WV Buck [NOT my deer]

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
By Chris Lawrence in Outdoors | February 04, 2017 at 1:47PM
AMHERSTDALE, W.Va. — Anybody who has killed a big buck in one of West Virginia’s four southern counties restricted to bow hunting only can attest killing a Pope and Young record book buck takes time, patience, skill, and a little luck. Ryan Linville of Amherstdale is the epitome of that truism with a massive buck he killed in November of 2016.

“I first got pictures of this deer in 2012 and those were at night,” Linville explained during a recent edition of Northside Automotive West Virginia Outdoors. “Then in 2013, the first two Saturday’s of November I actually got daytime pictures of this deer.”

It was the height of the rut and in the middle of archery season, but Linville wasn’t there to capitalize on either opportunity. He was hunting with his son, trying to help him kill his first deer, at another location.

“I was heartbroken after that,” he laughed. “This has been a big deer all along, even in 2012 he was a big deer. He’s got to be an older deer.”

Linville wanted more than ever to continue pursuing the big buck in the 2014 hunting season–but during his preseason scouting his trail camera was stolen. He became so frustrated he completely stopped hunting and moved elsewhere to look for another deer for the next two seasons. When the 2016 season approached he decided to give the big buck’s haunt another try.

“I was going to to back to this new place I was hunting, but believe it or not, my camera was stolen from that location too,” he said. “So I went back to the original place, where he was and I turned up a picture of him in October of this (2016) year.”

So Linville had all the evidence he needed the big buck was still alive and in the same area. To add to his confidence the week before he started hunting, his trail camera made another promising revelation.

“The week prior to when I started hunting I had three daylight pictures of that deer on separate days,” he said. “Once I knew he was moving in daylight hours I knew I could have a really good chance at this deer.”

On November 21st, while the rest of the state’s population was hunting with a rifle, Linville had his bow in the stand in a remote part of Logan County. He heard something to his left, but after looking and seeing nothing dismissed the noise as squirrels. He heard it again and when he looked a second time things had changed.

“I turned and looked over my left shoulder and sure enough he’s standing there,” Linville explained. “I couldn’t see all of him, but I could see the neck, and the head, and the horns. I had pictures of this deer. I immediately I knew it was him.”

The big buck wasn’t startled and started to slowly amble toward the stand but stopped about 30 yards away to sniff the air. He even looked straight at Linville for a brief few seconds, but was unfazed. When the buck’s head turned, Linville was able to get his bow off the hook. Moments later as it passed a tree he came to full draw and held until the buck stopped.

“I knew I had to get my bow drawn when he was behind that tree and I did. When he finally stopped he was about 17 yards,” said Linville. “I was fortunate to put a really good shot on him. He didn’t make it but about 45 yards and he piled up.”

Linville was extremely excited once he was able to place hands on the buck’s rack which he had been watching for so long. He was even more excited when he got the score. The gross score was 192 2/8ths, but the buck had considerable deductions for two kicker antlers coming of the G-2 beam. The official score turned out to be a 177 3/8ths typical rack. It was good enough to be #2 all time in West Virginia for a typical antlers on a buck killed with a bow.

“I was beside myself to say the least,” he said. “I’ve got four deer on the wall which in my opinion are pretty nice bucks, but nothing to compare to him. He was a really great deer.”

http://wvmetronews.com/2017/02/04/an...-record-books/

amherstdale.jpg
 

skydog

Guest
He looks surprised to have killed such a monster:D...I would probably look just as shocked if it were me.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
My wife is from one them counties McDowell and its is tough hunting but with no gun hunting ( except for the poacher of course) it does allow deer some age
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
They poached the deer so heavily in those counties they had to restock deer in 1992.

I guess things have changed big time.
 

JJWise

Twelve Pointer
Big bucks in our state are almost always from those counties. The rest of the states motto is "if it's brown it's down" lol. Up in Cabell and Mason where I am the biggest deer I've ever seen was a 130s 9 point. That was a one time thing.
 

Doc

Twelve Pointer
the 4 bow only counties in WV spit out multiple monsters every year. Seems the reclaimed mine habitat, along with brutal terrain and bow only lets some of those bucks get some good age on them!
 
Top