New Page 1

January 4, 2008 Philip Fontenot - 8-Pointer - 160 lbs., Main Beam 18", Inside 16", Outside 18.75", Base Circumference 4.00".

December 1, 2007 - Jamie Osteen - 8-Pointer - 190 lbs, Main Beam 22.0", Inside Spread 15.75", Outside Spread 17.5", Base Circumference 4.00".

The first time I saw this buck, or a glimpse at his rack, was in stand 220 the week before and was unable to get a shot due to him being reluctant to come out into the food plot. So, I tried hunting out of Greg Sheanshang's "Mobile Hunter" stand once or twice and was still unable to get a shot due to the fact that he was either running does too fast through the woods at last light or that he was still reluctant to make an appearance in the clover plot. I decided that this weekend I would need to get back in the hollow in order to increase my chances at a shot, or at least get a better look at him. Saturday around noon, I made up my mind to haul a climber and all my gear back into the hollow about 75 yards and get about 40' up in a tree in order to prevent the unfortunate wind direction to ruin the day. About 3:00 a doe and her fawn came out on the other side of the food plot and made their way towards me. About thirty minutes later when these two had settled in, three small does start making their way to the food plot from the back of the hollow I was in! They were acting very skittish and looking back behind them every 10 steps or so. So, I looked back behind them and there he was trailing about 70 yards behind them on the opposite side of the hollow! He crossed the dry creek bed and made his way over to the other side of the hollow, perfect! The whole time I was trying to get a good look at him through my scope thru the trees. I watched him as he made a rub...and then a scrape about 50 yards away. I was so busy judging, and looking, and judging again that I didn't realize I was about to lose my shot! He began walking into some buckbrush and looked like he was making his way over and around the small hill to the opposite end of the plot. Fate wasn't on his side this time. He turned, and came to a small opening in the brush. I wasn't going to miss another opportunity at this guy! BOOM!! He runs 20 yards straight towards me and falls 30 yards from the base of my tree! Cancel Christmas!! NOTE: It takes way too long to climb down 40' in a tree with a climber when you can see the deer you just shot 30 yards away!!

November 26, 2007 - Steve Minneman - 8 Points - 185 lbs, Main Beam 23.25", Inside Spread 15.625", Outside Spread 17.50", Base Circumference 4.25".

November 22, 2007 - Will Coble - 10 Points - 185 lbs., Main Beam 19.5", Inside Spread 16.75", Outside spread 18.75", Base Circumference 3.75"

December 18, 2006 - Huge 10 Point Deer Found Dead - This deer was found dead on the South Pittman levee at 9 am. Coyotes had killed him within the previous few hours. He had been wounded several weeks prior - shot in the hind leg from a 90° broadside shot - i.e., not running away. He has been aged as 3 1/2.

Main Beam Length - 24 1/4"

Inside Spread - 19"

Age - 3 1/2

Green Score (Approximation) - 153

December 1, 2006 - Philip Fontenot

November, 2006 - Ned Priest

November, 2006 - Nathaniel Minneman - First Doe - 135 yards with a .243! Nice job.

November 22, 2006 - Doug Hardcastle takes the first buck at HD - 8-Pointer, 165 lbs, G-2 of 18 1/2". But, it had a net weight of 145 lbs. Perhaps there was an incorrect initial reading.

October 29, 2006 - Copied from an e-mail received from Lynn Sheanshang -

Click on these pictures for a good look......

Maddie Stuhlreyer - (Greg and Lynn's grand-daughter) jumped out of the top bunk at 5 am on Saturday morning, was fully dressed and yelling "Let's go Grandpa!" in three minutes flat.

A long, cold, unfortunately too quiet, morning in the stands did not diminish the excitement. After breakfast at Dottie's and an afternoon of racing through puddles on four wheelers (thanks to Grandma's training), we were all back in the stands at 3pm.

Katelin Michaelis (Denny Michaels' daughter) killed her first ever deer Saturday evening. She had a perfect shot on a 110 pound doe that was grazing in the clover at Stand #19. It was hard to tell who was more excited - Katelin or her father (who admitted to having "the shakey nervous" thing going on).

We enjoyed an evening cooking over the campfire, finishing with great wine (maybe that was Coke for the kids), and S'mores, with hopes of a more productive hunt on Sunday morning.

Grand-daughter Maddie was not quite as enthusiastic about getting out of bed on day two, but once up, she was quickly in the mood. The deer won once again, as far as Maddie was concerned. She did see several, none of which presented a good shot. After practicing every Saturday, all summer long, Maddie is even more determined now.

Since Katelin was still high from her first kill, she opted to stay in her warm bed on Sunday morning. This gave Denny a chance that I don't believe anyone at HD has ever had. Denny coached his daughter as she shot her first deer, and the next morning got to sit with his son, Derick, as he perfectly aligned his sights on a 110 pound doe in the football field!

