In Pennsylvania, it is challenging for bucks to reach maturity due to a large hunting population, an extended deer season, and a high incidence of deer-vehicle collisions. Fortunately, some hunters in PA are beginning to pass on younger bucks, allowing more of them to reach older age classes. During the 2024 Pennsylvania archery season, I decided to pass on several younger bucks in the hopes of harvesting a mature buck I named Houdini. One of the younger bucks I passed was named Sole Survivor, and it was a difficult choice to make. I hope it pays off in 2025!
Sole Survivor earned his name in early 2024 after I captured a SpyPoint video of him in January. I chose this name because he was the only surviving mature buck out of the fifteen that frequented my property. I developed a plan to establish a new food plot to provide additional food for the deer and encourage them to stay on my property. My goal was to give Sole Survivor a reason to visit during the archery season. I dedicated the spring to putting this plan into action.
The new food plot was thriving in late July when I first spotted Sole Survivor. I recognized him by the distinct shape of the left side of his antlers, which were still in velvet. I was confident that he would continue to grow larger as the summer progressed. Sole Survivor consistently visited my food plots and waterholes throughout the season, and I eagerly anticipated seeing what he would look like once he shed his velvet.
Sole Survivor shed his velvet and continued to frequent my property. He enjoyed the lush clover and the cool water in the waterhole. For a 4.5-year-old deer, he looked fantastic. I set up a few more SpyPoint cameras to determine his travel patterns to the food plots. It didn’t take long to figure out that he was bedding at the back of my property, near the swamp, and using a specific trail to reach the plots for feeding. I decided to set up a Vanish Evolution XOP treestand near Sole Survivor’s bedding area to hunt him early in the season while he followed his travel pattern.
On the first day of the Pennsylvania archery season, the wind conditions were not favorable for hunting in the swamp near Sole Survivor’s bedding area. To be safe, I decided to hunt Houdini at a different property.
On the second Saturday of the season, I made my way to the XOP treestand near the swamp. I climbed into the stand around 3 PM, hoping that Sole Survivor would make an appearance. As the sun began to set, I noticed antlers moving in the swamp and immediately recognized which buck it was. I grabbed my Darton bow and waited for Sole Survivor to close the distance.
He approached my vine scrape and checked out the Head-Scratcher gland lure. At twenty yards away, I made the decision to pass on the shot. Call me crazy, but Houdini was a year older and bigger. I watched Sole Survivor for about a minute before he returned to the swamp. I prayed that he would survive the remainder of the season.
Sole Survivor continued to visit my hunting plots, and during the rut, I captured him on my trail camera several times. I assumed one of my neighbors would shoot him since he was actively searching for does. The archery season came to an end, and Sole Survivor was still alive. Pennsylvania’s rifle season came and went without me seeing him, and none of my neighbors reported shooting him either. I held my breath, hoping he had made it through the season.
