A Post-Rut Monster Buck

Bowhunter Blaine Lotz first learned of a world-class buck roaming his property on July 8, 2016.

His rack wasn't fully developed, but he definitely stood out, Lotz said. My trail cameras captured thousands of images of another shooter non-typical buck and him together.

Trail-camera images of the giant subsided on November 8. The last couple pictures I got before he disappeared were of him chasing does, Lotz recalled. I figured he was locked down and breeding.

A stand Lotz wanted to hunt required a south wind, but the forecast looked less than promising. I went in midday and looked for a feasible tree for a north wind, he said. I set a trail camera at a hedgerow and fence crossing, and the first time I checked it, I had images of the non-typical buck. Because a tree wasn't available for a north wind, I deployed a ground blind, brushed it in, and trimmed shooting lanes.

I crawled into the blind before daylight the very next morning, Lotz continued. I had a phenomenal hunt. I saw tons of deer, but no mature bucks. To set up a blind one day and hunt it the next with many bow-range encounters was encouraging.

Lotz left the blind for a while, then returned for the afternoon hunt. I got back into the blind early, and deer began moving immediately, he said. I soon spotted a mature, big-framed 7-pointer. He stayed downwind and moseyed off. Then, the giant who'd disappeared Nov. 8 appeared behind me. I recently hooked up with The Virtue TV, so I was running five different cameras in the blind. The incredible buck stepped out broadside at 23 yards, and I could have shot him, but I didn't have the cameras locked down. He slipped away.

Lotz was using a Covert cellular camera by his blind that provides by-the-minute intel. Before I made it home that evening, my phone notified me the buck had traveled past the camera again, Lotz said. That meant I hadn't spooked him.

Wind direction was marginal the following morning, but I hunted anyway, Lotz continued. I saw many deer, and the same ones continued circulating the area. I knew if I held tight I'd probably see the giant again.

He appeared at 9 a.m. At 27 yards, he was quartering toward me, Lotz said. I had no shot. He strolled backwards, then spun and left. I sat the entire day and saw tons of deer, but the buck didn't come back.

An auctioneer, Lotz considered taking the next morning off of hunting because of allergies to the cedar with which he'd brushed in the blind. I have to keep my voice perfect, and I just didn't feel good, he said. But, I got a picture of the buck at 7:30 p.m. So, I set my alarm for 5 a.m.

I woke to find 27 new images, he said. At least half of them were of that buck. With him frequenting the area so often, I elected to hunt, even though the wind was dead wrong. I slipped in quietly, sprayed down with scent eliminator, and closed the windows on the back of the blind.

A spike immediately came out and loitered, Lotz said. Soon after, I looked north and saw the big boy. I didn't have enough camera light, and I worried he'd leave. But, the spike evidently entertained him enough to keep him around. I had all the cameras rolling, and the big buck stood stock still at 22 yards for 8 minutes, straight downwind. Finally, I had enough camera light. The buck was facing me, and he suddenly became alert, so I drew. I held for 3 minutes before letting down.

Lotz watched the buck's body language for the next few minutes, and the wind suddenly picked up and alerted the buck once again. He turned 180 degrees, and when he started quartering away, I drew back and mouth-grunted to stop him. He turned broadside, and I double-lunged him.

Lotz donated the meat to the church he attends. It's always good when people who truly need it receive deer meat. Always remember that when you shoot a deer and don't need the venison.

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