Scoring Big Bucks: The Buck Named Funky
By: Brian Kightlinger
Scouting and doing inventory on whitetail deer is one of my favorite pastimes. Every year I spend countless hours setting up mock scrapes and cellular trail cameras. I love watching deer react to mock scrapes and keeping a detailed list of the bucks on the properties I hunt. It is fascinating to watch a young buck grow a new set of antlers.
In 2019 I purchased a small 12-acre parcel of land that I have hunted for the past ten years. Both of my children killed beautiful bucks on the property that fall during archery season. I knew those bucks roamed the parcel, because they had visited my mock scrapes and had their pictures taken many times. Strategically placed treestands sealed the deal for my kids.
During the 2020 spring turkey season, I started seeing a few antlered deer on my 12-acres. One day while turkey hunting, I watched two bucks visit one of my mock scrapes. Even though it was May, these bucks had remarkable antler growth. One of the bucks looked to be growing a non-typical rack, and I was excited to see what type of frame he would produce.
First picture of the buck named, “Funky!”
By the time June arrived, I was getting better pictures of the non-typical buck. The buck was growing fascinating points on both sides of his rack. Samuel and Abby, my kids, decided to name him "Funky!" With lots of time to develop more bone, I wasn't sure what he would look like by August.
Wanting to improve my property for the deer, I decided to put in a 110-gallon water tank. My wife and I went up to the property and worked for a few hours to get the water tank in place. I was grateful for the help with this task and felt it would improve my property's overall potential. Immediately I hung a Spypoint camera by the water tank, and deer started to use it daily.
With the water tank in place, the next step was to put in a food plot around the water source. My son and I worked one day in August to prepare the ground for food plot seed. Using a rototiller and a rake, we broke up the soil and spread some lime. After the lime leached into the ground, we planted some Killer Food Plots seed and prayed for rain.
As the seeds began to grow, I watched deer visit the plot and water source regularly. Funky seemed to like the new additions to the property, and he was showing up more frequently. With his velvet gone, I could easily see his 10 points, and his rack was unique. Both of my children were eager to pursue him during archery season.
The food plot was growing well, and the deer were enjoying the water source. Next, I put the final part of my plan into action. Cutting some wild vines by my house, I fabricated a hanging vine system. My main concern was making sure the vines did not have any human scent on them. Wearing rubber gloves helped ensure that the vines remained free of human odor. After a few prototypes, I was finally happy with my finished product.
My vine system has artificial autumn leaves attached to the vine. I figured the fake leaves would stand out because they were bright orange. Also, I believed the artificial leaves would allow me to use Smokey's Deer Lures to introduce a new buck to my property. The last thing I needed to do was head to the property, hang a few vines, and make some mock scrapes beneath them.
On a mild summer evening, my son Samuel accompanied me to hang a few vines at the property. I wanted him to climb into his stand, so I could strategically place a vine for an open shot. Samuel sat in his treestand and directed me to where he thought the vine should hang. After attaching the vine to a low hanging branch, I applied Smokey's Forehead Gland Lure directly to the vine. Next, I placed a few drops of Smokey's Preorbital Gland Lure on the artificial leaves. Lastly, I created a mock scrape under the vine and put drops of Smokey's Buck Interdigital Gland Lure in the fresh dirt.
While Samuel climbed down from his stand, I was busy moving a SpyPoint Cell Link camera. I wanted to place the camera near the vertical vine to get pictures of deer that worked the vine. After securing the camera to the tree, I turned it on and had Samuel walk by the vine. My phone buzzed with a notification that the camera was taking pictures. I was excited to see what bucks would come and visit the vertical vine.
Together, Samuel and I set up two more mock scrapes on the property, and then we headed home. Later that evening, I checked my SpyPoint app to see if I had any new pictures. A small buck had visited the food plot, and he worked the vertical vine. After he left, a dominant doe came to investigate the new vine. She, too, left her scent on the vertical vine. I knew this vine was going to see plenty of action.
The fall of 2020 was hectic for my family. I was teaching every day, plus coaching the high school boys' soccer team. Samuel was playing soccer for me, and my daughter Abigail was starting her freshman year of girls' soccer. While we were busy playing soccer games and having soccer practices, the SpyPoint camera sent pictures of bucks working the vertical vines. Funky was one of the deer who would visit the food plot and use the vine near Samuel's stand. Both of my children were eager to spend some evenings hunting the property.
As the soccer season came to an end, the deer movement was increasing. Bucks were beginning to tear up the woods with scrapes and rubs. The activity around my vertical vines was heating up! Funky began moving more during daylight hours, and both of my children were looking to put an arrow in him.
