Well my son and I had one of the most interesting big buck hunts of our life yesterday down in the low country of South Carolina. Our goal was to get my son his first buck before he returns to duty with the Army. It was a one day chance. We drove down middle of the night and met up with the folks at Paradise Valley Hunting Club. Big Tom sent me and Michael down to one of my favorite properties and we settled into a chilly blind that has an exceptionally long 380 yard shot to the far edge of a powerline cut/logging road intersection. All season there has been a few mature bucks making a quick dash across the road here and we settled in to get the drop on em.
At 905 we saw our first deer move through. They caught us off guard and hunting sloppily. They had bored us into it. Not down on the gun ready to shoot the third deer that stepped out was indeed one of the the three 18 inchers . He made it safely across, and we went to hunting intently again feeling a bit stupid.
During the next hour we had a few 70 lb does ease out that we let walk. At around 10:20 I see another doe ease out at the far end of the logging road, another small doe but she had tipped us off to the second waves approach. My son readied and I caught a large deer in the woodline making his way towards the crossing. If he could make the shot we were abut to close the deal on a solid low country buck. He was shooting a camp gun a Jarrett 25 06 topped with a Schmitdt and Bender fresh off alot of marksmanship training at Ft. Benning. He felt totally confident he could make the shot. We stayed ready but the deer turned around and went back in unexpectantly..
A minute or two later a shot rings out to our right down on the powerline. I knew the neighbors had a stand in the rightaway 300 yards down the line and figured one of the hunters over there had just shot the small doe we saw cross. I instructed Michael to stay on the gun and be ready, that buck was coming across sooner or later.
Imagine my son and I's suprise when filling my video camera lens and his scope lens is four armed men coming onto our property. They scooted in and I told my son well sheeeit, here we go, cover me. I started down the roadway camera rolling. about 200 yards into my walk the first two poachers hit the roadway again and I gave em a hollar to let them know we were there. They stopped and just then the other two come scampering out dragging a deer. I hollared for them and they froze. I made a mental note to try not and elevate this and also lowered my camera so as to appear to be carrying it not actually operating it.The red light continued to blink covered by my thumb.
So we end up with two of the four meeting us about 100 yards from the powerline full of excuses as to why he had just shot this deer on our property. His story contnued to change and evolve for the camera unbenounced to himself or his three poacher buddies. In short order not only had they admitted they had shot the deer on purpose over the line but out of their truck to boot! Sweet! The man went as far as trying to bribe me with the deer. I mentioned immediately that my main problem was simple, they had just stolen what very well could have been my last chance to put my son on a great buck before going to war.
At that point one of the guys figured out the camera might be on so I faked turning it on and suggested we might as well get some images of their deer for memories sake. LMAO I suggested if they were truely wanting to make it right they stop in at PVHC and meet big Tom Collins and see what he wanted to do about it seeing how we had no communication or sufficient firepower to simply detain them and wait for the law.I figured with the video they would be caught one way or another. They had admitted they were long time club members and throughout listening to them they knew enough I figured at least that much was true.
My son and I headed for the hard road to get the tape to a phone. To shortern this up a bit 45 minutes later after reviewing my unannounced video recording Alvin and Ferral closed the case in downtown Ehrhardt, and the shooter paid a pretty stiff penalty got a warning ticket and had to give up the deer. His buddies were all now well advised that it was only by the grace of Tom Collins that they were all not facing a 450 pay or go to jail situation as well for tresspassing to hunt. ( they didnt come to the meeting byt the way they were in Hampton packing as fast as they could for a quick ride to Florida. The guy coughed up the equivilent of a day hunt fee and prepared to unload the 115 inch nine pointer. Tom stopped him and went ahead and let him take the deer. Case closed.
Yesterday afternoon my son and I had a great hunt in which we passed up a few more small deer and ended with a long ride back where we decided buck or no buck we had probably had as exciting of a day in the SC woods as we could have ever planned. LOL While we sure do wish we could have taken that 9 point fair and square how many times in your life do you get to film the idiots that come across the line and steal your game?
Thanks again to Alvin and Farrel they were as always the professionals I have come to expect when dealing with the SCDNR crew.
Here is the video link. Please understand I was filming this while trying to act like I was just holding the camera in my hand. It jumps around a bit but none the less all the guys in question got their mugs on tape just fine. My son BTW was standing off camera on guard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjPakc08W4