Saga ends for Buck No. 140, deer that crosses Mississippi River

When a Mississippi hunter pulled the bring about on a large Delta buck, he harvested his major deer to date.

What he failed to understand at the time was he’d also bagged what is possibly the most well-known deer in the point out Buck No. 140.

“We had been conversing about him on the way up,” claimed Trevor Martin of Hurley. “When you go in the woods you never ever know what you can expect to see, but I never ever predicted that to transpire. Which is like winning the lottery. It’s like a single in a million.”

Martin and buddy Aaron Graham, also of Hurley, experienced been picked in a drawing to hunt the 10 Issue Unit of Phil Bryant Wildlife Management Place. It really is an space named right after what was when one of Mississippi’s oldest searching golf equipment.

It truly is also the winter season haunt of Buck No. 140.

The story of Buck No. 140

Buck No. 140 was captured in the winter of 2020. He was outfitted with ear tags and a GPS collar for a study on deer motion conducted by Mississippi State College and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

He caught the consideration of researchers the adhering to spring when he traveled 18 miles into Louisiana and swam roughly a mile throughout the Mississippi River together the way.

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That caught the focus of Clarion Ledger readers, too. Hundreds of countless numbers of folks examine about his journey.

Buck No. 140 remained in Louisiana until finally fall when he returned to Mississippi. About the course of two several years, Buck No. 140 crossed the river four occasions as he traveled back again and forth among his wintertime and summer time ranges.

The most latest story was about a hunter who observed Buck No. 140’s collar, which was programmed to fall off in November. It was also observed in the Ten Point Device.

“Me and my buddy were truly looking at the story in the Clarion Ledger prior to coming up in this article,” Martin claimed. “We’ve been next the tales about him swimming the Mississippi River a mile. That’s mad.”

Tale continues

Mississippi deer hunter spots a major buck

On Dec. 17, points were being about to get crazier. Martin reported he’d been searching really hard for three times.

“We never ever left the woods,” Martin claimed. “I took my pack in and packed in sandwiches.”

Martin experienced originally supposed to hunt a area that afternoon, but just after hunting all day for 3 times and carrying a hefty pack, he made a decision to hunt on a pipeline that was closer to where he and Graham had parked their car.

Deer started to filter in. To his suitable he could see 3 bucks feeding as well as three hogs. To his left have been three does. He was observing the bucks and then looked toward the does when he noticed another buck.

“I received my binoculars and observed he was a massive buck,” Martin said. “He was acting like he was headed back again into the treeline.

“5 superior actions and he would have been back again in the treeline. I was like, ‘Oh no, you might be not receiving absent from me.’ I squeezed off the result in and permit him have it.”

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Hunter realizes he is bagged Buck No. 140

The buck was a lot more than 200 yards away, but Martin felt the shot was great. Graham arrived to enable get well the deer. Which is when Martin noticed the tags.

“I was so stunned,” Martin reported. “I did not even know he had tags when I shot him.

“I had to walk 150 to 200 yards and when I lifted his rack I observed he experienced the tags and I mentioned, ‘Oh, God.’ I was just ecstatic. Me and my close friend had been like a couple of university women freaking out. I’ve never ever killed a buck like that.”

When the two arrived at the camp the place they were being staying, a crowd had collected.

“There was a team of individuals hanging out ready to see him,” Martin claimed. “Everybody understood about him.”

Though the analyze that Buck No. 140 was associated in has concluded, he probably even now carries beneficial data. The deer winters in the heart of a chronic throwing away disease administration zone. The sickness is generally lethal and impacts white-tailed deer and other cervids.

Researchers have requested hunters to shoot Buck No. 140 and have him examined for the ailment. If he assessments constructive, it would make a apparent and unambiguous statement to wildlife coverage-makers that deer can unfold CWD over lengthy distances.

Martin said he will have the buck analyzed when he can take it to a taxidermist for mounting. He also mentioned that though he’s psyched about owning the buck mounted, there is just one issue missing that would help notify the tale of the famous buck to those who see it in the long term — the collar.

“I would like to have it,” Martin claimed. “That would be the complete bundle. That would be the fantastic ending to the tale.”

Get in touch with Brian Broom at bbroom@gmail.com or 601-961-7225.

This write-up originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hunter bags Buck No. 140, famed deer that crosses Mississippi River