They didn't want me to leave. The age of the deer was estimated to be 4 years old, and the buck had a significant jump in antler growth in the past year. The spread was 16 5/8 inches, and the longest tines were the two G2s at 8 1/8 and 7 7/8 inches. 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. 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. I called my dad at 7:45 a.m. and told him what had happened." The buck had morphed into a world-class bruiser right on Ryan's home turf. When the buck is adding 20-30 inches of antler per year, the stakes just keep getting higher. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. They were very happy for me to take this buck. And he was this time., My emotions were not what I had thought they would be in this moment, Lee continued. Check out these 10 monster bucks that were taken throughout the country. Ryan's buck had the genetics and nutrition to continue to skyrocket. Although leery of making any predictions on the buck's score, the bowhunter knew the rack was considerably larger than the 193-inch sheds. I could never get a consistent wind. This buck is known as the Missouri Monarch. I cant wait to see you again and tell you about this one., Jacob Latimers Kentucky BuckScore: 170 inchesDate of Kill: Sept. 30, 2021Location: Montgomery County, Ky.Weapon: Compound bow. I killed him in the mock scrape I created., The deer ran 30 yards and tipped over. Nick continued to watch several bucks harass does throughout the morning, but chose not to take a shot at them. The limited gun hunting and rich Delta soil combine to make this a hotspot for big deer. Shortly after the hunt kicked off, a doe popped out of the timber several hundred yards away. The area I hunt is really brushy and thick, and I couldnt get a good, clear shot. Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. About an hour into the afternoon hunt, a doe appeared about 100 yards away and walked down through the finger of trees. Spencer Neuharth Mar 1, 2021. He hit hard, fracturing a bone in his right leg and three vertebrae in his back. In the meantime, the Moreland brothers continued their own search. A little buck was chasing a doe.. These are world-class numbers, and there's no doubt the animal fell to a most deserving bowhunter. After a while, he looked for the deer and recovered his buck. Michigan: 31 deer per square mile. I started getting pictures of him on my cameras. He was sitting in a blind on the edge of where CRP, timber and a food plot meet. The buck walked past him inside 20 yards. The action was fast and furious right from the get-go. No more long nights checking every single cellular picture coming through. He fractured a bone in his right . Lefty wasnt like many other bucks on the property. A hunter who told authorities he killed and skinned what he thought were two coyotes, but later discovered they were a Connecticut family's pet German shepherds, has been criminally charged. 10. He couldnt retrieve his deer since he had to go immediately to the hospital. They didnt have any encounters with the deer until after the rut. We couldnt believe what we were looking at. Despite having broken off a 9-inch tine on his left side when he crashed, there was no ground shrinkage. Although he doesnt remember the fall, he does remember picking himself up, walking over to the buck, and putting another arrow in him. Wardens recently concluded a three-month investigation centered around a 34-point whitetail that was poached this fall in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. Watts shot the buck at about 50 yards with a rifle chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor. Instead, they hunted elsewhere in hopes of allowing the deer to live another year. With his head down, did I hit an antler? It was about 100 yards . We dont think it could have been this big buck.. He was just a special deer, and very much a result of patience in both management and hunting. Hooper waited 15 minutes before starting the recovery. Non-Typical: 312 inches. Knowing it wasnt a great shot, Johnathan called a buddy who had a tracking dog. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. Ryan's foresight and patience were mature beyond his years. Advertisement. Alex Laffey, Dion Laffey, and Eugene Heisler, all from Eau Claire, have been charged with multiple wildlife violations. He grew up around hunting and intuitively knew how to put the pieces together on this home-turf trophy. He watched the buck working a licking branch from his tree, but again, didnt have a shot. Rarely do you see a buck with a drop tine, let alone two of them. So, Lance went with that. But the bowhunter was wrong. On Sept. 30, 2021, he was glad of these strategic decisions. . Location: Calhoun County, S.C. I could see his left horn and it looked bloody, and I instantly thought he was still in velvet. 