He's Back!

[megalomaniac]

My old nemesis has showed back up here in South MS. He didnt add much since last year, but he is about as good of a buck as you will ever see this far south. I'm looking forward to another season chasing him, and I found his bedding area and 1 shed this past Turkey season.

I hunted this evening, but he was a nice show. He seems to be completely nocturnal at the moment. I can only hunt him with a NW wind now that I know where hes coming from.

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[tree_ghost]

Man that is one sagging belly old buck! Ideas on age?


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[Back Home]

He's a dandy!

 

[megalomaniac]

He is either 4.5 or 5.5. I think 4.5. I've been following him the past 3 seasons since I got on this lease locally.

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[JCDEERMAN]

He's a dandy 8. Always good when you know their 20. Good luck with him, mega!

 

[BARhunter]

Very nice! Good luck on your quest to get him!

 

[Ladys man]

Very nice

 

[Matador]

N ice. Good luck with him.

 

[fairchaser]

Perfect big 8. I'd be proud to shoot him. Best of luck.

 

[megalomaniac]

Hes only 120in. Would still be my personal best buck in south MS. Would really love for one of my kids to kill him, but they are spoiled hunting in TN.



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[AT Hiker]

Old saggy brisket!


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[TN Larry]

If my memory serves me right, this would be your 3rd year having pics of him which would put him at least 5.5 yo??? I think in 2017 that you went to another buck and killed him on the first sit after hunting this one several times. Last year, you killed another buck in this one's range that you thought was him when you shot. It wasn't as big but still a mature deer.

Good luck with him this year! I have enjoyed the updates on him the last couple years.

 

[megalomaniac]

exactly Larry, same buck.

I have been on the fence about his age each year. In 2017, I felt pretty sure he was 3.5, but a chance he was only 2.5. Back then, he was around 110in, and most of our 2.5 y/o's will score around 50-70 inches. I know you can't go by the rack, and his body looked more like a 2.5 y/o... but I didn't find him until the 2nd week of January, and he had already lost some weight from the rut.

Last year he didn't show up until late December, and he added 10 inches or so. He looked like a coinflip between 3.5 and 4.5.

This year, he looks 5.5 in the pic I posted, but I have other pics where he only looks 4.5.

I've probably hunted him 35 or 40 times over the past 3 seasons. He's made my MS hunts both fun and agonizing at the same time. But I have a leg up on him this year after finding where he's bedded and how he is accessing the food plot.

The plot is on a long gas pipeline, and they are about to redo and enlarge the pipeline. Survey crew is out there today and tomorrow. 2 more environmental surveys, then they will start construction, and he'll be pushed away. I hope that is after season ends or after I kill him.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

Good looking deer, mature too. I hope you get him!

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[shrimphead]

good buck for south ms. hope you can give him lead poison

 

[Specializedjon]

Old saggy brisket!


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I think AT just named him for ya...."Old Saggy Brisket"

Good luck sir.

 

[megalomaniac]

Lol, good nickname!

Wind is going to be perfect to hunt him this weekend. But we got 4 in rain last weekend, and another 2 to 3 forecast next couple days. I dont think I can get across the creek to get back to his core area.

Already had to replace the ball joints on my 4 wheeler this summer because of crossing the swollen creek on it last winter.

So far, only a couple other members on the lease are bow hunting, and neither of them know about this buck. But come gun season, I'm sure there are a couple others who will hunt his core area

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[megalomaniac]

Brushed in a ground blind on the south side of the food plot to take advantage of the n wind this weekend. Hes coming to the plot every single night, none in daylight yet. But this cold front may get him feeding in daylight.

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[Deer Assassin]

You will kill him
Period

 

[megalomaniac]

I was finally able to get across the creek and hunt him Sat eve and last night. I'm blown away at how effective the ground blind is at concealing scent. I only had 1 window opened 1.5 inches, and another about an inch. I saw plenty of deer, some as close at 10 yards, and none scented me.

Sat eve my bucks running mate came to the edge of the plot at the end of legal shooting time, but fat boy wasn't behind him. They have been together the past month, but camera indicates they are starting to spend more time apart.

