Killed this 175 lb 8pt on Christmas Eve about 4:45 pm.

For those that like the story behind the kill, here ya go:

Hunting this buck started last year about this time when I got a trail cam pic of him on a plot (plot #2 a designated on our lease). His rack being sorta unique made me want to hunt him that much more. I sat up around that plot several times last season with no luck of our paths crossing. I passed on several deer that would have been potential shooters because each hunt had me looking for this one deer.

Across a hardwood bottom and about 250 yards through some dense planted pines lies another plot (plot #1) that I had often overlooked when choosing a spot to hunt. It is near the highway and didn't seem to see much activity last season. I passed this plot earlier this season as I was trying to get to a different spot to hunt the buck I had spent so much time pursuing the year before. In passing the plot earlier this season, I noticed how much activity had been on the plot so a buddy and I placed a camera there. I also had a camera on the plot that I had got pics of the buck last year (plot #2). Over the last month and a half I got pics of the buck on each of the plots at various times during the night, but his pattern didn't seem to make a ton of sense.

All that changed last week. On Saturday I checked both cams and saw he had visited each plot in the afternoon, usually with about 30-45 minutes of shooting light left. Another hunter had signed into plot #1 so I sat near plot #2, hoping he would venture my way. No luck seeing him for me, but I was convinced the hunter on the other plot shot just before dark. I truly knew my dance with this buck was over, but to my surprise no deer were signed out by the other hunter when I got back to camp.

I was back on his trail Monday afternoon and found a spot near plot #1 that I could put a ground blind and hopefully catch him traveling to that plot. The trail I had found had regular activity and looked to have some scrapes from last season. At about 4:30 I heard a twig pop and saw movement out in the woods about 80 yards away. A quick look through the binos and all I saw was a very large hindquarter before the deer disappeared without crossing on the trail I had hoped. Despite having a Christmas party to attend Tuesday evening, I was able to talk my wife into 'allowing' me to hunt all day Tuesday. Tuesday morning I hunted back near #2 with no luck on seeing this buck. On Tuesday afternoon, I tried the ground blind again that I had sat the evening before. About 4:45 he stepped out at about 75 yards and I was able to make a good shot with my new Tikka 243 shooting Hornady 95gr ammo. He ran about 35 yards before expiring.

Here are before pics from last year and this year, as well as after pics along with a pic of my setup. If it is truly the same buck, he didn't gain much antler size from last year with the exception of the added g3 on his left side.

Great story and buck, congrats!!

Nice buck you deserve him you sure did your studies on him to figure him out and out smarted him ......congrats to you and hope you got the wife something good for Christmas for allowing you to put that extra time in to harvesting him he sure is a nice one

Great story to go along with a nice buck! Good job!

Nice story and buck

Good job. At first glance that Aerial picture looked like the very end plot off South Rd on Lowndes WMA.

The story made the story, so much better than just a pic,. congrats

Great homework! Congrats

Congrats! Great deer and enjoyed the story.

Pretty work! And your story made me realize why I don't kill big bucks.

Great job! Congrats!!!

Nice when plans come together. Congrats!

nice job figuring him out. The wind was out of the north that night. Seems like he was using that trail to scent check that plot before commiting to it. Im sure hed done that many times in the past to determine if someone was sitting there.

Great job figuring that out. Ive had alot of luck taking good ones by setting up 100-200 yards downwind of a food plot and catching the buck either scent checking it for humans sitting there, or for does in it. You did great on figuring him out! congrats...hes a really nice mature buck.

Congrats! You put in the time and effort and it paid off.