Kevin Grant of Jackson, MS took this big 8 point and doe with muzzle loader on December 12, 2004, in Hinds County. The doe weighed 120 lbs. and the buck weighed 234 lbs. He will be entering the typical 8 point into the Mississippi Magnolia Records book as one of the largest eight points in its class taken with a muzzleloader for the 2004 hunting season. The following is Kevin's story about the hunt:
"As I made my way into the cut-over, I heard a stick crackle in the brush. I stopped immediately after noticing some movement from the corner of my right eye, but I knew I was too late. I had been spotted by three deer in the thicket. While one was curious and continued watching me, the other two fled. I knew if I wanted to get a shot at one of them, I had to get to my stand in a hurry.
After getting to the stand and getting all my gear in order, I looked around and there they were, approximately 220 yards away. I had to use my deer call to get them into range of my muzzleloader (at least 200 yards). I made two calls. The dominated doe lead the others within 125 yards. As she came within 100 yards, I placed my shot and was on target. As I was reloading, I kept my eyes on the other two deer as they trotted into the thicket. I then noticed another large doe coming out and heading across the cut-over. I didn't want to take another doe and that's when I saw the antlers of yet a fifth deer trailing the female and no more than 90 yards away.
The buck kept moving as I waited for the perfect window of opportunity to take the killing shot. He walked along the same trail that the doe did and without a care. Just when he turned to cross a ditch, he stopped on instinct and spotted me. His sense of danger had been correct, but he was too late. We were eye to eye, and he had given me a perfect center mass shot of his chest. I took it.
Thinking it was all over, I began reloading, and to my surprise the doe reappeared. I placed the cross hairs on her again. As I looked back to where I had dropped the buck, I couldn't believe my eyes. There he was, walking as if nothing had happened, continuing to trail the doe. Once more I waited for a broadside shot at his shoulder, and when it came, I took it. Blinded by the smoke from my muzzleloader, I was now out of ammo and had nothing left but my hunting knife and cell phone. The waiting process had begun. After 20 minutes I couldn't take the suspense any longer.
I climbed down, called on my co-hunters, and we started the search. Within 5 minutes of finding a good blood trail we found him lying just 40 yards away from where the last shot had been fired. He was the largest of the three bucks that I had taken during the 2004 hunting season, a 145 class gross 8-point, weighing 234 lbs., with a 21 1/2" inside spread and 4 1/2 years old."