Hunter’s Journal: A 10-point Triumph In Oglethorpe County

Bobby Murphy, of Talmo, with his Oglethorpe County 10-pointer taken on Dec. 12, 2014.

By Bobby Murphy

With Thanksgiving over, our Christmas presents purchased, wrapped and placed under the tree, the house decorated for the Christmas season and my 67th birthday already celebrated with the kids and family, we were free to go hunting in Oglethorpe County the weekend of Dec. 12-13, 2014. 

It was so wet and cold I could not make up my mind if I wanted to go hunting. To top it off, the rut was over, too. My wife, Ann, kept telling me that she saw on Facebook that the bucks were in their second rut. I knew she just wanted to go to the Varsity, which was on our way to the hunting club, for a hot dog, and she thinks they have the best Cokes.

We debated for hours about going hunting or not for the weekend. The temperature was supposed to be several degrees below freezing the next morning, and it had rained so much that everything was very damp. I couldn’t get a commitment from anyone in the club that they would come down to hunt with us. I reminded Ann again that the rut was over. We finally decided we would go down there and rest if nothing else. 

We left and had a delicious, healthy lunch at the Varsity. We arrived at the campsite at 1:30 p.m. We set up camp, and I got dressed for the evening hunt. I jumped on my 4-wheeler and headed to my deer stand. 

The evening hunt was unsuccessful just like I thought it would be. I was still wondering why I let Ann talk me into going hunting since it was going to be below freezing in the morning, plus the rut was over.

After my afternoon hunt, we were still the only ones in deer camp. Everyone else was smart to stay home where it was warm, and besides, the rut was over. After a bbq sandwich and some chips, we turned in early. The moon was very bright, and the coyotes were yelling so loud there must have been a large pack of them.

We finally drifted off to sleep. We were woken up by a knock on the door at 6 a.m. It was Jody and Joy Denton. I was so excited they had come. We discussed which stands we would hunt from. It sure made my morning that they showed up to hunt. I had someone in the woods with me. If I was lucky and got a deer, they could help me drag it out. However, the chances were slim because the rut was over.

After we got our radios on the same channel, the three of us headed toward our deer stands at 6:30.

I heard something behind me at 9:20. I turned my head, and it was a doe running real fast. Then I saw what looked like an elk chasing the doe. When I tried to turn my body backward in the stand, I dropped my radio. It did not affect the large buck. Next, I bumped my gun against the deer stand. The buck was still coming, so I sounded, “ba, ba, ba” to get the buck to stop. I had to try this because I left my grunt call at the camper.

It didn’t stop, so I grunted again, and he finally stopped behind two trees. I only had a neck shot, and I knew I only had a few seconds to shoot. I hit him, and for him to fall down in his tracks was a miracle for me. 

I sat in my stand until 10 to calm down my nerves. I got out of my stand to call Ann. She said Jody and Joy had gone to the store. Joy’s feet were freezing so bad at 9 a.m. that her and Jody got out of their stands and came back to camp. They did not go in their camper when they got back because it was so cold in there, too. They decided to go to the store to get breakfast and warm up in Lexington.

I told Ann I got a spike. She thought that was great. I told Ann to call Jody and Joy because I needed some help. Ann didn’t have their cell phone numbers, so she called Joy’s daddy, Thomas Underwood, who is also in our deer club. Ann told Thomas I got a spike. He told Ann, “It will be an 8-pointer by the time Bobby calls me.”

My buck was a huge 10-pointer. I couldn’t wait to see Ann’s reaction when she saw it was not a spike. I recorded my buck and then took it to camp on my 4-wheeler. When Ann saw me coming into camp, she came running. Her eyes got so big when she saw the antlers.

“Bobby, I told Thomas you harvested a spike, and Thomas told me it would be an 8-pointer by the time he talked to you. He will be surprised to find out it is a large 10-pointer,” Ann said.

By then Jody and Joy were coming back into camp. It was so good to have them to share in the celebration with us. We took pictures with them. Next we all were texting everyone pictures of this huge 10-pointer. Club members were texting us back so fast.

The questions and comments poured in: “Where was he hunting? What a huge deer! Was he in my deer stand?”

After things settled down, Jody and Joy took my deer to the cooler. I gave the meat to Jody and Joy for helping me so much. I am having my buck mounted, and it’s actually going to be ready right before hunting season. I want to see it so bad, and I’m ready to put it on the wall.

Well the person who told Ann it was the second rut was right. Next year on Dec. 12 you can be sure I will be in Oglethrope County in my deer stand. 

After all, the rut was not over!