I have had many wonderful moments in the outdoors, but one day stands out among the rest. I had been after my husband for a few years to take me hunting, and finally, in 1995, he did. At first I saw many does, but no bucks. On a Tuesday morning when I did not have to work and Danny did, I went hunting alone. I was just sitting there in my tower enjoying the pleasure of being in the woods. I had seen several does come into the cutover (a cutover is a firebreak that has been cut out to help control a fire if one should start). We had planted it with wheat and soybean. At 8:30 a spike buck walked out and started to feed. Talk about excitement! This was the first buck of the season that I had seen. I slowly picked up my 6mm rifle and gently placed it on the tower's edge. He continued to feed, and my heart was pounding as I sighted him in. He was facing me, so I placed the sight on his heart and gently squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened! In all the excitement, I had not taken the safety off my rifle. I stood the butt of my rifle on my leg to take the safety off and my rifle fired, shooting a hole in the roof of my tower. I was so mad at myself for having my finger on the trigger. You can imagine how upset I was for blowing my first chance at a buck.

I looked where the buck was standing, and lo and behold, he was still there, standing alert, trying to figure out where the shot came from. Wow, I was going to get another chance! Slowly, I sighted him in again. He was still facing me, and I squeezed the trigger. He took off running to my left. Danny, my husband, had told me so many times that you do not get down right away from your stand so that you do not scare the deer and make it run farther. I waited for an hour to pass, just enjoying the woods, listening to the birds, and watching the squirrels play. There is so much to watch and listen to in the woods. It is so quiet and restful compared to the daily noises we hear.

The next thing I knew, there was a cowhorn buck (horns that look like a cow's) standing in the cutover, facing the right edge. My heart pounded as the excitement rose again. I thought for sure he could hear the beating of my heart it seemed so loud. I just could not believe I was going to get another chance at a buck in the same day. I sighted him in the vital area and gently squeezed the trigger. He took off toward the woods on the right side that he was facing. It was all I could do to contain myself in the tower and wait. I wanted to get down so badly. I waited 30 minutes and that was all I could wait this time. I went looking for the spike buck first and found him just beyond the edge of the woods. I dragged him out to the edge. Then I went back to where the cowhorn went into the woods. I found the blood trail and lost it. I guess I was not expecting to get a deer. I drive a Toyota 4 Runner and did not have any way to get the deer up in my truck. Danny was at work, so I called my Dad and asked him to come down and help me get the spike in my truck and find the cowhorn.

While I was waiting for him, I went to the store down the road to see if they had any rope to tie the deer in my truck. The store is on the lake and all they had was ski rope. I got some and went back to wait on my dad. My heart was still pounding from all the excitement. When my dad got there, we loaded the spike in the back of my 4 Runner. Then we started back on the blood trail to find the cowhorn. Dad had picked up a friend on his way to meet me and we found the trail again. We followed it until we saw the cowhorn. I just could not contain myself; I was grinning ear to ear, and so was my dad. We dragged the cowhorn back to the 4 Runner and got him in the back. Not only did I get my first buck that day, but my second also. The cowhorn weighed 130 lbs. and the spike was 125 lbs. I took them to the check-in station. In South Carolina the limits are high due to crops being destroyed, we have plenty of deer, but not big ones like they are up north. I went home and called Danny at work. I told him I had gotten my first buck, and not only that, I had gotten my second one also!

Yes, I did tell him about the roof in the tower and the shot that I will never live down. I am still amazed that the buck stood there and did not take off. Danny told me to take the two bucks to the deer processor where we take our deer. When I drove up to unload my deer I sure saw some very surprised looks on the men faces. I can't tell you how happy I was and proud that I had gotten my first deer hunting alone. Being able to go hunting alone meant the world to me. I remember how proud my Dad was and I can see his face in my minds eye. Loosing my Dad (Bobby Joe Vinson Sr.) May 2000, this treasured memory means the world to me. I have harvested 18 deer with my 6mm and four with a .270; it makes me so proud to be able to put meat on our table. I finally got my first harvest with a bow in November 2000, but that is another story.