Watson has been bowhunting on his familys 450-acre farm since he was 10. Then, 2020 arrived, and Lefty was back on the farm. He stood broadside, eight paces away. Ryan hunted this buck for four years on family property. "I didn't see him fall or hear him crash, but I could see the blood trail from the stand. Although leery of making any predictions on the buck's score, the bowhunter knew the rack was considerably larger than the 193-inch sheds. He was directly downwind of me and lifted his head and sniffed," Ryan recalls. My two boys were familiar with the buck, as they go through pictures with me. Lefty fell right there. "All my buddies were expecting me to be jumping up and down when I found the buck," Ryan says, "but I didn't. Taylor's Temptation. Deer hunting is my peace. This time everything came pouring out.. The day before I killed it, two of my brothers and I were hunting in the same area and they both killed two smaller bucks, you know, like about 100 inches. Jason Lucas didnt have any history with this buck from prior seasons, but he knew this was a surefire target when he first saw it in 2021. It's one of the biggest ever killed in the Southeast. I had no idea this county could even produce anything like that. It was a special deer. Did I hit him in the leg? The right beam was 26 4/8 inches long, the left 24 3/8. Mississippi Sportsman Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi Sportsman Big Buck Photo Contest. The majority of these came from Maverick (28), La Salle (24), Webb (23), Dimmit (20) and Kleberg (11) counties. The W.A. On the afternoon of Oct. 13, Moreland finally got the shot hed been waiting for. I was excited and sad. I hunted him hard all of 2020, but he disappeared mid-October. "I waited until about 2 p.m. to trail the buck with my cousin and some good friends," Ryan says. On Nov. 24, Hall launched his boat around 9:30 a.m. and reached his stand half an hour later. "I could feel myself starting to sway. As I walked up to him, it started dawning on me how big the left horn was. Instead, he recruited another friend to help him grid-search the woods. The buck had morphed into a world-class bruiser right on Ryan's home turf. Check out more stories, videos and educational how-to's on deer hunting. It spent some time in the CRP, and then entered the food plot. Zach Edey had 17 points and 19 rebounds as No. We thought that maybe he had been killed, but when we checked cameras [in] mid-February, he had returned in late December. It was my best chance to get a shot at this buck before he got off his pattern.. Arkansas doesn't jump to top of mind as a big-buck destination, but that didn't stop bowhunter Preston Hall. The area I hunt is really brushy and thick, and I couldnt get a good, clear shot. We purchased more cellular trail cameras. The next morning, he greeted sunrise from his tree stand. The buck walked to about 20 yards and started raking tree limbs. The G3 on the right had three stickers and the left G3 had two. I killed a lot of deer with a gun before I started bowhunting about six years ago. Supposedly could be the heaviest whitetail ever taken. After several tense seconds, the deer offered a quartering-away shot opportunity, and Hill took it. Texas. The hunt unfolded on Nov. 28. Gordon Whittington talks with 13-year-old Troy Metzger about the 2016 hunt that landed the young man a monster non-typical buck on this edition of Big Buck Profile. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. I purchased a lifetime license before leaving there.. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. When the buck stopped in an opening about 35 yards away, Watson drew his pin and let go. The limited gun hunting and rich Delta soil combine to make this a hotspot for big deer. The giant non-typical sported a typical 1211 frame, but was scored as a non-typical because of an abundance of small kicker points. In July, Lee found a track that looked like Leftys. It later taped out at 186 3/8 inches. It worked. We all shared an emotional moment. In another huge jump, the buck had grown from a 160-inch 9-pointer to a monster 15-pointer with matching split G-2 tines. This was one buck that didnt have ground shrinkage, but had ground growth, he said. All I had been doing for the last four years was hunt this deer, and there he was, lying dead. He hit hard, fracturing a bone in his right leg and three vertebrae in his back. Surprisingly, one camera took 50 to 60 pictures of the monster within a few days. A little after 5 p.m., we heard running from the creek bed behind us. Only 22, Wilson knows matching this kill will not be easy, not in Pike County. After 38 years of hunting, the dreams of a Booner finally came true, Jared said. There were bucks going everywhere at one time, and I actually shot at another deer and missed. Luke Wilson of McComb was stunned when he and his brother walked up on the big buck Luke had shot minutes earlier in a big cutover on his deer lease in Pike County. During the offseason, he used HuntStand to find and mark numerous stand locations to target this deer. Jacob Latimer first learned of this buck during the 2020 deer season. I glanced over and all I could see was antlers, he said. "I've pushed a few deer (trailing too soon), and I knew I needed to get my mind off things, so I decided to do something constructive. | He bolted and was jumping over treetops in the clear cut and finally after 80 yards he jumped into one last fallen treetop and stopped, he said. He weighed 235 