Mississippi Hunter Bags Rare 36-Point Buck with Crossbow

by
posted on October 30, 2017
lead_mississippi36point.jpg
Courtesy of Facebook

According to The Clarion-Ledger, a Mississippi man’s four year hunt for a six-point management buck ended on Oct. 20 with a shockingly rare 36-point deer.

Stan Ethredge of Philadelphia, Miss. had been monitoring the buck over the last four years and planned to shoot the deer last season but never got the opportunity. “He was a big six-point four years ago. He dropped his antlers and grew six points again,” Ethredge told The Clarion-Ledger. “After the second year, he was a six-point, I figured that was all he was going to be. I figured he was a good cull buck.”

Ethredge continued to monitor the deer throughout the summer and began to notice a few abnormalities on his rack, such as drop-tines and stickers. Over the winter, Ethredge saw that the buck was still in velvet and did not shed his antlers as other typical bucks had.

By the time hunting season arrived this year, the buck’s antlers had grown into a mass of twisted tines with enormous bases and was still in velvet. Figuring the schedule change might fool the deer on his property, Ethredge decided to take a vacation day on Oct. 20 to hunt.

That evening, he finally got his shot at the rare buck. “He got about 30 yards from me. I was telling myself to keep my composure. My heart was beating out of my chest,” Ethredge said. “He’s eluded me for years, so I didn’t want to let him get away. I shot him as soon as I got the chance.”

The massive 36-point buck had a 16-inch spread and measured 227 3/8-inches according to the Buckmasters scoring system. The Clarion-Ledger reports that biologists believe the abnormal antler growth may be due to a lack of testosterone production in the deer.

“Something caused the deer to stop producing testosterone,” said William McKinley, Deer Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “Sometimes, bucks castrate themselves on a fence. It's not common, but it's not uncommon. It could have been disease. It could have been a number of things. If a deer doesn't have testosterone, the antlers continue to grow. They never harden and they never lose velvet.”

Biologists may never be able to pinpoint exactly what caused the deer to stop producing testosterone, but McKinley noted that Ethredge harvested a truly rare deer.

“I told him this wasn’t a deer of a lifetime,” McKinley said. “It’s a deer of several lifetimes.”

Latest

State Department Turks & Caicos Travel Advisory
State Department Turks & Caicos Travel Advisory

State Department Issues Travel Advisory in Wake of Hunter Detainments

In the wake of several headline-making detainments of hunters and shooters in the Turks and Caicos last year, the Trump administration's State Department has issued a brand new travel advisory for the country, dated March 4, 2025.

A Wingshooters Paradise: Cold Bay, Alaska

Few experiences in a hunter’s life compare with acquiring an over-the-counter tag for an emperor goose, or hunting a flock of 80,000 brant or any other of the myriad waterfowl that live on the Alaska Peninsula. And the fishing here—fuggedaboutit. This is a wingshooting and fishing paradise.

Several Elk Calves in the Bitterroot Valley Die After Eating Toxic Plant

Necropsies conducted on two of the calves revealed high quantities of toxic Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) in their stomachs.

Hardware Review: Sauer 505 Synchro XT

Shooting Illustrated Editor-in-Chief Ed Friedman crosses the pond to witness the magic behind the Sauer 505 Synchro XT's construction firsthand.

Outdoor Edge Expands its Replaceable Blade Offerings

Outdoor Edge, a company's known for its replaceable blade technology, has expanded its RazorSafe system with five new blade packs, further enhancing its versatility.

New for 2025: Dead Air Mojave 45 Suppressor

Dead Air Silencers has expanded the company’s .45 Auto suppressor lineup for 2025 with the release of the all-new Mojave 45 modular suppressor.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.