We pulled into the lodge parking lot at Croton Creek Outfitters in western Oklahoma. Immediately, I stumbled upon a gentleman named Eddie Stevenson, a dead-serious hunter and public relations manager for Trijicon. I could tell he was either returning from the field, or just about to hit the road for a short evening sit. I had just arrived, but seeing Eddie in full camo, I couldn’t help myself from instantly prodding him for info.

I hit the sack on the first evening, exhausted from my travels, but completely amped from the news Eddie kindly shared with me in the parking lot: “We saw about 30 bucks this morning …” Is that even possible? I thought.

As I’ve shared in previous blog posts, this is my first year as a bowhunter. I’ve spent 4 days so far this season chasing Midwest whitetails on my family’s farm in central Minnesota, but have yet to come to full draw. Before departing for Croton Creek, I knew my odds of "making the string heavy" on my BowTech Invasion CPX were high.

On the first morning of my hunt, months of practice and anticipation came to a head as I delivered a Carbon Express at a handsome Oklahoma buck.

I’ll share the full story in North American Hunter magazine in the fall of 2012. In the meantime, as the rut comes into full swing throughout North America, let us all continue to pursue our whitetail dreams and share them with one another as they come true.