# I think "RUFUS" Escaped



## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

Pulled the card this weekend after 3 weeks in the woods and found this Dude in several pictures all times of the day. For 3 days i was sure "rufus" The 180 inch buck had escaped and was feeding at my feeder. This is by far the biggest deer i have ever seen in GA and possible any where i have ever hunted. Lets hope he doesnt vanish into thin air when the season gets kicking.


17 scorable points , split brow tines, split double unicorn tines coming off his forehead, split G-2 and several bumps we cant see clearly.


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## pcrouch (Jul 20, 2011)

holy moly!


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## Highintheshoulder (Jul 20, 2011)

Thats a sure nuff good one.


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## dtala (Jul 20, 2011)

nice buck, looks to be a four year old.


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## OleCountryBoy (Jul 20, 2011)

Oh My!  If there was a buck like that on our lease I wouldn't be seen for a few months or however long it takes come mid Sept.  I wouldn't be sharing pics either....that's something you keep under cover until you got 'em.


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## jtomczak (Jul 20, 2011)

wow


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

OleCountryBoy said:


> Oh My!  If there was a buck like that on our lease I wouldn't be seen for a few months or however long it takes come mid Sept.  I wouldn't be sharing pics either....that's something you keep under cover until you got 'em.




Well if i didnt share , for that matter if no one shared , what kind of site would this even be......


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## DSGB (Jul 20, 2011)

Nice! I'm sure some sleep will be lost, as the season gets closer, thinking about that buck. Good luck!


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## j_seph (Jul 20, 2011)

There he is, I been looking for him every since he dug out from the pen!


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## pasinthrough (Jul 20, 2011)

Heck, I'd kill him now!

Super buck!


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

pasinthrough said:


> Heck, I'd kill him now!
> 
> Super buck!




Well that would be poaching SIR :

Also try to expalin to the taxidermist why he is in full velvet when you take him in 2 months early to be mounted.

I know your Joking 

This deer will be taken with a bow or a gun legally or he wont be taken by me. 

as we all know , deer roam alot so i wouldnt be suprized if i never see him ever during season, but i sure am dreaming about that day if it ever comes.
THX MIKE.


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## 1gr8bldr (Jul 20, 2011)

Whatever you do, DO NOT LET THAT FEEDER RUN OUT


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## pasinthrough (Jul 20, 2011)

titlewave said:


> Well that would be poaching SIR :
> 
> Also try to expalin to the taxidermist why he is in full velvet when you take him in 2 months early to be mounted.
> 
> ...


 

Yes, I was joking.  Kinda why I used the pot stiring icon...


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## miner (Jul 20, 2011)

Nice buck!! post some more pics if you have them.What county?


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

miner said:


> Nice buck!! post some more pics if you have them.What county?




Thanks

South West of Roswell by 2 hours 

I will post some more here shortly.


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## 130class (Jul 20, 2011)

In 1-2 years he will be a monster. Better let him  walk. He might only be 4 years old.


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

130class said:


> In 1-2 years he will be a monster. Better let him  walk. He might only be 4 years old.




Here is the deal


He is probably 4 years old..........

this is a lease...................

we could loose it any time.................. or be clear cut............

I have spent thousands of dollars working for such a deer and countless hours working , planting  and getting ready for such a deer.


If you see a 175 inch buck and let it walk , you are a better man than me here in GA as there are just not that many deer this size in our state or for that matter the SE.

This deer makes one mistake and i dont screw it up, he is on my wall period end of story .

4 year old or not !


THX for the reply.


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## Rolltide30 (Jul 20, 2011)

Nice!


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## Kootie (Jul 20, 2011)

*Look alike*

That deer looks alot like this guy from 2009. I'm not trying to hijack your thread but I was surprised to see how much they look alike. I watched this deer for months on trail cam and then never saw him during the season. 

Good Luck


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## Quailbird (Jul 20, 2011)

I know the temptation is there not to share, but I'm glad you did.  To say that is a fine buck is an understatement.  Good luck trying to get him and good luck with your lease!


