WHITETAIL: “DDP”
STATE: Missouri
SEASON: 2014

PRODUCTS USED: (Click to View)

Browning BAR .270

Leupold Acadia 10×42 Binoculars

GoPro Hero

Moultrie Trailcams (M-880)

Hunting Photos

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Hunting Videos

Hunting Story

The story and hunts associated with a whitetail we knew as DDP are definitely included in some of my most fond hunting memories.

A tall tined, tight framed whitetail, DDP commanded respect with all other whitetails we saw him encounter.

In the mid summer scouting months of 2014, we watched through a PhoneScope as DDP and another whitetail we nicknamed Bowtech made their way along and fence line through an open pasture. Even in velvet, DDP was establishing his dominance as he nudged the younger buck along, pawing at him to emphasize superiority.

Archery season in Missouri arrived on September 15th, and we felt we had a really good beat on DDP’s pattern. Opening day presented a less than ideal wind for his area. So it wasn’t until Sept 16th that we finally had an opportunity to engage in hunting him.

On September 16th, my brother went and hunted a stand over looking an open pasture with clover, and I set up in a non-invasive ground blind along a bedding area that led out to a bean field.

My hunt produced an incredible encounter with a whitetail we named Mr. September. He was a 150’s inch whitetail we also had on our hit list. The buck managed to get within 30 yards at last light, but unfortunately I could not see any of my pins in the ground blind. This would be the #1 reason I now have light-illuminated sites on my bow. We did manage to grab some great video of the encounter.

My brothers hunt was just as exciting, as DDP stepped out at last light into the clover pasture he was hunting. He made his way to a licking branch at 40 yards and my brother let the arrow fly.

In the excitement of the moment and somewhat low light, he could not tell where exactly his arrow had hit. He did manage to find his blood covered arrow before exiting the woods. After replaying the encounter and shot, we felt it best to wait out the night and enter the wood to look for him in the morning.

In the morning, we entered the location he ha arrowed DDP, and immediately found blood. After about 100 yards of decent blood, the trail started to get sparatic and sparse. It was the moment, all hunters dread.

We did our due-diligence tracking and search-gridding the area the next day and a half until ultimately we called of the search. It was easily the low point of the season, and as most hunters know, a gut wretching feeling for all involved.

We monitored trail cams for the next 2 weeks with no sign. We were almost certain that DDP was deceased, we just didn’t know where.

October rolled through, and it was time for the rut to begin. On the 23rd of October, we checked cameras to gauge rut activity and buck inventory. Half way through the photos, our jaws dropped and our excitement went through the roof. DDP was back!!

And not only was he back, he was on camera fighting the next largest buck on the property. A closer inspection of the photos showed a broadhead sized scar on the high part of his neck, with both an entry and exit hole. How this buck had survived, yet alone how he had the drive and tenacity to fight off another deer was something to behold.

Our spirits were now lifted, and the hunt for DDP was now in full-pursuit mode.

We hunted the rut with a few good encounters with him at a distance. He could be seen running does literally everywhere, but never to close to shoot and never stopping to offer a shot.

Gun season rolled around, and tensions were high that a neighboring property might have the opportunity at him.

I entered the woods on opening morning with my wife (then fiance) to try and get her a whitetail. We were nowhere in the vacinity of DDPs core area. It was a perfect morning, lower 30s with light snow falling. Bucks were everywhere, and all around us. At 9:15 we heard a loud grunt, and saw a large bodied whitetail behind a doe coming through a thick part of our hardwoods stand. Upon raising my binoculars, I was in shock to whisper to my wife, “Holy cr*p, its DDP.”

He stood at 100 yards eyeing the other bucks that were within 20 yards of our stand. We had zero chance for movement to get into position to place him in the scope. And even if we had the chance to move, he was well into thick cover that would have made the shot very iffy.

The doe he was with unfortunately made her way in the other direction, and despite my best efforts with some low grunts, he had no interest in leaving her. We hunted the rest of the day in hopes that he would return. The snow continues to fall even harder, the deer continued to invade all portions of the woods, but alas, DDP did not return. We felt like we had missed our chance.

The next morning was our last day to hunt for the week. Upon trying to awake my wife to go hunting, I was met with the “I’m too tired” excuse. Although I definitely will not blame my wife, as I have been there too, after a full day of hunting in cold conditions, wind and snow…the bed definitely does feel more enticing than getting ready, going out and doing it all over again.

But I knew that DDP was out there, with a hot doe, and it highly likely he might show back up. That was all the motivation I needed to enter the blistering cold in the dark once again.

Deer were still on there feet. At 7:00am a small doe popped out looking behind her on a fence line. A few minutes later a mature doe walked out of a deep hollow with that demeanor that something was behind her. She hopped the fence and entered the CRP field. I got both the camera and my binoculars ready, because there was no doubt a buck was behind her.

At 7:15am, tall tines appeared over a slope coming out of the big hollow. I knew exactly who it was. DDP was on the does very step and coming to the CRP field! He made his way to the fence line, paused, and it was all the pause I needed. I let my Browning BAR hammer, and DDP now lay 15 yards from where I shot!

I let things rest, went back to get my dad and wife, who was absolutely kicking herself for deciding on the pillow verse the stand.

A short drag out to the truck and the chapter of DDP was now closed.

It was an absolute privilege to hunt such an amazing whitetail. The hunt, story and lessons are all things I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

This story is tribute to the whitetail known as DDP.