North Carolina Bowhunter Tags 15-Point Surprise Buck

Dawson Durham began his hunt on the afternoon of Sept. 14, settling into his climbing stand just after 5 p.m. Perched nearly 40 feet high on a steep ridge, his goal was to shoot the coyotes that had been frequenting his North Carolina deer property.

“It was breezy that afternoon, about 80 degrees,” the self-employed businessman told Outdoor Life. “I had trail cameras out, but didn’t capture any good bucks on camera, just a bunch of coyotes that I wanted gone. That’s why I climbed so high [in the tree]. Coyotes are challenging to hunt with a bow due to their vigilance.”

Durham, 24, positioned himself at the top of the ridge where white and red acorns were falling. His spot overlooked a grassy lane that descended sharply behind his tree, leading into a creek bottom. After 30 minutes, he spotted a doe and a yearling feeding along the lane.

They browsed within 20 yards of his stand for about 30 minutes. Around 6 p.m., they disappeared, and that’s when Durham heard something behind his stand, making its way up the ridge from the creek.

“It was a light-sounding walk, and I assumed it was a coyote,” he says. “I didn’t want to make any sudden movements and scare the coyote, or the doe and yearling if they were still around.”

But as the steps drew closer, Durham turned and spotted a deer’s back just 10 yards from his stand.

“It was coming straight up the hill to the lane in front of me, and I saw it had a tall and wide rack,” he says. “I stood up very slowly, and the buck sensed something wasn’t right and spun around to head back down to the creek.

“He was directly below me, and I had to shoot fast or I was sure he’d bolt and be gone.”

Durham drew his bow, aimed, and let his arrow fly. The angle was extreme, but the buck charged downhill and vanished into the brush of the creek below.

“I was in shock,” says the veteran bowhunter, who claims seven Pope and Young whitetails in the last three years. “I had no idea a buck like that roamed that area. I’d never captured it on a trail camera—only coyotes and small deer.”

For 30 minutes, Durham heard and saw nothing. He then climbed down to search for blood. Almost immediately, he retrieved his arrow and noticed blood on the ground.

“I had no clue where I hit the buck, because he was so close and it all happened so fast,” he says. “So, I sat at the base of the tree until it grew dark, around 7:30 p.m. Then I began following the buck’s blood trail.”

The trail was easily traceable, and Durham soon located his buck at the bottom of the hill, near the creek. He had struck the buck perfectly, with the arrow entering the top of the buck’s back, passing through the chest, and exiting low to bury in the ground.

Conveniently, Durham had an ATV parked nearby, but maneuvering it up and down the steep hill was impossible. He took some photos, then skinned, boned, and caped the buck where it fell. He then carried it uphill to his ATV.

Once he arrived home, Durham placed the buck in a freezer and delivered the cape and skull to a taxidermist the following day. He estimates the buck weighed over 200 pounds, with a 15-point typical main frame rack. Although he didn’t measure it, he approximates the buck’s score will gross around 160 inches.

“The buck has 15 points, but two are short and won’t count for P&Y,” he says. “The score isn’t my main concern. It’s just a big, beautiful buck—my best.”

The young bowman is enthusiastic about his upcoming autumn deer season and has hunts planned in several other states.

“Since taking the 15-pointer, I’ve become even more dedicated to bowhunting,” he says. “I’m actively seeking access to land, discovering new areas, and hunting every chance I get.”