N.J. man bags BIG buck on Lowcountry hunt

Guy Russon and his first ever velvet buck from August 19, 2013

An out-of-state hunter visiting Hampton County for a guided deer hunt takes his first ever buck in full velvet, and it sure is a grown one. It’s a long way from Ringoes, New Jersey to the rural Lowcountry but Guy Russo has made the trip several times in the past seven years. A slight schedule change for 2013 put him in a deer stand during opening weekend, and just before his visit was over he scratched out a ten-pointer to remember. Russo was in town to hunt a specific buck that his guide had spotted two weeks before opening day. Having been to Cypress Creek Plantation before to hunt hogs and deer, Russo was excited about his first chance to harvest a buck in full velvet. Climbing in his deer stand on August 15, Russo saw some young bucks, but not his shooter. The next night he tried a different stand but had the same result, and no shot. Then on Saturday August 17 he saw the buck he was after, however he came into the open over 600-yards away, and too far for a safe shot. Russo was crestfallen since he was to return home on Sunday, but then lodge owner Danny Harrell took an interest in his situation. Harrell agreed to take Russo hunting for the ten-pointer one more night, breathing new life into his quest. Harrell brought his sniper rifle along for Russo to use , and they climbed into an enclosed tower stand overlooking Deason Field on Pleasant Hill Plantation. At 6 p.m. the buck strolled out of the edge of the woods about 500-yards away into a cotton field before moving back into the woods. Then a bachelor group of six bucks in velvet followed one another into the field with the big buck the last one to break cover. At 6:30 Russo took a long shot of 427-yards and brought down his velvet buck. The 10-pointer has plenty of mass and beams that measure 22-inches in length. With a 16.5-inch inside spread, the buck was given a green score of 146, and was everything Russo hoped for. “I have only killed one buck bigger than this one and that was back home in New Jersey,” said Russo. Hunting bucks in velvet is a calling card unique to the Lowcountry, and hunters like Russo are keen to give their best efforts for such a trophy.

To view my feature story in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about bucks in velvet click here.
To view past blog entries about BIG bucks click here.