As a young boy growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, some of my fondest memories are the times I spent in the woods hunting with my father and grandfather.  Now grown with children of my own, I find the time I get to spend with my children even more precious and truly a gift from God.

My oldest, Trevor, is not almost seventeen and has been hunting with me since he was old enough to walk.  He has grown up before my very eyes and has become a fine young man as well as a very experienced hunter.

Our hunts together this year became even more special as we both became Prostaff with the HuntingLife team and were able to film one of our hunts in November 2009.  This hunt was at one of our favorite places, with Butch and Connie McElwain at Whitetail Creek Outfitters in Cadiz, Kentucky.  Cadiz is in Trigg County and is known for its world class whitetail deer.  It is also the home of David Hale and Harold Knight of Knight & Hale Game Calls and Knight & Hale Ultimate Hunting.

This year was going to be a special hunt as I would be running the camera for Trevor, filming.  Filled with anticipation, we arrived on Tuesday night after about a seven hour drive.  Cadiz is located in Southwest Kentucky and is only a few minutes away from Land between the Lakes.  The scenery here is absolutely beautiful and the whitetail hunting is an added plus.  The guest cabins look like something from a storybook and the farm with its lake and landscape is downright gorgeous.

Our first morning hunt was picture perfect.  A temperature in the upper twenties and a new moon was in the sky.  The rut was on!  We were in our stand ready to hunt by 5:30 a.m.  Just before daylight Trevor glassed the field and spotted a buck along with a couple of does that could not be seen with the naked eye.  He said, “It’s an 8 pointer but not a shooter.”  As the sun began to rise over the ridge the deer became more visible.  Deer moved in and out of the field all morning.  A couple of nice bucks were chasing does but they weren’t quite what we were looking for.  Just before 10 a.m., a doe came into the field with a 7 pointer following.

Then came another with a shooter on her tail.  I told Trevor to be ready as I wanted to get as much footage as possible.   The doe crossed the field with the buck close behind her.  He stopped once to eat some clover and Trevor was ready.  I told him to wait until he entered the middle of the field.  As the buck crossed, Trevor whispered, “It’s a 9 pointer.”  When the buck got to the middle of the field I grunted to stop him and gave Trevor the “go” sign.  As the sound of the gunshot still rang in the air, the buck dropped in his tracks.  The stone look on Trevor’s face was replaced with a smile that stretched from ear to ear and the words “got him” were sweet to hear.  We sat and savored the moment and exchanged high fives.  I gave my boy a big hug to let him know just how proud I was of him and the patience he showed on the hunt.  He could have easily taken one of the smaller bucks in the field that morning, but he was waiting on the right one.  After radioing our guide we headed back to camp to prepare the deer for the trip back to North Carolina.

Kentucky is limited to one buck per season so Trevor had tagged out on our first of four days.  There was only one thing left to do to pass the time; I headed to town to purchase my license.  Now it was Trevor’s turn to run the camera and my turn to hunt!

We were back in the woods Wednesday afternoon and saw deer moving until dark but again, not the shooter we were looking for.  Thursday produced similar results but we were able to get some great footage of smaller bucks, doe, coyotes and turkeys.  It also provided the opportunity for some great father-son time to just talk without interruption of cell phones or text messaging.

Friday morning came and we were back in the stand by 5:15.  I had the feeling that this was the day.  The first deer we saw was a nice 8 pointer but a 2 year old buck with lots of potential.   A couple of does came by about an hour later but didn’t stick around long.  About 9:15 I caught movement coming up a ridge to my right and immediately saw what I had been looking for; a heavy racked, four-year-old deer that was a definite shooter.  As the buck quickly made his way out of the woods and across a small food plot, he showed no signs of slowing down and appeared to be a deer on a mission.  Trevor let me know he had the camera on him and when he hesitated for a quick second before reentering the woods, I took the shot.  The buck took a couple of steps and I took a second shot for reassurance.  The buck dropped.  With a trembling voice I managed to get out a “wow”.  Trevor let me know the buck was definitely down and gave me a high five; the same approval I had shared with him just a few days before.  Two nice bucks, both on film; man what a hunt!

As we made our way to recover my trophy my little boy, now three inches taller than me, put his arm around my shoulders and said, “I’m proud of you Dad.”  A defining moment in my life as I realized my little boy is now a man, and not just any man, but my best friend.

Far too often I take for granted all the blessings the Lord has given me.  He has truly blessed me with three wonderful children; Trevor, Kristan and Samuel.  I thank Him everyday for giving me the opportunity to be not only their father but their friend.

Randall Buchanan