The Best Shot You NEVER Took

[VaRedneck]

Many years ago....35, to be exact...I was walking through woods close to my house. I wasn't allowed a gun at that age and certainly wasn't allowed to be hunting if I had. I'd secretly bought a wrist rocket slingshot a few weeks earlier...the parents were kinda looking the other way about me having it so I took pains not to rub anyone's nose in the fact that I had it.

Anyhow...I'd entertained the idea that I could knock a squirrel offa limb with my new weapon. 'Course that would actually mean I would be able to hit what I aimed at...and a squirrel was a small target at 30-40yds...the branch it was sitting on even smaller...heh.

So pretty much I was walking though a small creek bed shooting 45 cal shot at anything that would sit still long enough....rocks...pools of water...ect.

I came around a slight bend in the creek...looking for somethin to shoot at, when he saw me at the same time I saw him. A buck....a big buck...14pts or better....tall tined and awesome looking. I came to full draw at the same time as he brought his head up to look right at me...from 25 yds or so.

I remember thinking to myself...."now what are you gonna do...you won't kill it...hell....you won't even piss him off."

He musta decided that he'd almost shown me enough....so it turn back up that moss covered slope and showed me the rest....a white flag as he disappeared.

Biggest buck I never shot at...and the biggest I've ever seen since.