Advertisement. Ontario, 1977. I absolutely worked my tail off to get an opportunity at this buck. His late grandfather started JJ Ranch in 1961, but passed in 2009, and its been worked by the family ever since. Hunting public land, he killed a buck in the Natural State that would make a Midwesterner swoon. 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. He hit hard, fracturing a bone in his right leg and three vertebrae in his back. However, when it happened, he was focused on finishing the job. A slight southwest wind swept across the landscape. . In 2012, Ryan hunted this deer exclusively. After a while, this deer emerged, and slowly worked toward the blind. Around 2:30, Hall heard some deer and spotted two does walking through the water. That errant shot allowed him to stay in the stand, wait another hour or so and shoot and kill a 183-inch 16-point non-typical with double drop tines. It appeared that he was going to come right to me, Hall says. I called my dad at 7:45 a.m. and told him what had happened." . I could never get a consistent wind. Zach Edey had 17 points and 19 rebounds as No. At just about any time I could have gone and seen him a mile away in a bean field. []. All three deer were within 20 yards, and thats when he heard a fourth deer, then a fifth, coming from the same direction. With hunting season in the books, its time to make plans to bring your bucks to the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest. Dont forget to enter photos of your bucks in theBig Buck Photo Contestto be eligible for monthly giveaways. I hunted him pretty hard, but never encountered him.. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam. We estimate he was 7 1/2 years old. He knew something was wrong. A little buck was chasing a doe.. []. And theres only one of their treestands thats beside water. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. I heard a deer walking up the hill in the leaves grunting as he walked, Kamps said. In the meantime, the Moreland brothers continued their own search. On Sept. 30, 2021, he was glad of these strategic decisions. It took a while, but they started to figure things out. Im very fortunate to have had the opportunity not only to see a wild New Hampshire buck this big, but harvest him., Justin Kamps Illinois GiantScore: 170 inchesDate of Kill: Nov. 4, 2021Location: Northwest IllinoisWeapon: Hoyt RX-1 compound bow. He wasnt hunting that day so I asked if I could borrow his.. 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. This buck is known as the Missouri Monarch. But I promise yall this, I feel my dad more now than I ever have. I was excited and sad. The bucks probably started thinking about the looming rut just ahead. He arrowed a 5-year-old giant. Knowing I couldn't even come to my knees without breaking the little concealment we had, I decided to lie on my left side, using my left elbow for as solid a rest as could be achieved within the slight incline of the old fencerow. On Friday evening, Nov. 8, Ryan saw the monster for the first time all season. Everything about himhis frame, tines and beamis exceptional., Lee Dixons Tennessee TankScore: UnknownDate of Kill: 2021Location: TennesseeWeapon: .25-06 Remington. The first time, the buck was chasing does and didnt come close enough for a shot. . Its hard to put into words. Thank you, Dad, for being my constant in life. It later taped out at 186 3/8 inches. I still cant believe it. 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 hunting hill country in a 65-acre hay meadow, which was part of the larger 160-acre cattle operation. But, I will keep shooting the 125s and 130s because around here, those are what you expect and they are trophies.. Site by Gray Loon. They didnt have any encounters with the deer until after the rut. This was one buck that didnt have ground shrinkage, but had ground growth, he said. By 2021, there was no doubt this was the largest 4x4 hed ever hunted. The wind was just right for the spot he wanted to hunt. His spot put him facing eastward out into the field. Lefty was gone., Then, our family received news that rocked me to my core, Lee said. Kamps settled the pin and took it. Matt Reed tagged his biggest whitetail buck ever on Kentucky's September 3rd archery opener, after eying the buck all summer. Hooper realizes his good fortune, even if the story belies just how good a shot he usually is. Still, he only had five or six trail camera photos, and didnt have much hope of seeing the deer. | I remember telling them, 'It's going to be a perfect morning in the morning. Doctors said he only had weeks to live. Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. When it walked into the open, she touched off the 75-yard shot. They followed blood about 150 yards to the downed buck. The buck took off, the arrow still in him. I was trying to get another arrow in him, but he kind of flopped over in some brush and I couldnt get another [shot] from the stand.. They talked a lot, and hunting was a common topic. I was super excited. The next day, Luke Wilson was back in the same stand at 3:30. