By By Mike Giles/outdoor writer
Jan. 4, 2002
Jerry Gibson is a long-time deer hunter who took up bowhunting a couple of years ago. At the time, his uncle Rick Norman didn't think it would last. However, Gibson got a full-blown case of bowhunting fever. Last year he was lucky enough to take a couple of bucks with the bow. That gave him just enough confidence and satisfaction to keep on bow hunting this year.
Oct. 5 is a day that will live on in Gibson's mind. He was hunting a pine thicket near Newton that had small pines. In fact, there was only 1 tree big enough to support a stand in that area. It proved to be the perfect stand site. Arriving early, he climbed up into the stand at 2:30 p.m.
First chance
After about a four-hour wait, Gibson finally spotted a nice doe coming toward him. Since it was early in the season, he decided to go ahead and take the doe. However, just as he drew back on the bow and started to take aim on the deer, he saw small spikes on its head a spike buck.
At about the same time he found out the deer was a spike, it ran off in a hurry. Slowly he let the tension back off of the bow. Before he could sit back down he spotted movement nearby. Suddenly, he was surprised to see a large-bodied deer at a mere 30 yards coming in at steady walk.
There was no mistaking this deer, it was surely a legal buck. At a distance of 14 steps he drew back his 75-pound Diamond bow, took aim and released the Carbon Express arrow. Just as he released the arrow, the deer took a step forward. The Vortex expandable broadhead hit the buck about 12 inches behind the shoulder, a little farther back than he wanted, but good enough to do the job.
Kent Turner, Buckmasters Official Scorer of Suqualena, scored the large Newton County buck. It actually had 15 scoreable points with double brow tines! The outside spread spanned 19 inches. The Buckmasters score came to 169, with a composite total of 188 with the spread added in. And what's even more astounding is the fact that there could be more bucks in the area just like this one. Some other shed antlers were found in the area that scored approximately 157 points.
Typical habitat
Although they have a lot of pine timber and red dirt on their hunt property like the rest of east Mississippi, Gibson and his fellow hunters plant supplemental crops, which are obviously aiding in the growth and development of the deer's antlers. They plant clover, soybeans, and corn in the spring, to give the animals protein for their diet.
Most biologists say that you need good genetics, proper nutrition and age, to grow big racks. Gibson's buck is another of the monster deer that are now showing up in Mississippi after changes in harvest strategy in recent years. The difference between this one and many of the others is the fact that it was taken with a bow.
It's hard to kill a large buck by any means, but to harvest a true trophy with a bow is almost incredulous. Almost everything has to go right to harvest a monster buck with a bow. But it can be done right here in Mississippi. In fact, you just might have one living in your back yard. You don't have to go to the Delta to kill a nice trophy. Jerry Gibson and his Newton County trophy is proof of that!