A proud young hunter! When this 21-point monster stepped out into a food plot to check out a doe decoy, Shelby Tate knew exactly what to do. Hidden in a ground blind with his dad, he made a perfect shot on the 207 6/8-inch giant with his Remington .270.

If world-famous comedian Jerry Clower of Liberty, Mississippi, were still alive today (Jerry died in 1998), he'd probably be very interested in a giant buck taken just outside of Liberty last season by an 11-year-old deer hunter. After all, many of the funny stories Jerry told over the years had to do with his hometown, which he fondly referred to as "Route 4, Liberty, Mississippi," and treeing 'coons was about all he and his running buddy, "New-Gene" Ledbetter, had to brag about in the old days.

In fact, I don't recall ever hearing Jerry mention deer hunting around Liberty in any of his famous tapes, and he'd probably be amazed at what has happened with whitetail hunting in the area in recent years. For instance, last December, Shelby Tate, a 5th grader who lives in Denham Springs, Louisiana, was hunting with his dad on the family's 40-acre tract near Liberty when a buck of outlandish proportions stepped behind the cross hairs of this young man's rifle.

Chad Tate tells the exciting story about his son's hunt, which took place a few days after Christmas in 2007.

"I had been hunting the property throughout the season with my fiancée, Erica Tate (by coincidence, same last name), and both of my sons, Shelby, 11, and Dillon, 15," Chad said. "We're fortunate because even though the land is only 40 acres, we're surrounded by property owners who have some of the same goals for managing deer that we have.

"We try to take as many does as we can while passing on young bucks. I know some hunting clubs have rules that protect small bucks, but we try to go beyond that. While some clubs might take bucks with 6 points and 12-inch spreads, we've made a point of trying to pass on all bucks under 4 1/2 years of age. That way, we think we have a better chance to grow quality, mature bucks. In 2007 we passed on some good deer in the 120 and 130 range."

Chad's 40 acres feature pine hills and several drainages that run through the property. Plenty of heavy cover and water makes the land attractive to deer. As a plus, the land is also very fertile.

A "WOW" BUCK ON CAMERA
Chad uses trail cameras to help him get a better idea of the size and number of deer on his land. One particular camera revealed the image of a huge multi-tined non-typical buck, one that young Shelby would eventually meet face to face.

"We had a camera out on a food plot in December, and we captured the image of this big buck on three occasions, the last being on Dec. 23," Chad said. "He was photographed as he came out of a thicket and into the food plot after dark. We were all shocked when we saw the image. I had no idea there was a buck like that living on our place."

Chad decided to stay away from this particular food plot unless the wind was just right.

"We set up a blind and hunted the food plot several times when conditions were perfect, but we never got a glimpse of him. Naturally we began wondering if this buck would ever show himself during daylight hours."

Not only is Erica a serious deer hunter, but she's also a student of deer behavior. At her insistence, a plan was formed to try to draw the buck out of the heavy thicket where she and Chad felt certain the big deer was bedding during daylight hours.

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