Newest Member of the Pope and Young Club

Scott killed his biggest buck of all time - and got 'em with his BOW!  This six and half year old beast weighed in at 275 pounds and scored 153 1/8.   He brought this trophy home from his beloved deer camp, Davis Island.

Here's the whole story in Scott's words:

Early in November I had stumbled across a single oak tree that was raining acorns with so much deer sign under it I was amazed. We don't have very many oak trees on the river bottoms where I hunt and this tree doesn't drop every year so I knew I needed to camp out on it and needed to keep this info to my self. I immediately hung a climbing stand there and started hunting it that afternoon. I saw a lot of bucks but they seemed to be all spikes and button heads for two days.  I had to leave the camp for a couple days, but I could not stop thinking about this spot.  I showed back up with great anticipation and started seeing better bucks.  I had a great 8 pt, probably close to 140, coming in every time I was there - but he looked young.  There's a $500 fine at this camp for shooting anything younger than 4 1/2 years old, so I wasn't going to take that gamble - but I really want to arrow this deer!  Every time I saw him I was trying to age him him older, but there were lots of bucks using this tree morning and afternoon and pretty much all day - so I was patient.I would have anywhere from 10 to 17 deer under me at one time - with that kind of action it was getting easier to wait on a mature deer.

It was the last morning of bow season, and I climbed the tree.  Deer started coming in instantly.  The first deer I saw was the big young 8 - I was literally drooling over him since he was within 15 yards of my tree!  Behind him was a new buck that I had not seen before and wow what a cull buck! At first glance I knew this was the deer I wanted to shoot. He was only a 6 pt but had at least a 24" spread and heavy, long tines. It took me forever to stand and get ready to shoot because there were at least 10 deer under me looking every where.  I didn't know if I was about to pull this off or not! I finally got ready and was drawing my bow back when I heard something. I looked over at half draw and literally almost died! A big 10 had stepped out 10 yards away eating acorns. I was so glad I hadn't gotten to full draw, because I would have made a big mistake shooting too early!

While he was eating all the other deer got spooky - I thought my chance was about to be over!  It took a long time for me to re-group and get set-up to shoot the 10. The deer had me pegged and I didn't have a shot! I had to close my eyes three different times and take lots of deep breaths before every thing lined up. I was literally about to pass out and fall out of stand - and going to land on at least three deer in the process! I finally calmed down and said a little prayer and every thing came together.

He was broadside at 10 yards and I finally had a shot.... I looked around to make sure nothing was looking at me... I drew back... put the top pin on his heart... and then it seemed the bow just went off automatically!  It looked like a 12-ring, but it happened so fast! All the deer took off about 50 yards and stopped. More deer were steadily trickling in around the commotion.  I wasn't sure which deer was the one I had shot. I was so jacked-up that I had to sit down so I wouldn't fall out of the tree. I was looking with my binos to try to figure out what was going on.  Everything under the sun was racing through my mind... Was it a good shot?... Did I miss?... Then I saw a flicker of white in the middle of all the deer. It was the tail of a deer laying on the ground... and then I could see his horns!

I thought to myself, "I must have done it!"  It wasn't long before he stopped moving. He was laying less than 40 yards from where I shot him.  About that time, all the other deer came back to the tree to feed.  I sat in my stand for another couple of hours - not wanting to spook the deer - but dieing to get my hands on those horns!!!  While I was sitting there, several more nice bucks that I hadn't seen before came to the tree to eat.  I was thinking to myself, "This is NO DOUBT a deer magnet!"   I started texting the guys at my camp to share the good news, and one of my buddies got so excited he came to the woods and ran the deer off for me so I could climb down and recover my buck!  As soon as I got a closer look at him, I knew he was my best buck ever!  All I could say was "Thank you JESUS!"  I still can't believe it really happened!

  

Turkey Time

Its been a while since Scott got a Turkey - but he made it happen today!  This bird was on Davis Island and was, what Scott believes, the only gobbler on the island.  He waited until the last day of the season to go looking for him to make sure he had a plenty time with the ladies before he took him out.  Scott dropped this Gobbler in his tracks with a 75-yard shot!! 

#2 from Davis Island

Scott filled his 2nd buck tag for Davis Island with this nice 8 point.   Merry Christmas!!

