Hunter: Amanda Kelly
Points: 9 (5L, 4R)
County: Laurens
Season: 2019-2020
Hunt Story
September, planting food plot because hurricane is going to bring rain. Instead we get 100-degree drought! Luckily where we planted in a low lying portion that held moisture, so some plants pop up. October, finally some rain! Around the 18th, my husband and I are putting out corn and checking the trail camera and we spotted a scrape line. Like every hunter we were excited to see this. We hunted between and around rain for the next week seeing does fawns and young bucks. Wednesday October 30th, it had rained the day before and we were expecting a break today with storms on the way. Tim and I arrived at the field earlier than usual because of the break in the weather, decided which stand each would sit, kissed and said good luck and headed out. It was hot, misty, just muggy, I questioned myself why did we even come hunting. After sitting for hours and not seeing anything, I was ready to go. I gathered my backpack and rifle and headed down the stand. I was about halfway down of a 10 foot platform ladder when he stepped out of the wood line not 30 yards in front of me. He started working a scrape, so I eased down the ladder to the ground, set my backpack down and picked up my gun. As I eased back up the ladder I only made it halfway when I looked toward the buck was, and he was staring at me broadside at 15 yards. Now I know what I did next is not safe! I braced myself on the ladder and took the shot! He dropped! But he is still moving, I had shot him in the spine. I carefully lowered to the ground, called Tim to let him know what the situation was and I waited for him to meet up with me. As I walked up to the deer he raised his head and I delivered a final shot. I am shaking all over from the adrenaline rush and getting congratulations from Tim that I didn't realize what the buck looked like. We finally calm down and realize this deer looks weird! He looks like he has the mange! The deer has no hair on his legs or face! Wow! I don't know what to think! Do we even need to process this deer. We loaded the deer up after calling in reinforcements, and showing him off to the neighbor, who is very concerned about this buck's condition. Made it to the processor and they were concerned also, so I contacted the local DNR officer who graciously came quickly. The officer looked the buck over thoroughly and cleared the meat for process. A wildlife biologist went the next morning and took some samples of the skin. He said he will get the results to me as soon as they come in. The next day I contacted my taxidermist and let him know to pick up and the situation. Come to find out he has trail camera pictures of the buck. Awesome! The buck may be ugly but he is unique and he is my second best buck ever.
