The Roberts Family: Christmas Came Early For Jason

Santa delivered Jason's gift early this year...he delivered a 275+ lb typical buck within 10 yards of Jason's stand this morning!!! Due to 'rut' being in full swing this week (for those of you that do not have the pleasure of hearing about rut 24/7 from August-November, it is about one week out of the year during which the male deer are so crazy for the female deer that they lose all common sense...sound familiar, ladies? Too bad the human species doesn't 'rut' only one week out of the year, right?!?!?! Anyway, it is around this time that you all start seeing lots of deer on the side of the road because if a male deer smells a female deer, he will run right into danger trying to find her. Usually deer are very cautious, but not during 'rut', which is why hunters love it!) So, back to the story...Jason took advice from a good friend whose magazine predicted a good hunt for today and decided to take off work so he could sit in a freezing cold, wet, tree stand for hours. As he walked to his stand, he left female doe pee (yes, you read that correctly...and, yes, I do have doe pee in my refrigerator...anyone want to come for dinner???) on the ground on the way to his stand. So, this morning, after seeing nothing for hours (all the while cursing his friend for convincing him to use comp time to sit in the cold rain), a "dandy" of a deer comes toward Jason's stand with his nose in the air...THE PEE WORKED!!!! The 'good friend' was instantly upgraded to BFFF (Anyone else see Pineapple Express???) and the rest of the story.....I think the pictures can tell the rest of the story for me:

When Jason first called me, he had an adrenaline shake in his voice and I thought he said he just shot a "Bambi". I was very confused about his excitement until I realized he said he shot a "Dandy". I thought the word was reserved for gentlemen in their late 80's, but apparently, Jason is brining dandy back.

The neck swells during 'rut'...apparently female deer are attracted to big necks. I guess size does matter.

Jason could have never gotten this deer out of the woods without my dad's help...and his toys. It took a sled, a 4wheeler, a 4x4 truck with a Hemi, and good ole Allis Chalmer to get him to this point.

Just over 275 lbs!!! We may need to buy a bigger scale if Santa comes back in November again next year.

As a kid, I was always SO EXCITED when my dad got a deer. When he was out hunting, as soon as it got dark, my brother and I would start watching over the hill in our backyard so that we could run out and ask if he saw or shot a deer before he even made it into the house. The girls are following in those footsteps! They wanted to pet him. I had to draw the line when Isabel asked to stick her finger in the 'red hole'. Maybe she will be a surgeon someday...or, maybe she has some issues we need to address...yet to be determined, I guess!