Jon Jukes of Ragley had been enjoying a fruitful deer hunting season. His 80-acre private parcel in Dry Creek yielded respectable deer all season, but there was one specimen making cameos on his camera last year and during bow season that made him salivate. His dream came true on Dec. 3 at 8 a.m. when Jukes claimed the massive 13-point buck that measured 155 5/8.
“I had been seeing this guy off and on with my cameras,” he said. “I saw him on the 6th and 12th of last December and then again during bow season, but never in real time.”
The morning of Dec. 3 was unseasonably frigid, and Jukes took note of the brisk morning. He still was determined to fill his last tag of the season, so he selected a tree across from a pipeline and ascended to his desired position. While stationed in the tree, the cold temperatures started eroding his patience.
“I was texting my brother-in-law how cold it was,” Jukes said. “I just felt like it was a pipe dream being out there that day.”
Before a decision could be made to leave the woods for a warmer climate, Jukes identified four does that came out of cover at approximately 250 yards on the pipeline. Then he noticed a massive buck coming straight to the does, but at that point, he didn’t know if it was his target buck. He simply thought it was just a random big deer.
“I got on him at 214 yards but all I really saw was a giant body with big antlers,” he said.
Deer of a lifetime
Jukes handled his Weatherby 7mm Remington Magnum outfitted with a Vortex scope and squeezed the trigger. The buck made no attempt to run and just dropped in place. Jukes descended the tree and made his way to the animal. When he walked up on the buck he realized in that instance it was the big buck he had been surveilling on his cameras.
“I was so excited I couldn’t think straight,” he said. “I called my brother-in-law and everyone else I could think of but no one answered!”
Jukes stood there paralyzed in surprise and laid down on the deer to get a picture. After texting it to his brother-in-law, he was so excited he couldn’t register the magnitude of such a kill. Even as he got up to go retrieve his ATV to transport the body from the woods, he worried the deer would somehow jump up and run as if it was fooling him.
Jukes was pleased to return to his deceased buck to find it right where he left it. After transporting it to his truck, he started replaying the events and analyzing his next moves. He figured this caliber of a trophy should be mounted, so he solicited the assistance of a taxidermist on his route home.
“I had a great season, but this deer just blew my mind,” Jukes said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do next. It really was the deer of a lifetime.”
