A bit later in early December, the 65-year-old Butler got his opportunity for redemption: The buck reappeared at the porch feeder. This time, the shot from his Browning .30/06 solid, the deer was dispatched for good.

"When I walked up to him, I was absolutely amazed at the size of this deer's horns," Butler said.

That bewilderment is certainly understandable, because the Butler buck sports a TBGA score of 182 2/8 inches gross and 174 1/8 net, making it the seventh-best typical from Region 8 during the 2004-05 season.

JERRY GRIFFIN
Webb County Typical
179 7/8 Gross, 172 6/8 Net
There's little doubt that 64-year-old deer hunting veteran Jerry Griffin and, indeed, his family are on a pretty good hunting run on their 18,000-acre Webb County lease.

After Griffin took a 172-inch non-typical from the property the year before -- the same year that his granddaughter killed a 168 5/8-inch buck on the ranch -- the Sour Lake deer hunter's family was back for more in 2004.

And more -- as in trophy bucks -- is exactly what the family got. First, Griffin himself started things off by taking a 14-point early in the 2004-05 season that scored 170 gross and 166 net. Next, his grandson -- a forward for the University of Denver ice-hockey team -- took a whopper 8-point buck that stretched the tape to 152 inches.

Last up, in early December, Griffin anchored the home stretch of the season by taking a whopper typical 6x6 main-frame buck with two kicker points. "I had watched him for two hours through the brush and looking at him through a scope. They kind of grow on you in the scope, but shrink on the ground," Griffin observed.

Viewed after the shot from Griffin's Browning .270, however, this buck suffered no ground deflation. "He was a little bigger than I thought he'd go," Griffin noted. A little bigger to the tune of a TBGA typical score of 179 7/8 inches gross and 172 6/8 net -- good enough for eighth place in Region 8 last year!

"I've had a good last two years," the retired Griffin said, chuckling.

Amen to that!

JOHN MEYER
Webb County Typical
175 5/8 Gross, 171 7/8 Net
John Meyer certainly believes in the power of prayer -- even when he's deer hunting.

After witnessing that power firsthand as his wife recovered from cancer last year, he again found himself seeking divine intervention last Dec. 18.

What petition did Meyer send heavenward as he strode the 22,000-acre Webb County lease? That he'd see the 10-point buck that he'd passed on earlier in the day. As his tiring nine-day hunt began to wind down, the 46-year-old Floresville resident didn't know that his wife and a nephew in Nebraska were offering similar prayers for big-buck success.

"Psalm 34:7 says that if we'll delight ourselves in the Lord, he'll give us the desires of our hearts," Meyer said. "I really believe that."

Later that evening, all three prayers were answered when the big 5x5 typical walked back out in front of Meyer, allowing him to steady the cross hairs and pull the trigger on his 7mm Remington.

Just 15 minutes later, Meyer found himself standing over a low-fence Booner and uttering a prayer that many other South Texas hunters voice last year -- a prayer of thanks.

"I don't know why I didn't shoot that morning," Meyer said, "but he was better than I thought. It was a God thing all the way around."

After the sizzling big-buck season of 2004-05, there are a lot of South Texas deer hunters who couldn't agree more with you, John!