LOGAN, W.Va. — Jacob Miller of Logan knew when the 2015 archery season opened he had an opportunity. Miller set out to hunt a buck he’d first seen in 2012. The buck he had spied on his trail camera that year was a three year old buck with a 9 point rack. He’d kept his discovery quiet for a couple of years. During the 2014 season he hadn’t seen the buck either in person or on camera, but he also hadn’t heard of any sizable buck coming out of the remote part of Logan County where he hunts. He felt strong the odds were with him the big boy had survived and would be sporting an amazing rack for 2015. But, he had several things working against him.
“You’ve always got poachers and people crowding in on your hunting area,” he said. “Typical stuff in southern West Virginia.”
He also knew he had knee surgery scheduled in December. Adding to his trouble was an active logging operation which had cut off access to his hunting lease. Fortunately he was able to connect with a landowner who owned the property which adjoined his lease and not only did he have access to his normal spots, but also had the additional piece of property to explore. It was there he decided to give it a try in 2015. His trail camera on the new property proved his instincts were correct. The massive deer was still in the area and this time carrying a rack with two massive drop tines–which looked almost identical on each side of his head. He hunted October, and most of November. He passed on some nice bucks, holding onto hope the big buck with the impressive headgear would eventually reveal himself. He did in late November, but it wasn’t the kind of encounter Miller had hoped for.
“I had walked out and gotten on my ATV and was coming off the mountain. I drove within 15 yards of the deer, he was with a doe,” said Miller. “It was dark and like I said I was within 15 yards of him and I had to just drive by him and go on to the truck. That was the first time I had laid eyes on him.”
However, armed with his new knowledge, Miller was confident the buck could be killed. He made up his mind it would be that buck or bust for the season. Unfortunately, with his surgery date looming, the window of opportunity was closing. Miller hunted the buck from a blind rather than a tree stand and tried to be there every free daylight moment he could. During those cold and often wet hours he past on some really nice bucks.
“Most people would be tickled to death to shoot these deer, but knowing he was in the area I passed on some really nice bucks,” he explained. “I probably should have shot a couple of them and I second guessed myself a hundred times.”
As Miller’s hunting time quickly eroded, he was in his blind December 16th. As usual, there were several deer around, most of them young and most of them does. One small buck, a six point, wandered in. The little buck was showing off for the ladies when suddenly in the distance, another form appeared along the tree line. It was Miller’s buck and he was following an extremely small doe.
“She couldn’t have been 60 pounds,” he said. “She came in and walked by that smaller buck and he turned like he was going to chase her. When he turned, that big deer lost his mind. He did a snort-wheeze that lasted for 15 seconds and took off after that small doe. He was snort wheezing the whole way and sounded like a steam engine.”
The massive buck ran within 15 yards of Miller’s blind, passed him, and stopped about 30 yards away.
“I was going to shoot him there, but the doe turned around and came back,” Miller said. “She walked back about 18 yards away on a small road above my blind. He walked back right behind her and stopped at about 12 yards and I put it on him right there.”
The massive buck wheeled and ran. Miller listened for the crash, but couldn’t hear it. He sat tight in the blind for a half hour, fighting off the urge to take off on the trail.
“Your mind plays tricks on you,” he said. “You’re second guessing the shot and wondering if you hit him bad.”
It turned out he had little to worry about. The shot was perfect. Where the deer disappeared, Miller found a solid blood trail and was able to track him to a big heap about 60 yards away.
“I’ve been very lucky and have killed some bucks in the 150’s class, but nothing like this thing.” he said.
The buck cannot be officially scored until the 60 day drying period is complete in mid-February, but the green score netted 185 7/8ths as a non-typical rack.