For The Record 02-03

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FOR THE RECORD

BY RAY WARD

DAMIEN GEORGE

HARRISON COUNTY

NON-TYPICAL 191 2/8

YEAR – 2000

By Ray Ward

While working the OVO magazine booth at the Carroll County fair this past autumn, a woman approached me with a story about a huge buck her nephew had harvested in 2000. At our booth I have on display my biggest harvest, a 160 class typical buck. I listened with skepticism as she told me how much bigger her nephew’s buck was than mine.

My skepticism must have been pretty obvious as she returned to our booth later after retrieving a picture she had of her nephew with his buck. All of my doubts disappeared as my saucer-sized eyes observed the picture of a huge non-typical monster buck. Learning that I was a scorer for the Buckeye Big Buck Club, she asked if I would be interested in scoring his buck for him. Arrangements were made and the buck was scored. To date this buck taken by Damien George in Harrison County is the largest I’ve had the opportunity to score in my few years of scoring. Recently I made a trip to Dover, OH to interview this lucky hunter. Here is the story of how this young hunter harvested a deer of a lifetime.

“I started hunting with my father at age 13. I used a single shot 20 gauge shotgun until a few years ago when my grandfather gave me his Wingmaster pump, also a 20 gauge,” said George. “I have taken about five deer, three does and two small bucks. Our hunting group has grown over the years to about 15 people. We have permission to hunt several farms totaling 600- to 700 acres.”

He continued “On the first day of gun season we head out to our favorite spot and then spend the day on stands. On the second day we organize drives and push the woods with half of us on post. It was the last farm and the last drive of the day. I was a stander on this drive and was just dropped off at Lynn’s Bucket, a spot named after my grandfather because of the many deer he shot there.”

“I found a comfortable place to sit, leaned my gun against a tree and prepared for a wait while the other standers got into position and for the drive to begin,” he said. “I heard a noise on the ridge above me and as I looked up all I could see was antlers coming over the hill. I was still sitting but didn’t have my gun in my hand. The path the buck was taking led him past two large trees. As he went behind the first tree I was able to grab my gun, stand and bring it to my shoulder.”

“As he went behind the second tree I told myself as soon as I see brown I was going to let him have it. I saw brown and I pulled the trigger! The buck went down head over heals, then got back to his feet, and I let him have it again. My first shot hit him in the neck and the second went through the heart. The distance was only about 10 yards,” he said.

Before the drive ever began I had downed my biggest buck ever. I was gutting my deer as the others began driving and a few does ran right past me. My boss was on the drive that day and was the first to see my buck and was just as excited as I was.”

George’s grandfather had killed many deer at Lynn’s Bucket, and this hunting season he got to experience the thrill of taking an extraordinary buck there. Having introduced his grandson to the sport at 13 years of age, this must be a moment that would make him very proud.