13-point buck is Gates’ biggest
Briar Gates of Lexington, SC killed a Richland County 13-point buck that’s been gross green scored at 149 1/8 inches. He shot the buck from 30 yards away with an Elite Revol compound bow while hunting from an elevated stand.
He shot the buck around 8 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2024.
“I had put the camera out the day before, and that night, I got a picture of him and told my dad I was going to kill that deer the next morning,” said Gates. “I had also gotten a couple of more pictures of some good bucks, but nothing with the tine length he has.”
Fearing he’d interrupt deer on his way in the next morning, he decided to wait until that afternoon to hunt.
“As I got to thinking, I decided not to go hunting the next morning, because I knew I would possibly bust deer going in,” he said. “Then on my way to work, I was getting pictures of him in broad daylight.”
So that afternoon, he got in the stand. At first he only saw a doe and a yearling, and his hopes began to dwindle.
“My faith was going down in me being able to kill the deer that night,” he said. “I was reaching back to grab my quiver when I heard a stick crack. I turned to look and all I saw was white horns coming through the woods. I knew it was him.”
It certainly was the big 13-point buck. And it was in range.
A miss, then a second chance
“I drew back with my pin set at 30 yards, and the deer stepped out at 20 yards,” he said.
Gates adjusted his sights, then drew back again. But now the buck had moved again, so once again, Gates adjusted. The 13-point buck turned broadside after a few minutes, and Gates let his arrow fly.
“As soon as I let it go, I heard the arrow hit a limb. I said to myself ‘that isn’t good,'” he said.
It was a clean miss, and the deer didn’t seem to spook.
“Two minutes later, the deer stepped back out, and I got another shot on him,” he said.
And this time, his aim was true. The deer ran 10 yards and crashed. Gates called a buddy to help him search and drag the deer out.
“We were walking down to the spot I shot him, and my buddy said ‘there he is,’ and the deer was lying 20 yards from us, against a tree, dead,” he said.
It was a memorable hunt for Gates, for numerous reasons.
“It is definitely my biggest deer to date, and by far my biggest deer with a bow. I will always cherish that hunt,” he said.
Bag A Buck Contest
Congratulations to Gates, 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
