Day two of RutCation (Nov 2) had everything I love and hate about public land: big woods, big sign, and the wind doing the exact opposite of what the forecast promised. Tyler and I dove as far from the truck as you can get and set up on buck sign I’d scouted earlier in the season. It paid off with a close encounter with a really big buck—until the real wind went 180 degrees and he busted us. We tried to make a move and even set up for a call sequence in thick stuff, but it didn’t pan out. Still, between the buck encounter and getting snuck up on by a wild bobcat (first one I’ve ever seen in person), the morning was a win. Then, right at prime time, I looked down and saw a missed call from Colin—never a casual thing during the rut. Turns out he’d just smoked a monster at 15 yards and heard the hit. What followed was a full-on public land recovery: regrouping the boys, finding first blood, getting eyes on the arrow (lighted nocks are dope), and tracking a not-super-dramatic trail of small drops until we finally spotted the white belly. The buck was down quick, and the moment meant a lot—three months to the day after my dad died. Congrats to Dad and Colin on two great public land bucks, and a reminder: don’t stop, get good friends, and keep showing up.