Three Year Chase Ends with TN Stud

[easy45]

congrats!

 

[Joe2Kool]

Closed the book on a 3 year chase with my best TN deer ever this past Sunday. I first got a single pic of this deer late season in 2021. I picked him up again in 2022 in velvet and watched him on camera regularly until he disappeared in late August never setting eyes on him or getting another picture of him after the velvet hunt. I was shocked and thrilled when he showed up this year in the same spots I was getting his picture last year, but he again proved to be as elusive as you'd expect from a deer with this much age. He was a regular on camera until just before the velvet hunt when he ghosted again with no more pictures and still no eyes on sightings. I assumed he was gone again until I got a single pic of him on 11/17 so I knew he was back in the area. I killed a hammer of a deer that I had no idea existed a couple days later and decided to save my last tag for this buck. It all came together when he stepped out at around 3:15pm last Sunday (first deer I saw on that sit). He stayed a mainframe 9 but lost the kickers he had in 2022. Based on 3 years of pics I believe this deer is at least 5 1/2 and likely 6 1/2. We stretched a tape on him and rough scored him in the mid 150's for those who are interested in score. The last 3 pics are him in 2021, 2022 and 2023. It has been an incredible honor to chase a TN deer of this caliber and I am humbled to be able to be able to use my last tag on him. Gonna be a tough season to top but I'm sure gonna enjoy trying!View attachment 206780View attachment 206783View attachment 206787View attachment 206788View attachment 206792View attachment 206793

Congrats on a nice one. It's fun to watch em over a few years.

 

[Red57]

Anyone would be proud of that stud

 

[cleatus2506]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I've actually been digging around and found another picture that I'm almost positive is this same deer from 2020. That would make 4 years of pics of a deer before I set eyes on him. If anyone is interested, I'll make another post and lay out all 4 years of pics (I believe him to be at least 3 1/2 and maybe 4 1/2 in the 2020 pic so my 6 1/2 guesstimate when taken would still hold true) and see what y'all think.