The 8-point buck ended an unlucky streak for Madison Squires
Madison Squires of Allendale, S.C. killed a big 8-point buck in Allendale County on Nov. 14, 2021. The big deer broke a 3-year, buck-less streak for her.
“I’ve had a 3-year streak not seeing much else than does and fawns and a few spikes and button bucks,” she said.
And it wasn’t for lack of trying. She’d logged more than 75 hours in the stand this season. And she did have opportunities to shoot smaller bucks that she opted not to.
“I’ve passed up on opportunities to shoot immature deer and pulled back on chances to shoot nicer deer because of poor lighting. I’ve hunted probably 75+ hours this season alone. I was getting pretty frustrated knowing that nice deer are around that just couldn’t be patterned by trail cameras,” she said.
Squires was able to bag a nice piebald doe a few weeks earlier. And knowing her chances of getting in the woods are dwindling with other obligations and shorter days, she was ready to settle for that being the highlight of this season.
“I had pretty much decided before this hunt that since my chances of getting in the woods were about to slim way down, I was content with the piebald doe I’d taken a few weeks prior,” she said.
Her luck took a favorable turn
But things turned around for her when at 5:05 p.m., a larger-bodied deer with a noticeable rack showed up.
“I instantly recognized this buck by the brow tines that swooped backwards and the tall rack. My boyfriend had a few trail cam photos of him. But he had never presented himself during a hunt for either of us before,” she said.
She watched as the deer nosed around, then crossed the corner of the food plot and headed toward a corn pile.
“He stopped just outside the corn and provided a broadside shot right at 100 yards. But he never picked his head up. I steadied my crosshairs behind his left shoulder the best I could. I was a shaky mess!” she said.
As shaky as she was, her aim was true as she pulled the trigger on her Ruger American .308 compact bolt action rifle.
“I squeezed off a shot. He dropped instantly, didn’t kick or take another step,” she said.
Once on the ground, Squires realized just how big the deer was.
“I got down a few minutes after the shot. And I couldn’t believe the 8-point laying in front of me. Cue the happy tears!
“When they say patience is a virtue, it really is. I fell victim to the frustrations of hunting, but this hunt made the last unlucky 3 years worth it. It’s definitely a season I’ll never forget,” she said.
Bag-A-Buck
Congratulations to Squires, who is now entered in our Bag-A-Buck contest. Click here to enter your buck in the Carolina Sportsman Bag-A-Buck contest. We’re giving away some great monthly prizes, as well as a Grand Prize that includes a Millennium M25 hang-on deer stand and a 2-man, 2-day hunt for deer and hogs at Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield, S.C.
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