I headed out bundled up to the hilt, with my backpack full with lunch,  
got to the farm and began the dreaded climb up the mountain. 
I never hunt this area since it is such a bugger to climb  especially when you're winterized
but felt it was the best area to hunt for a buck.  An hour later (got a little lost)
I finally found the spot on the other side of the
mountain that I wanted to sit at and plopped down, scaring
a  deer out of the brush below. Ok good start.  I pulled out the soda and
saw movement down below so I stopped what I was
doing and watched a deer, going from bush to bush along the
side of the mountain.  I couldn't tell what it was so I just
watched as it  was slowly making it's way up the mountain towards me. 
Finally I got a good look at about 100 yards and saw it was a buck.
I got him in my sites and saw he was a legal shooter to boot
(first legal shooter I have ever seen hunting). Yahoo! I aimed
pulled the trigger, nothing :( Then I was like,  safety
dumb ass, released the safety and he came out from behind yet another  bush and I
fired.  He kept walking like I never shot.  Huh, what the  heck is going
on! Then about 10 yards he stopped, dropped and rolled, right down  the mountain.  I
sat there jaw hanging open, thinking is this some kind of  fire safety video shoot or is this a 
whitetail escape maneuver that no one has  ever told me about. Then it occurred 
to me that I might have hit him and he  died. Now the shaking and crying  begins. 
I pulled out my cell, called my  hunting buddy, my boss, my oldest son 
and got voice mail for all of them.   My message was the
same to each, "I just shot a buck, I don't know how big, I  think he's dead because he just rolled 
down the mountain".  After about 15  minutes I walked to where he dropped and 
saw that indeed he was hit and most  likely deceased so I began the decent down
and found him about 200 yards  down.  I field dressed him and then started
calling everyone I could think  of who was local, there was no way I could drag
him a mile up hill.  I got  a hold of some friends, I dragged him to a logging 
road and then out to the dirt  road where my friends were waiting, I got him 
hung (my hunting buddy put up an  electronic hoist for me, it's awesome!) and
then I waited for my youngest son to  get home from school so I could get this 
picture.  What an absolute blast I  have had this season and am so proud of my 
"Tri-Fecta" Triple Crown: doe  -archery, gobbler-shotgun and buck-rifle.
 In reflecting on my season, I know that I owe all of this to one person, my  
hunting buddy; kind of like the hunter behind the huntress.  2 years  ago I 
showed up at his camp in my street camo, borrowed rifle and the only thing  I
knew about hunting was what I learned at the safety class and a weeks worth of  
the outdoor channel. When I shot and missed a stampeding herd of whitetails 
and  he asked what I aimed at and I gave him that deer in headlights look; he
took me  to the shooting table and taught me how to shoot a rifle. 
Then he put  me  in a spot and drove some deer my way, I had one in my
sights and fired and  nothing happened.  I pulled the gun down and looked at it
like it failed me, the deer gave me the middle finger whitetail style and
then I realized I had the safety on.  When he met up with me, and asked if I saw
anything, he didn't get mad when I told him about the safety being on.
He just said "geez, we thought we were having fun before at camp and then you came."
I took it as a compliment, my Dad wasn't so sure.  
He then took me on countless hikes, showing me deer sign, trails, etc.   When I missed
16 turkeys at 14 yards, we went to the shooting table with my  shotgun.
When I almost lost my left breast from shooting a borrowed bow  that was way
to big for me, he told me to wait for mine and then gave me archery  lessons 
off my deck. 
Because he doesn't live around here, his inbox was  full of emails from me with questions,
should I do this, should I buy this,  etc.  Even though I know I was a PIA he never let on that I was.
He has 40  years of hunting experience and I needed to learn it, I listened,
practiced and  took his advice.  We discussed where I should hunt for each and
everyone of  my harvests  this year!  So my utmost gratitude goes to my Hunting
Buddy,  this one's for you!  I hope we are still doing this for the next 50 some  years!