soared and so did the wind. But I just could not get the signs out of my head. So, here I go again. Fully dressed out. My all too precious grunt call around my neck, rifle on my shoulder, and my passion burning like never before. Did I mention there was no stands or blinds on this road? Well, I could not believe it. I had been sitting there for about one hour, and I decided to hit the grunt. And there he was!! Less than 100-yards from me, in the bay thicket. Heart pounding, I picked up the grunt, and did the tending grunt. And he came charging. Now keep in mind, that I’m on the ground, and now have a very upset animal charging right toward my calls. He stopped at around 50-yards, and started to turn, so I did a soft snort, and that sealed the deal. Charging out of the thickness, he came out at a mere eight-yards. I was finally eye to eye with my dream of a lifetime. When I had taken that beautiful animal, I never knew what emotions there had been hidden inside me. It went against all rules of nature. And it just goes to show, no matter what the weather, no matter what obstacles are trying to persuade you, you can’t get the big ones sitting on the couch!!!