Lots of Mississippi deer hunters claim to practice quality deer management, but few are more serious about it than Kolby Byrd of Bogue Chitto. This 20-year-old hunter already has a number of trophy whitetails under his belt, each attributed to following intensive deer management practices.
And while bowhunting a tract of family land near Hermanville on Oct. 6, Byrd was once again able to reap the rewards of his management efforts by arrowing a monster 9-pointer he had been watching for almost two years with the help of several trail cameras.
Click here to see a trail camera photo of the deer.
A firm believer in the Quality Deer Management Association’s motto, “Let Him Go So He Can Grow,” Byrd passed up several opportunities to harvest the brute during last year’s gun season. Even Byrd’s girlfriend, who was hunting with him on one of these occasions, wasn’t allowed to shoot the buck.
“Based on my trail camera pictures and visual observations, I estimated the buck to be 3 or 4 years old with antlers that would likely score somewhere in the 130- to 135-inch range,” Byrd said. “I knew he had a lot of potential left in him. All he needed was another year to grow the kind of antlers I was looking for.”
When the big buck started showing up on Byrd’s trail camera pictures this past summer, he knew he had made the right decision in letting the buck go. The monster was considerably heavier and had added close to 20 inches of overall antler growth to what many would consider an already impressive rack.
Prior to opening day of Mississippi’s archery season, Byrd decided to reposition his deer stand alongside a creek crossing the buck was using to gain access to a grove of white oak trees loaded with acorns. The extremely dry weather had caused the white oaks to start dropping their acorns early, and the deer were taking full advantage of the unexpected feast.
Patiently holding off from hunting the stand until the wind was right, Byrd’s first afternoon hunt was unproductive. However, his second afternoon hunt turned out to be one he will always remember.
“I was watching a pair of does gorging themselves on acorns beneath my stand when a flicker of movement across the creek caught my eye,” Byrd recalled. “As soon as I saw the antlers swaying down the trail, I knew it was the big 9-pointer. And following close on his heels was another smaller buck.”
As the monster buck dropped off the opposite creek bank, Byrd pulled his 65-pound Hoyt Katera bow to full draw and whistled softly. Stopping in his tracks, the buck offered Byrd an almost perfect broadside shot.
Placing the 20-yard pin just behind the buck’s massive shoulder, Byrd took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger on his release. The arrow found its mark, passing completely through the buck and sticking in the far side of the creek bank.
Although the giant buck wheeled and bolted for the protection of the thick timber, it was too late. Byrd’s 100-grain BloodRunner 3-blade broadhead had done its job on the double-lung shot buck.
Just out of sight of his tree stand, Byrd heard the buck crash only 60 yards away.
“I immediately sent a text message to both of my friends that were hunting with me to let them know about my good luck,” he said. “Although it was only 6:40 p.m., we waited almost two hours before going in after him. Those two hours seemed like an eternity.”
And what Byrd and his pals found at the end of the blood trail definitely didn’t disappoint the trio. The 250-pound monster sported a long-tined, typical 9-point frame with several small kickers coming off the base of the right beam.
With an 18 5/8-inch inside spread and incredible mass, the 5-year-old buck would later green score over 153 inches of antler.
Byrd’s trophy is proof that good things really do come to those who wait.
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