Big Buck 411 Blog

Fool Me Once …

Fool Me Once …

By Mike Handley

Going into Louisiana’s 2017 deer season, Charles Brossette knew at least one decent buck was living in the 600 acres he hunts in Natchitoches Parish. A trail camera had snapped one photograph of it, a sideways view that, while impressive, did little justice to the 180-plus-inch rack.

Charles got a much better look at the animal when he actually crossed paths with it.

The hunter from Cloutierville had just finished replenishing a feeder when he happened to glance at a nearby cedar tree just in time to see the buck spring from its bed. The giant 8-pointer (Charles thought) was gone before he could even reach for his rifle, which was in its case on the four-wheeler.

If he’d bothered to load it and was quicker on the draw, he might’ve shot his season’s best whitetail on that day.

Charles nicknamed the deer Tines.

“He became the only buck I was focused on,” Charles told John Phillips, who’s writing the story for Rack magazine. “I even passed up a 150-class, 255-pound buck. It was in my sights, but as I studied the buck’s rack, I knew it wasn’t Tines. So I didn’t shoot.

“I know the weight now because the landowner later took that deer,” he added.

Charles shares the tract with two friends. They actually hunt about one-third of the acreage, leaving the rest undisturbed.

“Our stands overlook feeders and green fields, and we’ve set up shooting lanes to allow us to also cover lots of deer trails,” he said.

His next and final encounter with Tines came on Nov. 11.

Charles climbed into elevated box stand at 3 p.m.  Soon after some antsy does appeared 100 yards away, he heard their pursuer grunting within the adjacent oak thicket and raised his rifle.

“I immediately recognized Tines when he stepped out, because I’d imprinted his antlers on my brain when I spotted him the first time under the cedar tree. I didn’t hesitate to take the shot,” he said.

The deer didn’t take another step.

Tines almost scored 180 inches as a 4x4. A ninth point pushes the tally to 181 1/8.

— Read Recent Blog! On Their Own, Until Afterward: Jackson Hicks | BTR Score: 178 4/8"

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