It’s no secret, Grayson County home of big bucks

Written by Bill Miller

Wednesday, 27 February 2008

The monster bucks of Grayson County were once a well-kept secret among archers in North Texas, but several 200-class bucks were arrowed this season in the county along the Red River. It’s hard to keep a lid on good news, especially in the age of the Internet. Take, for example, Brock Benson’s 206 5/8 buck, shot opening weekend, which was the top deer in the low-fence archery division of the Los Cazadores Deer Contest. It has been featured prominently for months on the contest’s Web site. But the Sherman lawyer’s dad, Mike Benson, did nearly as well on Jan. 4 by sticking a buck that scored 205. “For a father and son to kill two 200-plus deer the same season on a small farm in North Texas — it’s just really unique,” said Mike Benson, a Sherman physician. “But we’ve had five or six score over 200 this year in Grayson County.” Included was a 10-point typical with a gross score of 181 2/8 arrowed by DU Regional Director Jim Lillis of Sherman on the Hagerman, and the 28-pointer shot in November by Donnie Herod of Rockwall. “He netted a non-typical score of 196 3/8 and he grossed 208 and some change,” Herod said. “But most hunters want to know how he grossed. Nets are for fishing as far as I’m concerned.” Herod said he might have missed his chance at the deer if he hadn’t blown a shot at a bobcat; he sent out two buck grunts to cover the commotion of the fleeing cat, which he does whenever he can’t control a sneeze or a cough. Perhaps that’s what lured the trophy buck, which appeared about 15 minutes later, sporting a wide rack and drop tines. “When I first saw him, all I could think was, ‘Oh, Lord, help me make this happen,’” Herod said. His shot, about 15-20 yards, busted both lungs. Grayson County’s reputation as big buck incubator was enhanced in 2001 when Jeff Duncan of Sanger downed the legendary Duncan Buck, also called “Big Boy.” Its score of 225 7/8 shattered several records, and not just in Texas. Many of the Grayson bucks are taken on small, isolated pockets of farmland, which doesn’t seem conducive to the production of trophies. But it absolutely makes sense when you consider that some of these farms back up against the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. The 11,000-acre refuge is where the Duncan Buck was killed. Local legend also describes how a landowner was raising deer 40 years ago near the town of Fink. “When he passed away, his wife couldn’t take care of them so she let them go.” Herod said. “A lot of people think that’s when it all started.” Maybe, but Herod and Benson noted that the archery-only rules for Grayson County surely contribute to the quality of local deer. “People have tried to get shotguns and rifles passed up here, but that’s too dangerous,” Benson said. “Some of these are just 300-acre farms.” But it is common knowledge that fewer deer are killed in an archery-only situation, which drives down harvest rates and allows a lot of bucks to get bigger. “So let them grow,” Herod said. “You can’t eat the horns.”

Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 February 2008 )

 

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