South Texas pumps out its share of big whitetails, however a major variety of these actually enormous deer are shot behind a excessive fence or are raised in a breeding pen designed to supply whopper bucks. None of that’s the case on an 11,000-acre ranch owned by Arturo Benavides, who works year-round to make habitat higher for deer, and is a affected person, disciplined hunter prepared to let a buck with potential develop sufficiently old to develop enormous. And all of it paid off for him this fall.
On Halloween night, Benavides killed a buck as large as any ever produced on his ranch, which has been within the household because the late 1800’s. “We’ve been keeping track of this buck for the final 4 years,” mentioned ranch supervisor Brent Johnson. “Two years in the past, he was a 190-class buck, and Arturo handed on him as he had the potential to go even greater, given the fitting circumstances. Final 12 months was a tricky 12 months in south Texas, as a chilly winter and a dry spring and summer season affected antler progress, so he bought one other cross. However this 12 months’s path cam pics confirmed that he’d completely blown up. There was little doubt it was time to go after him.”
Benavides began searching the buck they’d named “M.C. Hammer” on October tenth. “He most likely had 20 hunts for this deer, targeted on areas the place we knew the buck frolicked,” Johnson mentioned. “Lastly, on Halloween night, the buck confirmed up because the solar was setting. Whereas I knew the buck, it was not a deer that any us noticed fairly often. So simply seeing him was fairly particular. After watching the buck for a number of minutes, Artwork lastly bought a 140-yard shot. Arturo wasn’t even positive he’d made a great shot, however when he and my son went to the positioning, they discovered the buck inside 10 yards. For sure, it was a reasonably big day.”
Particular certainly. Benavides’ big sported a practically 25-inch unfold, 25-inch most important beams, 4 tines of 12 inches or higher and scored 207-⅜ inches B&C. “The factor that amazed me was his symmetry,” Johnson mentioned. “He would face the digital camera and you possibly can see each of his wonderful sides, they usually matched up completely. I give all of the credit score to Arturo for letting this enormous, free-range buck develop sufficiently old to grow to be all that he may very well be. Artutro’s grandfather, who purchased this ranch many, a few years in the past, can be pleased with him.”
