Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Finally got him

Well, I'll start by saying that I live and hunt in Florida. A State that is certainly not known for Big Bucks like up north and out west. But it's Deer hunting none the less. Scouting last year I got a Good Buck for Florida on one of my trail cams. About a month later I got a pic of him on another one of my cams on a different part of the timber company lease. Its just under 5,000 acres.

He became number one on my hit list. I would get a couple pics of him and then he would vanish for several weeks. Then he would show up again in the other spot for a few days and vanish again. This started a cat and mouse game of me trying to pattern him. I tried to get him in my sights during archery, muzzleloader and rifle season. I saw him once last year but at a distance, no shot.





He survived the season and showed up again in one of the same spots as he did last year.




Not the best pictures. I took a pic of the card reader with my phone. But you can still tell he's a nice buck.

I didn't get the chance to hunt this year during archery or muzzleloader. I was taking care of my 96 year old Mother who was not doing well. She passed in October. After taking care of some family matters I was able to get back to the lease and start hunting again. To my surprise he was on camera and doing well. I thought for sure someone would have shot him by now.

My plan was to rotate between the two spots he was showing up at. Always hunting the stand that put the wind in my favor. His pattern was to show up for 2 sometimes 3 days in row at one spot right at first or last light then go dark for a couple of weeks then show up again same thing. Always during twilight.

Well it seems that he was doing a better job of patterning me than I was him. He was very elusive. I did see him once briefly at approx. 300yds crossing an opening. He didn't stop. No shot. He seem to always be one step ahead of me. This happened the next several trips to camp.

Last time I got back to camp I changed things up a bit. I left to go to the stand earlier than normal. I came in from a different direction and parked in a different spot much further away. I walked over a quarter mile in the dark with no headlight and slipped into the stand quietly about an hour and 15 minutes before first light. It was a beautiful morning. 40 degrees and still.

As time went by you could start to see a thin sliver of light on the horizon. I was just thinking hurry up and get light enough to see through the scope. I would check every few minutes and think not yet but soon. I set the firedot on my VX5 HD on the low setting. I could now see enough to scan out in front of me It was twilight. Everything looked like a black and white photo. No color, just shades of light and dark but I could make out shapes. A few minutes go by and I scan to my right and I see a rack, still, not moving at the edge of the pines. I immediately knew it was him.

He took a slow step forward and stopped. He was out of the pines at about 80-90 yards. there was just enough vegetation to cover his body but I could now see his head and rack. He took another slow step and stopped. He was being very cautious. Another couple of steps and he would be in the open. I eased off the safety, He slowly moved forward. As he stepped into the open I could see him good but everything was still shades of light and dark grey.

I put the red fire dot on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger of my 270. As the shot broke he dropped in his tracks. His back leg kicked once and that was it. I finally got him. I have been hunting WT Deer for over 50 years. I have hunted them in 5 different states. I have killed many Bucks bigger than this one. But never a more worthy opponent.

Congrats!

Congrats!

🤜🏻🤛

Nice buck - glad your persistence paid off for you.

Very nice

That is a nice buck for most places.

Congrats on a fine buck, jc!

what did he weigh? congrats on your trophy buck?

He weighed 160 lbs. I know that doesn't seem like anything special. But that's a pretty good one in my neck of the woods. They just don't get much over 125-130 lbs where I hunt.

Well done man! Heck of a buck for that geo.

Very nice buck for Florida, congratulations!

Great buck anywhere. Congratulations.

That’s a beauty. Congratulations !

Some trophies are special, contrats!

Congrats on the buck!

Great story and congrats!

Way to go! And, a great story. Thanks for sharing that.

Alrighty! Glad you got him.

Nice buck. Congratulations

You look alot happier than him, great buck.

Nice buck!

Sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. She was lucky to have you. Congrats on the buck. Your story captured the essence of deep southern woods hunting. He's damn sure a trophy.

Dandy of a buck. Something really satisfying about going after one buck and succeeding. Congratulations.

good deal, FLA bucks are sneaky

Nice buck!! Persistence paid off!! Thanks for sharing.

Ya done good!

No matter what the size of the deer or part of the country you hunt in, any specific buck you successfully take after months of planning is like Christmas morning.

He looks like he was eating well for a Florida buck, too.

X2. Yes sir

Awesome

Thanks for the comments guys.

I did a Euro skull mount on him. I think it turned out ok.

Congrats!

Congratulations on a fine deer!
Persistence pays!!

Cool buck!

Very cool, nice job from start to finish!

Condolences for you in regards to your Mom.

Congrats on the fine buck.😎

congrats nice buck !

Well done. Congrats.

I'd think exceptional for Florida. Good going.

Thanks so much for sharing! I love to hear the stories behind the pictures.

Congrats. Plenty of good eating there.

That is a nice deer most anywhere. Congratulations.

What a wonderful hunt and story of skill and perseverance.

I am sorry to hear that your mum passed.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas.

Very nice! Waidmannsheil !!! 🦌🌿📯

Congrats !

Mount turned out great too !

That's a nice buck and a good story well told. Congratulations.

Agreed! Great buck & congratulations.

Congratulations..

I really enjoyed reading that

congratulations on a very nice buck, excellent story

Well done. Congrats !

Nice Work!

Great job figuring this big boy out. Payday.

That's awesome!!!! Congrats! Nothing like getting the one you've been after!

Awesome job

Congrats on your buck jc!

What I really like most about this thread tho?

Plenty of congrat posts, and it is devoid of the usual small crowd that gets on a thread and then turn it into a 20 to 30 page pissing contest.

This thread is like the campfire use to be back when I started here 20 years ago...

That what makes this thread all the more enjoyable.

Thanks for that also...

You definitely deserved that one. Awesome job, congrats. Did you happen to age him to see how old he was?

congrats!!!

Thanks, he was 4 1/2 years old.

Great buck. Congratulations.