On Nov. 20 2020, I left home for an afternoon hunt for a deer that I had captured a picture of on Nov. 15, 2020. This buck walked in front of my Bushnell Trophy Cam at 9:30 a.m. while I was at work.
I pulled the card from my camera on Nov. 18 after an evening sit in a homemade haybale blind. When I scrolled through the pictures I was shocked at what I saw… a new buck in the area. But this wasn’t just any everyday buck — this was a buck that was an absolute giant for Rockingham County, N.C.
I came straight to the house and told my wife we have got to hunt and we have got to hunt hard!!! Thursday was a wash due to family duties and needs, so there wasn’t anyway that I could hunt this deer the way I wanted to!!
So Friday was the day. I set out that morning with high hopes that he would do what he had done just five days before, but there was no such luck — just a couple of small does around 9:30 a.m.
After coming out around 10 a.m. to hang with my wife, our 7-year-old , and two-year-old twins, I decided that I would get aggressive and move into the bedding area around 2 p.m.
So I left the house with my Summit Titan climber on my back and my Savage .30-06 in hand, hoping that I didn’t blow any deer out on the way in. Once I worked my way in and found what seemed to be the only tree that I could possibly climb, I got to work!!!
After sawing multiple limbs out to get to a reasonable hunting height I, settled in around 2:45pm!!! Being in the bedding area like I was, I decided I’ve been this aggressive, so why not go ahead and grunt. So that’s what I did.
I broke out my Flextone Bone Collector grunt call and gave some of the loudest grunts I’ve probably ever done and followed them with a snort wheeze!!!
As I was scanning the thicket and creek bottom intensely for 10-15 minutes, I caught movement coming through the trees and out stepped the biggest buck I have ever laid eyes on, perfectly broad side, with the afternoon sun gleaming through his rack.
I knew it was now or never, so I drew down on him and steadied my crosshairs and squeezed the trigger the way my father had taught me so many years ago preparing me for this moment.
With the crack of my rifle, I knew I had hit the biggest buck I’d ever shot at as he mule kicked and ran off with his tail tucked!!! My life-long friend/brother from another mother was in the area for an afternoon hunt, so I immediately called him and shared the news and he immediately vacated his hunting post and headed my way!!!
When he arrived, I had already started my descent from the tree and we quietly celebrated as not to spook him if he hadn’t expired yet!!! We talked for a few minutes and with confidence in the shot and the way he exited the area, we waited no longer.
We went to where I had last seen him and found first blood at 3:38 p.m. and only three minutes later, we recovered a true Ruffin, N.C. giant!!! I recently had Mr. Wayne Cox, a certified scorer for Buckmasters, score my personal best buck at 199 3/8” composite score on the BTR scale!!!
It’s been nearly two weeks since I downed my lifetime buck and I’m still pumped!!!
Derrick Rowland — Ruffin, N.C.
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