With antlers measuring over two feet in width and adorned with double drop tines, the most recent trophy to come out of Tennessee is a real looker.
If you’re into that kind of thing…
Charles Strickland and his son-in-law had been chasing the bruiser since he first smiled for the trail camera back in 2020. Since then the elusive buck kept the two men guessing along with others on neighboring properties who claimed to have gotten a glimpse of him in the past as well.
The deer’s will to survive lasted through two seasons as he dodged, ducked, dipped and dodged hunters across multiple farms in the area. It wasn’t until the fall of 2022 that the target buck would finally make a mistake.
With property rules stating that each hunter must successfully shoot two does before any buck is shot, the Hunger Games of deer hunting was officially in play after Strickland arrowed two does with his only two crossbow bolts.
Having to climb down from his perch to retrieve the bolts, it wasn’t long before the monster cruised in with a pair of other young bucks. Strickland landed an arrow in the massive buck in about the same spot he put down one of the previous does. In somewhat of a serendipitous moment, relief fell over the seasoned hunter as he sent a text to his son and some friends.
The buck piled up about 65 yards from where the arrow landed.
Given the size of the buck, calls went out to Tennessee’s Deer Registry where after the drying period, the 26 2/8-inch-wide rack scores 192 6/8.
It was announced by the state that the Strickland buck was the new Tennessee crossbow record and had a permanent place in the Boone and Crockett books as well.
