> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://big-buck-journal.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Rain Quit. His Target Buck Came Back - URL: https://big-buck-journal.ghost.io/the-rain-quit-his-target-buck-came-back/ - Published: 2026-09-17T15:31:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-17T15:31:08.000Z - Author: Dale Richey Opening-day rain ran Jay Maxwell out of the woods. His trail camera showed the target buck back less than 45 minutes after the storm passed. ![Big Buck Journal](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/bda7b12e-9dc4-4b8e-b592-b9edddcfc7d1/BBJ_Logo2-removebg-preview.png?t=1780529087) The buck, the why, and the gear The Rain Quit. His Target Buck Came Back. Jay Maxwell had watched a small DeKalb County tract with trail cameras for years without hunting it. Then a buck he had never seen showed up on Monday, just days before Georgia’s opener, and changed the plan. By Wednesday, Maxwell had the setup ready. Opening morning brought a southwest wind and a wall of rain. The storm pushed him out, but the buck returned as soon as the weather cleared. A fresh camera sequence sent Maxwell back for one quiet afternoon sit. Let’s dive in. The Buck 𐂂 Georgia whitetail · Opening day · Weather window · September 17, 2026 <45 MIN AFTER RAIN 25+ YARD SHOT 24 HR CONTEST RULE Maxwell had access to the property for years but had not hunted it, choosing instead to monitor it with cameras. On Monday, a new buck appeared. Maxwell first guessed the deer around 140 inches, but friends thought he was underestimating it. He decided immediately that this was the buck he would start the season hunting, and he had the setup ready less than two days later. The morning forecast was ugly. Maxwell got on a southwest wind and climbed in knowing he might have only a short window. Around the time the buck had been appearing, roughly 7:45 a.m., the rain arrived hard enough to soak Maxwell and his camera crew and eventually force them out. He still believed the deer would move again once the storm passed. The rain passed around 2:30 p.m. The buck was back on camera from 3:08 to 3:27\. Maxwell left home around 3:30, after the deer had moved on, and crept back into the setup with as little disturbance as possible. Around 6:30 a doe began feeding in front of him and alerted to something approaching. Maxwell looked the same direction, found his target, and waited. The buck eventually stood broadside a little over 25 yards away. Maxwell drew and made the shot, and the deer went down before leaving his sight. 𐂂 Field Fact GON’s Truck-Buck Contest requires a hunter to be a subscriber for at least 24 hours before harvesting a buck they want to enter. Maxwell renewed his lapsed subscription on the way in that morning, so the deer is ineligible for the contest. That affects contest eligibility, not the legality of the harvest. [Read the Full Story ](https://gon.com/hunting/cautionary-tale-why-an-opening-day-monster-isnt-eligible-for-truck-buck?ref=big-buck-journal.ghost.io) ![](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/a7a470a3-132d-4efe-bde3-ac4375901c2f/Big_Buck_Journal__18_.png?t=1780524494) The Woodsman’s Edge 𐂂 A storm can reset the afternoon without resetting the pattern. Maxwell’s morning was washed out, but the buck’s routine was not. The useful part was recognizing when the weather window reopened and entering only after the camera showed the target had moved through. 𐂂 Watch what happens after the weather, not just before it. Maxwell saw the rain clear around 2:30 and the buck return before 3:08\. A storm can delay movement without ending it, especially when a deer has already been using the same window consistently. 𐂂 Let the camera help protect your entry. Maxwell did not race in while the buck was still standing there. He left after the photo sequence ended and focused on slipping into the spot quietly. A fresh picture matters less than a clean way back in. 