Gut feeling leads to 150-inch Claiborne Parish buck

Deer is one of three trophies killed by trio of buddies on same day.

Tyler Lewis knocked down this 150-inch buck at only 33 yards during a Claiborne Parish hunt on Saturday.

Tyler Lewis knew where he was going to be sitting come daylight on Saturday morning (Nov. 3). After an evening meal with two life-long friends, Collin Merritt and Bric Langford, Lewis voiced a desire that within 24 hours would prove to be prophetic.

“Wouldn’t it be special if the three of us could each get a big buck tomorrow?” Lewis said. Remarkably, all three scored on big bucks. Here’s the account of a big 11-point buck Lewis way-layed early the next morning.

“I was hunting on some private land in northern Claiborne Parish that I have permission to hunt,” Lewis said. “I had a feeling down in my gut as to which stand I should hunt, so I followed my hunch and before daylight I was climbing onto my home-made platform I’d constructed some 12 feet off the ground.

“It’s just a simple platform with a shooting rail, and I’ve wrapped it in burlap for cover.”

There is neither food plot nor feeder in the area: The stand overlooks thickets and a stand of acorn-bearing oaks and a slough. In fact, Lewis could hear acorns dropping from the oaks while waiting for daybreak.

“There are two thickets I knew deer used as bedding areas, and I had a feeling a buck just might work his way through the oaks, picking up some acorns on his way to bed down for the day,” he said. “If so, he’d probably make his way in front of me.”

After using his grunt call a couple of times, Lewis sat back to wait. At approximately 7:20 am, a big buck stepped into an opening 50 yards away.

Lewis had never gotten a photo of this buck on his trail cameras, so hunter and hunted were meeting for the first time.

“I don’t know if he was responding to the grunt call, but he came in slowly, stopping to pick up an acorn or two,” Lewis said. “He stepped back into the woods for what to me seemed several minutes but more likely it was a few seconds before he stepped back out into the opening, giving me a quartering shot at 33 yards.”

At the shot from Lewis’ .270, the deer whirled and ran and Lewis heard him splash in the slough. Then all was quiet.

Getting down from the stand, Lewis walked to the water and there was his deer.

“I knew right away I’d shot a good one,” the hunter explained. “Dragging him out of the slough, I called my buddies and got the report that Merritt had just shot a really big one.”

Click here to read about Merritt’s monster buck, which has been scored at more than 190 inches.

Lewis’ buck weighed well over 200 pounds and was estimated to be at least 5 ½ years old. The buck sported 11 points, had a 16-inch inside spread with main beams stretching the tape to over 24 inches.

The buck was green scored at just over 150 inches.

“For sure, that’s the biggest deer I ever killed, and I couldn’t have been more excited,” Lewis said. “I think the good Lord just blessed me that day by helping me decide which stand to hunt.

“No doubt, it was the right one.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tyler’s dad, Steve Lewis, was featured here in 2009 with a Claiborne Parish monster non-typical 19 point buck that scored an whopping 216 7/8 inches. Click here to read about that buck.

Click here to read about other big bucks.

And don’t forget to post photos of your kills in the Nikon Big Buck Contest, which is free to all registered users. Not a member of the site yet? It’s free, so click here to get started today!