If I had to give you one and only one tip that I believe is responsible for more successful mature buck harvests than any other hunting tip out there, it would be this:
The best chance of successfully harvesting a mature buck will be during your first or second sit…so time it right.
This was certainly the case for Allie Butler – she timed it perfectly and the results speak for themselves! Here’s the story on how she was able to capitalize on a giant Kentucky whitetail this season.
As told by the hunter:
The date was November 15th and the Kentucky firearm season was in full swing. I was hunting on our farm in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. It was Sunday morning and I had decided to sit up in a cedar tree stand my dad had built that sat along the edge of cut bean field. This was the very first time anybody had sat there this year, so I wasn’t sure what kind of action to expect that morning. Regardless, there was one buck named “Booner” that was always in the back of my head.
A trail cam pic of “Booner” from November 5, 2014
Booner had been around the farm for several years, but was a bit of a ghost. Aside from finding five of his sheds during previous years, there was relatively little evidence as to where this buck liked to hang out during the season. He finally showed up on trail camera on November 3rd this year, a picture that stained my memory for the entire season.
“Booner’s” sheds from previous years.
Throughout the morning there was a flurry of action. A small 6 pointer and several other small bucks were chasing does around the field, but still no signs of any shooter bucks. In total I saw 11 deer before deciding to climb down for lunch around 10:30. For the afternoon hunt I was deciding between 3 different stands, but decided to go back to the cedar tree because I knew there was a hot doe in the area.
The weekend was quickly coming to an end and despite not seeing any shooters yet, I was just happy to be out there. It’s not always about the kill. As these thoughts ran through my mind, a doe came busting out into the field. I knew something had to be chasing her, so I rested my rifle on a limb and got ready for the pursuant.
As I peered through the scope at the doe, a giant set of antlers appeared right behind her. The buck was 240 yards out when I steadied my .30-06 and squeezed the trigger. He dropped in his tracks!
Allie’s giant buck had 14 points and unofficially gross scored 187.
I quickly texted my dad who was hunting near me that I had just shot a big buck. After waiting VERY IMPATIENTLY for about 30 minutes I finally saw blaze orange coming towards me. I slowly got down and was shaking with excitement. At this time I didn’t know what buck I had shot. As we were walking towards the deer, my dad said, “He’s a nice one! I can tell because his head is propped up off the ground!”
Soon we were at the deer and he grabbed the head and yelled, “ALLIE YOU GOT BOONER!!”
I couldn’t believe this because I knew how smart this buck was! It took a minute for it all to sink in. I was so excited and this was by far one of the happiest days of hunting!
