Buck sported 145-inch rack
With 3 Pope and Young bucks under her belt before her latest trophy, Nancy “Tootie” Morris of Rougemont is no stranger to a deer stand or box blind. Still, she had to calm her nerves when surprised by the 145 inch Granville County 13 pointer that she called Meatloaf.
Named for his ample proportions, Meatloaf had been on Morris’ mind since she first captured his image on a trail camera in August. So, when he suddenly reappeared after missing from camera for 3 days, Morris’ husband, Scottie Morris, encouraged her to get in the woods on the afternoon of Oct. 23rd to hunt the cutover that he had frequented.
“Most of the time if this deer comes, it’s right at dusk to dark,” said Tootie Morris. “So, I’m wondering if I’m going to get to see him. At about 6:50 (p.m.), a spike came out. Three other deer came with him and they were little bucks too. They came straight to the corn pile and started eating. Then, they started looking back and about that time he popped out. I’m like, ‘There he is!’”
Due to the hunting blind’s window placement and the commotion of the other deer, Tootie Morris had little warning of Meatloaf’s arrival other than the young bucks’ nervous glances. After thoroughly checking him over for a positive identification, she picked up her Mathews Passion bow and turned on the lighted nock affixed to her Gold Tip arrow. She drew and then attempted to steady the 75-grain Muzzy broadhead aimed at her target, which had stalled broadside to her about 15 yards away.
“I was shaking so bad,” she said. “I didn’t even know if I was going to hit him or not. My pin was going above his head and below his belly. I had to talk myself through it, saying, ‘Calm down, calm down, make a good shot.’”
She did make a good shot. The broadhead lodged firmly behind the buck’s shoulder. The lighted nock looked like a beacon in the buck as it darted for deep cover. After a rendezvous with her husband, they began tracking the deer.
“It took us a little while to find a blood trail,” she said. “Once we found a speck of blood, it started to pick up and we went right to him. He ran about 75 yards.”
Tootie Morris’ 4th trophy buck supported a rack with an inside spread of 16 ½ inches. The longest tine reached 10 inches and the brow tines came to 4 inches.
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