Persistence pays off with good buck

By By Mike Giles / outdoors writer
Jan. 9, 2004
When it comes to deer hunting, Berry Holloman knows a thing or two about persistence and patience. During the fall, Holloman spent time scouting and bow hunting. Like a lot of modern day hunters, Holloman uses everything that he can to get the edge on the deer.
Holloman was looking for a big buck but had yet to find one this year when he spotted a nice racked buck. Now he didn't stumble upon it out in the woods. On the contrary, he wasn't anywhere near the buck, but he knew it was close by. And how did he find him you might ask? He set up a game camera in various locations and finally captured the deer on film.
From that moment on Holloman spent most of his deer hunting time looking for the big buck, or any sign of it. After spotting the buck on the camera, the young hunter set up a stand to bow hunt near the hot spot. Since he knew the deer was working that part of the property he decided to stay with that stand.
Determined hunter
Now some people might get discouraged by not seeing the big deer again. However Holloman could think only about harvesting that big buck with the big rack! With a persistence rarely seen in a young hunter, Holloman hunted that stand about every third afternoon. In the process, he was careful not to spook any deer that were frequenting the buck's core area.
Young Holloman has been hunting deer for about six years now. At first he went with his father and hunted as much as he could. However, when he obtained his driver's license he really got serious and started spending a lot of time in the woods in pursuit of the whitetail deer.
Christmas time finally arrived and Holloman still had not spotted the elusive trophy in the woods. Although Holloman didn't know it at the time, his luck was about to change in the form of a Christmas present. Holloman received a Savage 30-06 for Christmas. Now you talk about a fine present, he got it.
Of course it didn't take him long to sight the rifle in and get back into the woods. Several days ago he spotted the buck but didn't get a shot at him. After that hunt he moved his stand to a better vantage point in hopes that he might see the buck again and get a better shot.
New rifle's test
Although it was unseasonably warm and windy this past weekend, Holloman went to the woods. This is normally the time of year when the weather is cold and the bucks are in rut and moving about. As the day progressed without any sign of a deer, Holloman was about to come down when he spotted movement.
Around 4:30 p.m. two does suddenly appeared and walked right under his stand. A few minutes later something started making noises in the woods just out of sight. The does then left for parts unknown. Approximately 15 minutes later Holloman was scanning the area where the does had departed, when he spotted another deer. As soon as the deer turned his head Holloman knew that he was a shooter.
With the cross hairs centered on the buck's neck, he released the safety and squeezed off the shot. The deer literally dropped in its tracks. The Christmas rifle had proven to be up to the task at hand, and delivered a big New Year's gift of its own! The buck sported nine points and had an impressive spread to boot. After hunting the deer 30 to 40 times, Holloman's patience paid off big time! It just doesn't get any better than that!