'I'm sure the entire encounter only took a few minutes, but it seemed an eternity. "The doe saw me and started blowing. Ryan Sullivan was only 19 when, during the 2013 season, he arrowed an Arkansas buck of gigantic proportions. Now in private ownership and no longer a club, it was on that same property he took the 16-point. He went to the mock scrape I set up earlier in the fall and started pawing the ground, Martinson said. By 3 p.m., he was harnessed to the tree and ready to go. But this buck would measure much more than that. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. On Nov. 1, Moreland got a later start than he had planned, and didnt get to his stand until 12:30 that afternoon. By now the deer was a huge 9-pointer that grossed over 160 inches. Last year, we thought he was a really great deer, but this year, hes a world-class 8-pointer. He was about 50 yards and I was going to have to shoot left-handed, which I didnt want to do.. Nearly any hunter would be thrilled with a buck that size. I was in the wide open, but it worked out. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The region is unique to Arkansas in that it doesn't have a traditional rifle season. His father passed away in October. He came to 40 yards and stood by a brush pile. The 34,000-acre lease is owned by a timber company, and is broken into smaller, huntable pieces. After a wait that seemed like an eternity, the doe finally started walking . He was hunting in a large clearcut paralleled by a steep ridge line. . I shot him, and he bucked up like a bucking bronco, spun and turned back into the woods.. So I was pretty nervous when I started that walk across that field.. "This was one buck that didn't have ground shrinkage, but had ground growth," he said. The deer instantly whirled and ran out of sight . Lee Dixon and his father have been hunting together for 28 years. Lucas drew back, settled his pin, and took the 38-yard shot. Buster was a magnificent animal and exceeded our expectations, Kamps said. After all the crazy things that happened to me while hunting this buck, I just think that I was meant to shoot him.. Which begs the question: Why arent more bird hunters using them? A hunter in St. Louis County, Missouri, found the B&C world record in 1981. "I remember the exact time because I got a text from a friend saying that he had killed a buck." I followed it up with a few grunts and grabbed my rifle. 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 buck was as massive as he'd looked on camera, and the biggest Moreland had ever killed. Whispering 'fire in the hole ' while floating the crosshairs on the spot, I gently squeezed the trigger until the recoil removed the buck from my view. We werent cutting tracks from Lefty like we had in the past, Lee said. Deer. He was truly the deer of a lifetime.. ", His first knowledge of this deer came in 2010, when Ryan was just 15 and the buck is believed to have been 3 1/2. Kamps settled the pin and took it. It was bittersweet. After several tense seconds, the deer offered a quartering-away shot opportunity, and Hill took it. The bucks probably started thinking about the looming rut just ahead. "My dad started taking me as soon as I could climb a deer stand. This monster Arkansas buck is rumored to gross 212 inches with a net of 195 inches on the Boone & Crockett scoring system and could be certified as the new state record. '. In retrospect, Watson believes the buck probably died after the first shot. They followed blood about 150 yards to the downed buck. He encountered the buck a second time soon after. In an instant, the shaft had passed through him. and the buck followed. He went through the patch so fast I just knew he was good but never could really tell what kind of rack he had. After a while, I decided to make a few grunts with my Primos Rut & Roar, which I had set on mature buck. []. 'I remained in the stand for several minutes to gather my thoughts and calm down, ' Mikell says. It worked, Lee said. The eastern boundary of the county is the Mississippi River. Read other stories about big bucks killed this season by clickinghere. Skis are easily the most efficient way to cover snowy ground on foot in winter. Lance Hill's South Carolina Stud. So was Lefty. On Dec. 8, 2021, though, he did. And 11 years later, he is still shooting a trad bow. Hunters in Texas have killed 200 bucks since 2010 that made book. 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. Deer: Balancing Expectations for Small Properties, Get to Know Your Neighbors for Better Deer Herd Management, Big Buck Profile: Reid Crawford Kansas Buck, Choosing Correct Magnification for Rifle Scope, Big Buck Profile: Troy Metzger's East Illinois Giant. It was so thick that he couldnt see what made the sound, though. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. 