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After spending the summer looking at manny fantastic bucks, and then watching the archery hunters have an outstanding year, I started this hunt on a very skeptical note. Thursday I got rained out while scouting a brand new spot. Only turned up one buck. Dink about 70 inches. We spent all day looking for a shooter, but could not find anything over 75! I was really doubting this hunt Opening day found us changing our game plan several times. I decided we needed to hit some foot access only areas and hopefully turn up a buck or two that we had not seen before. I made two stalks on bucks that looked to have potential, but could not make myself pull the trigger. On my third stalk my luck changed. I belly crawled to within 96 yards from a heavy little short buck that probably scored 72. I was really thinking about shooting him when something made me look back over my shoulder. On the ridge behind me stood a true 85 inch stud with 6-7 does. I started crawling their way, and they were walking towards me. I had him at 362 yards, but thought I only had my muzzleloader dialed in out to 300. After an hour of crawling they were behind a berm at 200. I don't know how it was possible but the next time I saw them they were walking back up the hill again at 350!! Dang it. I followed them over the hill to watch them go across a flat and on to private property, and gone forever!! Just my luck! I met up with a couple buddies in town to regroup and recharge! After lunch we hiked back in the 3 miles to where I liked to glass. We found another buck that looked long, had descent mass, and cutters. We decided to take a closer look. Again after an hour plus stock, and belly crawling through the 2 foot tall grass I was 330 yards away from him and his does. I decided to army crawl 30 more yards and that was as close as I could get in the spot I was in. The buck stepped out broadside and I knew that I would have a very difficult time getting better in this unit on this year! Shooting from prone was an impossibility due to the grass. I leveled my 300 yard dot on my shooting sticks took a breath and let the muzzleloader eat. Solid whack! He went down!! Happy birthday to me!! After a very long, and at times disappointing pre -season, I am very pleased with the end result! He ended up green scoring 78 and 4/8. I will take it!!! Good luck to the new friends I made during this hunt! Whitey