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## Dallen92 (Jul 20, 2011)

Absolute giant!!


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## Killdee (Jul 20, 2011)

Glad you did put up the pic's, I know I always enjoy the hunting more just knowing I have a good un on the property, good luck with em!!!!! I post up my pics 2, havent seen nothing impressive to show yet. You just running corn or something else? He looks like he's well fed regardless.


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## 130class (Jul 20, 2011)

titlewave said:


> Here is the deal
> 
> 
> He is probably 4 years old..........
> ...



Your welcome.  To clarify, I'd shoot him in a heart beat.  I hope you get him. 

Sarcasm sometimes is hard to type.


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## hummdaddy (Jul 20, 2011)

great buck


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## ehunter70 (Jul 20, 2011)

i am hunting with you


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## 242outdoors (Jul 20, 2011)

more interested in the turkeys....anymore pics of them?


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## 1gr8bldr (Jul 20, 2011)

1gr8bldr said:


> Whatever you do, DO NOT LET THAT FEEDER RUN OUT


 I just looked at your pic again, I'll bet it was the clover and not the corn that got him started coming to this spot


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## bhdawgs (Jul 20, 2011)

Thats one of the biggest I have ever seen this early.  He may push B&C.   Get him!


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## SC Hunter (Jul 20, 2011)

That sir is a very nice buck! I hope you get a chance to get a shot at him and seal the deal!


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## joshsmallwood1 (Jul 20, 2011)

I think you need to load him up and take him to the blast in macon! That is nice!


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

Killdee said:


> Glad you did put up the pic's, I know I always enjoy the hunting more just knowing I have a good un on the property, good luck with em!!!!! I post up my pics 2, havent seen nothing impressive to show yet. You just running corn or something else? He looks like he's well fed regardless.



Thanks KillDee


As for what we are feeding : Planting 3 years in a row with high dollar seed from whitetail institute clover , chicory and different winter type ryes and radish : we fertilized and limed the property every year to bring the PH up: Trophy Rock and Trophy rack mineral stations all over our property:

We have put  6 - 225 pound feeders with corn running always during the off-season 2 times a day.

:::basically spared no expense :::


THEN

Work city with bush hogging ,plowing, trail and road work, weed whacking....machete work ....ect.... 



:We have taken no Monster deer as of this year :

:Hope to break that streak this year by sticking to our hit list and killing nothing else:

But i say that knowing this is hunting and not killing......


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

1gr8bldr said:


> I just looked at your pic again, I'll bet it was the clover and not the corn that got him started coming to this spot



I have so many pictures of these deer eating mostly the greens , So yes the greens help big time::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

"year round buffet"


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## shakey gizzard (Jul 20, 2011)

Ive seen that Roswell deer before!


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## Jim Thompson (Jul 20, 2011)

fine buck for sure./  good luck seeing him again during season.

need to move the cam a hair closer to the feeder for some up close and personals


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## HuntinDawg89 (Jul 20, 2011)

It sounds like you guys have done a great job with that property, but I'm curious why you are feeding corn in the feeders instead of something more beneficial like protein pellets.

Just curious.  He is a tremendous buck and I hope you get him...unless your lease is down the road from where I hunt in which case I hope he pays me a visit!  Here bucky bucky buck...


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

Jim Thompson said:


> fine buck for sure./  good luck seeing him again during season.
> 
> need to move the cam a hair closer to the feeder for some up close and personals



thats the closest tree to the plot , but the picture is hi res and when i blow it up : Holy Cow !

cant seem to post the picture in the res it is in, but here is a stab.


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## Jim Thompson (Jul 20, 2011)

yep sweet beast

we use a metal fence post when we need a cam and dont have trees.


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## titlewave (Jul 20, 2011)

HuntinDawg89 said:


> It sounds like you guys have done a great job with that property, but I'm curious why you are feeding corn in the feeders instead of something more beneficial like protein pellets.
> 
> Just curious.  He is a tremendous buck and I hope you get him...unless your lease is down the road from where I hunt in which case I hope he pays me a visit!  Here bucky bucky buck...



