Boy oh boy boy boy. When you tell your friend that you never have buck fever watch out. He called me MOnday and said he had missed a stud with his rifle, said he was shaking too much. Thats when I jinxed myself, by saying that I never get rattled.

I spent Saturday all day at the range shooting my G2, Encore, and SBH. The rut is just getting started here in Bama and the bucks are starting to move.

This evening I left work at 4:30 and wanted to check out an undergrounf pipe line easment that runs through the property, hardwood swamp to the east (1/4 mile to the city limits and a neighborhood) 20 yard wide gas line and a thick and nast 5 year old planted pines to the west. I grabbed my .308 encore, binocs and shooting sticks and headed into the woods. As I walked down the gas line I saw 2 does and a small 4 point about 250 yards in front. I watched them for a minute and then eased forward. They never knew I was there and headed into the swamp. I reached the spot I wanted to set up at and then made the descision to move to the west side of the gas line so I would be in the shadows. As I was getting ready to sit down I looked down the pipe line and there was a nice 6 point chasing a doe. He ran her into the pines about 40 yards from me. I looked at my watch and it was 5pm. I had about 30 min of light left. I was tucked in behind some spanish moss, shooting sticks set and just enjoying the evening. About 5:15 I looked down the gas line and there he was, big, nasty, giant buck 125 yards down stepping out of the east side. He was 200# plus. I didn't even need to look through the binos, I knew he was a shooter I could count 3 points sticking up on his right side with my naked eyes. My heart began to race. I settled the encore in the sticks and thats when things went from bad to worse. He quartered away from me and when I looked in the scope on 7X all I saw was horns. I looked away, took a deep breath and waited for him to turn broadside. I told myself, don't look at the horns, focus on the spot. I settled the cross hairs on his shoulder and sqeezed the trigger. Next thing I saw was him shoot across the pipe line tail down and as we say in the south skint back. I felt confident with the shot. I walked to where he was and no hair, no blood, no nothing. I couldn't believe it. I grid searched the gas line looking for any evedance of a hit and nothing. I looked for 30 min. I went home called a friend and got my tracking lights. We searched until 11pm tonight and have nothing to show for it. I have crawled through briars, under blown down trees, everywhere. No blood no nothing. I just got home 30 min ago and keep replaying it in my head. I'll be back there in 6 hours at daylight and search again. I have several deer mounted largest being a 9point that scores 146" and I can honestly say that was the biggest deer I have had in my sights. My friend all say told you you should be shooting your rifle, I say it's no where near as fun. I'll look again in the morning.

I spent Saturday making sure all the guns were sighted in and then shot 20 rounds using my shooting sticks sitting on the ground. I spent all summer shooting handguns, I just blew it.

Like I said, I'll look again in the morning and give it 110%, but it's not looking good for the home team right now. I guess I jinxed myself laughing at my friend with buck fever.