I noticed tracks out my window. I pulled over got out and looked. I figured this deer had crossed the road sometime early this morning. I also hoped he wouldn't be too far. We parked, gathered our gear and after a few words and a small game plan we took up his track. Now please keep in mind this area I speak of is deep in the woods and all roads are just old woods roads the big logging company's have made to harvest the wood, don't wanna sound like I'm hunting in someones back yard here. Anyway onto his track we go, snow 10 inches deep and the underbrush just hanging with freshly falling snow. I told my son to "stop" when I did and to step in my tracks as to keep the noise to a minimum. After one hour of tracking the cover became so thick the visibility was down to less than 40 yards in all directions. I was just about to give up the track when I looked ahead of us and there he stood. I stopped raised my rifle, and right off I saw a limb hanging over the vitals . . . I did a slow "lean" to one side placed the cross hairs on his shoulder and squeezed. The snow was so heavy and the brush so dense that the sound of my 243 was almost unheard. In a burst of snow and speed he was gone. Out of sight but not out of mind. I looked back at TJ who looked like a snowman with the biggest grin his face would hold. The deer ran like he had been shot out of a canon and then all was quiet. We stood there silent for only a few minutes then I slowly moved ahead to the spot where he had stood. NO blood, second jump he made NO blood, third jump No blood. It was at this moment I was going to back off and give him an hour or so to do his thing. Just then TJ says there he is. The fourth jump he made was his last. After some serious high fives and some wows and holy cow from TJ, I realized we were 600 yards from the truck and in a foot of snow. . . It took us over an hour to make that 600 yards and when we got to our truck there sat a hunter friend of ours. He was patiently waiting to see where I had gone. He helped me load the deer and off we went. The deer has nine points, split brow tines on one side. He had one broken point on the other and a small hole in one main beam. Somewhere in the 180-200 dressed range . . . I truly loved every minute of this deer hunt other than the 600 yard drag. I believe my son is gonna be a heck of a hunter, he never made a sound on this stalk. And believe me it wasn't easy to do. If you look in the background of the picture you can see how thick it really was. I am so proud of him for acting like a seasoned deer hunter.