The Michaelis crew had an unforgettable family weekend!! And, us Sheanshangs loved it too!

October 18, 2006 - Article from Mississippi State University - http://www.tndeer.com/faq-14.html

October, 2006 - Philip Fontenot - bagged a doe one day, then followed it with two more the second day....

Philip with his first of three does this year - all via bow.
Click for an enlargement.

July - Somewhere on HD Property....

Click on the picture and see a much larger view.....

Or, check this out...

November 19 - Richard Speer - harvested the only 3 1/2 year old taken this year. We're not exactly sure of the details, but we think this guy was hanging around Area 9 and tried to get back to the refuge before daylight. He was a little late and paid the price. The deer weighed 205 lbs. live, sported a 19.5" main beam length and outside spread of 17.5". Double click on the image for a slightly larger view.

December 5 - Will Morgan. Per Will, "It was difficult light on a foggy morning like we've had recently - temperature 29-ish, humidity around 77%, and since the river water temperature is still higher than the ambient, the fog had been heavy. However, it was 9:00 AM and the fog was beginning to lift. I was hunting high over a thicket when this deer came walking by. I quickly aged him on the hoof as a 3 1/2 year old, pulled the trigger and made a clean shot. The birth certificate stated otherwise. He was a very impressive 2 1/2 year old and he has become my trophy. The antlers were outside the ears and measured 16" outside, but I think, in retrospect, he would be better off living on the property for another year or two. And, thanks again to Owen Hardcastle, who came to my rescue when I unsuccessfully tried to drag him up the hill."

December 3 - To set the stage, Tommy Hawkins joined our group Friday at noon in anticipation of a Saturday duck hunt with his buddy Ed Watson and Tommy's new lab. Since he arrived early, he decided to venture into the woods for an afternoon deer hunt.

Robert Alexander was signed out for a new club stand in Area 1 C. Nat Harris had committed for the North Country, so Nat dropped Robert near his stand and drove Tommy to his flagged entry. Tommy was deposited around 2:45 PM. While the rest of us were getting to our stands, Tommy was slow walking southwest to his. Tommy decided a little grunt call was in order. ...Then, before Robert could get settled and before Nat could get to the North Country stand, and, yes, before Doug could get out of his truck...BAM!...at 3:20 PM. That's a total of less than 20 minutes on the job deer hunting!

Robert calls..."Tommy, was that your shot?"...no reply..."Tommy, was that you?...No reply... "Tommy, did you shoot"?... after a while came a short-breathed response... "Robert, I got a big 'un. I can hardly talk"... Robert - "Is he down?" Tommy - "Yes. Dead in his tracks. And, I'm tellin' you, he's as big as yours." Robert - "Fantastic! I'll be there in a little while." Nat - "Tommy - How big is he?" Tommy - "Nat, I'm tellin' you, he's a big 'un. He's at least 12 points and probably bigger than Robert's." Nat - "OK - I'm going to drive down the road near you from the North." Tommy - "He's too big to put on your truck. We need a pick-up." Nat - "OK, I'll call Doug." etc., etc., etc.,

On arrival by Robert, Nat and Doug, Tommy is sitting on the side of the field, still not breathing normally, but has a magnificent smile. Look at his results - His prize? 9 points, 170 lbs., 2 1/2 year old - FIRST ANTLERED BUCK!

And, if you want a first hand report, call Tommy.

Look at the lengths of his tines....... Congratulations! All of us would be extremely proud of this take. If I can think of another lie to embellish this story, I'll take care of it on the next update.

For a bigger smile, click on the picture.

Here's the duck hunter in action. Note the shooting stick.

For a better view, click on the picture.

November 23 - Owen Hardcastle harvested a 2 1/2 year old 10-pointer that tipped the scales at 135 lbs. On reflection, this is not one of the bucks we want to harvest, but with such a small frame and a fairly decent rack, it is easy to see why the mistake was made. That shouldn't deter his father, Doug, from an harassment attack at every opportunity. More details as they become "facts".

November 11 - Will Morgan - Uh - Oh! Having stalked the same "doe" last night, Will returned to the scene. After a thorough examination, will decided to harvest the larger darker mama doe. Bang! However, on closer examination, the doe turned out to be another button buck. His confidant, former hippie John Kerry, also lost the recent election! November has been tough on the left wingers. Rumor has it that the deer committee is meeting tomorrow to make sure Will enforces the new 2004-05 rules he authored. Anyone need a good fishing partner this winter?