𐂂 Handle the small rules before opening day. Licenses, contest requirements, access details, batteries, and subscriptions are easy to ignore until a good buck is on the ground. If a hunt has an administrative box to check, check it before the first sit. Fall Promo | Brand Partnership with Big Buck Journal [ ![Big Buck Journal fall newsletter sponsorship opportunity](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/f6b87d9d-f232-46b9-b946-94d493ec33c5/BBB_LINKEDIN__16_.png?t=1789169347) ](mailto:hello@positano.media?subject=Big%20Buck%20Journal%20Brand%20Partnership) Be Part of the Outdoor Conversation Big Buck Journal shares the hunting stories, field insights, gear, and outdoor experiences worth a closer look. If your brand serves hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, this is a smart place to be seen. [ Hit Us a Reply → ](mailto:hello@positano.media?subject=Big%20Buck%20Journal%20Brand%20Partnership) **Email us at** [hello@positano.media ](mailto:hello@positano.media?subject=Big%20Buck%20Journal%20Brand%20Partnership) ![](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/a7a470a3-132d-4efe-bde3-ac4375901c2f/Big_Buck_Journal__18_.png?t=1780524494) The Field Call 𐂂 Would You Go Back In? 3:30 p.m. The rain quit an hour ago. Your target buck just left the camera. Your camera sent several photos from 3:08 to 3:27\. The wind is still right and you have a quiet route to the stand. You know the buck often moves again before dark, but every entry puts scent and pressure into the area. What’s your move? [Slip In While He’s Gone ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/6e/8c6e93d4-78db-4e2a-9e0f-2b8581640c45/content/images/2026/09/bbj-9.png?ref=big-buck-journal.ghost.io) [Wait Until Tomorrow ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/6e/8c6e93d4-78db-4e2a-9e0f-2b8581640c45/content/images/2026/09/bbj-9.png?ref=big-buck-journal.ghost.io) [Move The Stand First ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/6e/8c6e93d4-78db-4e2a-9e0f-2b8581640c45/content/images/2026/09/bbj-9.png?ref=big-buck-journal.ghost.io) Tap your call to compare your move with the weather window Maxwell used on opening day. ![](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/a7a470a3-132d-4efe-bde3-ac4375901c2f/Big_Buck_Journal__18_.png?t=1780524494) Gear Bench 𐂂 ![SITKA Dew Point Jacket](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/6e/8c6e93d4-78db-4e2a-9e0f-2b8581640c45/content/images/2026/09/image-3.png) Kill Shot 500 lb. Folding Game Cart $375.00 *Dale’s note:* Maxwell got soaked badly enough to leave the morning hunt, which is a good reminder that early-season rain gear has to be light enough to actually carry. The Dew Point Jacket uses 3-layer GORE-TEX with a 20-denier ripstop face, a soft C-KNIT backer, pit zips, micro-taped seams, and a packable build. I would rather have a shell living in the bottom of my pack than watch a short storm turn a good sit into a wet walk back to the truck. [Check the Gear ](https://www.sitkagear.com/products/dew-point-jacket/optifade-subalpine?ref=big-buck-journal.ghost.io) ![](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/a7a470a3-132d-4efe-bde3-ac4375901c2f/Big_Buck_Journal__18_.png?t=1780524494) The Last Word 𐂂 Maxwell’s hunt is not a lesson in chasing every camera notification. It is a lesson in recognizing when the same pattern opens back up. The morning rain shut his first sit down. Once the storm cleared, the buck returned quickly. Maxwell waited until the camera sequence showed the deer had moved on, then entered quietly and gave the spot enough time to settle before the evening movement started. The missed detail was not in the woods at all. It was a contest rule he checked too late. Opening day has enough variables already. Weather, access, and paperwork are easier to manage when you decide what matters before the buck shows up. What changes your opening-day plan faster: weather, a fresh trail-camera photo, or knowing you have a clean way into the stand? Reply and tell me. Watch the weather. Protect the entry. ![Dale Richey headshot](https://beehiiv-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset/file/6d6f9854-bed6-4fa7-a9a2-aa4ab9e4b9ea/BBJ-AuthorHeadshot__2_.png?t=1780581127) Dale Richey Big Buck Journal Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, Big Buck Journal may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.