Well thats a great Question:

We tried pellets , and they just never would eat the dang stuff . Then it rains and it gets mushy , even the coated stuff was no good.

The protein is in the greens , radish and peas ,the corn is the Candy they seem to love....the most.

Throw in a few tons of trophy rack mineral , and we have crazy deer running around.

As for being near us ............He lives in GA so someone is gonna see him at some point in person


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## whitetaco02 (Jul 20, 2011)

Jim Thompson said:


> yep sweet beast
> 
> we use a metal fence post when we need a cam and dont have trees.



I steal my wife's Christmas tree holder. lol


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## dawg2 (Jul 20, 2011)

That is a nice buck.  I hope you get him!


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## riskyb (Jul 20, 2011)

smoke him


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Jul 20, 2011)

titlewave said:


> Well if i didnt share , for that matter if no one shared , what kind of site would this even be......


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## ridge hunter (Jul 21, 2011)

Great buck and hope you get him good luck!


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## Jim Thompson (Jul 21, 2011)

whitetaco02 said:


> I steal my wife's Christmas tree holder. lol




theif


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## Forest Grump (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks also for posting. I believe I have not seen anyone on here this year with a bigger one. You may win the prize.

Clearly, whatever you have been feeding is sufficient to produce excellent results. (If you wish to reduce competition at your feeder by removing some of those aggravating birds, send me a pm, I can help out in April )

By all means, under no circumstances, no matter how they continue to provoke you, tell ANYONE where that deer is. Especially given that it is a lease: if you don't get a slew of poachers, etc... somebody for sure would double what you pay the landowner to snatch it out from under you. Don't think for a minute it can't happen.

Look forward to seeing the post-harvest pics. Good Luck!

Oh, and as far as moving cam to feeder: the reverse is also true, you can inch the feeder closer to the camera & get the same result, but if I were you I'd be loathe to do anything that might make him stop coming to my spot until I used a weapon to permanently stop him. Mine certainly develop camera avoidance on the bean plots pretty quick. I tend not to leave 'em on a spot like I used to for that reason.


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## Whaler_Dave (Jul 21, 2011)

I'd get kicked out of the house if I had one on my lease like that....for not ever coming home and hunting ALL the time.  Good luck with him....hope he sticks around for ya.  Post some more pics if ya get any better ones.


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## Meriwether Mike (Jul 21, 2011)

I hope you let the air out of him! Good luck!!


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## kevincox (Jul 21, 2011)

Gotta love a big Non-Typical like that!


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## S Adams (Jul 21, 2011)

Thats a good one!


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## 00Beau (Jul 21, 2011)

Wow, Good Luck!!!


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## Jim Boyd (Jul 21, 2011)

Absolute BEAST...


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## Gut_Pile (Jul 21, 2011)

STUD!!! Good luck on killing him!


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## kedo (Jul 21, 2011)

What a beast!!! That's gotta be a GA state record or dern close to it!!!

Good luck dropping him!!!


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## ted_BSR (Jul 21, 2011)

I would be moving that camera to try and find his entry and exit points, then use aerial photography to try and pinpoint his bedding area. Good luck man, I hope you get him!


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## OleCountryBoy (Jul 21, 2011)

*Not quite a GA record but a fine one for sure*



kedo said:


> What a beast!!! That's gotta be a GA state record or dern close to it!!!
> 
> Good luck dropping him!!!



Billy Joe's Telfair buck by comparison.


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## titlewave (Jul 21, 2011)

OleCountryBoy said:


> Billy Joe's Telfair buck by comparison.



AGREED

This guy isn't even close to the state record , but it would be my personal Record........Thats for sure


THX GUY'S


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## BThunder (Jul 25, 2011)

Had several pics of this buck about this same time of year in 2008. As soon as we took out the supplemental feed a few weeks before bow season he COMPLETELY vanished. There's only 4 hunters in my club on a small 160 acre tract. We thought for sure he was gone - till he showed up Nov 21 --now he's in my avatar.  I found it interesting how similar these two bucks are when I saw your pics. 

