East Texas 10-pointer

by Kenneth Skaggs
(Campbell, Texas,USA)

Hunting in the Sabine National Forest, November 05, in a climber. I talked to my wife on my cell phone, then 2-hunters came by and left. It was close to dark when all I saw was good rack, small head, and giant neck and body coming up out of a draw. I pulled up my 270 Savage and tagged him in the front shoulder. He fell forward and got up and ran back down the draw. I gave it 20 minutes and got down and went after him. When I arrived to where I thought he had crashed into, I looked over and saw him standing up and looking back at me, so I hit him with another round. He ran into another thicket, when I arrive there he is standing up and turns to look back at me again. I shoot him once more, and he gets up and runs over to another thicket.UGGGH!
He is dragging one leg, but still makes it to another thicket, I can't believe the will power that this big buck has to live. By now I am wore out, 1/2 mile back in the forest, I get within 40 yards of him and he makes it to his feet again, this time I hit him right behind the right shoulder and he finally drops. When I got to him he was still trying to get to his feet. Finally over, I looked at him with amazement, because he was a good 4yr.old with a huge body, he was pushing 300lbs, the biggest buck that I have ever seen or killed in Texas. I could not drag him but about 20 ft. He had an outside spread of 19.5", main beams of 21", scores 130+.
I have seen bigger racks there, but never a body that big.