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Read other stories about big bucks killed this season by clickinghere. The 2021-22 deer season is a wrap, and some big whitetails fell between the opening and closing bells. The John and Gisele Fetterman Romance: A Ken Burns Documentary. He said he knew hed hit the buck based on the deers reaction at the shot, but . He has trail . Jonathan Moreland grew up hunting with a compound bow until, one day, he saw one of his fathers old recurves hanging on the wall. Bucks like this in New Hampshire on public land are far and few, Martinson said. One day, while Lee was with him at his house, his father confirmed his fears. Lefty fell right there. The eastern boundary of the county is the Mississippi River. The buck walked to about 20 yards and started raking tree limbs. As I walked up to him, it started dawning on me how big the left horn was. He came to 40 yards and stood by a brush pile. The farm seems different now. While in Mississippi, Hooper made many friends and became a serious deer hunter, joining a club in Scott County. "The buck chased in a doe at 7:05 a.m.," he says. Biggest buck ever killed in fl? Did I hit him in the leg? I moved 150 yards downwind of his bedding area and started rattling, Lee said. The left main beam had palmation, and the last circumferences were as big as the bases. 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. It was very warm for November, extending upward of 70 degrees with a southeasterly wind. The second time, I actually drew back, Hall says. We started game planning, dreaming of getting close to this magnificent animal.. Wisconsin: 33 deer per square mile. He missed. When I got him he weighed over 300 pounds on the hoof, as suspected. But Ryan isn't just any hunter. Rarely do you see a buck with a drop tine, let alone two of them. . For several years, however, he gave up most of his duck season to lock horns with the world-class buck. Again, Moreland tried to call his buddy with the tracking dog again, but couldnt reach him. 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. 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. Spicy Buttermilk Fried Goose Breast Sandwich. Before the hunt, Lance and his dad were talking and couldnt decide on which stand to sit. 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. 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. In retrospect, Watson believes the buck probably died after the first shot. He fractured a bone in his right . He was hunting in a large clearcut paralleled by a steep ridge line. Clickhereto read about other big bucks killed this season. He grabbed his bow, drew back, settled the pin, and took the 22-yard, broadside shot. Official B&C measurer Glen Salow came up with a 'green ' gross score of 258 7/8 inches. This photo isn't great so don't be confused by the extra antler on the bottom left; it's from an adjacent deer . To our surprise, nothing. BREATHE LIFE! He was 28 yards, quartering away, when he stopped. It ran about 50 yards and expired in the middle of the open field.While the buck scored 166 inches, it was the character that impressed her and others so much. For several years, however, he gave up most of his duck season to lock horns with the world-class buck. This 8 1/2-year-old buck killed by Mississippi hunter Justin Develle on Oct. 22, was ear-tagged in 2018 by the Mississippi State University Deer Lab as part of a buck-movement study. This buck means a lot to me because of my grandaddy, Jimmy Hill, Lance said. His travel patterns were extremely tight. I unhooked from the rope attaching me to the safety harness, and I made it two steps down. "He stopped at 40 yards, standing behind some trees. After several tense seconds, the deer offered a quartering-away shot opportunity, and Hill took it. Since then, I've only killed deer with my bow. In no specific order at this time. Some things are just meant to be, says Moreland. Ryan says, "I could have killed this deer with a rifle if it had been legal. So, Lance went with that. He stood behind a big pecan tree for about five minutes. It walked down a trail, turned broadside and offered a 20-yard, slightly-quartering-to shot opportunity. Lee Dixon and his father have been hunting together for 28 years. About 45 minutes later, he heard a leaf crunch to his right. He stood broadside, eight paces away. 