Scott Duggan-Englewood, TN

Hello, my name is Scott Duggan this is my story of Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2001--a day that I will never forget as long as I live.

I, like many deer hunters, enjoy hunting on Thanksgiving Day for several reasons. Not only for the time off but also for all the many memories of previous years of hunting with my father and friends on Thanksgiving Day. This Thanksgiving was no different and was very special. It was my son Andrew's 5th birthday and my wife was preparing a Thanksgiving meal for the family that would be served at approximately 5 p.m.

I have an 1800-acre lease in southern McMinn County that I share with 14 other hunting friends. On this day, like many others, I had chosen a stand location in a saddle atop a hardwood ridge. This particular stand was located in a major travel route. I felt like my chances were good to harvest a rutting buck in this location. I had been hunting in my treestand since daylight. By 1 p.m., I had seen 14 deer, two of which were bucks, one a "shooter" that I was unable to get a shot at. Both bucks were chasing does. Our hunting group has an agreement to harvest bucks that have four points or better on one side. For some, like me, this is a real test of self-discipline to pass up so many opportunities.

Approximately 1:15 p.m., I decided to leave my stand and lowered my gun to the ground. While standing in my stand preparing to leave, deer #15, a doe, appeared in the same location were I had previously seen the shooter buck. Thinking he might be back, I pulled my gun back up and waited but it did not happen. I felt a strong sense to stay longer knowing that I had no business being in the woods due to the priorities at home. From 1:30 p.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m., I was mentally engaged in a battle of tug-o-war, whether to stay or whether to go.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., I called my wife using my cell phone to check in, primarily to see if she was insane yet. She was at home alone with our three children preparing Thanksgiving dinner. I asked her a series of questions: 1) "How was she doing"? She said, "fine". 2) "How are the kids"? Again she said "fine". I was shocked, completely expecting her to be on the verge of pulling her hair out. I proceeded to tell her of the incredible day that I had had and that I still felt a strong sense to stay in the woods. Her response was "we do not eat until 5:00 p.m., go ahead and stay thirty more minutes." I acknowledged her and told her bye. I did not a bit more get the phone into my pocket until I heard something moving through the leaves behind me. I turned around and saw deer #16, a nice, small four pointer. I could only watch and admire this young animal as he slowly worked his way off and into a clear-cut thicket. I immediately grabbed my cell phone and called my wife back to tell her what had just happened. I was excited, but I am sure part of my motive was to possibly buy more time.

At 3:15 p.m., every hunter's dream was about to become a reality. Again, as I had heard many times before, I heard something moving through the leaves. However, unlike before, I could not locate the source of the noise. The intensity kept getting louder and louder, closer and closer. I realized that the source of the noise was directly off the hardwood ridge below me. We have nicknamed this near-vertical hardwood location "the wall." Just seconds later the deer surfaced. I could not believe he was climbing this near vertical ridge. At that moment he was approximately 80-85 yards away. This monster was quartering toward me when he partially disappeared and turned, now broadside, he perched himself on a small ledge on "the wall" approximately 70-75 yards away. He stood there, looked away, and stretched. Shoot or don't shoot! This began screaming in my mind. The deer was giving me the green light. I shot!!!! The bullet entered slightly above his left shoulder. The deer went down! What next? Call my wife, of course!

I called my wife a third time and said "Honey, I have just shot a monster. Send help!"

Finally, after a proper wait, the time had come for me to leave the woods. I lowered my gun, climbed out of my tree, packed up my gear, and packed out to the truck. I met my two brother-in-laws, Michael and Rusty Sharp, my son Matthew, who had told me the evening before "tomorrow will be the day," and Andrew, my birthday boy. I had to drive my truck to the opposite side of the ridge, the same side of the ridge of "the wall" to retrieve the deer. We had to hike back in to get the deer, what a challenge. When I finally made it to this massive animal I could not believe his size. I dressed the 10-point trophy, and began my challenging drag back to the truck. After about an hour and a half we made it to the truck. TWRA officer Michael Buckner met us and checked the buck out while in the field. We finally made it home to eat sometime between 6:00-7:00 p.m.

This hunt had so much significance to it: 1) A gracious decision by my wife, Angela. 2) My firearm of choice was my Winchester model 100, .308 caliber, which was a gift from my deceased grandfather, Hoyt Johnson of Etowah, whom I had spoken to through my thoughts and meditation multiple times during this hunt. 3) My son Matthew's comment that tomorrow would be the day. 4) My son Andrew's birthday.

Several of my thoughts during this hunt: 1) I had thought it would be nice to be able to call home and ask my wife to send the men down to help me retrieve a downed deer. 2) A youth's comment from my church the night before, he had asked the church members not to ask for anything but only to give thanks on this Thanksgiving Day. That was actually hard for me, because it is my routine to ask for God's will and ask for the opportunity to harvest an animal each time I enter the woods.

The difference between luck and being blessed is "divine intervention." I have truly been blessed.

Unofficially, "green", the deer was scored by my friend, Todd Harris, to be a 171, non-typical, 10 point. If the score holds up, it ranks as the top buck harvested in McMinn County, surpassing the old record of 151 3/8, typical, from Brian Wells of Niota in 1994. Possibly, the score could rank as one of the top bucks ever-harvested in East Tennessee.

The deer was officially scored in February at the Tennessee Deer.com annual rendezvous. Ben Layton of the TWRA officially scored the deer Boone and Crockett. The scores follow: Gross non-typical score equals 166 2/8, Gross typical equals 160 2/8, and Net typical equals 146 2/8. The deer was also scored BTR by Mary Morris during this rendezvous. The deer officially scored 146 6/8 with a composite score equaling 165 2/8.

The deer was an entrant in the Trophy Deer Contest at the 2002 Tennessee Deer & Turkey Expo in Nashville this August. The deer received second place-10 pt. antlers, firearms, current year category.

Equipment used during my hunt:
FIREARM: Winchester, model 100, caliber .308, made by US repeating arms.
AMMUNITION: Remington 150 grain pointed soft point, core-lokt, made by Remington Arms Co., Inc.
TREESTAND: Hi-point climbing stand, made by API Outdoors.
CLOTHING: Liberty camo clothing made by Walls Ind, Inc.
CAMO: Realtree Extra Brown Camoflauge, made by Jordan Outdoor Ent., Ltd.
FOOTWEAR: Rocky Boots, made by Rocky Shoes and Boots, Inc.
OTHER: H.S.SCENTS, Scent-A-Way liquid shampoo/body soap and laundry detergent, made by Hunter's Specialties, Inc.