[Bownsaw30]

Well on Nov.19th I finally had a face to face meeting with a buck who for the past 3 years had managed to evade my eyes and only grace me with trailcam photos of himself.

Wideguy as I happened to call him for the past 3 years would come by once and only once in early August to let me know " Hey I'm still alive you should probably continue dreaming about me" then disappear until Nov.
But this was the year I told myself Wideguy or bust because I had already taken a moose and didn't absolutely need to put a Whitetail in the freezer.

5:30am I sat in my treestand reviewing the past 2 days of trailcam photos I couldn't help but think " this is the perfect day to be in the stand". We had just finished getting 2 days of snow and wind and this morning was fresh, calm and silent. I knew he walked by last night and that there was a good chance he'd come back my way just before 9am on his way to bed since he had done it a few times previously that week.

8:45am- Hearing nothing I see movement through the aspen and willow on the ridge to the left of my treestand. Even at 60 yards through the brush I know it's him. As his head passes behind the thick aspens I ready my bow. As his head ducks behind the last tree before my shooting lane I come to full draw. He walks into the lane slightly quartering away and I stop him with a "meh" standing still and not looking in my direction I let the arrow fly.

Now I've taken at least 1 Big Game animal with my bow each year since 2009 but whitetail deer have a knack for ducking the string sometimes* this was one of those times.
Wideguy ducked and I immediately knew it was gonna be high and my 495gr arrow and Slick Trick smashed through his spine leaving him paralyzed from just behind the shoulders back. I knocked another arrow quickly hoping that he would struggle broad side and I could get another shot in him to end it quickly but after being at full draw for a few seconds I decided I should go to him instead of extending his pain any longer. I finished him off with my knife and the classic wave of emotions filled my body but also some new ones from being so close to an animal I respected so much as it took its last breath literally in my hands.

It has been a journey with twists until the very end but thank you Wideguy for giving me so many experiences over the past 3 years on my journey to you.