Hunting season continues to unfold for Emanuel Countians, and one man, 21-year-old Lane Allen of Swainsboro, finally got a wallhanger, thanks to a little perseverance and patience.
Allen and his brother, Brett, spent several mornings staked out at Big Dukes WMA in Jenkins County and had no luck. The brothers decided to go back a fourth time, this time on the evening of October 16—and Allen couldn’t be happier.
“We saw two very nice bucks on two of the mornings we went, but we couldn’t get a shot,” the Midville native explained. “Around 5:30 p.m. that Saturday, we settled into the stand. We were hunting back to back on the same tree, and Brett was being really patient about letting me get a trophy. We watched a doe came out really fast, then another doe came out.”
About 45 minutes into the hunt, the prized deer emerged. Allen took the shot as soon as he had one, using a 7mm08 Remington rifle handed down by his late grandfather, Harry Batchelor.
“Nervous was an understatement,” Allen continued. The deer bolted, he took another shot, and the animal dropped not far from there.
What the brothers found was a nice, distinct 8-point buck.
“He had a broken brow tine on the left side. We think he was around 2- or 3-years-old, weighed roughly 170 pounds. He was by far the largest deer I’ve ever taken. It was a humbling experience for me to be able to bag this beast in my eyes. I’ve worked hard for years trying to get a nice buck but only on private land. Hunting public showed me a whole ‘nother bundle of challenges. With no bait, long walks, and more competition, I was elated.”
Allen has since dropped his trophy off at the taxidermist with the intention of later picking up a shoulder mount in full sneak.