One thing we did that year was totally stepped up our scent awareness and our routes to and from stands. Totally scent free all the time. No four wheelers thru the gate. No scouting in areas we already didnt know. Hang and hunt if we wanted to move our stands. IMO when you know your got a bruiser like that on your property do everything you can do to try to keep him there. One other thing - he was the first deer shot at in my club that year. All of us held out in hopes of him and to reduce as much pressure as possible.


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## walkinboss01 (Jul 25, 2011)

SUPER BUCK!! Good luck with him this season.


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## bowtie (Jul 27, 2011)

man what a deer....good luck...


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## TailChaser (Jul 27, 2011)

I agree, what a deer!  That is what it takes, time, effort and a game plan to bring a deer like that down.  Good luck, not long and it will be time to get after him!


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## rtp (Jul 27, 2011)

Congrats on that bruiser.  He is a stud for anywhere.  You/yall have really put in the work and expense it sounds like and now may reap some reward for it.  I wish you luck.  When does the season start for yall?


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## Curtis-UGA (Jul 27, 2011)

BThunder said:


> Had several pics of this buck about this same time of year in 2008. As soon as we took out the supplemental feed a few weeks before bow season he COMPLETELY vanished. There's only 4 hunters in my club on a small 160 acre tract. We thought for sure he was gone - till he showed up Nov 21 --now he's in my avatar.  I found it interesting how similar these two bucks are when I saw your pics.
> 
> One thing we did that year was totally stepped up our scent awareness and our routes to and from stands. Totally scent free all the time. No four wheelers thru the gate. No scouting in areas we already didnt know. Hang and hunt if we wanted to move our stands. IMO when you know your got a bruiser like that on your property do everything you can do to try to keep him there. One other thing - he was the first deer shot at in my club that year. All of us held out in hopes of him and to reduce as much pressure as possible.



Great advice. We should always hunt like that. From the camera to the taigate is a long journey. Good luck with him. A true stud!


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## orangesmoke20 (Jul 30, 2011)

good luck man,we'll b seeing you on the cover of GON.


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## EuroTech (Aug 1, 2011)

Awsome buck.


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## Big_Country_311 (Aug 1, 2011)

One Word.....FREAK!


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## alwayshuntin10 (Aug 1, 2011)

I wish u all the luck in the world on this giant white tail. He sure enough is a great Buck. And it seems like you've paid ur dues for him so all I can say is good luck. I hope to see some pics this fall of him without a pulse lol... good hunting to ya.


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## alwayshuntin10 (Aug 1, 2011)

*all the best luck to you*

I wish u all the luck in the world on this giant white tail. He sure enough is a great Buck. And it seems like you've paid ur dues for him so all I can say is good luck. I hope to see some pics this fall of him without a pulse lol... good hunting to ya.


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## S Adams (Aug 1, 2011)

Any up-date on this P I G?


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## goods in the woods (Aug 2, 2011)

That buck should be nicknamed "Home Wrecker" or "Insomnia"!!!


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## titlewave (Aug 2, 2011)

S Adams said:


> Any up-date on this P I G?



Seems he likes to eat corn for breakfast and minerals for a late night snack.

He is still hanging around as of today


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## doublelungdriller (Aug 3, 2011)

titlewave said:


> Seems he likes to eat corn for breakfast and minerals for a late night snack.
> 
> He is still hanging around as of today



November is good but your best chance is the first few days of bow season before he changes! Good look! Get in alot of practice these next few weeks & on a gon cover you will be!


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## kathy1959 (Aug 3, 2011)

Good luck....


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## S Adams (Aug 3, 2011)

titlewave said:


> Seems he likes to eat corn for breakfast and minerals for a late night snack.
> 
> He is still hanging around as of today



Good luck with him i hope you do get him!


