This is field editor Spencer Brent’s follow up article on his Texas Whitetail hunt with outdoor conservation hero Jim Roche.  I posted a blurb a while back about having Spencer on board as a Mission Alaska field editor contributing for the Texas hunting experience.

Jim Roche a true role model

“It was a cold morning in the early days of January. We went and bundled ourselves up in the tripods waiting for the sun to come up and the deer to come eat. I heard hogs in the bushes below us and saw raccoons coming to eat but there were no deer. Me and my friend nino sat there in the tripods for at least 4 hours before Jim Roche came in his chevy pick up truck to pick us up for lunch. After lunch we waited till about 4 and then me and Jim dropped the others off at their blinds and then we went and poored two “big ole bags” of feed out by the feeder. We went and hid the truck in the bushes and crawled into our blind about 10 deer walked up and a couple varments came by to see if they could get some feed too. About 15 minutes before dark jim decided  hed let me shoot my first buck. He pointed out a 8 point and said do you see that 8 point? “yes” I said back. He said “I want you to take him.” I had no hesitation I picked up my rifle and mounted it on my shoulder. I looked at him through the scope. I had the cross hairs right on his left shoulder he was perfectly broad side. As Jim told me to squeeze the trigger I poped off the safety the deer purked up he looked directly at me and BAM  I pulled the trigger and the gun went off. He literally dropped in his tracks, he looked like he had layed down after I shot him.  He was beautiful.”

Thanks Spencer for the write up, what an amazing person Jim Roche is and what adventure both of you had.

-Austin Manelick