When on a deer stand, wind direction can be your friend; it can also foil what could have been an almost perfect deer hunt. Hunter Frey, armed with a Raven crossbow, had a breeze blowing at his back with a big buck walking at 25 yards, only a few steps from the wind ruining what would have been an ideal set up. Fortunately, Frey got off a shot before having the wind ruin the hunt for him.
Frey, 29, of Monterey is a busy guy. He is a real estate agent for Brown Realty in Rayville, in addition to owning Jackie’s Riverside Steak and Seafood restaurant in Jonesville.
“I have property in Concordia Parish where I have been fortunate to take several nice bucks, including two that scored 157 and 162 inches,” Frey said. “However, I joined a club consisting of 650 acres in Catahoula Parish this year, a club that lies just off the Tensas River. I have been getting trail cam photos of a big buck that had started to come out in daylight, either for a few minutes after morning light or just before dark in the afternoons.”
Perfect timing
On the afternoon of Oct. 5, Frey decided to hunt with his crossbow on his new club and mounted his lock-on stand that overlooks a small pond with mature oaks that was dropping acorns. Adjacent to the pond was thick and brushy CRP land.
“As I walked in I had a deer blow at me, and with it being so warm and mosquitoes already swarming I thought about turning around and heading back to the truck,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right for me to have a chance at a buck that afternoon.”
Deciding to get in his stand, it wasn’t long before three small bucks came out and began sparring like young bucks will do. Frey felt better knowing that at least deer were moving. He watched the three little bucks drink from the pond before they left.
“Daylight Savings Time was still ongoing, and around 7 p.m. I saw a big bodied deer in the thicket and headed for the pond,” Frey said. “When he turned his head, I could see the antlers and knew it was the big one I had on camera. A breeze was blowing at my back and I knew that if the buck took a few more steps, he’d smell me and the hunt would be over. Fortunately, the buck stopped in a small opening in time for me to draw a bead on his shoulder. I touched the trigger and he bolted.”
A trophy buck
Frey thought he heard the buck crash down and could hear a “wheezing” sound. Sitting for a while until it got dark, Frey was getting ready to attempt his retrieve when he discovered his flashlight had stopped working. He called friends hunting nearby who came with a light and the deer was found some 50 yards where it had expired.
The buck was a main frame 8-point with a 3-inch sticker off one of the main beams, making it a 9-point. It had an inside spread that was 16 ¼ inches and main beams that were 23 and 24 inches with bases around 5 inches each. The buck, estimated to be 6 ½ years old, weighed 239 pounds and was scored with 153 ¼ inches of antler mass.
In answer to why he chose to join a club in Catahoula Parish, Frey said “I like to hunt where I know the big ones hang out and I knew this area had the habitat to support some really big bucks.”
