Big Williamsburg County 8-pointer taken in front of hounds
Lance Tilton of Andrews felt he was in good position on Sept. 3 to see a deer being pushed through a Williamsburg County swamp by a pack of howling Walker hounds. Tilton had made a couple of strategic positioning moves hoping to get right in front of the dogs and deer.
What happened next on was beyond Tilton’s wildest expectations, something he’d never experienced in 23 years of hunting deer with dogs — a scene similar to an old Tarzan movie with a rhino charging head-on.
But in this case, it was a monster-sized buck bearing down on him.
Tilton, a 27-year old maintenance mechanic, is passionate about hunting deer with dogs, and he was confident when he shouldered his 12-gauge shotgun, loaded with 3-inch magnum shells filled with 00 buckshot.
“I thought I was ready for anything, but I didn’t know what was coming,” Tilton said. “I had moved earlier, crossing a powerline to get in position for a deer being run by another pack of dogs, but I didn’t get a good look at the deer, and we have restrictions on the Sportsman’s Club where I hunt (a 15-inch spread and at least four points on one side).”
A few minutes later, a second group of dogs started moving his way, and Tilton positioned himself on the rim of a ridge with a perfect look down an old woods road.
“I didn’t know how big the deer was, but I knew it was headed my way,” he said. “Before I saw anything, I heard the deer crashing through the woods about 50 yards away. I first saw the buck as it burst out of the thicket at 30 yards, running full speed down the road directly at me.
“I instantly recognized the buck was plenty big enough to shoot. I shot him twice in the chest, and finally he veered slightly to the left, and I finished him with a shoulder shot. (He) fell dead only 15 feet from me.”
Adrenaline was coursing through the hunter as he looked at the trophy laying almost at his feet.
“It was so intense and I was so excited; the first thing I did was call my wife Kim and son Ty,” he said. “I called before walking over to the deer, but I could see what a massive rack it had.”
The kill came after Tilton hustled to get in on the hunt.
“Generally, my 4-year-old son Ty is with me. I started hunting with dogs when I was four, and that’s what I’ve got him doing,” he said. “But I had worked a graveyard shift the night before, got off work at 6 o’clock that morning, and had just enough time to pick up seven of my Walkers, and get to the club. I hooked up with some other members, and we started hunting. I killed the buck around 10 o’clock that morning.”
Tilton said word spread quickly to other hunters about the big buck.
“By the time a few guys helped me get the deer back to the open power line, all the other club members were there waiting, then my family got there,” Tilton said. “The only rough part was I had to work the graveyard shift again that night.
“Being so excited, I didn’t get much sleep that day. But it was worth it.”
Tilton’s buck was an 8-pointer that weighed 213 pounds. Its beautiful rack green-scored about 138 inches Boone & Crockett Club.
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