Michael Bouvier was hunting a scrape-line
With all the advantages of trail cameras and automatic feeders, it’s still possible to kill a trophy buck the old fashioned way, and that’s what Michael Bouvier of Greenville County proved on Nov. 14. He killed a 140-class trophy by just hunting deer sign.
“No food plots, no feeders, just hunting the sign. I found a pinch point with some good hardwoods that open just slightly off the edge of a cutover. Every year, the bucks work the same scrape-line right along the edge of the cut and hardwoods,” said Bouvier, who took Will, his 6-year-old son, into the woods with him early on the morning of the 14th.
“It was a great morning for whitetail hunting with no wind and just a little frost starting to form on the rail of our stand,” he said.
Bouvier does enjoy using some “luxury” hunting items like a Primos Buck Roar and can calls. At 7:30 that morning, he began a series of calls with these products. He noticed activity along the scrape line almost right away.
“I saw movement along the edge of the cut following the scrape-line,” he said.
When he focused on what was moving, he saw a set of antlers that was big enough that he had to convince himself to look away from them and at the body of the deer instead.
“I took one look and saw the solid 10-point frame with main beams extending out past the snout, and I quit looking at his antlers. I started tapping Will and asking if he sees it. As soon as he said yes, I let out a ‘baaap’ to stop him. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed off a shot with my .270,” said Bouvier.
The buck turned 180-degrees and headed into some thick brush. Bouvier and his son got out of their stand and quickly picked up the buck’s trail. They found the deer just in the brush.
“Thankfully he hadn’t gone far. I can’t believe what we had been blessed to see and take that day. So thankful the Lord allowed me to harvest my biggest buck so far, and second South Carolina state buck entry with my son,” he said.
Bill Walden at American Outdoorsman rough-scored the deer, and aged him at about 4 1/2-years-old. Age, said Bouvier, is definitely a factor in producing big deer in South Carolina.
“I have been hunting this property for three years now and have let several smaller bucks walk. This is only the second buck I’ve taken off the property. South Carolina can produce great deer. We just need to let them grow to a proper age before we take them,” said Bouvier.
Click here to read about other big South Carolina bucks.
Click here to enter your big deer into our Bag-A-Buck contest for your chance to win monthly prizes and our year-end grand prize.
