Robbie Flint shot a massive 252-pound buck nicknamed “Big Hoof” at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in Lincoln County.
The dressed weight was confirmed on a certified scale at The Meat Shop in Warren. The buck had 26 points, making it one of the heaviest and most impressive deer reported so far this season.
Arriving late to his hunting spot that morning, Flint jumped the buck but knew there was still a chance it was nearby. Deciding not to pressure the deer, he returned later and carefully set up near a swamp.
Robbie Flint with his 22-month-old son, Robbie Jr., who shares his father’s excitement over the 252-pound buck.
Robbie Flint and his brother Gage with the 252-pound, 26-point buck.
Flint said he and his brother Gage Boyington, had been after the big swamp buck for a while. He really wanted his brother to get the deer, but Boyington sat on a different crossing. They figured it had bedded down for the day and snuck into their spots with the wind blowing right toward it.
To help lure the buck in, Flint used Dead Down Wind scent cover along with Tink’s 69 and Cronk’s doe urine on a scent wick. He also used a Primos can call to make doe bleats.
The big deer responded, sneaking within 10 yards. Seeing a decent rack, Flint fired his 7 mm rifle, hitting the buck in the shoulder and dropping it instantly. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree when he made the shot.
After bagging the buck, Flint reflected on the hunt. He had been putting in time while home before heading out for 12 days of offshore scalloping.
He and his brother had hunted the deer hard, knowing that by the time he returned, the season would be over — or someone else might spook it and he’d never see it again.
Flint said he first spotted the buck two years ago, but it disappeared for an entire year before showing up again this season.
