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The Legend of Saint Drop

Occasionally there is a deer that rises above the rest.  Either he sports an exceptional amount of bone on his head, he has something unique about him, or he is a ghost that seems impossible to catch up to.  “Saint Drop” was all three.

 

August of 2016 was the first time we laid eyes on Saint Drop and the only daylight picture that we would receive of him the entire season.

 

In August of 2017 we hoped that “Saint Drop” was still alive and still in the area.  Using several trail cameras and constantly moving them, we were finally able to key in on his core area where he was spending most of his time.  As the velvet began to strip, “Saint Drop” made his first daylight appearance with the sun sinking in the background.

 

Throughout the season, being closer to his bedding and core area proved to be valuable as he showed himself closer to daylight than the previous season.  We researched everything from moon phase, wind direction, wind speed, and temperature trying to get an idea what would cause him to show close to daylight.  The only consistency was that it seemed most of the days he showed near daylight throughout the season were on Sundays, which led us to name him “Saint Drop.”

 

 

In early October, we hung a tree stand specifically for “SD”.   On  November 17th, Cope of Texas happened to be in that stand as the deer we had put so much time and effort into stepped out to scan the area for does.  As he turned to leave, Cope was able to slip an arrow through a small shooting window to double lung the chocolate horned buck.

 

“Saint Drop” didn’t go far.

 

Different emotions arrive at the sight of such a deer laying motionless on the ground.  Relief that he’s down.  Pure joy that a plan came together.  Happiness shared that Cope was able to harvest a buck of a lifetime.  Sadness that the hunt for such a majestic animal has come to an end.

 

I know there are still people out there that wonder why we do what we do.  It’s not about the score.  I could have cared less what this deer scored, although I can tell you it was impressive.  It’s not necessarily about the meat even though the meat will be enjoyed by Cope and his family.  There is something about these whitetails that widens our pupils and makes our hearts beat fast.  They are tough, resilient, smart, and the moment we think we figure them out they turn the tables again.  Staring at such a magnificent animal laying there, one can’t help but feel thankful for the blessing God has given, not only in the animal, but in the experience and the memories that will last a lifetime.

 

All of us at Lil’ Toledo want to congratulate Cope on an awesome buck!

 

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