pounds (field dressed), and New England is known for hunters who classify a trophy not by the antler size, but the dressed weight. After a wait that seemed like an eternity, the doe finally started walking . But at his shot, the deer jumped the stream and his arrow hit high. Hunting with her CVA Cascade chambered in .308 Win., the buck was well within range. Estimated Weight On Hoof: 540-Lbs. The deer instantly whirled and ran out of sight . After a cold front blew in around the middle of the month, Watson moved to a treestand. After the initial congratulations were over, the brothers walked to the spot where the buck had dropped. It worked, Lee said. He had high hopes for the afternoon hunt. It followed the large doe group and chased one of them into a nearby cattle working pen. The big buck was right behind her. Ryan Sullivan was only 19 when, during the 2013 season, he arrowed an Arkansas buck of gigantic proportions. The state archery record is a 188 5/8 buck from Pawnee County which was killed by Gunner Womack of Morrison two years ago. "Apparently, the buck had put on roughly 50 or so inches from last year," Travis said. The terrain is relatively flat, with large sections of agricultural land, swamps, muddy rivers and blocks of hardwood timber. It took a while, but they started to figure things out. Three does milled around as the sun dipped toward the horizon. However, this 4-year quest came to fruition on the most stereotypical whitetail rut day on the calendar for most of North America: Nov. 15. In addition to being the top non-typical bow buck in Arkansas history, this giant was the state's biggest killed by any hunter, gun or bow, in 2013. He was quartering to my right and I let him put another 100 yards between us so I could get turned. The agreement has not been finalized . Photo by: Markus Semmler. His stand location was in a draw between two ridges that led to a destination ag field. He still has a deep bone bruise on his left heel and a fractured fibula in his right leg. The rack gross scores 214 1/8 and nets 212 1/8. In addition to being the top non-typical bow buck in Arkansas history, this giant was the state's biggest killed by any hunter, gun or bow, in 2013. His spot put him facing eastward out into the field. A week later, he'd make up for that lost opportunity. A friend killed a big buck that he entered in the Big Buck Classic, and Watts said the bigger buck was running with it. County Sex Count; Arkansas: Antlered: 1699: Arkansas: Button Buck: 156: Arkansas: Doe: 1410: Ashley: Antlered: 1495: Ashley: Button Buck: 301: Ashley: Doe: 2418 . So I went ahead and let the bow down to the ground, climbed over and onto the climbing sticks, he says. Then, in 2020, it made a huge jump, and turned into one of the largest 8-pointers hed ever seen. Pennsylvania: 34 deer per square mile. Ryan didn't bother taking his bow that day, as he'd been hunting for seven straight days and hadn't seen the big deer once. To his right and rear were stands of thick timber that opened in several spots, and to the left was more meadow with intermittent timber. So I was pretty nervous when I started that walk across that field.. I would sit and watch TV and read magazines just hoping for a chance at a buck like this. A legal buck on the St. Francis National Forest must have either a 15-inch inside spread or one antler of at least 18 inches. As he left his tree stand to get a better shot at the buck, the strap on one of his climbing sticks broke, and he fell some 17 feet to the ground. But with no exit wound, they didnt have a great blood trail. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. Even so, I didn't figure that would matter if I aimed at the right spot and squeezed off a clean shot. Lee Dixon and his father have been hunting together for 28 years. Soon after daylight, a spike and small 8-point walked out. Watts shot the buck at about 50 yards with a rifle chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor. He settled in for the afternoon sit and waited for deer movement. That's the beauty of hunting. Hooper realizes his good fortune, even if the story belies just how good a shot he usually is. I had no idea the journey our family was about to embark on with this deer, Lee said. 3 Men Cited for Poaching 34-Point Buck. biggest deer ever? I only saw him one time on stand while bowhunting in 2011, and he skirted around me at about 60 yards.". When the buck is adding 20-30 inches of antler per year, the stakes just keep getting higher. [], This is an easy two pot meal, one for the venison stroganoff and one for the starch that can be prepared at home or at the camp. It is also the new state record for the biggest buck killed with archery equipment. With a net non-typical score of 212 6/8 it is also our largest whitetail ever taken with a muzzleloader. Fast forwarding to Sept. 7, 2021, the day brought hot temperatures. The DNR estimated 574,000 hunters spent 8.7 million days afield during the 2017 deer season, and harvested 376,000 deer for a nearly 50% success rate. All the highlights rushed back in the pre-dawn minutes leading up to legal shooting light. The 2021 pre-season kicked off, and the 7-year-old Lefty was nowhere to be found. The next day, Luke Wilson was back in the same stand at 3:30. In an instant, the shaft had passed through him. I took one last look at his antlers, couldnt believe what I was looking at, and then took aim. They were very happy for me to take this buck. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. 