NC hunter has history of success
Nothing makes a deer hunter prouder than to see the next generation in their family have a true love and respect for the outdoors and hunting. All of God’s beautiful creation is a gift that screams His glory. We are privileged to be able to enjoy it. Since she was able to tag along, my daughter Amanda has always enjoyed hunting. In 2015, she was blessed to be able to take a 10-point buck that green scored 149 inches. This deer was runner-up for NC female youth at the 2015-16 Dixie Deer Classic. Fast forward life, Amanda Graves has graduated from Liberty University, married Camron Smith and is a Registered Nurse. She still loves the outdoors and enjoys the challenge of hunting.
We noticed a really nice 8-pointer on our farm a few years ago, and he especially stuck out last year as we saw him regularly. What stuck out about this buck, was the way he carried his mass all the way out and the beam length. This year, we saw him regularly during pre-season as we were feeding cattle and working on the farm. Pre-season and pre-rut, he was frequently seen with a 9-pointer with a third main beam that was also an impressive buck. Amanda and Camron decided to hunt these bucks hard, paying attention to the wind.
Neither buck would show themselves during daylight hours the first week of black powder season. Finally, the rut activity caused daylight movement. Camron was able to harvest the 9-pointer on Nov. 4, 2023. An impressive buck that scored around 130 – 135 inches, despite the fact that 2 days prior, the buck’s third main beam was broken off at the base of his rack. We suspect he and the 11-pointer that were once friends, became rutting foes.
Big buck was a constant mover
The other buck kept moving back and forth from one farm to another. One morning he would be on one trail cam, and that evening 12 hours later, he was 1.25 miles away at the other farm. Four days, later Amanda was hunting the same stand that her husband Camron hunted the Saturday morning where he harvested his buck. She first saw him at 6:50 a.m., chasing does back and forth across the pasture.
He stood in the tree line for 7 minutes waiting on the doe he was tending to move. He came within approximately 70 yards, but Amanda could not get a clean shot. She waited patiently and the doe he was chasing came within 20 yards of the stand. Amanda prayed the doe would not bust her, and finally, the doe quietly walked away.
The buck then flanked Amanda from across the pasture turning broadside. When she was getting ready to take an approximate 100-yard shot, he proceeded to walk away. Amanda had picked out various yardage spots and knew by now he was a little beyond the 100 yard mark. He stopped walking and offered another broadside shot. He dropped in his tracks approximately an hour after she first saw him.
The 140-yard shot from a Thompson Center Encore with 100 grains of Pyrodex, using a 375-grain buffalo hollow point sabot boat tail, did it’s job. The buck had no ground shrinkage. Where we had estimated 140 to 145 inches, we were impressed with the mass being better than expected. Green-score was 158.25. An impressive 20 ½-inch wide rack having 24-inch and 25.5-inch main beams. Mass measurements from 5 inches to 4.75 consistently throughout his rack that has almost equal palmation on each side. So blessed and proud of my family!
–Travis Graves
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Bag A Buck Contest
Congratulations to Amanda, who is now in the running for our monthly prize of a free 1-year subscription to Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a Mini Maglite, an 18-ounce Yeti Rambler, a two-pack of Lowcountry Seasonings, as well as our Grand Prize, which includes a 3-year-subscription to Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a 2-day two-person hunt at Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield, SC, and other prizes to be determined.
See all the bucks entered so far, and upload yours at carolinasportsman.com/bag-a-buck-2023, or email photo and detailed info to images@carolinasportsman.com.
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