Buck’s rack rough-scored at 155 4/8
Ryan Long of Greensboro watched a big 10-point buck all summer with the help of some trail cameras. And on opening day of archery season, he killed the Guilford County buck. But he was beginning to think the day was doomed when the deer didn’t show up at its regular time.
“He was coming in a little before 7 p.m. and sticking around until a little after 7 p.m. I’d been feeding him corn and some high-protein foods from Ani-logics Oudoors, trying to lure him away from the soybean fields. I had him patterned good, but I knew I better get him early in the season before that changed,” said Long.
Before the season started, Long and his granddad, Bud Long, identified two deer they wanted to go after. This was one, and the other is a big 8-point buck. After hunting another stand opening morning without seeing anything, Long was happy to get in the evening stand, and felt confident he’d see one of the shooters.
“By a quarter to 7 (p.m.), I had my bow in my lap, getting ready. He was always in the field right around there. Then 7:15 came and went. Then 7:30. By now it was starting to get dark. I texted my grandpa who was hunting at another stand and he hadn’t seen anything either. He said he was getting out of his stand. So I decided I’d get down too,” said Long.
One more look proves fruitful
But, before climbing out of the ladder stand, he glanced up and saw a deer coming down the trail.
“I knew right away it was a shooter. I couldn’t tell if it was the 8 or the 10, but there was no doubt it was a shooter,” he said.
The buck stopped with a brush pile in Long’s way, and stood there, looking around.
“I was worried he was going to stand there until it was dark. I needed him to take two more steps, and he finally did it. He was 28 yards away, and I shot. He fell down, and I texted my grandpa,” he said.
Long shot the deer with an Obsession Evolution bow and an arrow equipped with a Muzzy broadhead.
“My grandpa and I met up and we gave it a few minutes, then went looking. The buck was laying in my corn pile, still alive at that point,” he said.
Tattered velvet, busted tines make for a unique rack
Long finished the deer off, happy at what the summer-long scouting process helped him achieve. Finally getting a good look at the rack, which had velvet hanging off of it, he noticed both brow tines were busted.
“My trail cam had photos of him that morning, still in velvet and with brow tines intact. So he must have just started shedding and busted his brow tines that day,” he said.
A rough, gross, green score of the buck’s rack taped out at 155 4/8. The tattered, shedding velvet on the tines adds to the uniqueness of the trophy deer.
“It was a great hunt, and a great way to kick off the 2019 deer season,” said Long.
Long entered his buck in the CarolinaSportsman.com Bag-A-Buck Contest. Click here to enter yours for a chance at some great prizes and the chance to be featured in Carolina Sportsman Magazine.
Be the first to comment