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"He got to about 25 yards, and I drew when he went behind the tree," Ryan says. Lee, Im not going to be able to hunt with you this year, his father said. Where Lefty was bedding this day was almost impenetrable, so I opted to take a turkey seat and hunt off the ground.. I was shooting my younger brothers gun, a .308 Howa bolt action. Bottles & 12-oz. The rack gross scores 214 1/8 and nets 212 1/8. Its hard to justify shooting a spike or forkhorn when you know there is a Boone and Crockett buck in the area. Most of the deer walked straight toward him, but the big buck disappeared over the hill. The buck took off, the arrow still in him. Ive been hunting all my life, Murdaugh said. Ryan estimated the deer now was 7 1/2 years old. Still, he never caught up to the deer during the 2018 season. Fortunately, the boy was able to take him, resulting in a great first whitetail and sparing the big one's life. As part of the BuckVentures field staff, they understand whitetails, and it came as no surprise when this 5-year-old deer fell to a Reed. Arkansas Hunter Falls From Tree Stand After Arrowing the Biggest Buck of His Life. Behind them was a solid 10-pointer, so he stood up and grabbed his bow. Like many of his fellow Arkansans, Ryan is a deer and duck fanatic. It was very warm for November, extending upward of 70 degrees with a southeasterly wind. Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. He charged in out of nowhere. The 34,000-acre lease is owned by a timber company, and is broken into smaller, huntable pieces. Does it get any better than that? but he got way bigger. The buck was running with another good deer, but a cold front on Oct. 16 split them up. Now 25, hes taken three whitetails, all over 140-inches in the last 15 years. Subscriber Services. The buck walked past him inside 20 yards. The 15 Largest Lakes in the World . The deer had fallen, but gotten back up and continued running. Konschak was hunting deer in nearby property and said he killed what he thought were . I've got to be in the stand.'". This deer is special because 8-pointers typically dont get to this level. Kamps settled the pin and took it. It was sunny and 40 degrees with a north-northwest wind. This was a resident buck., Thinking the deer would remain on the property, they decided to not hunt the farm that year. And to get close enough to kill one, you need to be smarter than they are. "He stopped at 40 yards, standing behind some trees. 6/8 inches wide and sported sky scraping G-2s over 12 inches long. He couldnt retrieve his deer since he had to go immediately to the hospital. Bucks over 200 pounds in the state receive a patch to display on [their] hunting jacket. That's as big as it sounds. Bryant scored big in 2007 when he took the Oklahoma state record whitetail deer. During the summer of 2019, the big buck appeared regularly in a few fields close to where Hall hunts. I called my dad and said, 'It's over. That would intimidate most hunters, but he commonly uses a boat to get to and from his best spots. I had this weird feeling. After the day Id hunt him, he would always show up the next afternoon. Non-Typical: 312 inches. Still, he was able to get to full draw, settled the pin on the giant buck and took the 20-yard shot. 10. Well, not so in this situation. The 16-point buck has been scored before deductions at 210 by Terry's Taxidermy in Oklahoma City, which would make the animal the largest typical whitetail ever killed by an Oklahoma hunter. It was followed by 10 more does, and behind them was a huge whitetail buck that Murdaugh had never seen. (Photo courtesy of Tres Jackson) Hunter: Tres . Even though he was in the tall weeds and stuff, I could see his body and his vitals. When he succeeded, he was hooked. At daybreak a doe busted through the cedar thicket with an eight-point suitor following close behind. In regions without great habitat, many deer seem to plateau out after age 4 1/2 and don't make the huge leaps in antler development. "At least I think there were six. Arkansas hunter Tres Jackson took this big whitetail on a muzzleloader hunt in Pope County, Ark. A few minutes later, his friend, David, who was also in the tree, said he heard something in the bottom. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. The biggest buck entered so far was a 195-2/8" behemoth shot in Drew County, Arkansas. What Hooper found was a 205-pound buck with long, thick main beams. It looked like they were going to get into it, but when the big one got a visual on the doe, he changed moods instantly. Wilson kills 25-point buck that produces nearly 190 inches green. Lance Hill's South Carolina Stud. It walked down a trail, turned broadside and offered a 20-yard, slightly-quartering-to shot opportunity. Everything sank in, and it spurred a conversation a long time coming, Lee said. Arkansas County in the southeast is in the heart of the Natural State's big-buck zone, and that's where Joe Schimmel of Stuttgart killed our largest typical with archery equipment last year. His travel patterns were extremely tight. This is the heaviest whitetail deer ever killed. The deer ran about 200 yards and crashed. By now the deer was a huge 9-pointer that grossed over 160 inches. Watts shot the buck at about 50 yards with a rifle chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor. Justin, his brothers, and his father targeted this deer in hopes of arrowing it. I enjoyed every day of the hunt, but