Two months ago, 50-year-old Heath BeDoit had a heart attack, one resulting in having four stents installed and the doctor issuing an ominous declaration that he was lucky to be alive.
On the morning of Nov. 20, he had an experience causing his heart to, in his words, “nearly leap out of my chest” when a huge buck suddenly appeared 40 yards away.
BeDoit lives and hunts on his own 65 acre property in the Shiloh community in Union Parish and works as District Chief for the Ouachita Parish Fire Department.
“The buck first showed up on my trail cameras on Nov. 12, and when I saw the picture I was shocked,” he said. “I was at work at the time and I shared the picture with friend and co-worker Casey Barton, who had just been featured on the Louisiana Sportsman website with his big buck that scored 171 7/8 inches. I have several nice bucks on my property but I had never seen this one, a buck my daughter gave the name ‘Andre the Giant.’”
Prior to daylight on the morning of Nov. 20, BeDoit stepped into his ground blind that overlooked a 42 yard lane he had opened. A small creek crossed in front of him with hardwoods along the margin of the creek. He had noticed that deer tended to use the creek as a travel route. He had some corn scattered on the ground at the end of the lane.
“I usually don’t hunt mornings but prefer to hunt in the afternoon,” BeDoit said. “However, I had seen the deer on my camera the day before and a cold front had come through. The temperature that morning was around 40 degrees so I decided to get on my stand.”
A true trophy
At 7:10 a.m., BeDoit was digging in his bag for a grunt call when he looked up, and to his surprise there stood the buck at the end of his lane facing him with its head down eating corn.
“That’s when my heart started really beating fast as I eased my .35 Whelen onto my tripod, pulled back the hammer, and when I did it made a little clicking sound and the buck jerked his head up and was looking directly at me,” BeDoit said. “I figured any second he would bolt and I’d never have the chance at a broadside shot, so I aimed at his chest, hit the trigger and the buck dropped on the spot; he never moved.”
The deer was really impressive for a Union Parish buck. The rack contained 14 scoreable points with an inside spread of 18 inches. Bases were 5 1/8 inches with main beams 27 and 25 inches. The buck was determined to be 7 ½ years old and weighed 180 pounds. Taking it to Simmons Sporting Goods in Bastrop, the rack was measured at 168 1/8 inches.
“There is a fellow who works with me, and when I showed him the picture of the buck he told me that he had pictures of this deer on his place three or four miles from me in August,” BeDoit said.
It is indeed fortunate that BeDoit didn’t have another heart attack when he looked up and saw the big buck standing there at 42 yards.
“I felt that if I did have a fatal heart attack from all this excitement,” BeDoit said, “it would be a great way to go!”
