Smalltown Bucks

The 165-Inch Spike

The 165-Inch Spike

By Tony Crowder

Every time my daughter Alexis and I had been out hunting, she was determined that would be the time she would get a deer. She’d put in the work, helped build a box blind, and she’d been out there every chance she had regardless of weather. She was ready and hungry for her first deer.

We’d planned to go hunting early Monday, Nov. 25 in 2013, but because of work, we were unable to go until later at 10 a.m.

We suited up and drove to the farm near a Tennessee WRA refuge where we hunt on a regular basis. Alexis had hunted with me all season on the weekends when I wasn’t working, although it seemed every time Ally was with me, there was no deer movement on the farm.

Nevertheless, she stayed focused on her goal.

It was sleeting and raining when we crawled into the box blind we’d built just for her this season. After about 30 minutes, a beautiful little doe came trotting across the field and came in beside the box. All Ally said was, “Man, I wish I had my doe license.”

I told her not to worry but to get ready because all season long, this doe had a big spike following her, and he would make her a great first deer. Sitting there and waiting for the spike to arrive seemed like an eternity. I think I was more anxious than she was.

Then Ally said, “Daddy, here he comes. I see him.”

“Where?” I asked, and then I saw a monster walking mid-field, following the doe’s path.

After several grunts, he finally paused broadside. Before I could tell her to take him, Boom! She dropped the hammer and the buck hit the ground.

All I could say was, “Oh my God!”

Ally’s comment was perfect: “I’m glad I didn’t have my doe license.”

Multiple high fives, fist bumps and hugs later, we walked 72 yards to examine a gorgeous typical buck, tentatively scored at 165.

Ally finally had her first deer, and we have a father-daughter memory to last us a lifetime.

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