Monster buck caught chasing does during rut.
With his week of vacation coming agonizingly to a close on Dec. 30, Harvey Guillot cashed in on a magnificent 9-point buck at the last minute on his Rosedale Hunting Club on Davis Island, and it did it in an unconventional way.
When all was said and done, Guillot laid claim to a monster buck that scored 178 3/8 inches Boone & Crockett in the Simmons Sporting Goods Big Buck Contest.
Davis Island is located in the middle of the Mississippi River, and Guillot’s club is located partially in Madison Parish Louisiana and partially in Warren County Mississippi.
“I always take a week of vacation during Christmas holidays to hunt on our club because that’s the time the rut is kicking in over there,” he explained. “I was after a particular buck I’d seen last season as well as a couple of times this year.
“However Friday rolled around and I knew I had to get back to work Monday, so my time had about run out.”
Guillot, who lives in Shreveport and works in highway construction, had hoped to get a shot at the deer with his bow, and so he cranked up his four-wheeler and headed to his stand armed with both his bow and rifle.
“I had two stands in the area situated about 100 yards apart, and my plan was to hunt the farthest stand,” Guillot said. “However, when I approached the nearest stand, I watched a big buck chasing does all around the stand.”
Guillot dropped his bow and crawled over to a big oak to get a better look at the deer; he was unsure at the time if it was the big one he had been after.
“The big deer had run a small buck away, and the little one was too near me for me to move without being detected,” he said. “Finally, the small buck wandered off and I was able to sneak over to my lock-on stand, (and) crawl up in it to catch my breath.”
What happened next was mind boggling – he looked over into the bushes and saw the big buck lying under a tree, completely out of breath.
“The buck was panting like a dog from chasing the does so hard,” Guillot said. “I got him in my sights and squeezed the trigger. The buck jumped and ran, and I lost sight of him.”
Guillot climbed down from his stand and began a careful stalk to try and locate the buck he was sure had been hit.
Peering around some brush, he saw the buck, lying down but still alive. He attempted to chamber another round but ran into another problem; he was using his brother’s gun and was dismayed to discover the gun was empty.
He had no more ammunition.
“I did the only thing I knew to do: I ran over and jumped on the deer and said, ‘If you get up, I’m going with you.’” Guillot said.
Fortunately, the deer’s struggles ended quickly.
The buck was incredible. Having lost practically all its body fat from the rigors of the rut, the deer still tipped the scales at 230 pounds.
The width of the rack’s inside spread and length of the main beams were practically other-worldly. With a spread of 26 1/8 inches, the main beams were 30 1/8 inches on one side and 28 6/8 inches on the other.
The score of 178 3/8 currently has Guillot’s buck comfortably in the top spot in the Simmons Sporting Good Big Buck Contest’s 9-point category.
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