AND SO IT BEGINS

The purpose of this blog is to document my every step towards taking that buck of a lifetime.  I have been hunting public land in Missouri for the past13 years and I don't have any trophies to show for it.  I don't like to consider myself the lazy hunter, but at the same time I have never put a major emphasis on scouting and preparation.  Typically, I head out into the woods and hope for the best, but usually get the worst.  I have made it my quest from here on out to make every effort possible to bag a record booner.  I will document everything down to the gear I purchase, to private hunting land requests, to hunting techniques, and to the final moment to where I can proudly hang that booner buck on my wall.

Even though we are in the middle of the Missouri rut I am already thinking about next season.  So far this year I have hunted three times; two weekends for archery and one weekend during the November firearms season with no luck.  When I proposed to my wife I had sold my guns to pay for her ring.  So, I am forced to archery hunt during rifle season.  Yesterday, I went to a local gun shop to see what's out there.  I was hellbent on getting a 45-70.  A Marlin 1895XLR to be exact.  I wanted a rifle with a ton of knock down power, but was ideal for the short range brush hunting I am use to in Missouri.  It turns out that Marlin has relocated their offices and is way behind on orders.  I have been contemplating a 30-06 too.  Since I cannot get the 45-70 that I want right away, I settled on the Browning X-Bolt.  This rifle is incredibly sweet.  Check it out.  Browning X-Bolt This rifle has everything I was looking for and the gun shop was selling it for next to nothing.  I am happy with the decision of going with the 30-06 because of the wide range of bullets it can handle.  My old 30-30 was limited to just one type of bullet.  Overall, my new Browning X-Bolt 30-06 was a perfect choice that won't fail when that shot at a record booner comes up.