Now that my children had open evenings after school, they were finally able to hunt. Samuel would hunt the 12-acre property while Abby and I hunted at a different farm. Samuel passed up five legal bucks hoping to see Funky. Abby also passed up a few smaller bucks hoping to shoot her biggest buck. The seeking phase was going well, and we were all seeing multiple racked bucks.
On Halloween, I decided to hunt all day in hopes of filling my archery tag. Throughout the day, I watched seven different bucks come and work one of my vertical vines. The seventh buck never left the scrape. A well placed Black Eagle Spartan arrow anchored the buck in the scrape. The eight-point was my first ever Halloween buck.
The first week of November brought better deer movement. Samuel was still waiting to see Funky, and Abby saw a few new bucks. As Abby and I were hunting a local farm, a tall eight pointer gave her a twenty-yard shot. Abby squeezed the trigger of her crossbow, and I watched as the bolt skipped off the buck's back. We were both perplexed at what had happened and thought it best to check her crossbow when we got home.
Later that evening, Abby shot her crossbow at twenty yards. The bolt hit seven inches high. I adjusted the scope on her crossbow, and she reshot it. Now the scope was dead on at 20 yards, and she hoped to get another chance at a shooter buck.
Both of the kids hunted hard, but the weather warmed up, and the deer movement came to a screeching halt. The SpyPoint camera was still sending us pictures of Funky, but he had gone nocturnal when the temperatures rose. Abby and I saw Funky a few times after archery season when we went spotting. The kids knew he was in the area, and they hoped he would make an appearance during the Pennsylvania Rifle season.
Funky stops to hit the vine and mock scrape.
Six days before rifle season, Funky made multiple stops at the vertical vine by Samuel's stand. We stayed out of the property, hoping he would feel comfortable without being pressured. That was the last time the camera sent us pictures of Funky before the rifle season's opening day.
November 28th was the opening day of PA Rifle season. Samuel, Abby, and I were up early and ready for an exciting day of hunting. Abby and I sat together in a double stand while Samuel headed to my rifle stand. Abby and I saw a doe as the sun came up. Sam watched a buck sneak through some brush, but he couldn't get him to stop. Both kids hunted hard on the first day, but the deer movement was nonexistent. We didn't even hear many shots around us either.
The next day was Sunday, November 29th, and for the first time, PA hunters were allowed to deer hunt on Sunday. Once again, we all woke up early to prepare for a great day of hunting. The temperature dropped throughout the night. It was cold enough to create a heavy frost. As I walked with Samuel and Abby to the stands, I knew one of them was going to shoot a buck that morning.
Samuel went to my stand in the back corner of the property. Abby went to Samuel's treestand by the food plot and the vertical vine. I was going to sit with Abby and help her watch the food plot. Everyone was anxious as the sun began to creep over the horizon. Would this be the day that Funky would return to the property?
Abby and I sat quietly, listening for any sound in the frosty leaves. Samuel's Savage 308 broke the silence of the morning. Abby and I turned around to see a buck running through the woods. With a loud crash, we heard it hit the forest floor. Abby and I wondered which Samuel shot. Immediately, I climbed out of the stand and went to see Samuel. As I approached the treestand, he had an enormous grin on his face.
"I think that was Funky!" Samuel said. He was frantically packing up his things and trying to get out of the stand. I went back over to get Abby out of her treestand so we could track the buck together. Abby was excited that Samuel shot a deer, and she was eager to get on the blood trail. We walked back over to Samuel's stand, and he was getting to the ground.
Samuel led us to where the buck was standing, and immediately we found blood. Samuel slowly followed the blood trail and kept looking ahead. After going about forty yards, Samuel said, "There he is. I can't believe I just shot Funky!" Abby walked over to the buck and smiled. Samuel knelt and grabbed Funky's unique rack. For a few minutes, he was speechless and quietly took in the moment.
Samuel reached in his pack, took out his PA Antlered tag, filled it out, and attached it to the deer's ear. With the deer tagged, Abby and I took pictures of Samuel with Funky. I suggested to Abby that she sit in her stand while Samuel took care of the buck. Abby walked back to her treestand and started watching the woods around her. I helped Samuel drag Funky out of the woods.
Later that evening, I received a message from a friend on Facebook. He wanted to send me trail camera pictures he had of Funky. I thanked him for the kind gesture and waited for the photos. Once I had the trail camera pictures, I showed them to Samuel and Abby.
During dinner, my wife asked to hear about Samuel's success. Samuel gladly retold the story of his quickest hunt. Abby had parts to add to the story while Samuel talked. Together they retold the story to my wife. I sat at the table quietly giving thanks and listening to the story about a buck named, Funky!
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