180-class public-land buck comes on stand father fell from day before.
Jerry Holloman neared the top of his elevated stand Dec. 1 and took one last step up when something went terribly wrong and his foot slipped and the unthinkable happened.
Holloman slipped off the stick ladder and plummeted to the ground, slamming the earth so hard that it broke bones and sent him into excruciating pain.
Joseph Holloman and his father Jerry drew out a muzzleloader hunt at Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and planned on having a good hunt and quality father and son time.“I got a stick ladder lock-on stand set up in a good location for Dad before we started our hunt,” Joseph Holloman said.
On the day of the hunt, Jerry Holloman went to the stand and made it right to the top before disaster struck.
“Dad made it to the last step, and his foot slipped and he fell about 12 feet, fracturing his fibula and tibia at the ankle,” the younger Holloman said. “He called me and had to leave a voice mail because I didn’t have much coverage.”
“It’s a thousand wonders that I got the voice mail because I didn’t have any coverage when he called. Dad called Chuck Perry, the lodge owner at Perry Farms Lodge where we were staying, and told him his predicament and Perry called the federal game wardens who were a couple counties away.”
After getting the message Joseph Holloman hurried to his father and found him in stable but poor condition. Jerry Holloman had fallen at 6 a. m. and it was now 7 a. m., and things weren’t looking good.
“We were 1.2 miles apart and 1.7 miles from the truck,” he said. “The conservation officers were great and really helped us.”
As soon as they got Jerry Holloman out of the woods they took him to the emergency room at a hospital in Jackson and evaluated and admitted him. Joseph Holloman went back to the lodge and got his dad’s stuff and promptly went to the hospital to visit and check on his father.
“I was really down, and my hunt was over,” Holloman said. “I just didn’t have it in me to hunt anymore on this draw hunt after what happened to Dad.”
He was somewhat relieved after visiting his dad in the hospital but still pretty discouraged over the traumatic events that marred what should have been a great time shared in the woods.
“I told Dad that I didn’t feel like hunting anymore, and he wasn’t too pleased,” Joseph Holloman said.
His dad had other thoughts, which he made quite clear to his son.
“Son there isn’t a thing in the world you can do for me,” Jerry Holloman said. “Go back down there and kill that deer for me.”
Holloman still didn’t feel right and had an alternate idea.
“I had the lodge key, and my buddies were still hunting so I went back and waited for them to get back in,” he said.
Once his hunting companions arrived he discussed his plans.
“I’m going to go back to Dad’s stand and hunt until 8, and then bring his stand out and go home,” said Holloman.
The next morning Holloman was in the stand before light and ready to get the hunt over with. It wasn’t long before the action heated up, however.
“At 7 (a.m.) I caught movement in front of me in the thick cover,” he said. “I could see he had something on his head, but I couldn’t see his dark colored horns.”
The hunter concentrated on getting a shot on the deer, which he knew was a really nice buck.
“When he hit an opening I grunted, and he stopped behind something and I couldn’t shoot,” Holloman said. “The buck took off and I grunted again when he came to another opening, and when he hit the second opening I shot and smoke went everywhere and the deer disappeared.”
But he was confident the shot was true.
“I heard a crash off to my right, and since I couldn’t find any blood I walked in that direction and found him lying there,” Holloman said.
He was stunned at what he found.
“I went out there thinking I’d shot a 130-class deer and I walked up on a 180,” Holloman said. “It happened so fast and I saw he was a shooter and I never looked at the horns again.”
The massive buck sported 10 points and had a 20 ¾-inch inside spread, 25 ½-inch main beams and gross scored 180 inches Boone and Crockett.
“I’m still in shock; it’s the biggest deer I’ve ever killed, especially on public land,” Holloman said. “Daddy’s tickled to death and just wanted to hold (the antlers).
“I’ve got four (deer) on the wall, but none even approaching the massive size of this one.”
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