“Bruiser Buck”: First Buck with her bow
By: Tammy Rodriguez

12-19-2004

I sat there in the dark, listening and watching for the world to come alive, I began to see some movement in the distance.  The sun began to creep up on the horizon, steam was coming off of my blind, and the grass was glistening with the morning dew.  It was a beautiful morning and I took the opportunity thank God for the beauty of the world at this moment. 

   I look up and see some deer headed right for me, I watched them saunter over to the corn and I was looking them over to pick which one I wanted to shoot.  I watched this big guy come, in look around and leave. He left behind two young spikes that hung around for the next two hours.  My morning hunt had ended and I climbed out of my blind disappointed once more.  As I began to walk toward the camp area, waiting for Donnie to pick me up, I see my tree stand and walk toward that direction.  As I get closer to my tree stand about 25 – 30 cows seem to be taking an interest in me.  I kept walking and watching the cows and they start running toward me; my thought was holy cow they are going to trample me.  I climbed into my stand as they began to surround the tree underneath me bellowing and mooing the entire time.  Needless to say I was the joke of camp that morning because I was treed by the cows.

I get back to camp to find that there were two deer taken that morning and one axis buck.  One of the bucks taken that morning was the same eight point buck I shot in the shoulder a few weeks ago, but did not recover him. I decide to take a nap before the evening hunt and lay down in the truck.

I head out to the tree stand for the evening hunt again with high hopes of making a connection with a good buck or at least a doe.  I get settled  black buck antelope pounce around after some does in the field, and then the cows headed off to their bedding area and my feeder goes off. 



The 8 pointer I shot earlier in the season.
Just behind the shoulder you can see a
round spot where the arrow had hit him...

Within 20 minutes a couple does come wandering out into the field and I quickly pick which one I will take if she gives me the opportunity at a shot, but they choose to keep moving along without even a glance in my direction. 

 With a sigh I begin to look around and I see this brute coming out from behind the tree line, followed by those same two spikes from this mornings hunt.  He was walking out like he owned the place.  My heart begins to thump and I tell myself to relax and wait patiently for them to come in.  It seemed like it took them forever to arrive and I just sat and watched in awe for a while and decided that he was a good cull buck; I didn’t realize his antlers were broken off from hunting.  I thought he was a little freaky looking, so I picked up my bow and waiting for a perfect broadside shot.  He gave it to me, I pulled back and placed my pin on him and slowly pulled the trigger on my release.  My arrow, tipped with a razor sharp broadhead, blew right through him and he ran about 40 yards before turning around and looking back. He walked another 20 or 30 yards and lay down.  I felt myself exhale, lifted my hands in the air and said “YES! Thank you God!”  I waited about 15 minutes climbed down from my stand and took a look at my arrow that was covered in bright red blood. 

I called Donnie on the radio and said, "Come on down and lets find my buck."  After he has spent so many hours working with me and teaching me, I wanted to share the glory of my first buck with him.  We found him, and at that point discovered that he was quite the bruiser and had broken his antlers fighting.  I asked to be left alone for a few minutes with him; I pet him and thanked him for giving me the opportunity of the shot.  I thanked Mother Earth for growing such a great creature and providing the food that we shall soon eat.