20 Point buck killed in East Texas

[Tshelly]

You sir have done something truly special! I'm sure we'll see some high scoring bucks on here this season but this one will be hard to top. Hunting East Texas free range, to me, is the cream of the bowhunter crop. You have to HUNT, not just wait and watch, THAT is what I call a trophy!!! Congrats my friend!!

This is so true. Nothing against sitting at a feeder sight for a big buck but its not like that in East Texas where I hunt. You hunt trails, you put hand corn out, you play the wind and you pray that one of those east texas ghosts pushes a doe past you

again well done my friend! Congratulations, once in a lifetime deer

[EastTx]

Great story and great buck. That is definitely a buck of a lifetime! I know you have to be on cloud nine right now. Congratulations!

[Joshua Flournoy]

What's the countryside look like around there in Rains Cty.? That's not a county I typically think of when I think of east Texas, but that may just be because I grew up in deep east Texas, Angelina Cty., pine tree country.

[DaveC]

Congrats on the Monster, deer like this give East Texas hunters hope.

[vanmedic]

Congrats!!!! Amazing buck, I hunt and live one county over and have a 160-170 class I am hunting as well and thought he was a brute, but that sir is impressive!!!! Great story

[DrJ]

Wow! Somehow, buck of a lifetime just doesn't say it! Congratulations!

[lawbu]

Unbelievable buck. Thanks for giving us the story!

[matt williams]

Buck Story

Okay for those who want to know a little more about the story, It all started in early August when i was doing some scouting on a place in Rains county. When i go to hang a new set i use common sense and I know you've probably all have heard "look for the 3 things cover, food, and water" then i try to determine which of the 3 is the lesser. For me it was water so i got within a hundred yards of water but in a place that still had cover. Before i hung my set i decided to put a couple of cameras up. Make note i had no idea this buck was running around out there. The land owner that lets me hunt doesn't allow feeders because of the hog problem, and i don't blame its definitely a problem out there, We don't protein feed or anything like that either for those who were wondering. So back to the story i poured about a 1/2 bag of corn on the ground just to see if there were any bucks hanging in the area. I saw lots of deer sign so i was anxious to get back and check my camera. After about 2 weeks i made it back in there and pulled my card, little did i know i was about to see i giant on my camera. When i got home my buddy Wade happened to stop by while i was in the process of going through pics....AND BAM! there he was. I think all we did was laugh about it because it seriously didnt feel like real life. I thought someone was playing a joke on me. Lol Then i told him if he told anyone i would probably have to kill him too. lol To fast fwd a little bit opening day was here and i couldn't wait to get into the stand. I had a good idea what direction i thought he would be coming from but that first morning I only saw one buck. Sunday morning just barely after daylight i caught some movement through the woods. As the deer got closer i was trying to determine if it was my buck or not. Sad thing was they were at 40 yards and i couldn't tell anything about them because there was just too much brush and trees in the way. I checked the wind and it was perfect next thing you know the deer started acting funny so i checked it again and sure enough the wind was swirling right at them. At that point i still didn't know if it was him or not but i just had this gut feeling it was then both bucks turned and walked away and there was no mistaken it was the buck i had been hunting and was gone. I was sick, i knew it was a slim shot i would even see the deer much less have him in bow range and let him get away from me with out a shot. I guess to help cope with the situation i just set in my stand and started laughing about it and said it just not my time for this buck. I packed up an 2 hrs later and went home. Monday rolled around and you have no idea how bad i wanted to call in to work but i decided the best thing to do was let the woods rest and try to come back on Wednesday. So thats what i did. I woke up, showered, scented down, drive half naked to my hunting place, get out of the truck then put all my hunting clothes on, scent down again and start walking. Its a long walk to my stand let me tell you. By the time i made it to my tree i was completely soaked with sweat and telling myself what a dumb idea to hunt on one of the hottest mornings yet of bow season. Once i got to the tree i sprayed down again and actually put up one of those ozonics. I borrowed my buddys because i was willing to try anything. The wind was out of the SSE which isnt good for that stand i hunted but i knew time was running out and the bucks would be changing there patterns soon. I chose to be aggressive rather then wait for the "perfect wind". and at day break i had a really nice buck come straight from downwind and walk on a trail right by me. I thought to myself man maybe these ozonics really do work because trust me I was skeptical about them. Then 15 min later i heard a deer walking from straight behind. Once it got close i heard it freak out and jump or something, i knew it had got my wind even though it was on the upwind side of the tree. As i turn slowly to look it was 8 point and it kept walking on the trail but was very nervous and he walked right by me. Then all of the sudden i look back and there he was, the noise I heard I believe came from the Big buck because he was still just standing there not 8 yards down from the tree. I didn't have shot and he busted he ran on the same trail the 8 point did but stopped at about 20 yards. Still had no shot he was behind trees and other limbs and i thought to myself this can not happen to me again. About that time he eased out to the right and i was on go. I had drawn my bow and had a perfect broadside shot, i leaned out a little because of one limb i was trying to dodge and sent an arrow at him. Whack... I knew i smoked him. He ran about 75 yards and i heard him crash. It all happened so fast i never really had time to get nervous but after the shot i nearly fell out of the tree i was shaking so bad. Its funny how things work out, one day you can have the perfect wind and still have everything go wrong and then a few days later have the worst possible wind and things just go your way unexpectedly. Although i didn't put in a lot of tree stand hours i sure felt a weight had been lifted off of me because i devoted so much time and energy into trying to kill this buck. For all you fellow bowhunters out there i hope you get a chance at a buck of a lifetime because it truly is a surreal feeling.

Bowtech10,

Congrats on your buck. I am a freelance outdoors writer based in Nacogdoches. I write for several newspapers and magazines including Texas Trophy Hunters, Texas Fish and Game and Texas Sportsman. I would like to talk to you about your deer. Please give me a call at 936-564-3594 or e-mail me with a phone number where you can be reached, mattwilliams@netdot.com.

[Bowtech10]

What's the countryside look like around there in Rains Cty.? That's not a county I typically think of when I think of east Texas, but that may just be because I grew up in deep east Texas, Angelina Cty., pine tree country.

I probably should have said North East texas that may have better pinpointed my location. Lots of different types of hunting syles to choose from. Hardwoods, bottoms, hay meadows etc..Emory would be the closest town and is located bewtween the lakes of Tawakoni and Lake Fork.

[Rishnik]

Great job! Thanks for the detailed story. Lots of good learning lessons in there.

[8pointer]

If there is anyway you could post some TC pictures of him, we would love to see them! that is an awesome deer!!!!

[JMAG]

Monster!!! Congrats!!!

[Oneway]

Congrats! Shawn was talking to you about me this morning! That is an Awesome Deer!

[20 Yard Ninja]

What an incredible deer

[Burnadell]

Congratulations again, Cody! That is truly an awesome buck and a great story! I know how hard you hunt, so...well deserved, my friend!