November 6 - 9 - Muzzle Loading - We have confirmed that 6 (not 5 as previously reported) does and one 14" inside spread 2 1/2 year old buck were killed in the last 4 days. The guilty parties were Jimmy Love with two does, Doug Hardcastle (??.#%&**??) with a doe (confirmed as his first ever), Philip Fontenot, Will Morgan and Greg Hensley a doe apiece, and Lynn Sheanshang with the buck. The buck turned out to be a monster 195 lbs. live weight. Not bad for a city girl!

How about this? Lynn had wanted to hunt a particular stand she helped locate and install. However, Richard Speer drew the area and refused to relinquish it. So, she opted for Doug Hardcastle's stand nearby. At 9:00 AM, the biggest deer she had ever seen walks by and at 9:01, the deed was done. He weighed 195 pounds with a 14 1/2" inside spread. This 2 1/2 year old made a mistake tangling with this redhead.

October 31 - Juvenile Hunt - Connor Joiner - A good shot on a fawn spike, quickly followed with a good shot on a coyote. And, believe it or not, the coyote had the head of a freshly killed doe in his mouth! Congratulations! But, Connor, please insist that Will Morgan wear his glasses next time? There is a rumor that he still thinks he's young enough to see well enough to hunt without them. And, speaking from experience Will, it only get worse.

What a magnificent picture! Conner, you need this framed.

October 30 - Juvenile Hunt - Once again, Derek Michaelis shows us how its done - 110 lb. 2 1/2 yr. old doe. That two in two years! Nice job, again!

October ?, 2004 - Matt Biemick - our intern - first deer with a bow - 75 lb. doe fawn - from a climbing stand in area 10.

October 14, 2004 - Richard Speer - Rumor has it that Richard managed to stick a doe from his favorite stand in the bottoms - #61, in the swamp. The best news is that this 3 1/2 year old weighed 145 pounds, again suggesting the nutrition in the bottoms is vastly superior to that in the North.

October 10, 2004 - Will Morgan - Late Sunday afternoon, Will finally drew first blood in the Archery Season - 2 1/2 year old doe - 105 lbs. - weight suggests (or confirms) that more food is needed in the North - harvested from a climbing stand in the North Country, just south of stand # 21.

January 3, 2004 - Will Morgan - "Saw this buck herding 5 does this am. 3.5 yrs, 8 pt (broken brow tine would = 9 pt), 155 lbs., 14 3/4" inside spread. Some ground shrinkage occurred after the trigger was pulled. On seeing this deer and the healed wounds on his nose, front, and back legs, Jimmy Barnes is sure that this is the deer he hit with his truck about 6 weeks ago!"

December 28 - Wilson Burton - Wilson took this 10 pointer at about 175 - 200 yards from Stand # 1 by the West Gate. The deer gave him about 10 seconds to count to 10 (points), then to mentally measure the G-2 as about 13 inches, the width definitely outside the ears... and shot. This guy apparently had a very bad time in the last month. This 2 1/2 year old had been gored several times, had zero fat around his kidney and basically was in not great condition... weighed in at 145 pounds!

Nathaniel Greene, Jr. - First deer ever - a nice 55 pound doe fawn he and his dad studied for 30 minutes or so. After determining the deer was in fact a doe, Nathaniel proceeded to go through all the steps necessary for a clean harvest. At the decisive moment of truth, the squeeze of the trigger only produced a loud "click"! After nervous father and son ejected all cartridges and reloaded, the deer had moved within 30 yards of their position. Perfect shot. Perfect results. Congratulations. (I promised Nate I would get rid of all the background clutter, which I'll figure out some day.)

November 28. Denny Michaelis bagged the deer of his lifetime. This is season # 13 for Denny at Heart's Desire. Through the years, he has taken many does (and, yes, a button buck or two) and has seen a few nice deer but, until today, has not been able to get a "big boy" in his sights. Hunting from Stand # 7 in Old Faithful, at 4:30 this afternoon, a perfectly symmetrical 8 pointer presented that opportunity. Denny took the 150 + yard shot and the result was a 195 pound 3 1/2 year old with longest G-1 of 20 1/2", inside spread of 18", outside of 20 1/2".

November 22 - 24. Opening Weekend of Gun Season -

First deer was taken by Owen Hardcastle. Owen hunted a Blackwater Deer Stand he and his father had installed over a year ago. Last year father Doug managed to take a nice 3 1/2 year old. This year, son Owen got this 9 point monster from the same stand at approximately the same time - 6:30 - 7 AM or so. This 3 1/2 year-olds' live weight was 197 lbs with the G-1's being 24 inches. Inside spread 16 3/4", outside 19", dressed weight 170 lbs., ...something in the 135 - 140 class. Interesting to note that Owen had a "click" misfire on his first attempt. Being very careful to eject the bad shell without making much sound, he inserted the second and scored.

