All Good
by Becky Lou Lacock
Excited and enthusiastic about the experience, I was fresh to hunting and a sponge, soaking up any tips and tricks, so that I could bag a buck. Everyone was willing to pitch in for the perfect plan. The gracious owners of this beautiful A&L Ranch in Benjamin, TX had given permission for me to hunt their property. Not often allowing hunters other than close family, I felt honored, and to this day, grateful for the opportunity they offered.
This trip was all about Becky Lou bagging a buck and I was determined to do whatever it took to make everyone proud. After two days of tromping around the area with my guide, cameraman, mentor, and husband we had seen and enjoyed watching several does and young bucks, but were still in search of the older 10-point or better. Tim Temple, ranch owner, decided to bend the rules slightly for me. He offered that since it would be my first buck, if we saw an older deer with at least eight points, I could take it. My chances just got much better!
We had seen an older 8-point in a food plot earlier and decided to focus on getting within range of the buck. That afternoon we set up in the brush in some chairs and proceeded to watch and wait. We were entertained as many deer came into the food plot. The terrain was rough and since hunting was not priority of the owners at this point, the food plots were there to feed and nourish the deer. These native deer were in dire need for these luscious plots. We could tell they were thankful for every morsel. Just before dark old Mr. Whitetail showed up on the far end of the field. These deer are all wild and skittish. I know he couldn’t see us and the wind was in our favor, so my hopes were high. After sniffing the air, he stalled and went back into the brush. Our hearts sank. We were getting close to losing shooting light. As I said before, the Deer Gods were with me. Soon, the buck came back!
He appeared reluctant to move out into the field. He hung close to the tree line. Although the shot was a long shot at 220 yards, I finally decided I would take the shot. With nervous preparation, a basic scope to judge placement, and shaking like a leaf, I took the shot. It was a clean miss. The instruction of 3-inches above his spine was either wrong or I aimed incorrectly. Either way he didn’t feel a thing. He went back into the tree line. Quickly, the old boy reappeared in the perfect spot for a second chance. Words cannot describe how I felt, but I think, Lou, my husband, was even more excited than me, if that was possible! It took both of us trying very hard for a long time to get all 220-lbs of this beast up onto the bed of the truck. With the adrenaline rush still flowing freely we loaded him up and drove back camp. It was dark, the campfire was already roaring. Everyone was ready to celebrate my first buck and as my friend would say, “It was All Good.”