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. Non-Typical: 312 inches. Not only that, but he also got the biggest buck killed in Arkansas during the 2008-09 deer season. A week later, he'd make up for that lost opportunity. At 16 yards, Mikell took aim at the giant and released his arrow. This time everything came pouring out.. . I couldnt see behind me so Im not sure where he came out from but he was walking up out of that drainage ditch. Follow along as the unbelievable story of Arkansas's New Longbow State Record unfolds!Watch as some of the most rare occurrences ever recorded on film during. Behind them was a solid 10-pointer, so he stood up and grabbed his bow. The mammoth rack was 17. To our knowledge, no one had seen this buck, and there are no trail cam pictures of him, Hooper said. "Apparently, the buck had put on roughly 50 or so inches from last year," Travis said. Date of Kill: Aug. 22, 2021. My two boys were familiar with the buck, as they go through pictures with me. (Photo courtesy of Tres Jackson) Hunter: Tres . The action was fast and furious right from the get-go. There were bucks going everywhere at one time, and I actually shot at another deer and missed. Likewise, the last 200-class buck to break into Boone and Crocket Club's list, which includes gun-hunted deer, was also killed in 2003, and 2000 before that. "Every year I have an inventory of every deer on the place. The spread was 16 5/8 inches, and the longest tines were the two G2s at 8 1/8 and 7 7/8 inches. Lee settled the crosshairs and pulled the trigger. . He knew something wasn't right and turned around and went straight back. A friend killed a big buck that he entered in the Big Buck Classic, and Watts said the bigger buck was running with it. It was heaven-sent to our family. They didn't want me to leave. 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. The 200-yard shot hit its mark. Check out these 10 monster bucks that were taken throughout the country. The buck ran about 35 yards, and Lucas watched him fall. 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. With an unofficial Boone and Crockett score of 194 1/8 inches, the . He waited until the deer got behind a tree and started to move, but Lefty heard him, and stopped cold in his tracks. "About 50 yards behind the doe, there he was. I sat there for a couple of hours, going through trail camera cards, Hall says. I've got to be in the stand.'". 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. He still has a deep bone bruise on his left heel and a fractured fibula in his right leg. Just $1 per month , After a month of dogging the elusive deer, bowhunter Jonathan Moreland arrows a Natural State giant, By 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. 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. Morelands arrow went in perfectly through the top of one lung, but hit a rib on the opposite side. Despite his pursuit to further his education, his desire to pursue the buck hadn't diminished. He was truly the deer of a lifetime.. He lived in Mississippi until 2004, when he moved back to the Arkansas town of Benton just southwest of Little Rock. 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 . All Rights Reserved. After taking the buck, Travis learned a neighbor had been watching the buck and seeing it on his trail cameras for two years. I purchased a lifetime license before leaving there.. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. Foster buck was killed in Roane County in 1959. . Arkansas deer usually score around 120 to 130 inches, Moreland says. After 38 years of hunting, the dreams of a Booner finally came true, Jared said. 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. With a net non-typical score of 212 6/8 it is also our largest whitetail ever taken with a muzzleloader. About an hour into the afternoon hunt, a doe appeared about 100 yards away and walked down through the finger of trees. It's one of the biggest ever killed in the Southeast. 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 rained all day but stopped just before the afternoon hunt. The buck was as massive as hed looked on camera, and the biggest Moreland had ever killed. Lucky hat brings nurse Jefferson County monster, 159-inch buck killed by 15-year-old East Rankin Academy student, With hunting season in the books, its time to make plans to bring your bucks to the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. The rack gross scores 214 1/8 and nets 212 1/8. That would intimidate most hunters, but he commonly uses a boat to get to and from his best spots. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. Typically, in regions influenced by the flood stages of the Mississippi River, the rut is later than the traditional Midwestern rut of mid-November. A week later, deer season opened. 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. Ryan's foresight and patience were mature beyond his years. He couldnt retrieve his deer since he had to go immediately to the hospital. It was a very sunny day with temps in the mid-50s. To their surprise, he wasnt there. Then the monster buck appeared. I ran to the house and headed straight to Dads, he said. The biggest buck entered so far was a 195-2/8" behemoth shot in Drew County, Arkansas. Discover the Most Dangerous (Deadliest) Animals in Arkansas; WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. He decided to leave work early, hiked into the woods, and climbed the same tree he had done so many times before. But the big buck, even with a good shot, bounded out of sight. It broke the 50-year record held by the #2 Spot! 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. The Boyett buck sits at . The arrow slipped right behind his shoulder, and the buck didnt go far. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. "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. "I remember the exact time because I got a text from a friend saying that he had killed a buck." After the 60-day drying period, he again taped the rack. By now the deer was a huge 9-pointer that grossed over 160 inches. The firearms seasons are only five days collectively. That's the beauty of hunting. March 3, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, March 1, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, The story of Preston Halls two-year quest for a monster buck on state ground. And dont forget about theMississippi Sportsman Big Buck Photo Contest, which is free and offers great monthly Sportsman Gear prizes. Jacob Latimer first learned of this buck during the 2020 deer season. I was overcome with emotion when we recovered the big eight. Ive been hunting all my life, Murdaugh said. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton talk about being realistic when it comes to managing a smaller deer property in this edition of Dr. The hunt unfolded on Nov. 28. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . . The following table contains some of the largest whitetail deer in Arkansas. On the afternoon of Oct. 13, Moreland finally got the shot hed been waiting for. In fact, he wouldnt be able to see the slain 163-inch buck until the following afternoon when his friend brought the deer to the hospital parking lot. Around 6:55 p.m., this giant buck stepped out of the cover and walked toward him. Camping is available at Storm Creek Lake Recreation Area, about 4 miles northwest of Helena-West Helena. 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.. Neither can most people who hunt this Southwest Mississippi county, which has produced only one non-typical entry in the Magnolia Records Program, a 174 4/8-inch 10-point in 2011. Check out these 10 monster bucks that were taken throughout the country. "I keep cameras up nine months of year on the 300-acre block of woods I'm now in charge of managing," he says. Like many of his fellow Arkansans, Ryan is a deer and duck fanatic. Your rifle is your most important hunting tool, and knowing how to properly clean and store it when hunting season comes to a close is critical in keeping it in tip-top shape. 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. "He got to about 25 yards, and I drew when he went behind the tree," Ryan says. 3 Men Cited for Poaching 34-Point Buck. Im a pretty good rifle shot; for some reason it comes naturally to me, and I dont typically miss. Score: 155 inches. In addition to the single short drop tine, the deer had two split brow tines one with three splits. Ive been putting food plots in, hunting hard and so much more for years, and it finally came together. That errant shot allowed him to stay in the stand, wait another hour or so and shoot and kill a 183-inch 16-point non-typical with double drop tines. So I guess Im back to hunting the 100-inch 8-points, but I know I will be more selective and start passing on the promising ones, he said. Much to his surprise, he turned, and there stood Lefty about 70 yards away. Instead, he recruited another friend to help him grid-search the woods. Knowing it wasnt a great shot, Johnathan called a buddy who had a tracking dog. Jurassic-era insect found near Arkansas Walmart . A mature Missouri buck showcased some serious head gear totaling a staggering 333 7/8 inches, making it the most giant whitetail ever scored. Surprisingly, one camera took 50 to 60 pictures of the monster within a few days. This deer is special because 8-pointers typically dont get to this level. After a few days of class, he again left on Thursday night and headed home to hunt. He encountered the buck a second time soon after. This is also the part that can be frustrating. Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. We got permission on a new property in early July of 2021, and thats the first time we got him on camera, she said. 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. The next morning, he greeted sunrise from his tree stand. After a wait that seemed like an eternity, the doe finally started walking . What is the world record for the biggest deer shot? I glanced over and all I could see was antlers, he said. Ryan is a native of the region and the son of a farmer. Despite having broken off a 9-inch tine on his left side when he crashed, there was no ground shrinkage. Dad came alive. We called the buck Spider Man because we had hundreds of velvet pictures of him with a spider web in front of the camera.. The stage now was set for him to truly blossom into a world-class trophy. He used briars and small cedar trees as cover as he went. I still have a lot of friends and some family in Mississippi, and the only time I get to come back and hunt is during the Christmas holidays, he said. On October 17, Watson got pictures of the buck from his cellular trail cam near the treestand. Its where I untangle my mind., Jason Lucas Illinois WhitetailScore: 168 inchesDate of Kill: Dec. 8, 2021Location: Central IllinoisWeapon: Mathews Triax compound bow.