by Scott Abbott
13. March 2009 15:22
Chapter One. 09/17/2008
Set up on the North end of a standing corn field facing South back toward the field my game camera snapped a series of 24 photos on September 17th, 2008 starting at 11:02 PM and ending at 11:25 PM. This was my first "encounter" with the buck that I have come to know as "The 4 Beam Buck". I never got another picture of him other than from this series, even while running two cameras on the property. I hoped to catch him on my other camera as it takes much nicer photos but I had no such luck.
Two photos from that night.
Chapter Two. 11/16/2008
November 16th, 2008 found me sitting in a lock on that has been kind to me over the years. Not long after first light I can hear it.... The tell tale sound of chasing. A yearling buck ran a doe right underneath my stand with a big buck and numerous younger bucks lagging behind. I at first did not get a good look at the "big buck" because so many deer were converging on my location at once. I didn't want to get caught glassing any of them and have a good buck come in range with my attention else where.
I was then able to start glassing the bucks I went from dink to dink to respectable 2.5 year olds than BAM.... It's the "4 Beam Buck"! It was an outstanding experience watching all the chasing and dominance displays he put on over the next couple hours fending off these bucks from courting his bedded doe. Once all of the activity slowed and I was able to look around, I had seven bucks and one doe all within 60 yards of my setup. The encounter wasn't meant to turn into a big buck and "hero" photos though as they left my area for good a few hours after they arrived.
Chapter Three. 03/13/2008
Over 40 hours into my Ohio shed season I had yet to find a shed antler. I found some in IL and OK, but just couldn't get on any here at home. Around 4:00 PM I put an end to the shed-less streak by picking up a yearling shed. It sure felt good to finally pick one up.
A couple hours later found me in an area I would not have expected to find a shed. It is an area that is full of young maple trees with absolutely no ground cover or browse to speak of.... Just tall skinny maple trees. I was griding the area out East-West then back West-East. I was about 3/4's through the area when I see the curl of a main beam sticking up 30 feet ahead.... I walk up to see the right side of the "4 Beam Buck"! Darkness fell fast and I was not able to locate the other side. I will be back out there in the morning trying my best to find the other side.
As it lied when I found it.
Another view once I got home.
I hope to add a couple more chapters to this story over this spring / summer going into next fall. Even if this story doesn't end with the whitetail and I making a trip to my taxidermist, I have throughly enjoyed the ride thus far.
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