Double-Drop Tine Buck From Floyd County Grosses 175

While Floyd County might only rank No. 107 on GON’s Best Counties For A Big Buck rankings, it just produced a giant 13-pointer with long, matching drop tines that green-scored a total of 175 inches for Bob DeNyse from Texas. The buck is proof that a hunter doesn’t have to be in the best county on the best tract of land for that buck-of-lifetime to appear.

UPDATE: Bob’s buck was officially scored at 166 2/8 net non-typical, the No. 1 non-typical buck ever recorded from Floyd County.

It was Bob’s special connection with some Floyd County hunting property that brought him out of the big-buck mecca of Texas to northwest Georgia.

Bob said he began hunting the private land in Floyd County in 1997 when the father of his best friend Russ purchased the land. Bob and Russ had been hunting together since they were in high school, and both frequented the land in Floyd County for deer hunting. Russ later purchased the land from his father and continued the hunting tradition.

Bob DeNyse left the big deer country of Texas to hunt in northwest Georgia, and he killed what’s likely going to be the next Floyd County record buck once it is officially scored. In addition to matching drop tines, the buck has main beams that curve downward.

In 2014, Bob moved to Texas for work. Russ passed away in 2016, and the land is now owned by his wife. Since his best friend’s death, Bob longed to make the trip back to Georgia but could not get away, until this season when he was laid off from work. He hadn’t been back to the Floyd County property since 2013.

Today, Bob’s friend Rob Spiva hunts and takes care of the Floyd County tract. Before the hunt, Rob sent Bob a few trail-camera photos of the drop-tine buck. Rob said the drop-tine buck showed up last year and was believed to be a 4 1/2-year-old buck then. There were a number of local hunters who also knew of the buck from trail-camera photos, but no one had been lucky enough to get a shot on the bruiser.

Bob joked that he was coming to Georgia to shoot that deer for Rob. Little did he know his humorous words would come true, along with a sentimental hunt he’d never forget.

“I bought one of Russ’ guns this past year, and I brought it with me to hunt this year,” said Bob. “I wanted to shoot a deer with Russ’ gun on his land in memory of him.”

Bob got into the blind late on the morning of Friday, Nov. 6. It was his first sit in a planned week of deer hunting. The rut was getting started in Floyd County.

GON’s 2020 Rut Map and Strategy Article

“Russ and I had built blinds in several locations around the property when he was still alive,” said Bob. “I went back to my favorite one that morning. I got in there late, but I had already seen a 6-point and an 8-point and a doe. We have a trophy-only rule for the property, so I couldn’t shoot either of them.

“The doe and smaller bucks had disappeared, but then I saw another doe coming with a buck behind her. At first, I thought it was one of the smaller bucks because I couldn’t see him behind the tree, but when he stepped out, I knew it was him.”

Bob centered the buck in his crosshairs and pulled the trigger of his late friend’s Remington Woodsmaster .30-06 rifle. Nothing happened. He frantically surveyed the situation as the biggest buck of his life stood less than 60 feet away.

“The slide didn’t close all the way,” said Bob. “I knew I needed to put a shell in and was trying desperately to get my gloves off to do so. I finally got them off and realized there was already a shell in the chamber, but the gun was trying to load another. I figured out how to push the shells down and pulled the slide back and let it go. Of course, that made an awful lot of noise and took some time. I looked up, and he was still standing there in front of me.”

Bob only had a small window to shoot through because the doe was standing in front of the buck, but his shot rang true. This time when Bob squeezed the trigger, the buck dropped in its tracks.

“I called Rob and told him I’d shot the drop-tined buck and that he had to come help me because I could not move him,” said Bob.

Fortunately, Rob was able to take off work and help Bob get the monster from the woods.

The 5 1/2-year-old buck is a main-frame 11-pointer with a 20 1/8-inch inside spread and has been green-scored at 175 2/8 total inches. The current Floyd County record buck was shot by Jim Hakala last season, and it scored 145 5/8 net. It’s uncertain just how Bob’s buck will net down or whether it will do better as a typical or non-typical, but the new Floyd County record holder could very well reside in Texas.

“Everyone has said that Russ had to have sent that buck to me that morning. I think it has to be true,” said Bob.

Floyd County Best Bucks Of All-Time