Hunter: Clae Mathis
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Taylor
Season: 2021-2022
Hunt Story
First hunt of the year. We have had this buck on our property for three total years. We have named him "Major" or "The Major." He has always had good brow tines, but never much length on his other tines. He was number one on my list this year, and he had been on camera in daylight for 17 straight days. My son and I also got good velvet footage of him in July. This hunt was going well enough, I had seen 5 or 6 does until a train went by at about 7:30. After the train cleared out 11 deer came out of the trees to my right. Most of them came out right in front of my but about 130 yards down the trail they sometimes use to walk in on was a young buck with a bigger body deer behind him. I video all my hunts for youtube, and since I forgot my binoculars in the truck, my camera was the only way to know who was coming behind the younger buck. I knew immediately it was the buck I was after. He walked a few steps and then ran in most of the way. A lot of the trail camera pictures have shown him chasing deer away from food, so he has a reputation as a bully. I watched him do just that for about two minutes. He circled the food plot chasing deer away while he ate. Finally he settled down, and started eating and when he did I got drawn on him and let the arrow go. I didn't make the best shot, and had to let him lay for a while. To be safe, I called Scott Lopez, and he sent his dog with Landon Thompson and we went straight to him. Thank the Good Lord for an awesome hunt and an awesome start to this deer season that I didn't deserve.
