toward an opening that would provide a shot for me. Knowing that I had no chance at that deer only a couple minutes earlier, I hadn't bothered to check for antler points. I now had to quickly shoulder my gun and check to see if the buck was legal. The four points on the left antler were evenly matched by the right side, and a quick move of my scope to the vitals area was soon followed by the echoing sound of a 12-gauge slug sent on its way. T h e s hot was on the ma rk, and the next view through my scope confirmed that the buck had dropped in its tracks. My disappointing season had turned into an amazing success within a few short minutes thanks to a fallen tree and an acrobatic deer. As if the downed buck wasn't enough, a sudden crash- ing sound from my left turned out to be another deer apparently responding to my rattling. I stood in my tree stand watching another 8-point buck just 10 yards from where my soon-tobe-tagged deer was lying. If ever there was an example of poetic justice, this was it. Although neither of the 8-point could compare to the two I had watched at the beginning of archery season, I was thrilled to bookend my year with two more fine bucks. No matter how hard I tried to play out hunting success in my mind, reacting to changing circumstances and employing heavy doses of patience are eventually what brought about success for me. The final piece to the "successful hunting puzzle" in 2012 is something I'll probably never again experience in my life - a tightrope buck. Dar yl Clair poses with his tightrope buck. While not as large as the two big 8-points he saw earlier, it's surely one he'll always remember fondly. NOVEMBER 2014 17