Young hunter killed 21-point buck
Austin Mangum of Berea, NC won the Carolina Sportsman September Bag-A-Buck Contest for the 21-point buck he killed in Granville County, NC on Sept. 14, 2026.
Magnum shot the buck from 30 yards away with a Mission Crossbow Sub-1. His arrow was tipped with a Crown broadhead.
The young hunter had a history with the buck dating back to November of 2025, when the deer first appeared as a 13-pointer, visiting Mangum’s corn pile regularly. This gave Mangum the chance to get a full appreciation for the buck’s antlers, and he decided to pass on the buck, hoping it would mature for this season.
The decision paid off. The buck blew up, growing into a 21-point by the time Mangum saw it on camera this past August.
The big buck wasn’t shy about coming to the hunter’s corn pile, and did so multiple times a day leading up to the season.
“Be patient”
But with about a week before the season started, the buck was shedding its velvet and became unpredictable. It showed up only twice that week, making Mangum a little nervous, but his older brother told him not to worry, and to be patient.
He got in the stand early on opening day, and stayed until after 6 p.m., leaving when a bear showed up, scattering a few deer, none of which were Mangum’s target buck.
The next morning, he was back in the stand and sat until that evening. The 21-point showed up at 6:10, giving the hunter his first look at the deer in the flesh this season. Unfortunately, after only a minute, another deer spooked and ran off, and the big one left with it and didn’t return.
The next day was Monday, and Magnum was back in school, but left early enough to get back in the stand before 4 p.m. where he did schoolwork. He looked up shortly after 6 p.m. to see numerous bucks eating, then he noticed the big buck staring at those deer.
For about 15 minutes, the 21-point walked around the other deer, then finally settled into the corn pile, where it began eating. Other deer where standing in the way of a good shot, so Magnum waited, ready to fire his crossbow. Finally, a squirrel startled a deer, which moved out of the way, offering the hunter a clear shot, which he took. Right away he felt that the shot was perfect, even though the deer bolted off.
Easy tracking job
Mngum called his brother, and they began searching for the buck, which they found about 80 yards away from where it had been shot.
Mangum wins a prize package that includes a YETI Rambler, an Ultimate Eyes & Ears Combo from ShellShock Pro, a Buck Commander hat, and a Carolina Sportsman hat. He’s also in the running for our Grand Prize, a 2-day hunt for two at Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield County, SC.
To see the full gallery of bucks entered this season, visit CarolinaSportsman.com/2026-bag-a-buck-gallery, and enjoy the sample of some of the bucks sent in by readers on the following pages. ■
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