Houdini

The four-year quest to take down a giant Pennsylvania buck comes to an unexpected end!

What Happened?

“Abby, here comes a buck. Get ready!” I watched my daughter aim her crossbow as the 8-point stopped at the mock scrape. The sound of the crossbow going off caught me off guard. I watched the red-lighted nock skip off the top of the deer’s back. The buck bolted for cover and never looked back.

The buck Abby missed was a beautiful 8-point that was 2.5 years old. I had plenty of trail camera pictures and videos of the buck. I hoped the buck would give Abby another opportunity later in the season. Unfortunately, the buck disappeared and never returned.

Welcome Back

“Abby, you have to see this trail camera picture!” I heard Abby open her bedroom door and run down the hall. Abby looked over my shoulder at the SpyPoint trail camera picture. “Is that the buck I missed last year?” she asked. I shook my head and stared at the picture. The buck was shedding his velvet, and he looked impressive. I knew it was the buck she missed because he was following the same pattern from the previous year.

“Dad, are you sure that is the same buck?” Abby asked. I showed Abby the picture again, and she had more questions. “Dad, did the buck have a kicker off his left G2 last year?” “Nope. He said that for the first time this year!” I replied. Abby looked at the picture longer and finally agreed it was the same deer. “I want redemption on that deer! Dad, can we hunt him again this year?” I promised Abby we would go after him during the rut.

Abracadabra

The hope of getting a picture of the vanishing buck weighed heavily on my mind. What was the chance he would come back to the sixty-acre farm? In August, my prayers were answered, and the buck showed up. I showed Abby the picture of him in velvet, and she said, ” He Is Huge!” Abby and I thought about a name for the buck. Abby suggested Magic Man. I laughed, knowing she was referencing the movie Talladega Nights. Suddenly, a name popped into my head, and I said, “Houdini!” Abby grinned and said, “I like it!”

I spent countless hours in the stand hunting Houdini. This 4.5-year-old buck, known for his elusive nature, had me in knots. I hunted all season without ever seeing him from the stand. He vanished again!

Groundhog Day

Houdini showed up again the following August in the same spot! I felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. The buck once again had an enormous frame with a kicker on his left G2 and matching G4 points. I couldn’t believe how massive his body was. The 5.5-year-old buck was going to be a challenge to hunt.

Houdini stayed longer on the farm, but he was nocturnal. I was happy seeing all the pictures and waited patiently for the rut to arrive. Houdini left the farm before the rut kicked in, and I never saw him again that fall.

Magic Beans

Houdini appeared at the farm in June and was more visible throughout the summer. The 6.5-year-old buck was gorging himself on the soybeans planted on the farm. I made a mock scrape along the woodline of the soybean field and hung a SpyPoint Flex S camera to catch the action. Multiple bucks worked the scrape daily, and then Houdini showed up.

As the beans turned yellow, I continued to hunt from the XOP treestand near the mock scrape. The anticipation of the rut and Houdini’s frequent visits to the scrape filled me with hope and excitement. I was confident the buck would make a mistake and give me a shot.

The Rut

I was confident I would have a chance to see Houdini during the rut, as he showed up on multiple SpyPoint cameras around the farm. I hoped that, with careful planning, Houdini would walk by my new stand, which I had set up near a doe bedding area.

On the morning of November 2nd, I observed multiple bucks chasing a hot doe near my stand numerous times. Houdini didn’t join the chase, but the action was exciting. I decided to climb down from my stand and take a short walk. While passing by the neighboring property, I spotted Houdini tending to a hot doe! He was eighty yards away and unaware that I was watching him. I was amazed as I saw him follow the doe deeper into the neighbor’s land. Eventually, Houdini’s impressive rack vanished into thick cover, and I lost sight of him. I never encountered him again for the rest of the archery season.

The Phone Call

A close friend called to see if I could help his friend score a buck. I asked him to send me pictures while we were talking. When I opened the images he texted, my heart sank—Houdini was dead! I set a date to officially score Houdini for the fortunate hunter. After measuring the buck, I came up with a gross score of 154 7/8. The quest for Houdini was finally over. I was happy for the hunter and felt a sense of closure after scoring the buck that had haunted my dreams for four years.