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 shot a giant, not only with the body size, but the headgear to boot. Several minutes later, the deer started moving again. When it walked into the open, she touched off the 75-yard shot. A friend killed a big buck that he entered in the Big Buck Classic, and Watts said the bigger buck was running with it. Instantly, my mind started in on me, he said. He finished the season with 11 encounters, but passed the buck each time in hopes of it living another year. Morelands brother, Josh, had been headed to hunt himself when he heard Johnathan hollering in celebration, and went to investigate. I had just sat back down, and about 4:10, I heard a limb snap behind me to my right. [], 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. The terrain is relatively flat, with large sections of agricultural land, swamps, muddy rivers and blocks of hardwood timber. X-Vision Optics long-range ImpactThermal Scope (TS300) boasts a 640 x 480 thermal sensor that can detect big game well past 3,000 yards. 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. []. Check out more stories, videos and educational how-to's on deer hunting. Rather, there's a short muzzleloader/shotgun season. I had this weird feeling. Indiana: 28 deer per square mile. The wind was just right for the spot he wanted to hunt. It is my biggest to date. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. The shot was 25 yards and I rattled him" into range, he said . On Dec. 3, 2018, William Lloyd of Wynne killed a 14-point buck in Lee County that netted a Boone and Crockett score of 200 1/8. Over the next couple weeks, Watson followed him, moving from spot to spot, but he only caught glimpses on trail cameras. Morelands first encounter with the buck occurred on a hunt early in the season. Whitney Reed and her husband, Cody, spend a lot of time hunting big Oklahoma bucks. Chase Watson shot the biggest buck he's ever killed two weeks ago while hunting from a treestand on his family's farm in Arkansas. I unhooked from the rope attaching me to the safety harness, and I made it two steps down. When they found the arrow, coated with chunks of meat and hair and little blood, they knew the buck was not dead, and backed out. I was shooting my younger brothers gun, a .308 Howa bolt action. From his stand, he was able to see the buck go down. 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. We thought that maybe he had been killed, but when we checked cameras [in] mid-February, he had returned in late December. Ryan hunted the buck all season but saw him just one time from the tree stand. He logged many days on stand from dark to dark until mid-November. It's one of the biggest ever killed in the Southeast. My mom, dad and buddy, Trevor, came to the farm to experience the recovery with me, he said. Sept. 25, 2021, brought warm temperatures in the 80s and clear skies. If he had any chance of killing the deer with his 50-pound Toelke Whip longbow, Johnathan was going to have to get the buck in close again. I couldnt see behind me so Im not sure where he came out from but he was walking up out of that drainage ditch. It hit true. 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. . This is one big deer. It was another doe, and the big buck was right behind her. Of course, a multi-year quest for any buck is emotionally taxing. "When we recovered the deer, his head was leaned on a sapling, propped up. . 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. Many mallards were saved during his absence from the flooded timber. The rack gross scores 214 1/8 and nets 212 1/8. She came in and started eating, but he caught our wind, Reed said. Lightning had struck him for the third time! He grabbed his bow, drew back, settled the pin, and took the 22-yard, broadside shot. What is the world record for the biggest deer shot? Being in the open, Wilson decided to sit still and let the buck continue to walk in the direction he was traveling, hoping it would cross in front and provide a right-handed shot. Taken in Pushmataha County, this deer is nearly 2 inches bigger than the previous record. Around 6:55 p.m., this giant buck stepped out of the cover and walked toward him. WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Sherrod Brown has survived a decade of statewide Democratic losses in Ohio by building a reputation as the rare person in his party who can still connect with the white . Two weeks ago, Arkansas hunter Chase Watson took the biggest buck hes ever killed however it came with a price. The buck walked to about 20 yards and started raking tree limbs. Although we were in his core area, we knew that if I was going to have a chance to harvest him there, it would have to happen early in the season.. Although Moreland hadnt gun-hunted in years, he made the decision to muzzleloader hunt during Arkansas early blackpowder season. I knew he was a shooter, but I didnt really see all that he had. "I had class on Tuesday and Thursday, so I hunted Friday through Monday. All of the efforts Hall invested in hunting this buck including boat rides and many dawn-to-dusk hunts culminated in shooting a buck that he