Davis Island 9-point

Scott joined a new camp this year that he has fallen IN LOVE with!  This nice 9-point is only a small sample of the type of racks running around this camp.  A proud addition to his 2011 trophy belt!

Panther Swamp: 3 for 3

For the third year in a row, Scott has put his name in to get drawn for a week long hunt at Panther Swamp.  For the third year in a row he has gotten drawn.  And for the third year in a row he's killed a nice 8-point there!

It was the first morning of the 7-day hunt when this 8-point walked up on him. Scott had just pulled out his Bible to do a little reading when he heard him walk up.  When Scott turned to see what it was, the deer caught a glimpse of him and ran behind a tree. Scott pulled his gun up and the deer took off running again.  He had already decided he was a shooter, but was thinking he had lost his chance.  Just before the deer got too far to shoot, he stopped broad side between two trees - the only spot visible was the kill zone.  Without even hesitating, Scott pulled the trigger.  The deer ran off and Scott didn't know if he had hit him or not.  When he went to look for blood, at first he found none.  Just as he was about it write it off as a miss, he found a huge pool of blood and the blood trail that led right to the harvest!

Choot 'em!

Scott has found his new passion - ALLIGATOR hunting! Too bad gator hunting is only one week out of the year - or maybe its a good thing - because its HARD hunting and LOTS of work.  He certainly didn't come home empty handed - these monsters were WELL worth the hard work!

This male gator (hanging) was a massive 12 foot 10 inches long, estimated around 700 pounds!
The female (on the ground) measured 9 foot 1.5 inches, estimated around 300 pounds.  They didn't get them officially weighed for the record books, but they're pretty sure these dinosaurs are close to male and female state records!! 

Smokin' Again with an 8-point

Scott harvested this 8-point at Panther Swamp - a "draw hunt" he has put in for and gotten drawn for the past two years.

Let the hunting begin, 2010

Scott got this nice 8-point buck and then dropped a wild hog as he was walking out of the woods!

Back from Colorado

Scott made it back from Colorado! Unfortunately he didn't come back with an elk in the back of the truck....but he still had an excellent time! He got to see a LOT of animals. Throughout the week he passed up 1 cow (girl elk) , 1 small bull (boy elk) , and several Mule Deer Bucks (in FULL velvet) waiting on Mr. Big....but Mr. Big never got close enough.




He DID, however, get close to another kind of Mr. (or should I say Mrs.) Big....Mrs. Big BEAR!!! He had a bear and her cub walk up within 10 yards of him. And not only that...but she raised up on her back legs and starred at him face to face! Scott said he stood there (with is arrow knocked, and tension on the string) for what seemed like forever trying to decide what he was going to do. Finally, he stepped towards her and growled...and by the Grace of God she turned and walked away!


One day they were scouting and found a pretty nice shed!

And on the last day, he saw a Mule Deer buck that he had passed up the day before. But since this was the last day to hunt, he decided that if he could get within bow range, he would take it. All the time he was thinking he was never going to be able to get that close. He STALKED this Mule Deer and got within 20-25 yards of the thing while it was laying down! When the deer stood up it was behind a tree. Scott stepped up on a log to get a better shot. While balancing himself on this log, holding his bow back , waiting on a good shot, the thing finally stepped out! He felt pretty good about his shot, and gave the buck some time before he went looking for it. When they came back a few hours later they found the blood trail...but before they could track him down, a HUGE rain/hail storm came! They never found him - what a disappointment!

Starting the '09 Hunting Season off with a BANG!

Scott left yesterday morning around 10:30 headed for COLORADO on a TEN DAY bow hunting Elk Trip! He and a friend are driving and meeting another couple of friends there. Its a 24-hour drive - they made it to there "half-way" point about 11 o'clock last night - Lubbock, TX. That must have made for a loooong day of driving....


They'll be on the road ALL DAY today too! They left Lubbock about 8:30 this morning - so that should put them arriving at their cabin (near Beaver Mountain, CO) around 7:30ish tonight.

He is SO EXCITED!! This is opening weekend of Elk Season (for bows) there, so hopefully they'll all get a chance to shoot!

He texted me around 1:30 and said they are starting to see Prong Horns (Antelope)! How cool!! I know its beautiful...he better be taking lots of pictures!!!

I'll keep you posted on the Colorado Huntin' action....