being successful with this buck made it a hunt I will remember forever, Mullina said. Location: Calhoun County, S.C. The doe came by, and I knew he was fixing to come right past me.". We werent cutting tracks from Lefty like we had in the past, Lee said. He logged many days on stand from dark to dark until mid-November. Taken in Pushmataha County, this deer is nearly 2 inches bigger than the previous record. We started game planning, dreaming of getting close to this magnificent animal.. Countrywide, it isnt often you get to hunt in August, let alone with a rifle. I still cant believe it. She came in and started eating, but he caught our wind, Reed said. Lefty showed up on camera after a long Tennessee rifle season.. Its hard to put into words. STACY FOWLER Danville, AR The big non-typical buck killed by Stacy Fowler of Danville is the largest deer taken in the Natural State last season. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. All Rights Reserved. As I entered the road where hed been, I started looking in the direction he ran and immediately saw him lying there, he said. The Boyett buck sits at . I shot a giant, not only with the body size, but the headgear to boot. However, dreams are fueled by high-stakes whitetails, and the passion helped Ryan put his tag on the state's largest non-typical ever arrowed. In this edition of "From The Stand," Pat Hogan explains the importance of being aware of proper clearance when using your bow or crossbow out in the field. Camping is available at Storm Creek Lake Recreation Area, about 4 miles northwest of Helena-West Helena. Virginia Then, later in the season, he finally crossed paths with the deer one last time. It's a mirror-image 180-inch mainframe 4x4 with 34 inches of non-typical points. Then, the big one stepped out. The first time, the buck was chasing does and didnt come close enough for a shot. The Pope and Young Club's minimum score for world record non typical whitetail bucks is 155 inches, which would be a great deer, likely with a great camp story to match that would only get better with . Amazingly, the doe blew past and hurriedly got on the upwind side of Ryan and stopped. Arkansas Biggest Bucks: Score: Typ? Clickhereto read about other big bucks killed this season. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. Sub-hed: When the Washington Blade caught up with Gisele Barreto Fetterman this month, she was looking forward to some upcoming travel plans Yeah I'll bet she was!!! When I got him he weighed over 300 pounds on the hoof, as suspected. Despite his pursuit to further his education, his desire to pursue the buck hadn't diminished. It's a mirror-image 180-inch mainframe 4x4 with 34 inches of non-typical points. At the 2009 Arkansas Big Buck Classic, the huge typical mainframe 5x5 rack officially gross-scored 182 7/8 inches and netted 174 2/8. Read other stories about big bucks killed this season by clickinghere. Nick continued to watch several bucks harass does throughout the morning, but chose not to take a shot at them. He passed the deer in hopes of it returning the following season. The whole time I was in the stand waiting for my brother, I was sitting there thinking that I would go and find just another of those 100-inch 8-points and that Id been seeing things. In 2012, Ryan hunted this deer exclusively. Many mallards were saved during his absence from the flooded timber. In the Midwest, with ample nutrition and healthy deer numbers, bucks seem more likely to continue to make the big jumps in antler development after 5 1/2. I couldn't get a shot.'. I was overcome with emotion when we recovered the big eight. After all the hard work and patience, it finally paid off., Eric Mullinas Missouri MonsterScore: 174 inchesDate of Kill: Sept. 25, 2021Location: Pike County, Mo.Weapon: Elite compound bow. The arrow slipped right behind his shoulder, and the buck didnt go far. The spread was 16 5/8 inches, and the longest tines were the two G2s at 8 1/8 and 7 7/8 inches. Ryan did have one other encounter with the buck that season, but it was while he was taking his 7-year-old cousin out for his first-ever deer hunt. He'd lost a split G-2, but he'd grown a drop tine and matching split brow tines.". Later, Watson began hunting him two days after the archery season began. After showing friends and family the deer, I received lots of congratulatory messages, he said. It is my biggest to date. I never knew this buck existed, not until my brother and I found him dead, piled up in the top of an old fallen tree in that cutover, Wilson said. For several years, however, he gave up most of his duck season to lock horns with the world-class buck. My brother said, Dude, you just got a B&C buck! Wilson said. Site by Gray Loon. Ryan hunted the buck all season but saw him just one time from the tree stand. Jon's no stranger to free-ranging whitetails across the central plains, having guided a number of clients to trophies and harvesting many big ones himself. They dreamed of another season hunting this big deer. Hunting public land, he killed a buck in the Natural State that would make a Midwesterner swoon. "There was no way he could get any bigger. However, every year the buck would become much more random as the Delta rut came closer. There was an additional sticker off the left main beam. I saw him on camera in 2013, and he had grown a tremendous amount. Since then, I've only killed deer with my bow. I was speechless.
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