Cecil Booth was watching a four-pointer when he saw a running doe appear. He was pretty sure what that meant so he got his .270 ready. Sure enough, this great buck showed up.

Booth has already killed a buck and  doe this year. He hunts in Bedford County, which has earn-a-buck regulations, so downing this buck meant booth was back to hunting for does for a while!

Mike Hutchinson shot this buck on Nov. 19. Check out that cool character on the right side! Kind of a hybrid between an awesome brow tine and a double main beam.

As can be seen in the second photo, the rack was damaged. Hutchinson wondered if it was hit by a car, or maybe even shot. I also can’t help wondering if maybe the rack was broken in a fight.

Anyway, Hutchinson is seeking advice on how to best repair the crack on the main beam. I told him I’d probably use epoxy or Gorilla glue. But I’m no expert.

Any other advice out there?

This afternoon’s dispatch is brought to you by Coppertone spf 50 sunblock.

As I headed out of town this afternoon for a short sit on a favorite ridge in Bedford County I saw several groups of cyclists. The weather is certainly more appropriate for bike riding than for deer hunting. But here I am in my stand try to not sweat too much.

I haven’t hunted this place for a couple weeks. The stand I am in is actually more of an observation spot. If deer are moving where I usually see them they won’t know I am here. I would like to come back with the bow.

One of the real joys of this job, and doing this blog, is getting to enjoy the success of others, and also getting to watch hunters grow up (be it in age, experience or both).

Jim Basham has been one of great contributors here for a few years, and is quick with encouraging words for other hunters. He’s also worked on getting his son, Jayden, out there and introducing him to hunting.

A couple of years ago I had a shot of Jayden and Jim after a squirrel hunt. Here they are with Jayden’s first deer. Look how much this kid has grown!

Looking back at some of the previous posts featuring Jim, I noticed I usually just paste his stories in because they are so well done. No need to break from tradition, right.

“Jayden shot this big doe this morning at 7:25 a.m. with his newly purchased H&R single shot .243.  She came in behind our stand and and gave him a shot at 24 yards.  He did a fantastic job.  We watched her for about 10-15 minutes while being stared down by another doe up above her.  He got a shot at a doe a couple of weeks ago  with his crossbow but shot underneath her and last Saturday he had a shot again with his crossbow at a spike at 20 yards. But I could not see the deer and wanted to range it first after the miss the week before.  The spike didn’t hang around long enough for it to happen. He pointed to where it was standing and said “I told you I had a shot and I put the 20 yard dot on him.”  I was eating crow for not listening to him but this morning made up for it.  Poor boy even has a goose egg on his forehead where the scope got him when he shot.  Anyway wanted to share my excitement.”

Great work on a great deer, Jayden! As for that goose egg, I know another pretty experienced hunter who got one of those a week ago and it’s already feeling better!

This morning’s post is brought to you by Mountain Junkies Frozen Toe 10 K, a really fun trail race that has been on my mind because, well, my toes are frozen. I need some better heavy boots.

I am finally in a stand I have been saving for good weather. I have seen seven deer so far. Five yearling bucks and two does. I just watched a spike kick a tiny sapling’s butt. Pretty funny. Now just have to hope a big boy shows up.

After three hours in my first spot I could bear the lack of action and moved. There’s more wind here but it’s not terrible. I am in a ground blind, sitting in a rickety camp chair that is certain to collapse the second a shooter buck shows up. No deer down at camp today so far.

This morning’s post is brought to you by Gore-Tex and whatever LL Bean used in these pants I got for $30the at their outlet store.

The woods are foggy and quiet except for the pitter patter of light rain. I am on a ridge near where I missed the eight-pointer last week. There is a deer. Bye for now.

Giles County school teacher Mitch Reed sent in these shots of two hunters — Stewart Gillespee and Craig Cunningham — who had a great day on Election Day. Here’s what Reed wrote about the two hunters and their trophies:

“They work in the same department, at the same job, and are members of the same hunt club in Giles County.

Both were also hunting on the first Tuesday of muzzleloader week, and killed these two monsters very close to one another at around the same time.  Gillespee (pictured with his son, Walker) killed the monster 10-pointer  with the extra large G2 & G3′s. Cunningham killed the large 9-pointer..(really a great 8-point with a small extra point), while his hunting fanatic 8th grade son was at school and received the news and pictures from a teacher (me) .   He acted a little bit jealous!

Both deserve these two big ones as they always let the little bucks walk.”

Great bucks!

Steve Phillips and son Adam had a great day in the Montgomery County woods during the first week of the early black powder season.

What a pair of awesome bucks!

Thanks to you all, The Wild Life has been the most-visited blog on Roanoke.com for the past two weeks.

Sorry, Dan!

Thanks so much for the visits, everyone!

As much as I’d like to keep that momentum going I won’t be able to.

Because of a family emergency I am headed out of town for at least a few days. It wouldn’t be fair of me to have people checking back in here every day when I can’t say for sure when I’ll start posting again.

I’m not sure how many days I’ll be away. I suspect at least a week.

Thank you all so much for your frequent visits to my blog over the past couple of months.