Ohio Buck Sports Quadruple Drop Tines

Eguie Machado knew a huge buck bedded in an area he hunted - and so did several other hunters. In fact, his good friends Dave Voisey and Ben Steiger found the buck's sheds from 2018 on Steiger's nearby farm. That year, the buck had a drop tine and this season, the one drop tine turned to four.

Machado has an edge over his friendly competition. He's a facilities manager for a large property in Warren County, Ohio, which backs up to a big, state-managed tract and a private parcel, neither of which allow hunting. This low-pressure scenario ­- combined with rolling hills, good food and thick cover - enables bucks to mature. But this can cause frustrating hunts, too, since deer also use the adjacent properties.

During the 2018 season, Machado only had the buck on camera during daylight a total of three times, and he wasn't in the stand for any of them. In 2019, he switched to cellular cameras, which he credits for helping him pinpoint the buck's core area. It also helped him know when to be in the stand.

With old cameras, I was constantly going into the area, Machado says. Sometimes they would be out for two or three weeks and not be working. I wouldn't get a single picture. With the cell cams, I know what's moving and where, as it's happening.

This year, Machado was limited to morning hunts because he coached a youth basketball team in the evenings. The trouble? The buck was showing up on camera mostly in the late evenings. But he hoped the rut would encourage the deer to get up and move during one of his morning hunts.

It was a good bet. In early November, Machado was hunting a stand on a ridge in the buck's core area. The wind was perfect, and lots of deer were moving. Suddenly the buck appeared. He was 50 to 60 yards out, and coming straight at Machado.

I was sitting down with my bow in my hand, Machado says. I have a bad shoulder and needed to stand up in order to draw, but I couldn't because the buck was facing straight in my direction.

The buck stopped just 15 yards away. Machado tried to stand and draw at the same time, but the giant spooked and bolted. Machado was devastated. He feared his one and only chance was spent.

A few weeks later, though, he received the rare opportunity to hunt an afternoon, on November 29. The holiday weekend meant no games or practice that night, and the timing was good: the buck had appeared on camera the previous afternoon during legal light. This time, Machado decided to bring his crossbow.

The wind was perfect. Eventually, several does and young bucks walked into the open in front of his stand. It wasn't long before the quadruple-drop-tine buck appeared. He tried to circle the area and come in from downwind, but never made it. When the buck paused at 35 yards, Machado squeezed the trigger.

Machado heard the arrow hit. The buck mule-kicked and took off at a dead run - then stopped 100 yards out, started to take an alternate route, then turned back and continued in his original direction.

After collecting himself, Machado descended the treestand and walked over to where the buck had been at the shot. He couldn't find his crossbow bolt or any blood. He continued looking, but to no avail, and eventually he went home.

I was planning on giving it 4 or 5 hours, Machado says. But at about 10 p.m., my wife came in and asked if I knew it was supposed to rain that night. I started worrying about the rain washing away the blood. So, my wife and I went back out.

Another search of the area surrounding the shot location turned up no sign. They moved ahead to where the buck had nearly switched directions. Machado was relieved to find a heavy blood trail leading off in the direction the buck had traveled. They found the deer 50 yards from where Machado had last seen him from the stand.

This deer green scored an impressive 190 inches, and of course sported four awesome drop tines.

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