What a blazing hot day! watched this buck for 3 Weeks,he had one doe with him the entire time.He was definately rutting as he chased off any of the many smaller bucks cruisin his territory.The blind me and my buddy Todd had set up weeks earlier had been completely destroyed so we set up a new one the day before the opener with this buck watching us the entire time from a couple of hundred yards away.Got into the blind at 4AM after a 3mile bike ride in the dark.He came in at noon from the rear of the blind at caught me by suprise. He scooted out to 40 yards and I took the shot in about a 20 mph crosswind. My arrow drifted a couple of inches and got him in the liver. He bolted and continued to run about a half mile and out of my line of sight.I ran to ridge and could only see one small buck in the valley and not this one. Went back to blind and retreived my arrow which was covered in blood,Not a single drop of blood on the ground to follow. I returned to the ridge and systematically began to glass the valley. After a half hour or so and becoming a little worried I noticed with my eyes a tiny white fleck about 3/4 of a mile away.I gassed the spot and could not tell for sure so I beat a path towards it.About halfway i glassed again and could see a leg. You could have punched me,I was on cloud nine and ran like heck.Thank God for giving me the will to not stop looking in the heat. He had bedded down and bled out then died in a thick patch of chollas.For the first time in my hunting days I actually got heat blisters on my feet through my boots. He rough scored 82 inches. Cant wait to get some steaks for the grill. Did not get good pic at kill site,camera was in blind and I had to gut him and get to locker, thats why he is in the tall grass to hide the belly.