Thanksgiving Surprise Buck, Jeff Rogers

I'm a big fan of the Deer of the Day  segment. It's great being able to share our good fortune with fellow hunters who share in the great passion of deer hunting.

My name is Jeff Rogers and Thanksgiving day in 2008 dawned with a hunt on my family farm in Floyd County, VA. Although the day started with dogs barking near our tree stands, things finally quieted down and it was one of those November mornings where the woods just felt alive.

My dad shot a big doe at 8:30 a.m., breaking the silence with roar of his .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Thirty minutes later my brother-in-law took his first deer with one shot from his 870 Remington shotgun.

After waiting about half an hour, I left my stand to help him with the deer he'd bagged. While admiring the doe, a nice buck appeared, following a brushy fence line into the steep hollow we were standing in!

I still had my T/C Omega muzzleloader in .45 caliber in my hands as the buck neared the bottom of the ravine. We saw each other at the same time as he made his break. I can still remember the way the sunlight reflected off his antlers. I had to take a running shot as he jumped a big log at 75 yards away.

After following a short blood trail, I found him in a brush pile -- he was shot through the lungs. I wish every hunter could feel the excitement of taking a buck like this! I'm very lucky. Being from Virginia, taking a 150 class buck here is like taking a 170 in Illinois€¦at least in my opinion.

This is a day that's burned into my memory forever, as I got to share the hunt with not only my brother-in-laws but my dad also. Many more Novembers to all! -- Jeff Rogers, Floyd County, VA

Congrats on a fantastic buck Jeff!

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