8-point buck was in full velvet
Eli Atkins of Mount Airy, NC killed a Surry County 8-point buck on Sept. 9, 2024. He shot the buck from 25 yards away with a PSE Coalition crossbow while hunting from a blind on a hill.
“I shot this deer on the third day into bow season. He was an 8-pointer in full velvet,” said Atkins.
He knew about the buck thanks to his trail camera.
“I had been watching him on camera for a few days,” he said. “He finally started coming in during daytime, which was his mistake!”
Atkins had a previous encounter with the buck this season, but it stayed out of range on that day.
“I saw him on opening day, but he was 98 yards away in a field next to my blind,” he said.
The hunter was working that day, and received photos of the buck from his trail camera throughout the day.
“While at work, he was teasing me on my cell cam, staying in my hunting spot all day,” he said.
Atkins left work and got in his blind just before 4 p.m. He waited a little more than 2 hours before seeing his target buck.
“At 6:18, he came in with two other bucks smaller than he was,” he said. “And at 6:45 p.m., he presented me with a 25-yard shot. So I raised up the crossbow and let a Rage Xtreme broadhead loose.”
The buck ran up the hill toward the field, made it about 50 yards, then piled up.
“Our story concluded with a happy ending, and now he is at the taxidermy,” he said. “I thank God for this opportunity, and for me being able to harvest such a beautiful animal. I also want to thank me father-in-law for helping me drag him out. And I thank Woman’s Touch Taxidermy in Ararat, NC. She always does a good job, and I can’t wait to get the mount back.”
Bag A Buck Contest
Congratulations to Atkins, 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
