Deer of the Year

Deer of the Year

Persistence leads to monster Laflore County 18-point

December 22, 2011 Andy Crawford

Stephen Henderson was distracted at work the entire week of Dec. 12, but it wasn’t because of Christmas preparations. Nope, it was because he couldn’t help thinking he had missed his opportunity the previous weekend to bag a big buck he and his buddies had been chasing for a couple of years.

“He was 20 yards from me,” Henderson said.

The Madison County hunter resolved the issue on the afternoon of Dec. 16 when the big buck, which has been green scored at nearly 190 inches Boone & Crockett, made a fatal mistake. […]

Deer of the Year

Youth kills 140-class buck day after dad downs monster deer

December 14, 2011 Andy Crawford

Hunter Champagne readily admits he is a bit on the competitive side, and there’s no one he enjoys besting than his father with whom he spends untold hours in the woods and on the water.

So when dad Scott Champagne plugged a 220-inch Jefferson County buck on Dec. 8, the younger Champagne was dying to get in on the big-buck action.

It only took until Dec. 10 for 14-year-old Hunter Champagne to do just that by taking a 140-class 10-point, thanks to some help from a buddy and his lucky hat. […]

Deer of the Year

Monster Jefferson County buck estimated at 220 inches

December 13, 2011 Andy Crawford

Scott Champagne almost didn’t hunt the stand on Thursday (Dec. 8). But he saw a doe jumping his fence and heading toward an old, grown-up food plot and knew Jefferson County bucks were probably starting to look at the females of the species with lust.

“I kind of had a suspicion based on the signs in the woods that the deer were about to get into the pre-rut,” Champagne said. “When you see those does moving around, that’s about as good a chance as you’re going to get to get on a buck.”

So he climbed into the box stand about 3:30 p.m. and settled in to see what would happen. It was fortunate he did, as he nailed a 17-point that has been rough scored at 220 inches Boone & Crockett just before shooting hours closed. […]

Deer of the Year

Morgan Brake NWR produces 180-inch record-book buck

December 12, 2011 Rob Hays

For two years, Andy Lloyd hunted the big buck that his brother Jeff had seen at Morgan Brake National Wildlife Refuge in Holmes County — a small-bodied deer with antlers lacking mass but possessing great length.

“Jeff was ranting about this buck he’d seen, a very tall and very wide rack that he said would go about 160 inches then,” Lloyd said. “I remember he told me, ‘If anyone ever kills that buck, don’t worry, we’ll hear about it.’”

Now, everybody is hearing — and talking — about the big 180-class buck, which Andy Lloyd punched a hole in during an afternoon hunt on Dec. 7 during the NWR’s annual muzzleloader hunt. […]

Deer of the Year

Another Giles Island monster buck killed

December 8, 2011 Andy Crawford

Ricky Rogillio saw that huge buck the first time during an early season bow hunt, when he took a client to Giles Island Hunting Club. It was monstrous, with two drop tines dripping from the left main beam.

“I saw videos of it, and I knew I wanted to come back,” the Walker hunter said. “I worried it wouldn’t be there when I got back.”

He left the island last Wednesday (Nov. 30) with the 175-inch rack cooling in the back of his truck. […]

Deer of the Year

10-year-old Hernando hunter kills 143-inch trophy buck

November 21, 2011 Andy Crawford

Kent Porter was just taking his two kids hunting on a buddy’s property in Tate County on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 16), and by 4:15 p.m. the Hernando hunter was being absolutely pestered to death by his 10-year-old son Cody who wanted to pop a spike standing in front of the stand in which the hunters were concealed.

The elder Porter absolutely refused to allow it, and now young Cody is probably happy because a mere 30 minutes later a monster 10-point walked out. That deer later green scored 143 inches Boone & Crockett. […]