Big Tennessee Buck

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DYERSBURG MAN BAGS THE BIG ONE
by The Fishman

Tennessee isn't known for producing record book bucks, but try to tell that to Jeff Greene of Dyersburg. On opening day of rifle season Greene bagged one for the record books. It must wait for the mandatory drying period before the official score is released, but it was green scored at 179 2/8. That's a monster in any record book.

Of course it would be nice, and probably about normal, if there was some grand story leading up to him bagging this brute. You know the ones: got there late, borrowed your buddies gun, was heading back to the truck, that kind of stuff. But as Jeff said, "There's really no big story to tell". The deer simply came by feeding on acorns, presented a good shot and now it's at the taxidermist.

The area he was hunting was one that he's familiar with and he had even spotted a buck near this caliber last year. While you can try and tell people that you saw a really big buck, we all know how that goes. Big can be overblown in the heat of the moment and what one considers big might not be so big to another. Now you know, if Jeff tells you it was a big buck, then by gosh it's a big buck. After bagging this one, he should know.

One interesting fact about the deer is that it has split G2 tines, a feature indicative of mule deer. All we have is rumors and hearsay at this point, but some locals have reported that mule deer were released in that area some 15-20 years ago. Whether that's true or whether that has anything to do with the horn's configuration, we really couldn't say.

The split G2s will probably be the largest deduction from the net score. Still, this buck will easily make the Tennessee record books in both typical and non-typical categories.

The antlers featured a 23 3/4" inside spread, were 26" tall and had a main beam that measured 26 6/8". One of the most impressive features was the mass. The antlers measured 5 3/4 " at the bases.

It was aged by an officer of the TWRA at 3 1/2 years old. That means this was just a young buck. Think what he would have looked like three years from now.

Jeff does give credit to his success to his diligent use of Scent Away spray. This deer approached from straight down wind. He got to within 40-45 yards before he even had a clue what was about to happen. At that distance he started to act like he might know something was up. Before he knew for sure, he turned sideways and the rest is history.

Jeff's only regret from this whole experience is that he didn't take more time to stop and enjoy it. His hunting companions needed to get back to Dyersburg (an hour away) shortly after the hunt. Looking back, Jeff thought he should have told them to just take off. He'll just stay there until someone can come back to get him. But, he headed back with them and was right back to everyday life faster than he would have liked.

Times like those are special, and when the good Lord blesses you with such an opportunity, stop and soak it in. Give thanks and enjoy the moment, because you never know if or when they'll come around again. Ask Jeff, moments like that seem to pass so quickly. You'll wish you had appreciated it more once it's gone.

Jeff has deer hunted for around 30 years and while he's bagged some nice deer over the years, this is obviously the deer of a lifetime. We would just like to say Congratulations! Here's hoping that all of you have such an opportunity at some point.

Good Hunting,
The Fishman

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