9-point velvet buck had never appeared on trail cams
Emma Morris of Timmonsville, SC killed a 9-point buck in Florence County, SC on Sept. 7, 2026.
She shot the buck with a 7mm-08 Bergara rifle during an evening hunt while sitting in an elevated stand from 50 yards away.
Morris summed up the hunt with these words:
“We went out and sat in what we call the hedgerow stand. We were expecting only to see the deer we had been seeing every night on camera on the other end of the field. We were hoping the deer started on our side of the field and were making their way around to get over to the opposite end.
After some time and watching a few does and fawns come through, three of the bucks we’d seen on camera appeared. They crossed into the thick brush and we had no clue if they would cross into the clearing in front of us. And if they did that, they would be crossing close enough to be in range.
In the seconds that passed, another buck came out of the woods just a few yards away from where the first three did. I watched him through the scope of my rifle to see what size he was and if he’d come close enough, when I noticed behind him another pair of antlers coming through the trees. And there he was, a deer we’ve never seen. By far the most mature deer we’ve seen in a while. His antlers were interesting and to be as mature as he was, we were shocked to notice he was still in velvet. And he walked down the clearing right towards the stand.
At this point, he was coming our way. The buck that came out with him was slowly moving behind him now, and all three bucks from earlier crossed to the clearing on the other end. But he was the most mature deer out there, and his interesting rack made him a prize for me. He turned to cross into the brush, and the crosshairs met just beside his shoulder. I pulled the trigger so slow and steady that I held my breath. And down he fell. He pushed himself through the brush for a short ways and stumbled down. He never crossed the camera, but he did cross the field. The deer was a 9-point, 195 pounds, and in velvet.”
Morris 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, a prize package from Buck Commander and Duck Commander, 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.
