Sanford hunter killed two bucks days apart
Bryan Davis of southern Randolph County, N.C. killed two big bucks during a five-day span during muzzleloader season, and the bucks looked similar enough that he thinks they were brothers. The first buck, a 4×4 mainframe has been green-scored at 147 net inches.
Davis’ second buck of that week was a 4×5 with the same general rack shape. But this one had an extra G4 tine, reducing its score to 127 net.
Looking at the two bucks side-by-side, Davis said they appeared to have the same father.
To Davis, deer hunting is a year-round activity. And even when he isn’t toting a firearm into the woods, he’s keeping his tripod feeders full of corn every day of the year. He also keeps trail cameras running 24/7, 365.
“I had the first buck on camera in December 2017,” the Sanford native said. Then I saw him in 2018 until he lost his horns Jan. 28, 2019. After that, I didn’t see him until October 2019.”
Davis said the whitetail had a 5-mile-long travel route. It made repetitive circles, and “showed up (at the feeder) every five days. The last times were Oct. 18, 23, and 28. But always between 1 and 2 a.m.”
Finally, a daytime appearance by the buck
On Nov. 5, Davis left work a little early, drove home, sprayed his hunting clothes with Scent-Lok, and climbed into his stand hidden in a big cedar tree.
“It was a beautiful fall day, a touch on the warm side,” he said. “I got in the stand at 4:45 p.m. at a small food plot that had a tripod feeder and a mineral block.”
A single doe came running from his right at 5 p.m., followed by a second doe looking behind her, then a third.
“He was behind the third doe with his neck stretched out,” Davis said. “They both stopped. Then something buggered her and she took off. He was 65 or 70 yards from me. And as soon as he started to trot, I had the crosshairs on his front leg and pulled the trigger.”
Second buck had a less-regular schedule
Davis shot the buck with a Thompson Center .50-caliber Omega in-line sealed-bread muzzloader with a 3x10x2 Sightron scope he’s had for “17 or 18 years.” He uses Barnes Spitfire saboted bullets.
The buck’s left side G2 was 12 1/2 inches long, and the right G2 measured 10 inches in length. The G3 was even longer.
Davis’ second buck did not visit on as regular a schedule as his apparent brother. But the 5×4 appeared Nov. 9 at another food plot with a tripod feeder.
Davis hear the 200-pound buck grunting and walking. It stopped 35 yards from the cedar tree Davis’ stand was located at the edge of a food plot. Davis dropped it at 5:43 p.m. in low light. Its rack was 18 inches wide with 8 1/2-inch G2s.
“I usually kill one good buck a year, but nothing like the Nov. 5 deer,” he said. “The second one was icing on the cake.”
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