Aiken County brute was in full velvet
Connor Jackson, 8-years- old, killed a 13-point Aiken County brute on Aug. 26, 2024. The buck weighed 190 pounds.
Jackson shot the big buck with a 6.5 Creedmoor from 150 yards away from an elevated stand. The young hunter was familiar with the buck, which he’d nicknamed “Big Ricky,” through trail camera photos all during the 2023 hunting season.
“We had Big Ricky on camera all last year but we never got a chance to harvest him,” said Ashley Jackson, Connor’s mom. “The last picture we have of Big Ricky was taken on Jan. 7, 2024. We thought Big Ricky had disappeared since we had not seen him since.”
Other bucks had made a showing leading up to opening day, but up until then, Big Ricky had been a no-show this season.
“Fast forward to now,” she said. “We had been getting some big bucks on camera, but none of them were Big Ricky. Connor would deer hunt every day if he could. But unfortunately for him, his daddy works swing shifts. After a long shift rotation, the day had finally come. Connor’s daddy had a day off. Connor begged and pleaded to go.”
His dad gave in and took him.
“It had been a long Monday and everyone was tired,” she said. “Hunting was the last thing on our minds. Finally, after what seemed like hours of begging, Connor was told to hurry up and get his hunting clothes on. It was late, almost 7 p.m.”
And after they had been in the stand for a short time, Connor was ready to shoot a buck, and several showed up. But before he pulled the trigger, he saw another buck moving into view.
“Connor and his daddy hurried to the stand and snuck in as quickly as his little 8-year-old legs could walk. Not long into the hunt, five bucks came out,” she said. “Connor grabbed his gun and was getting ready to shoot one of them, when all of a sudden, giant antlers could be seen in the woods. Could it be? It was! Big Ricky was alive and headed straight to the food plot. Connor took a deep breath, put the crosshairs on his shoulder and pulled the trigger.”
The shot was true. Big Ricky ran about 50 yards, then fell.
“We now have happiest 8-year-old in the world,” she said.
Bag A Buck Contest
Congratulations to Jackson, 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
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