Hunter: Jason McMillin
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Laurens
Season: 2021-2022
Hunt Story
The area where I got this deer is one I’ve never really scouted on our 400-acre timber lease. It’s smack dab in the heart of some fairly mature planted pines, not near any of the hardwood fingers or creek bottoms. There are lots of briars, brush and small volunteer hardwoods there. I started getting some trail cam pics of some nice bucks near this area a few weeks ago and in an effort to determine where they were coming from, found this area in the pines. Scrapes and rubs everywhere on the hardwood saplings. I moved a climber into the area and during the last week of archery and had my target buck (a much bigger and older 10 point), come out 2 mornings in a row at 60 yards, which is beyond my personal range. Fast forward to today and I’m back in that climber, this time with the rifle. Just before 8:00, a decent 6 point goes by right where the big boy did. Two minutes later, this 8 point is walking the same trail. For a second I thought it was my target buck. I bleated to stop him in an opening about 70 yards away, realized it wasn’t the big guy, but then decided he was good enough. I squeezed off a shot, got a huge mule kick in return and picked him up 30 yards away. It’s been a fun first few weeks but I’m looking forward to getting back out there.
