This buck showed up on my property 3 years ago as a nice buck with crazy horns that looked like mule deer. He kept breaking his left main beam off so I passed on him. This year he really exploded and was hoping my 10 year old was going to get him on youth day, because he had been coming in regular to our pasture. He disappeared 3 days before youth day and showed back up 2 weeks later. So we made game plan and went after him but he always eluded us. It was like he knew where we was going to be and wouldn’t come out till dark. We played the wind, weather used trail cam pictures to try pattern him. Nothing was working he beat us for 2 months. So I decided I was going to go sit off point in my tree saddle for first week of rifle as I knew the doe used it as bedding area. I ran him out on Tuesday heading to stand. I just knew it was done he was leaving and never coming back. The wind was forecasted to be perfect for entire week so I decided I was going to keep hunting out of my saddle for rest of week. On Saturday it was cold 18 degrees perfect conditions quiet and frosted wind had blowed hard Friday and died down sometime early Saturday morning. Didn’t have many pictures on cameras that night. Soon as I got set up in my spot out of my saddle 2 doe came flying by 5 minutes later had a 18 inch 8 point come in scent checking dead on their trail. Let him go because it was early and wasn’t buck I was going after. 8:20 my camera went off at my ladder stand and it was my target buck 400-500 yards away from me heading the wrong direction my heart sank couldn’t believe it he was going to give me the slip again. 30 minutes later I hear crashing look up coming through laurels it him 30 yards no shot moving fast, he crosses the creek heading away from me no shots. He moves through my couple shooting lanes to fast for shot. I’ve got one more hole at about 150 yards away but buck stops starts walking out old logging road again away from me. My heart is raising every emotion you can think of I’m having. Then I hear another deer in creek look down it’s a doe buck turns towards her she takes off heads up hill. He takes off straight up hill and stops perfect in my last hole I can shoot at 150 yards. I anchor in squeeze trigger and he drops right in his tracks. My heart was raising was like no way that just happened knees was shaking the big white oak tree I was in was shaking. I had to try calm myself. He flops and goes down into thicket and I lost him then I was in panic mode. I knew my 300 wsm was on and I hit him good so I took deep breaths and started searching for him in thicket with no sign of him. I waited 20 minutes to get good and calm before climbing down tree. Get on ground head down hill and across the creek. No sign of him but I could smell a big old rutting buck. I was looking everywhere no sign started to get that sick feeling and looked to left and he was dead behind laurels and saw briar in ditch before creek, all I could see was his rack. Best hunt I’ve ever had. Had every emotion you could possibly have. Want to thank the one that allows me to wake up and for my health our Lord and Savior JESUS Christ. He was definitely with me and answered my prayers to allow that Hammer of a buck to come my way.
Hunter’s name: Travis Farley
Dobson Nc
Surry County NC
11/29/25
11-point buck
