11/24/2025
Buckle up, because this is a long one.
On November 17, 2016, we laid Trevor’s Grandpa Ardie to rest. He made deer season magical with his quick wit, goofy homemade games, and those legendary one-liners. Losing him made the start of gun season feel heavy and quiet.
But that Sunday, Trevor shot his biggest buck to date the one we had named “Ghost,” He was a 182 2/8-inch main-frame ten. We both knew Ardie had a hand in that moment.
Fast forward to 2025. Trevor’s Grandma Jackie passed away on November 6th, and we laid her to rest last week. Over the years, Jackie became like a grandma to me too, she was feisty, funny, and an all out spit fire. I knew saying goodbye would be hard.
Trevor’s mom gifted me a few of Jackie’s rings, and I decided to wear them in the deer stand this season for a little luck.
Opening morning, at 7:30, we heard the neighbor shoot. Suddenly Trevor whispered, “Nice buck!” Sure enough, a beautiful buck was tending a doe deep in the thickest part of the woods.
For 25 minutes, we played cat and mouse. In the chaos, I accidentally bumped my gun on the window rest, sending the doe into high alert. She stomped, then trotted up the ravine, with the buck following giving me the tiniest window to take a shot.
I took aim with my Browning 7mm mag, said a prayer, and fired. He ran up the hill, paused, and I sent one more prayer..and one more bullet after him. Somehow, in the toughest shooting conditions I’ve ever had, both shots hit their mark.
This buck, my biggest to date, felt different. Special. Guided.…I have no doubt in my mind that this one was straight from Grandma Jackie. 🧡