I actually passed up this buck last year. Hes plenty old enough, but just not the one I want.

My buck is still coming to the plot at least twice a night, sometimes as early as 30 min after legal shooting time. He shouldn't disperse far this month, as hes spent his breeding time in this territory the past 2 years.

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[Shanman]

So I have a question for you Mega. At what point do you cull the above buck (the running mate)? At this age do you expect him to add more tine characteristics such as mass or points next year, or do you think he will never be what you desire and cull him now, thus allowing your target buck to cover more doe. Just wondering.

 

[megalomaniac]

No need to cull down here... The second buck is pretty much average for what we can grow at maturity in south MS. And MS state's recent study comparing the huge bucks from the MS delta to the small racked bucks in south MS pretty much proved that there is almost no genetic differences between the populations, just a lack of good nutrition down here.

Any other year, I would probably shoot the second buck here in south MS. But I enjoy chasing one single buck and spending my season going after him. We only get 1 buck and 1 doe on my lease down here, so I certainly don't want to tag out on the 2nd buck and lose the rest of the season hunting my nemesis.

I really do think I will kill him this year unless some other member lucks up on him or pressures him away or the gas pipeline construction starts before I get him. Now that I know how he has been circling downwind of the stand in the thicket before coming into the plot and have adjusted to the other side of the plot with a blind. I'm tempted to put a 2nd blind up in one of the white oak clusters he's feeding in the thicket, but I'd have to have him at 10-15 yds to get a clear shot, and I'm afraid he'd wind me before getting that close, and I certainly don't want to bump him from his bedding thicket. He feels safe in there for now. Heck, he came out to the plot at 9pm Saturday night after I hunted it earlier that evening. And the old 7 I saw earlier was out as well.

 

[Shanman]

Thanks for the explanation, I'm always trying to pick people's brains and learn something. I truly hope you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together on your target buck and finish the game the way you plan. Looking forward to a successful story, he's a hoss!

 

[TN Larry]

Mega,

You're slacking. We need an update. I also don't recall seeing the story on your TN hunts. Let's hear that too.

 

[REM7]

Rooting for you to get him

 

[fairchaser]

Great looking buck! A real trophy 8. He's got weak brows but I think he could go a little higher than 120. Regardless, he's a good one. With him being mostly nocturnal, what's your strategy on getting him?

 

[DoubleRidge]

Nice looking mature buck that you have history with. Doesn't get much better than that...I agree with previous post....he could go mid 120s.... good luck! Hope you get him!

 

[megalomaniac]

Hes frustrating me.... I put my cell cam on the feeder and moved it deep into the woods. Hes coming 3x every night. Still not a single daylight pic yet. A new member stomped all over his bedding area a month ago and pushed him away for a couple weeks, but he did return eventually. His 5.5yo running mate has disappeared in the last week, not sure if he got killed on the neighboring club or moved off. I'll get after him at Christmas when the prerut starts. No point in letting him know hes being hunted until he is killable in daylight.


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[megalomaniac]

I may have screwed the pooch...

Had him coming in earlier and earlier after dark last week feeding and checking does...

Hunted Sun eve and right at dark I was distracted watching 2 does headed to the feeder. I heard soft steps right behind me in the pine straw and turned to see a deer 10y away bolt. Didnt blow, sounded big as it ran off. Too dark to tell if it was my buck.

Since then, hes been on camera every night, but 2h or more after sunset. I've hunted him the past 2 nights since wind has been perfect, but only a couple does, and only at end of legal shooting light.

So far our 18 members are now up to 2 does and 2 spikes killed. I havent captured a single buck older than 1.5 in daylight on 10 cameras. But fresh scrapes are popping up everywhere and looks like our first rut Jan 5 thru 12th is going to be right on time.

Think I'm going to give him a break and go after this 5.5 yo nocturnal buck on the other side of the lease the next few days since hes starting to check does

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[Lincoln Co Archer]

Good luck Mega, have enjoyed following your Chase.