Hunter: Andrew Cochran
Cameraman: Mack Raikes
Date: Sept 15 – Opening Day Missouri Archery
Antler King Mix: Honey Hole/Lights Out Forage Oats
Wind Direction: Southwest
History: No past years history with the buck. He started showing up on trail cameras
daily about a week before opening day of the Missouri archery season.
The Setup: Textbook food plot setup to harvest an early season buck. A 1/4 acre Antler King plot butted up against a two-acre standing soybean plot. The deer were bedding in the timbered draw just to the west of the Antler King plot.
Expecting the deer to come up out of the draw to feed, the box blind was placed within archery range, southeast of the timbered draw, and exactly in between the soybean plot and Antler King plot. Access to the blind was from the southeast.
As the evening shadows began covering the Antler King plot, the deer started coming up out of the draw and into the cooler, shadowed areas of the plot to feed. This heavy-massed buck trailed behind the other deer that were already feeding in the Antler King and the shot was 30 yards. The deer was down within 100 yards and was recovered shortly after dark.