comkvl.jpg

David Gets His Dream Buck

David Kevil, who lives in Houston, took this wonderful tripple drop tine buck while hunting in Frio County, Texas on December 13, 1997. Had I taken this super buck I am sure that I would have invented a story of a 500 yard shot in a 50 mph wind with the temperature at 20 below zero just to show how tough the hunt was, but David, who has been a friend for a number of years, just isn't that kind of guy so I will let him tell the great story in his own words....!

"I was invited to hunt on a supplier's lease on the weekend of December 12, 1997. The invitation came at a great time as I was not having any luck at all on my lease near Three Rivers, Texas. It was time for a change of scenery and the thought of finally getting to hunt in south Texas caused me to spend a lot of time daydreaming about the huge trophy buck that we all picture in our mind. You know, the big one with the double drop tines just like the Texas Trophy Hunters emblem. Well little did I know that I would fulfill that dream on the second morning of the hunt.

The morning of December 13 found me shivering in a tower blind in Frio county stareing into the darkness. I was tired. Instead of sleeping I had spent most of the night before thinking about the deer that I hoped would step out of the brush and into my sights. As the sun began to rise I could see several dark shapes in front of me but it was still too dark to make out what they were. Finally I was able to decipher the shape of several doe and one buck by straining my eyes and peering through the binoculars. I kept the binoculars trained on the buck as the first rays of sunlight began to reflect off of his antlers. I could see that his rack was beyond his ears but still could not make out how many points as he was busy polishing his antlers on a mesquite bush. As I continued to watch he stepped away from the mesquite bush and turned quartering with his backside toward me. Whats that? Drop tine! Thats all I needed to make my decision. I waited until the buck turned broadside and fired my trusty .270 Remington. The buck bolted, running about seventy yards but the 130 grain Nosler Partition did it's job as he paused for a split second and fell to the ground. I quickly climbed down from the stand and raced toward him. This was the first buck that I have ever taken where the antlers actually seemed to grow larger as I approached. I picked his head up and the story got even better. Three drop tines! One about 6 inches long on his left side and two on the right one of which was 5 1/2" and the other 1 1/2". My buck had a spread of 20 1/8" on the inside and 23 1/2" outside. The beams are approx. 5" in diameter at the bases and carry this mass along the entire length of the main beams. The rack is a basic 10 point frame consisting of 14 scoreable points for a gross score of 156 5/8" and a net of 152 1/8". My taxidermist aged him at 5 1/2" years old. I wish I could say that I had hunted this buck over a long period of time and through much adversity. I know I have hunted him thousands of times in my mind, he came almost too easy, but heck, I'll take one like that anytime."

After seeing how David did this, I may try to dream more and use less of that awful skunk cover scent..!


[left arrow][right arrow]
Additional photos and comments.