might never best, and almost certainly not in Arkansas. Taking any deer with a traditional bow is an accomplishment, but shooting a giant buck with a traditional bow can be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I just love chasing big white-tailed deer., Lynn Jareds Kentucky WhitetailScore: 171 inchesDate of Kill: Sept. 7, 2021Location: Clinton County, Ky.Weapon: Bowtech compound bow, Lynn Jared grew up hunting in the hills of Tennessee, and now also hunts in Kentucky. On a morning when the bucks in Scott County were in a serious mood for love, Jason Hooper got a lucky break when he pulled the trigger on the first shooter than ran past chasing a doe. The buck dropped close by, but as Watson climbed down the tree to make a follow-up shot, the strap on one of his climbing sticks broke and he fell roughly 17 feet to the ground. But thats life in Hills part of South Carolina, and last season, a big deer was waiting for him. Amazingly, the doe blew past and hurriedly got on the upwind side of Ryan and stopped. When the buck stopped in an opening about 35 yards away, Watson drew his pin and let go. It was my best chance to get a shot at this buck before he got off his pattern.. It was taken on a morning hunt during the modern gun Christmas season. We estimate he was 7 1/2 years old. However, some just keep growing. Dad came alive. Before the hunt, Lance and his dad were talking and couldnt decide on which stand to sit. He knew something wasn't right and turned around and went straight back. Courtesy of onX Hunt, here are the eight states in the USA with the highest deer density: Mississippi: 38 deer per square mile. Ive been hunting all my life, Murdaugh said. The buck I missed was the sixth one to run through there that morning, said Hooper, a former Jackson resident now living in Benton, Ark. Discover the Most Dangerous (Deadliest) Animals in Arkansas; WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. He was bowhunting from the ground with some natural brush around him. 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. The moment Moreland got photos of a buck with wide, heavy antlers and what looked like 15 scoreable points, he made the decision to target only that deer. And I knew I would get to do some duck hunting, now that the buck was dead. Arnold, an environmental engineer for Tyson Foods, is an expert bowhunter who hunts in some of America's most . All I had been doing for the last four years was hunt this deer, and there he was, lying dead. He stood behind a big pecan tree for about five minutes. This deer stepped out on an old road directly across the patch from the shoot house I was in, Hooper said. It took a while, but they started to figure things out. Then the monster buck appeared. This time he got a gross non-typical score of 261 3/8, with a net of 230 7/8. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Beka lives on a small Southern Ohio homestead with her husband and three-year-old daughter, Isabella. The buck spun and took off into thick cover. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. I was sick as he pranced off with his nose in the air. When he succeeded, he was hooked. He went from fighting mode to loving mode and made a move. Minutes ticked by, the sun started its visible ascent and Latimers thoughts turned back to the big target buck. The buck dropped close by, but as Watson climbed down the tree to make a follow-up shot, the strap on one of his climbing sticks broke and he fell roughly 17 feet to the ground. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. It rained all day but stopped just before the afternoon hunt. That's based on photos from 2010, when he clearly wasn't over 3 1/2. Again, Moreland tried to call his buddy with the tracking dog again, but couldnt reach him. Weve been hunting that lease for about four years and the best weve done is a few 100-inch 8 points and maybe 110 or 120. "I didn't see him fall or hear him crash, but I could see the blood trail from the stand. Then, the big one stepped out. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. This deer is special because 8-pointers typically dont get to this level. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam. Although the arrow hit a little high, striking the spine but went through both lungs. Spicy Buttermilk Fried Goose Breast Sandwich. Fortunately, the boy was able to take him, resulting in a great first whitetail and sparing the big one's life. The deer closed within range, and Jared took the 27-yard, quartering-away shot. I killed a lot of deer with a gun before I started bowhunting about six years ago. There were bucks going everywhere at one time, and I actually shot at another deer and missed. Did I gut shoot him? It netted 209 0/8 Boone and Crockett, but grossed 216 2/8 B&C before the mandatory, 60-day drying period. This was a resident buck., Thinking the deer would remain on the property, they decided to not hunt the farm that year.