The second was taken by Will Morgan. This deer was the result of some serious preseason scouting. Will noted a great trail from one hollow to another, set up down wind in a climbing stand, and was surprised when this guy and a few of his lady friends showed up from behind him! Given only one quick opportunity so shoot or wave good-by, Will shot him in the neck for a perfect one shot kill - 175 lbs, an amazing 2 1/2 years old with main beam length dimensions of 20 1/2", inside spread of 16 3/4", and outside 18 1/4".

The third was by Ned Priest. Again, this was the result of a great deal of scouting and off season shooting with Jimmy Barnes as his instructor. This 8 pointer had been passed by Ned last year as a 2 1/2 year old, but Ned remembered some distinctive antler characteristics and when presented the opportunity, took advantage of his training. His live weight was 165 pounds and he has a perfectly symmetrical rack with a main beam length of 19" - a great trophy for a lot of hard work. Needless to say, Ned used his best medical training and scalpel and caped him for a shoulder mount by Foster Butts.

And, Nathaniel Minneman got a first ever - a huge fox squirrel. Nathaniel passed his hunter safety course and enjoyed the weekend with his dad Steve. They were there to get a feeling for all the foolishness associated with the Opening Weekend Deer Hunting festivities and are looking forward to next year's juvenile hunt as well as the regular season.

Owen & Will Nathaniel Ned with all 3

November 5 - 11. Muzzle Loading - Several more does have been taken this week - Robert Alexander, Thomas Ming, Richard Speer and a few others I'll add later. And, yes there was a button buck. Still awaiting accurate information. Appears our hunter awoke and was staring face to face with a 16 pointer. The story is a little fuzzy after that. I'll get the details and add later.

November 3 - 4. Muzzle Loading - Still warm, but on the afternoon of the third, Wilson Burton harvested two does from Fred Bledsoe's stand 218 between the two clover fields on the creek and Will Morgan somehow or another found a doe in his sights from Old Faithful, stand # 7.

Wilson had a bad time sighting in his muzzle loader all Juvenile hunt weekend...24 shots at last count...finally changed scopes...managed to get a pretty good pattern, and went to work Monday morning. Obviously, the results speak highly of the effort at the rifle range. One shot...reload...another shot...two clean kills.

Will Morgan, on the other hand, fresh from two documented misses at point blank range with a cross bow...????..., decided to hunt stand # 7, which always produces deer. He positioned the chair and faced the open clear cut to the south only to discover a doe and a fawn had invaded the clover field and his position - about 25 yards to the north. As any respectable hunter would do, he slowly turned around and precariously sat on the wrong side of the chair, located the big doe, pulled the trigger, was blown off the chair! When he regained his composure, he could find nothing but smoke in his field of vision. With the help of Robert Alexander, Richard Speer, Wilson Burton, Verlan Ming and his son, Thomas, his deer was located. I guess we need to consider installing seat belts or safety straps in the box stands!

Three does....all 2 1/2 year olds...all about 110 pounds. Nice job.

(Note - The facts are somewhat skewed to make better stories....)

November 1 - 2. Juvenile Hunt - The weather was a little warm, as in 70 - 80 degrees for the weekend. However, some lucky hunters, David Rohrer and Clay Adkisson, managed to harvest does. In fact, David is the first ever Youth hunter to get two does on the same day - a nice 125 pound 2 1/2 year old in the morning and a 105 pounder 1 1/2 year old later that evening. Clay joined him with a perfect shot on a doe that morning. Three shots, three deer. Nice going, guys!

David and his Grandfather, Verlan Ming after the first of the two deer.

Now, here is a very happy camper with his second doe of the day. David Rohrer - Wow! Nice job! Verlan has promised a return trip for David as well as his brother John.

Note - Click on the picture for an enlarged view. To return, click the "back" button on your browser.

Not to be outdone, Clay Adkisson got a doe on Saturday morning. After watching a button buck for about 30 minutes, Clay and his dad, Ken, scrutinized the next deer for another 30 minutes before deciding to take her - one shot, no problem, another job well done. Clay's looking forward to the next deer or turkey hunting opportunity at HD, and I think Doug Hardcastle has already made arrangements.

The final results for the deer harvest for 2002 - 03 were 21 does and 7 bucks - two 3 1/2 year olds, three 2 1/2 year olds, and two button bucks. All hunters should be congratulated for exercising restraint in this years harvest. Many other outstanding two and one half year old bucks were spotted, aged on the hoof and passed. Likewise for the does as many were given the benefit of doubt as to the certainty that they were does and not button bucks.

Robert Alexander - with his 10 pointer.

Tennessee Deer Registry = 158 2/8

"Huggy" Doug Hardcastle - with his 13 pointer.

Left click to enlarge. To return, click "back" button.

2002 - 2003 Highlights