On the afternoon of Dec. 4, an approaching cold front prompted Vicksburg’s Chase Bradley to head for his favorite deer stand on the edge of a 100-acre green field in Claiborne County. Bradley likes to hunt on cloudy, overcast days and this particular afternoon certainly fit the bill.
With a stiff northwesterly wind and a hazy sky, the conditions were perfect for catching a big buck sneaking out of the dense thicket to feed on the succulent green grass.
On the afternoon of Dec. 4, an approaching cold front prompted Vicksburg’s Chase Bradley to head for his favorite deer stand on the edge of a 100-acre green field in Claiborne County. Bradley likes to hunt on cloudy, overcast days and this particular afternoon certainly fit the bill.
With a stiff northwesterly wind and a hazy sky, the conditions were perfect for catching a big buck sneaking out of the dense thicket to feed on the succulent green grass.
As an added incentive, Bradley knew three monster whitetails were still in the area. A series of trail camera pictures taken in late November revealed that the trio consisted of a non-typical 14-point, a main frame 8-pointer with two extra kickers, and an extremely massive and very uniform 8-point buck.
Although two of the bucks had been captured on trail cameras the previous year, the massive 8-pointer had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.
“Being a family-only hunting camp, we don’t keep secrets about big deer sightings on the property,” Bradley said. “After seeing pictures of these three bucks, everyone in camp wanted a shot at them.”
Being a relatively new member of the family, Bradley patiently waited for his chance to hunt the three big bucks. And that chance presented itself as a result of everyone else in the camp attending a birthday party. Bradley arrived at camp that blustery December afternoon to discover that he would have the place all to himself.
Hardly believing his good fortune, Bradley climbed into a stand on the edge of the field where the pictures of the bucks had been taken. Around 3 p.m., the sky began to clear and the winds calmed down. After a long three-hour wait, a spike buck entered the field from behind a large brush pile. It wasn’t long before another spike joined the first and the two began to play.
“Watching the humorous antics of those young bucks was entertaining,” said Bradley. “I was so caught up in watching them play that I momentarily lost focus.”
Suddenly the pair of youngsters stopped their playing and began staring in the direction of the brush pile. Glancing down the wood line, Bradley saw what had gotten their attention.
It was one of the big bucks he was after. Click here to see other photos of the big animal.
“All I could see was antlers!” Bradley recalled. “Luckily, I didn’t have time to get nervous. Although I didn’t know which one, I was certain that the massive-racked buck standing broadside only 125 yards away was one of the three monsters I was after.”
Instinctively, Bradley shouldered his H&R Handi-Rifle, found the spot behind the buck’s shoulder and squeezed off a round. The recoil of the .45-70 caused Bradley to lose sight of the monster.
At first, he thought the buck had dropped in his tracks, but closer inspection revealed no buck lying in the field.
“Normally I would have waited an hour or so, but I was certain that I had made a good shot,” Bradley said. “Besides, the buck was just too big. There was no way I could stay put in my stand. I was already trembling with excitement.”
Bradley made three passes across the spot where the buck had been standing before finally finding the blood trail. And judging from the amount of blood, the 325-grain Hornady bullet had done its job perfectly.
The massive buck had only made it 40 yards before expiring next to an old barbed wire fence.
“What a brute!” Bradley shouted at the sight of the monster that lay before him. “Everyone in Port Gibson had to have heard me scream like a schoolgirl.
“But I didn’t care. This was the biggest buck I had ever seen, and he was all mine.”
Bradley was in total shock looking at the immense size of the buck’s antlers. Prior to this massive monster, Bradley’s largest buck was a 125-inch 8-point. With one squeeze of the trigger, he had taken a buck like no other.
The 8-pointer grossed over 166 inches Boone & Crockett, and netted just over 156 inches of antler.
Incredible mass extends throughout the entire rack, creating the illusion of a much smaller set of antlers. The almost 7-inch bases make the 18 ¾-inch inside spread appear much narrower. And although the main beams look to be around 22 inches long, they actually taped out just under 27 inches in length.
“To truly appreciate the sheer mass of this set of antlers, you have to hold them in your hands,” Brookhaven taxidermist Allen Morgan said. “Bradley’s buck has the most massive 8-point rack that I have ever held in my hands.”
Visit the Nikon Deer of the Year contest gallery to see more big bucks killed this season and to post your own. However, only registered users are eligible for contest prizes so be sure and sign up today!
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