Dalton Richardson’s buck green scores 146 2/8 inches Boone and Crockett
Most folks dream of the day when their children can take part in activities they experienced as a child.
Things like football and baseball are commonly the focal points of parental involvement, but for the Richardson family of West Monroe, it’s definitely deer hunting 24/7.
Dewayne Richardson and his oldest son, John David, have both been blessed with great deer this season, and it was finally little brother Dalton’s turn to step up to the plate.
“We’re definitely blessed. I grew up shooting a bunch of them there [Ashbrook Island] and now my boys are old enough to shoot them,” Richardson said. “It’s better than I ever thought it would be.”
After getting pictures of a deer they nicknamed “Mr. Perfect”, Richardson and his 7-year-old son scouted the area on Ashbrook Island and put up a stand hoping to catch the deer on the move. The duo made several hunts at the original location, but passed on some nice deer waiting on the one they wanted.
On the evening of Nov. 25, Dewayne decided to make a move closer to a known crossing in hopes of being successful – but he also had an ace in the hole.
“My wife bought me a decoy about 10 years ago and my kids have named her ‘Betsy.’ My buddies pick on me all the time because I have that thing in the back of my truck, but I never know when I’ll want to use it” he said. “The main reason that I wanted to use it this time is we set up on a crossing and I needed the deer to stop in order to give him a chance to get a shot.
“That decoy was the best way to do that.”
That afternoon the Richardson’s eased in to their stand with Betsy in tow and set her up not too far away. Before he left the decoy, Dewayne doused it down with Code Blue Extreme and hoped the wind would push the scent to Mr. Perfect.
“It’s a doe decoy with her head down looking like she’s eating. I’ve noticed that deer come in more relaxed if they see the decoy, but after a while of her not moving the does will get leery of her. It’s fun to use and I’ve been successful with it before,” Richardson said.
Once they set everything up, they had to wait a whole 15 minutes for action to begin.
At 3:20, with the help of a perfect west wind, Mr. Perfect stepped out and locked in on Betsy.
The big deer was standing like a statue 180 yards from Dalton and his dad.
In awe of the size of the buck, Dewayne quickly helped his son get his .243 out of the window and ready for a shot.
With his dad coaching him, Dalton set his sights steady and squeezed the trigger. The 95-grain Accutip bullet immediately brought the deer down, and with tears streaming down his face the young man said, “Dad, I dropped him.”
Mr. Perfect was a solid 9-point with a 19-inch spread and 11-inch tines. The big buck weighed-in at 193 pounds, and green-scored 146 2/8 gross with only 2 inches of deductions.
“I dreamed of the day when my boys were little of the time they’d get to hunt with me, and now it’s coming true,” the elder Richardson said.
Don’t forget to enter photos of your bucks in the Nikon Big Buck Photo Contest to be eligible for monthly giveaways and the random drawing for Nikon Monarch binoculars at the end of the contest.
Read other stories about big bucks killed this season by clicking here.