Midwest Monster Kills

Ryan's

Name: Ryan Cannady
Age: 34
Date of Kill: 11/12/11
Time of Kill: 10:51
State: Missouri
County: Shelby
Location Details: Tree stand overlooking shallow ravine between pond and food plot
Kill Type: Whitetail

After 4.5 hrs in the stand and 90-some shots heard around me on opening day of the MO firearms season, I had to go to the bathroom so bad that I was convinced that I would have to exit my post early to get some relief. Furious about my rotting gut and poor timing, I began to prepare to gather my stuff and decided I’d take one more long look around. I stood up, turned around, leaned left, turned right and BAM! A nice 8 - 10 pt buck was silently trotting by just 40 yards away. He was a shooter for sure! His G2’s were overwhelming my view, though, and because he was moving so fast I just couldn’t process how nice he was in time. He stopped briefly about 70 yards away but I just couldn’t get the visual I needed to be sure this was the buck I wanted. I cursed myself however as I watched him work his way up the hill out of shooting range and I could see just how incredible his rack was (tall, wide…massive). I watched the rack bound away briskly as he followed a doe about 150-200 yards away through thick brush. By now I had forgotten about my impending movement. After 10 minutes of waiting and hoping that he’d return, I turned and sat back down, looked skyward, and repeatedly knocked the back of my head on the tree thinking I’d blown it. A few minutes later, I saw a doe come back towards me down the opposite way on the trail where I’d just seen that big buck. I waited patiently for my buck to return staring intently over my right shoulder. The doe exited my view to my left. About 5 minutes later, still looking over my right shoulder for my second chance, I heard 3 fast grunts coming from my left side. I swung…no snapped… my head around to the left and saw that doe being chased by a MONSTER coming right back the other way again. No time to think, no time to assess, no time to process. Hell, with that beautiful, bright-white, 13-pt rack bearing down on that doe, I didn’t need to process. I raised my rifle, pointed at his front shoulder and fired. Nothing. No flinch, no pause… the buck made no reaction at all. Frantically, I fired again thinking my God. I better not miss on this one!!!. After my second shot, the buck stopped about 50 yards away right between two large trees. I couldn’t see his head and I couldn’t see his back end. All I could see was the back of his front, left shoulder. The perfect kill shot. I aimed, pulled my trigger half way, double-checked my sights, took and held a deep breath, and squeezed off the final, fatal round dropping him in his tracks. I leaned out over my stand stressing every inch of the tether strap on my safety system just to make sure I saw what I thought I saw (a big ass rack). I could see his big body lying on the ground and 5 big horns sticking up off the ground on his left side. Hell yeah! My first big, big buck. As it turned out I did hit him with one of the first shots. My first shot and last shot hit him in the lungs just an inch apart. A quick rough score measured 166.5″ and left me with a memory I’ll never forget for the rest of my life: Within 15 minutes, I was in pain (oh yeah, still gotta go!), excited then distraught then hopeful, stunned, and jubilant. I’ll never forget the sound of those 3 quick grunts nor the sight of that big buck’s legs giving out under him or the smiles on my dad and uncle’s faces when they walked up on him. I’ll never forget my Uncle Dave saying, “Damn, Ryan. I’m gonna have to go back and get the wagon.” Hell yeah! What a morning!

Thanks for providing a place to share, Guys!

Missouri, Monster Kill of the Month, Monster Kills, Whitetail