Ghost began visiting in 2023
Jacob Reese of Wilkes, NC killed an 8-point buck in Wilkes County, NC on Aug. 23, 2026.
He shot the buck with a Savage 7mm-08 during a morning hunt while sitting in an elevated stand from 60 yards away.
Reese summed up the hunt with these words:
“I first got pictures in 2023 he was a good to-the-ear 8-point buck with longer G3s than G2s, I watched him all year on the Tactacams, and never did hunt him hard ,just hoping he would live to next year.
Finally in 2024, I got my first picture and he had shot up, widened out, and had a little more mass! But his right G3 was shorter. I decided to try to hunt him when bow season came around. So, first couple of sits he finally came in almost dark, but I thought I had enough time still to get a shot on him. Finally at 25 yards ,I pull back but couldn’t find him looking through the peep, and didn’t feel confident in a good shot. So I let down and waited till dark.
Next couple of evening sits, he would either stay on the ridge, or multiple times while I was walking down off the hill where my tree stand was to my truck, and the Tactacam notification went off, he would walk in as I was leaving! That went on all during bow season, so from that point on I called him Ghost. Seemed like no matter what, he was always a couple of steps behind me or lurking around close by. Then during November 2024, he had broke off his big G3 and his other G3, I assume fighting, so I let him go again, waiting on next year.
So 2025 rolls around and same thing as 2024. He grew! But this year more wide, bigger mass, and both G3s are back and bigger than his G2s, and he had gottn a lot taller, so I thought this year is the year! But same thing, no matter what, we fought back and forth all year until the first of December I got to lay eyes on him through my scope!
But he was on the same ridge, he stayed on in an old logging road. It was 3:15 that evening. I had rushed home from work to get in the stand, and as I’m climbing up, I hear something, and it was him! So I get sat down, pulled my rifle up, and got on him waiting for a shot. Then he just slowly walks up the ridge behind every tree he could find it seemed like, then finally crested over. Well that was that, the very next day I got off at 2:30, walking up about 3 o’clock, finally get to the base of my stand, I thought I had better look on the ridge to see. Well there he was, same logging road. So I crouch down under my stand and same thing happens he just seems to slip away! So I knew for sure this deer was like a Ghost to me! So finally after more encounters never did get him but just hoping for next year!
So finally 2026 rolls around I get my first picture of him running around in a big bachelor group, and man has he grown his mass has gotten significantly bigger, he has shot straight up and his G3s are way bigger now! He had just really matured a lot this year! So I knew I had to do something different this year! By now multiple people has had this deer now, but I knew how he traveled and where he liked to go and his patterns from the years past, I had confidence on how to hunt him this year! So I hadn’t had anymore pictures of him in a while so I thought I’m going to move my camera on the road bed he has always traveled and just see what happens, well three days later here he comes walking up the road bed the same way he always has! So I continued to watch him and I had the feeling this would be the year! So by now it’s almost the CWD weekend, got a stand hung and everything, I sit Saturday morning nothing really comes in thanks to a couple of coyotes that’s been hanging around, so Sunday morning woke up got in the stand, little foggy that morning. Then I hear something behind me and here comes a coyote down the road and a little while later another comes down, I’m thinking this isn’t good for me, then 30 minutes passes by and a tom still on the roost is hammering then the hens start clucking well I look up on the ridge and I could see 3 coyotes pacing back and forth. So at this point it’s almost 8 and I’m thinking we’ll this morning is ruined! So about 8:15 rolls around I’m just hoping maybe something will move with this fog still rolling off the ridge, so I say to myself 30 more minutes. So about 8:30 I hear something coming down of the ridge and here comes that small bachelor group of about 8 basket rack bucks, and I wait for a little while just watching them and there in the very back I see him, so here comes all the nerves and shakes, but here again he won’t come all the way down to the road bed, I’m thinking he was eating on some acorns or something, so I’m looking through the scope for about 10 mins now trying to wait on a good clean shot, well finally he makes his way down to the road bed but is quartering away some and seemed like he was going to keep going on down the road bed. So I didn’t want to lose this opportunity so I went Mehh’ and he turns just enough and stops to get a clean shot! Finally got to walk up on the deer that I’ve chased and fought with since 2023 and it was like no other feeling! That’s the story of Ghost and the many encounters and opportunities I had, but I’m very blessed to have gotten the chance to watch this deer grow and mature the way he did! I couldn’t be more happier how every year went, even though it was very frustrating sometimes, but very blessed to have the opportunity to finally take the buck I call Ghost!”
Reese is now entered in our Bag-A-Buck Contest, and is eligible to win our monthly prize pack, which includes a set of Ultimate Eyes & Ears Combo from ShellShock Pro, a YETI Rambler bottle, and a Carolina Sportsman hat, as well as our Grand Prize, a 2-day hunt for two to Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield County, SC.
