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No More Deer Drought

No More Deer Drought

By Mike Handley

David Fischer of Georgetown, Indiana, is accustomed to seeing deer hunters roaming the public lands he hunts. But that's all he saw during the 2014 season.

He didn't see a single deer in 30 outings.

"Fifteen days during gun season, 15 days during muzzleloader, and nothing," David told Lisa Price, who is writing his story for Rack magazine.

That's why he found a new spot in 2015, one requiring a longer hike, and it's why - against his better judgment - he shot at the first deer he saw on Nov. 14. He might not have pulled the trigger if he'd seen her early in the day, but it was nearing noon when she walked into his life.

"Part of my mind was telling me she was ready to breed and there should be bucks around, but the other part of my mind had me picking up my shotgun," he said.

As soon as he hefted the gun, David actually heard the telltale grunt of what surely was a buck. But he was so eager to shoot a deer that he ignored it.

There was no tha-wunk at the end of his boom, however.

While David was watching the unscathed doe in disbelief, he saw a buck approaching from about 70 or 80 yards. That it was paying no mind to the errant shotgun blast was a sure sign it wasn't going to abandon the doe in its sights.

As soon as he had a clear shot at the deer, David took it. And the animal collapsed a few seconds into its retreat. Soon afterward, two more bucks cruised through the area.

Aware he needed help, David returned to his vehicle. He enlisted the help of five other hunters, one of whom supplied an ATV.

David was in a daze for the rest of the day, even while people gawked and photographed his deer at the check station. It took his taxidermist's suggestion that he insure the antlers to convince him the buck was indeed special.

Fischer's buck excels in every category: tine length, mass and irregular growth. Its BTR composite score is 212 4/8 inches.

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