Hunter: Scott Manville
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Tattnall
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
Got in the stand around 4:50 pm. We had just gotten home from a weekend work trip in ATL. Didn't expect to see much, maybe a couple does. We call the stand location the island. It has a beaver pond on one side and a small creek that surrounds it. It was an old hog lot. I built a box stand to take my son hunting close to the house. He had homework and Christmas play practice so couldn't go. Anyway, it's a small place I'm hunting...maybe 15 acres with houses not far away. Deer use it as a funnel, with some does staying year round. I planted a wildlife mix and had a feeder there with a cam. I am not sure the cam or feeder are working as this is the only time I have hunted this stand this year. Considering this is Tattnall County and the deer aren't usually big deer here, I told myself not to shoot. I was just going to go. Around 5:30 a doe and a yearling entered the plot from a swampy wooded area at the far end. They caught me mid grunt. After a brief stare down they went to feeding. The doe was running around everywhere, acting strange. After 15 minutes they exited the plot 15 yards from the stand to my left. I decided that was a good hunt and would grab my stuff and get the cam, so I glassed the plot and then looked down to grab my stuff. Not 10 seconds later, I look up and this buck is 50 yards headed straight to the stand with his nose to the ground. I could tell he was big but not how big until he followed the trail the doe went down and turned broadside. That's when I saw what he was. I shot. Even after the shot I was telling myself there is no way that deer was that big. I heard him fall after he ran back to the far woodline. A few minutes later he limped across the plot and fell in the middle. Then hopped up and went toward the beaver pond. I called my son, dad, and neighbor. I waited a good 45 minutes before going to look for him. We found him, 5 yards from the edge of the beaver pond down for the count. After high fives and a short drag, we came home for pics. It wasn't until then we realized how big he was. I thanked God one more time for the blessing.
