8-point buck was elusive
The story starts back in 2022. I had this nice looking 8-point show up on my camera during the archery season. At the time I did not bow hunt, so I waited for rifle season. The first week of season comes around and I never see the deer again. The following year, I get a photo during bow season.
Just like the year before, he disappeared when rifle season came around only this time, he came back on Dec. 3, right before the end of season. I hunted the deer very hard the last few weeks of season with no luck. 2024 comes around and I am off to college at Clemson University. Sure enough, the buck comes around during bow season like clock work. I come home for the first week of rifle season and he’s gone again. I had no more pictures of him the remainder of the season until December comes around. I get a photo on the 4th, the day after he reappeared the year prior. At this time, I’m home for winter break and decide to hunt the deer every day. That was until my great grandfather got very sick. I spent every day in the hospital with him and didn’t pay the deer any attention.
My grandfather ended up passing the last day of deer season, so I had no chance to hunt the deer. Coming into the 2025 season. I decided to come home from clemson and work instead of going to school. I started putting up cameras and feeding in May in hopes of seeing this deer again. Months go by and he is nowhere to be found. Bow season comes around and still no sign of him. With the property being over run by hogs, there was not much sign of any deer, so on the morning of Sept. 6, I decide i’m going to go on a hog hunt. Just as the sun is breaking the horizon, I see a deer walk out. I pick up the gun and look, sure enough it’s the 192-pound giant. He starts walking away and I make a hard quartering away shot with my 30-06 at about 100 yards. 10 minutes later, I climb down with anticipation of finding this deer, and sure enough, he laid 20 yards from where he stood when I shot. To this day I still think my grandfather sent me this deer that morning.
Hunter’s name: Mason King of Aynor, South Carolina
Place of hunt: Horry County, SC
Date of hunt: Sept. 6, 2025
8-point buck
