Jeff May - Iowa

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 How would you feel if you KNEW a 200-class typical was frequenting your property? Even the most experienced hunters would have a hard time controlling the hurricane of emotions that would constantly swirl in their minds.

Jeff May of southeastern Iowa knows how he would feel. Over the past three deer seasons, that hurricane of emotions has tormented his mind. A single shed found three years ago started the storm, and a couple trail camera pictures and three personal sightings have helped the storm grow. A monster roams May’s property.

May had owned his 41 wooded acres for five years before he found “The Shed.” One day he picked up a massive antler that scored a remarkable 104-6/8 gross. That same year, he planted a food plot of Imperial Whitetail Clover. The following deer season, he caught the deer on film and saw the monster buck twice in one day chasing a doe around his property. He was larger than the previous year.

Last year, the buck did not show himself to a camera or person. May, and the people in the local town, assumed the deer had died. Then in mid October, May’s trail camera caught the huge deer at night, apparently moments after he had made a scrape on May’s property, not far from the Imperial Clover. The buck was larger than he had ever been! Some have estimated the deer to score over 200 net typical, which would approach the Hanson buck which holds the typical world record at 213-5/8 B&C.

“The buck has become more typical every year,” May explained, “which is kind of odd.”

In an effort to make his small property as enticing as possible, May planted more Imperial Clover on the only remaining ground on his property that could be planted.

“The deer really like Imperial Clover,” May said. “I’m sure the big buck is coming in the plot at night. He’s probably almost completely nocturnal except during the rut.

“We don’t hunt on the plot. We hunt trails to the plot so we don’t burn it out. And we’ve taken a 152-class buck and several other nice bucks! I’ve seen a 150-class 10-point this year. My son (16 years old) has killed a 150-class buck near the food plot. I’ve also had really good results with turkeys in the plot.

“I’ve got six acres of CRP with grass head high. We never walk through it. I’m hoping it acts as a sanctuary for the big buck. But when the CRP contract is up in five years, I’m planting all of it in Imperial Clover.”

May has done just about everything he can do to attract the huge deer to his small acreage.

According to May, only two other people have seen the buck. But word has spread and people from around the country have been calling May and offering quite a bit of money to hunt the buck.

“I think I’m just going to hunt it myself,” May said. “But all those offers are tempting.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky one of these days and catch him out in daylight chasing a doe.”