Buck Named “Hooker” From Hancock County

A buck was growing year-by-year, and the giant main- frame 8-pointer was well-known among some serious hunters and deer managers, who named the buck “Hooker.” If there ever was a polar opposite to the tale of the Cherokee County buck — taken with a bow, in a fragmented river habitat and never seen before by the hunter — it is the tale of Jamey Duckworth’s Hancock County giant.

The buck killed in rural Georgia timberlands, on a 1,400-acre hunting plantation, with a rifle, by a hunter who saw him twice in the 24 hours prior to harvesting him. Also, the deer had been followed, documented and passed by neighbors since he was a yearling.

After returning back to Georgia from Illinois (empty handed), I immediately drove to my hunting lease in Hancock County so that I could hunt the rifle opener. That evening, Oct. 20, Bobby Hymen, a neighbor, pulled into our camp to use the skinning pole and mentioned that a big buck had been taken on Beaver Dam Creek Plantation, a membership hunting plantation operated by Chip Brown, a Hancock County native who has guided hunters since he could drive. Chip decided three years ago to stop all pay- by-the-day hunting on the property and switched to annual members in an effort to better control the buck harvest. The move has allowed more bucks to reach maturity, rather than be harvested as 2 1/2 year olds, simply because they had 4 points on a side. This “hunter” management, as well as food plots, a supplemental-feeding program and great neighbors has made Beaver Dam Creek Plantation a tremendous place to hunt trophy whitetails in Georgia.

Jamey Duckworth of Brunswick with “Hooker,” a main-frame 9-pointer that also has one kicker. The 10-point rack will net close to the Boone & Crockett typical minimum of 170 inches, even though its net score comes from only eight typical points! The buck was killed in Hancock County, and “Hooker” was well documented on trail-camera pictures through the years.

Well, when Bobby mentioned Beaver Dam Creek, he had my full attention. I used to guide hunts there in college for Chip and remained friends with him. Bobby said that he had a picture of the buck on his cell phone, and the second I saw it I recognized the deer as “Hooker” (named for the kicker on his left G-2), a buck that had been very well documented by my good friend and mentor David Osborn.

David, who manages Sallie Dahmes’ WASCO Plantation (Chip’s neighbor), has deer-cam pictures of Hooker every year of its life and actually passed Hooker last year with a rifle, at 30 yards, because he was only 3 1/2 years old. While Hooker would have scored in the 140s, it was an easy decision for David because he knew the deer and its potential. Jamey Duckworth has already thanked David for passing him, and David is truly happy for Jamey.

Well, the next morning I headed to Beaver Dam Creek Plantation so I could put my hands on this legendary deer. Jamey was there with his buck and about to make the drive home to Brunswick, and I got the whole story right there at his tailgate. Thirty-four- year-old Jamey Duckworth has been hunting on Beaver Dam Creek Plantation for eight years and has harvested some great bucks, including a 140-inch buck two years ago. On the last day of muzzleloader season, in a drizzling rain, Jamey saw a massive deer cross the road in front of his truck. That event immediately made his decision as to where he would spend the opening morning of rifle season with his son Will. At 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, Hooker stepped into a shooting lane behind the father-and-son duo, and 10-year-old Will looked up at his dad and said, “Dad, I want to shoot that deer.”

Jamey didn’t have to think twice. He handed the gun to Will, but as Will turned and prepared for the shot, the deer simply walked out of the lane. Jamey did not have any regrets about giving up the chance at this giant deer — there would be more chances to come.

Jamey and Will climbed down at about 9:20 a.m. and went to a food plot nearby to set up for a while. That didn’t last too long with thoughts of the earlier encounter in his head, so at 10:30 a.m. Jamey decided to go scout the area the big deer appeared from so that he could hang a stand there. Jamey and Will walked down the shooting lane until they found the trail the deer had entered on. Jamey told Will to stay there while he went and scouted the immediate area. Jamey began following the trail, and he wasn’t 10 yards into the woods when he saw Hooker stand up out of its bed. The buck ran about 40 to 50 yards, giving Jamey time to shoulder his rifle, then stopped and looked back. Jamey fired, and the massive buck went down.

Jamey was elated, and Chip Brown was extremely excited. Chip green-scored the deer at around 177 inches gross, the largest buck ever harvested on Beaver Dam Creek Plantation and one of the largest typical 8-pointers taken in Georgia.

I told Jamey about all of the pictures David had taken of the deer and how he passed him the previous sea- son. Jamey was extremely interested in seeing the pictures of this deer through- out his development, and David couldn’t wait to hold the rack that he’d so often stayed up at night thinking about. The two met, exchanged stories, congratulations and pictures.

Although the tales of these two bucks are dramatically different, there is another common thread not previously mentioned. The bucks were allowed to grow to an age where they could express their genetic potential before they were harvested. David Osborn explicitly gave Hooker the right, and Chad’s mega buck might have been given the green card earlier in life as well. Chad and Jamey have both passed dozens of bucks to let them grow.

“Let him go so he can grow,” a phrase coined by the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), holds true for all giant bucks — dead deer do not get bigger. Some of you reading right now are saying, “If I let him go, the neighbors’ll kill him soon as he crosses the line.” That might be true, but give your deer some credit, and maybe he’ll outsmart your neighbor. Chances are if he’s 2 1/2 years old or older, he’ ll likely outsmart your neighbor. And who knows, your neighbor could let him go, too.

2005, Age 2 1/2

2006, Age 3 1/2

2007, Age 4 1/2