"It's a great spot! I've been sitting there for years, but a big buck hasn't shown up yet. It's just a matter of time, though."
We hear that more frequently than you might believe. Maybe it's because it's in our nature to resist change, but way too many hunters hold onto stands long after they've ceased to produce.
On the other hand, when a stand is hot, it can be magical. Just ask Michigan's Thomas Fogarty Jr.
Thomas has an elevated box blind that's become his go-to stand. And why not? In 2019, he shot a beautiful 13-pointer out of it.
He didn't dream of topping that buck in 2020, but he still had high hopes. Trail cameras and scouting revealed there were several dandy bucks in the area, so maybe lightning could strike again.
Turns out, if it had actually been lightning, there wouldn't be anything left of Thomas' stand but a giant, blown-out crater.
The buck he shot exactly one year and a day after his previous best is going to be even harder to beat. Measuring 210 6/8 inches, Thomas' latest buck has world-class mass, including first circumference numbers of 7 inches and 9 5/8 inches!
What's really crazy is he had never seen it, not even a trail camera picture, before it stepped out of a creek bottom and into his sights.
The story of Thomas' incredible buck will be in the Winter issue of Rack magazine.
Thomas, meanwhile, will most likely be back in a certain box blind come this fall. Who are we to argue? Sometimes sticking with a stand is the right call!
— Read Recent Blog! Close Encounters: While not everyone has the opportunity to target and pursue a world-class buck, we can all appreciate the frustration of having a shooter in range and not being able to close the deal.