Hampton County brute was still in velvet
Alston Long of Hampton, SC killed a Hampton County brute on the evening of Aug. 15, 2024. He shot the buck from 120 yards away with a Browning XBolt 7 Mag while perched in an elevated tower stand. The buck dropped immediately.
Long was very familiar with this buck.
“I watched him grow from a 2-year-old 8-point in 2022 and then a nice, solid 8 as a 3-year-old in 2023,” said Long. “Then he blew up into a heavy-horned 8 this year. I probably saw this deer 40 times over the past few years before I decided he was mature enough to shoot.”
The hunt wasn’t just a great experience for Long. It was equally great for a long-time friend of his, who also shot a mature buck from the same stand, during the same hunt.
“It was one of the most special hunts I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “Me and a long time friend of mine have been watching these deer for years. We both had our eyes set on two old mature bucks that were hanging together and regularly coming out about an hour before dark in the soybeans I had planted.”
Long’s friend was tagging along, mostly to try and video the hunt. But when the two target bucks showed up together, they switched to Plan B.
“We decided to sit together with the intention of him recording my hunt, but when they both stepped out together, we decided to go for the classic ‘1, 2, 3, boom,'” he said. “After about 15 minutes of us trying to wait on both bucks to stay broadside at the same time, it finally happened and we were able to drop both bucks side by side. A hunt I’ll remember forever!
Bag A Buck Contest
Congratulations to Long, who is now in the running for our monthly prize of a free 1-year subscription to Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a Sportsman hat, a two-pack of Lowcountry Seasonings, as well as our Grand Prize, which includes a 1-year-subscription to Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a Sportsman hat, and a 2-day, two-person hunt at Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield, SC.
See all the bucks entered so far, and upload yours at www.carolinasportsman.com/bag-a-buck-2024
