This was the primary yr Jacob Combs of Port St. Joe, Florida, hunted his new 400-acre lease of a pine-tree farm in Calhoun County. He knew there have been deer on the property, however it wasn’t till September that he began getting path cam photographs of a buck that instantly caught his consideration.
“I knew he was on the property for 2 months,” Combs tells Outside Life. “I acquired path digital camera photographs of him virtually each evening.”
Combs, 32, mentioned he hunted the buck virtually each day since Halloween, which was the primary time the buck began daylighting.
“I wasn’t on stand throughout Halloween as a result of I used to be with my household,” says Combs, who co-owns the Cape San Blas Pontoon Rental along with his spouse, Jessi. “I used to be at a celebration once I acquired telephone path cam photographs of the buck simply 30 yards from my stand throughout daylight. I used to be fairly upset about not being there when he confirmed up.”
The buck often traveled between his bedding space in younger pines to adjoining peanut fields to feed throughout late afternoons and evenings.
On Nov. 16, the buck made the error of strolling that very same path whereas Combs was searching. It was Combs’ 23rd time searching that buck, and it was the most important Florida whitetail he’d ever seen on that hoof.
“That late afternoon, I first noticed a doe with fawns and a spike,” Combs mentioned. “I had a deer feeder out. However the buck would by no means go near it, although the opposite deer would. They’d cease for some time, take a chunk from the feeder, then transfer alongside.”
At 5 p.m., the massive buck lastly appeared close to Combs’ ladder stand.
“It was nonetheless fairly early, so I used to be watching the Gators sport on my telephone,” says Combs. “I appeared up, and there he was at 50 yards. It took him two minutes to get to bow vary. I by no means checked out his rack once more as a result of I believed I’d get the shakes.”
Lastly, the buck walked shut sufficient, however now he was going through Combs head-on, with out presenting a shot.
“The spike buck was there, and the massive buck turned to chase the spike away,” Combs remembers. “That’s when he turned broadside at 31 yards, and I raised my crossbow and shot.”
The buck whirled and ran out the identical path he got here in on.
“I felt good concerning the shot, and I believed I heard him fall. However there have been different deer round operating away, too, so I couldn’t ensure about him crashing.”
He known as his spouse, Jessi, as he climbed down from his stand. He positioned his bloody arrow, which additionally had fats on it. After phoning some pals and kinfolk for recommendation, he determined to again out.
Combs returned to camp and waited three hours. Then, his grandfather, Warren Yeager, and his dad, Robert Combs, joined him to search for the buck.
“It was full darkish, however we acquired on the path utilizing flashlights,” Combs mentioned. “The blood acquired higher and higher as we adopted it. His path changed into some woods, and we discovered him about 30 yards contained in the timber. He’d been useless a very long time as a result of he was very stiff. I don’t suppose he lived lengthy.”
They loaded the buck and headed again to camp, the place family and friends had been ready to see it.
“It was like a tailgate occasion,” Combs says.
The 16-point buck weighed virtually 216 kilos earlier than subject dressing. Combs contacted officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Fee, and one in all them later green-scored the buck’s rack at 187 2/8 inches gross, with a web rating of 180 5/8s inches.
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“I’m having a pedestal mount made, and we’ll show him in our deer camp when it will get again from the taxidermist,” Combs says. “The state official mentioned that it missed being the Calhoun County report deer by lower than one inch.
“I’m past blessed for getting this buck and for the assistance and assist from my family and friends.”
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