Hunter: Casey Beaver
Points: 12 (7L, 5R)
County: Bartow
Season: 2018-2019
Hunt Story
On Nov. 17, 2018 I sighted in a brand new scope, and it took so long that I didn’t think I’d get to hunt that afternoon. But I was so excited that I’d finally gotten it sighted in, I thought I’d go sit my field for for the last hour of daylight. Fifteen minutes after getting in the stand, two does burst out into the field, and 50 yards behind them the biggest deer I’ve ever seen on foot came to the edge of the field and stopped. I thought I was hidden enough to pick up my gun, but one of the does saw me and blew. He turned and went back into the woods. I was heartbroken! But the hot does stayed on the field, and within five minutes there were small bucks pouring into the field from every direction. I was watching four bucks chase these two does in circles for 15 minutes. Then I saw a bigger buck sprint into the field. It came out just down from where the monster had earlier retreated, and so I thought it must be him. This buck was almost full speed running around this field dipping and ducking behind tall brush, so I couldn’t tell just how big, only that it was a pretty good deer. I was barely finding him in my scope, but finally got an angle to get off a confident round when he slowed to a trot at 130 yards. He dropped in his tracks! Surprisingly, none of the other four bucks or two does ran off. They all acted like nothing had happened. So I got my cell phone out to video what I was seeing. Two small basket rack deer locked up with each other 100 yards away, center field. I couldn’t believe what I was watching! I framed and zoomed my cellphone to record them. When looking at my phone waiting to push record, I saw antlers bounding across the field headed toward the fight! I knew immediately it was a great deer! The basket bucks scattered like bowling pins and sprinted away from the brute charging their way. I grabbed my gun and threw up on the running deer. I mouth grunted a few times and he stopped. I squeezed off a round and he dropped! This was the most awesome hour of hunting I’ve ever experienced! But I still can’t help but think of the first buck I saw. It dwarfed these two deer! Both the 8 and the 12 are great Georgia deer, but especially for Bartow County! The bigger one green scored 159.