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## GA CHEROKEE (Aug 4, 2011)

Camera must a good sensor on it.Looks far away


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## gmchd (Aug 4, 2011)

Meat in the freezer and mount on the wall. Doesn't get much better than that. Hopfully he will cooperate.


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## 130class (Aug 7, 2011)

Do ya'll know the age of this deer? If not, would you say he is 5 or 6 years old. He definitely has the sagging belly and back.


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## lineman (Aug 10, 2011)

stud, good luck


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## dawgsandbucks (Jan 23, 2012)

*Titlewave, did you ever get this guy?*

I remember looking at these pictures longingly in the summer and I was just wondering if you had any luck with him?


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## Buck Dropper (Jan 27, 2012)

> I remember looking at these pictures longingly in the summer and I was just wondering if you had any luck with him?


Yeah, what happened?


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## Toxic (Jan 29, 2012)

he was killed on KIA parkway ........LOL


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## bfriendly (Jan 29, 2012)

Another what happened...........I dont remember seeing this thread last year.

Did any of you guys get Him?  I am thinking Not. If one of you did, surely you would have been on the Front Page of GON!

Sup Titlewave?


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## sportsman18 (Jan 29, 2012)

curious myself, that deer gets my heart rate up looking at the pictures


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## peanutman04 (Jan 29, 2012)

any more pics?


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## sportsman18 (Feb 3, 2012)

bump, I just spoke to this fellow in private message. The deer is still alive and i guess there getting pics of him. hopefully her will post new pics here and tell the story!!


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## titlewave (Feb 7, 2012)

Sorry for not posting sooner (had I shot him it would have been sooner)

It was a busy season for me hunting 3 states 

Georgia
Alabama
Illinois

Ended up never seeing the "Count" ever on any hunt to our lease . Had two occasions where I decided to hunt a different set and checked cameras after the weekends and saw I missed the deer by one sit.

One time my hunt partner had a morning shot of him in his field but he doesn't hunt mornings and wasn't at camp. So he made it through the whole season again which is pretty cool. I guess next year will find me hunting this deer again . 

When I sit in my sets I have the hope of this beast coming out some day which is exciting to say the least .

I have pics of the deer which I will post just last week in his favorite place . This beast will probably be well over 170 inches next year and he didn't get that big being stupid , he is so smart I think he checks out trail cams to figure out what we are doing ......lol



Thanks for the interest 






sportsman18 said:


> bump, I just spoke to this fellow in private message. The deer is still alive and i guess there getting pics of him. hopefully her will post new pics here and tell the story!!


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## Gator8em (Feb 7, 2012)

I would have over hunted the heck out of this deer.


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## 167WhiteTAIL (Apr 2, 2014)

I was just lurking GON and ran across this thread.  Titlewave is a great friend of mine and I have been vicariously hunting this buck through his pictures and his encounters and stories.

I am sad to say, The Count is dead.  He was shot sometime between Christmas and New years, 2013 by a neighboring club.  

I know there are other threads about this buck, but I thought anyone reading this thread would like to know, The Rest Of The Story.

Keep your eyes open in GON as I believe they are doing a write-up on this buck (I am not sure when).  I believe he ended up with a green score in the 190's.

RIP Count Rackula!!!


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## olcop (Apr 2, 2014)

*Rufus*

Any chance that yesterday's date had anything to do with this post?
olcop


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## 167WhiteTAIL (Apr 2, 2014)

LOL, no, unfortunately not, no April fools joke here.  I wish I was joking.

When we found out, I thought we were going to have to put Mike on suicide watch.  Heck, we all were sad.  We were all routing for Mike and his hunting partner.  They were chasing this buck for 3 years.  The Count was a camera hog.  They had 1000's of pics of this buck.


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## BPowell92 (Apr 3, 2014)

Any pics?


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## 167WhiteTAIL (Apr 3, 2014)

They are here on GON somewhere.  I will text Mike and ask him to send me kill pics if ha still has them.


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## liv2bowhunt (Apr 4, 2014)

Here ya go! 
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=786385&highlight=


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