There’s a popular myth that lightning cannot strike the same place twice, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Fortunately for Brian Burkley of Brandon, this same truth applies when it comes to harvesting monster whitetails with stick and string.
Everyone remembers the giant buck taken by Michael Burkley of Natchez on opening weekend of the 2008 archery season. His 164 3/8-inch brute took top honors in the archery division while simultaneously laying claim to the best in show for typical antlers at the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza’s Big Buck Contest.
Who would have thought that on opening day of the 2009 archery season, Michael’s first cousin, Brian Burkley, would repeat the feat by dropping another 160-class typical buck on the very same farm in Jefferson County? But that is exactly what happened.
Here is how the events of Oct. 1, 2009, went down on the Burkley Farm.
“We had scheduled a work day at the camp, and I was hot and tired,” Brian Burkley recalled. “I had almost talked myself out of hunting that afternoon, but a quick shower and a cool air conditioner soon changed my mind.”
Since the numerous trail cameras strategically positioned around the farm indicated that the bucks were not feeding until after dark, Burkley decided to get a head start on their quality deer management program by taking a fat doe for the freezer.
“Since it was already late in the afternoon, 4:50 p.m. to be exact, I decided to set up my Primos Ground Max blind at a promising site right behind the camp,” Burkley said. “It was located in a prime transition area between a thick bedding area and a feeding area.”
At 5:15 p.m., Burkley detected movement as a deer entered the field 150 yards to the left of his blind. Instead of a doe, he found himself staring down a massive 8-pointer that was still in full velvet.
“As soon as the buck stepped into the field, he keyed in on my blind. He stared at it hard for a minute or two,” Burkley said. “I just knew he was going to spook. But instead, the buck seemed curious and began cautiously approaching the blind.”
After quickly closing the distance to 50 yards, the buck’s nerves must have overcome his curiosity. He turned around and headed back the way he came, eventually passing the trail where he had entered the field, and continued walking for another 100 yards.
“The whole time he was walking away, he kept stopping and looking back curiously at the blind,” said Burkley. “Then all of a sudden, he turned around and started walking back toward the blind.”
Soon the giant had closed the distance to 40 yards and offered Burkley a perfect quartering-away shot.
“As soon as I released the arrow, my heart sank,” Burkley said. “I instantly knew that I had shot low. But as the buck reacted by dropping to push off with his front legs, the arrow went right through his heart. He only made it a short distance before piling up in a mass of vines within sight of the blind.”
The massive velvet buck sported 7-inch bases and carried that mass the full length of its 27-inch main beams. The eight circumference measurements totaled a whopping 42 inches with no circumference measuring less than 5 inches. And to top it all off, Burkley’s buck had a 21-inch inside spread.
“Not only did he have a massive rack, but he also had a big body,” Burkley said. “Although we never got an actual live weight, we know he weighed at least 260 pounds. He weighed 190 pounds without the head or hide. Not too bad for an old buck whose teeth were worn down even with the gums.”
Will another member of the Burkley family get struck by a third monster buck lightning bolt? Only time will tell, but their chances are looking pretty good so far.
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