LeGrand Headwaters Ranch

Deer Friends,

Now THIS IS A TROPHY!  Congratulations Bob LeGrand: Waiting 21 years for a "Trophy Whitetail Buck" has advantages!  View the pictures, then read the account of that day in the following story.  

 Can you believe this?  A monster west Texas low-fenced trophy buck harvested on the LeGrand Headwaters Ranch in Sutton County.

 Bob's hunting buddy, guide for the day, and step-son, Jamon Hohensee.  

 Bob and Jamon had "Buck Fever"- truly the shaking hands and beating heart!

 Dropped on the spot.

 Massive antlers for a west Texas low-fenced white tailed deer.

It all started 21 years ago, in 1994, with the purchase of this beautiful Sutton County, Texas low-fenced ranch.  Bob enjoyed  the outdoors and hunting.  For years prior to the purchase, this ranch had been over-hunted by many hunters through an outfitter, and as a result no large-antlered bucks were left on the ranch. It was decided not to lease the lands to outside hunters.  The family decided to implement a self-imposed management program.  Harvest restrictions were placed on our family of hunters.  Eventually, antlers grew past the basket 8’s typically seen during the first years.  Although Bob continued to hunt, a big buck did not appear. 

Jamon was the first to harvest a big buck in 2002, eight years after the initial purchase of the 3,500 acre ranch.  This deer had never been seen before. 

In fact, we did not believe Jamon when he said it looked like one from a hunting magazine.  It scored a 160 4/8BC gross and was a total surprise.  With a low-fenced ranch, you never know when some big animal will cross your path.  Bob was excited for Jamon. Then the drought came, and in 2005 the ranch only had five inches of rain.  The deer antler growth suffered.  It was two years later before another nice buck appeared.  He was captured on camera in 2007, and it was decided to allow him to age one more year. Bob decided that Jean Ann, his wife, should have the opportunity to harvest that buck.  After hunting for days, then sitting in a tree stand in freezing 28 degree weather, she finally killed the deer.  That buck scored a 160BC gross. 

In that same year, and in subsequent years, additional ranch land was purchased to make the totals over 22 sections or over 14,200 acres of contiguous land. 

With the help of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Managed Lands Deer Permit program, our antlered deer saw an increase in size and mass.  We had hired a ranch manager, started a genuine year-round feeding program, implemented range management practices, provided water every one-half mile, and started using trail cameras to document the improvement of deer on the ranch.  

We were determined to maintain a great deer habitat.  The phrase, “build it and they shall come” became our motto.  In 2009 another son, Jared harvested a huge 8 point buck at 152BC gross. 

Another son Clay harvested a beautiful 150BC gross on January 1, 2011, and on the same day, 

Ernie, the ranch manager, harvested a 148BC gross buck with bow and arrow.   

Bob was happy for all of them. What a vast difference from the mid 1990’s.  Things were looking up. 

In 2009 a large antlered buck was spotted on our trail cameras. He was named “Cinco”. Being a low-fenced ranch this buck was seen on two ranches.  In 2010, he was captured on camera in velvet on our ranch eating protein.  During the hunting season, unfortunately for us, he jumped the fence, was not on our ranch and was killed by another hunter. Cinco was a great trophy.  We were told he scored a whopping 166BC gross!  That is good genetics for all the ranches around. 

Now, four years later, it is 2014 and another big buck appears. He looked similar to Cinco with a wide spread.  He was certainly one of the offspring of Cinco.   It was decided to allow him to age another year.  Secretly, Bob hoped he might have a chance at this buck.  In 2015 the buck was seen again in velvet and was 5 ½ years old and named “Le Grande” by one of our sons.  He was spotted only a couple of times and had not been seen on our cameras since October 15 of this year.  The season began, the rut started and is now almost over…and still no buck.  Bob was very patient and had gone to the blind several times without seeing this buck. He just wanted a glimpse of this roaming monster.    However, on a Saturday morning in December 2015 “Le Grande” was spotted or so Bob thought.  Bob had only seen pictures of the buck in velvet, so he was not totally sure if this was “Le Grande.”  He knew this monster buck was old enough to harvest, the  prime rut was almost over, and the question lingered, would this buck survive another year.  All of these circumstances aided Bob and Jamon in the decision that if it was a great buck, now was the time. 

Bob was super excited, and on that afternoon, he decided to go to the blind early with Jamon.  Four eyes would be better that two.  The two crawled into the blind around 1:30PM.  The strong wind was blowing from the south. They decided to rattle and maybe see what was out there. An hour passed and nothing. Off to their right at 270yds, down a long sendero, Jamon spotted a deer for a brief second before the buck walked back into some brush. "Bob, there is a huge buck down there, get your gun ready in case he walks out the other side of that brush!" Both of them kept a close eye on those bushes, but the deer did not return. It could be “Le Grande”. “Le Grande”, hopefully, had been spreading his genes for the last month.  If it wasn’t "Le Grande", it was certainly old enough to harvest and this buck had whopper antlers.  Another smaller buck appeared.  It took about thirty minutes for him to leave. Disappointed, both hunters settled down and kept watching down that long sendero. Twenty minutes passed and Jamon spotted a smaller buck with a broken main beam in front of the blind at about fifty yards past the feeder. Thinking nothing of it, he continued the search down the sendero. Not two seconds later, movement in front of them caught his eye again "Holy Cow!! Bob, THERE HE IS!! He's right in front of us!!"  There he was, one of the most massive deer either of them had ever seen. And getting a gun out of one window and into another with a buck like that staring you down is no easy task.

By the time Bob had the gun out the window "Le Grande" had moved into the brush. Both cursed themselves for missing that opportunity, knowing they might never see that massive rack again. Jamon grabbed the horns and rattled to try and peak the buck's interest but only the broken-antlered buck seemed intrigued and darted around the feeder. Their hearts sank again. Although it seemed that “Le Grande” wasn't interested, he didn't leave the area. This time, not two minutes later, they spotted him about sixty yards away to their left. He was making a loop around the blind! The dilemma was the same, wrong position for the hunter.  This time Jamon was in the seat Bob needed. Bob seemed to always be in the wrong position.  With no time to maneuver the gun, “Le Grande” gave them a short look and again walked back into the brush. Without a moment’s hesitation the two hunters switched places and Bob perched his rifle out the small window to the left. The two experienced hunters should have figured out by now “Le Grande's” tricks and guessed that he would have made a full circle to the rear of the blind, because that’s exactly where he popped up next. 

Having gained speed and confidence from the previous musical windows charade, Bob eased his gun from the left window and settled it out the back. The massive antlered buck was standing straight on to the blind.  This time, at only sixty yards, “Le Grande” stood his ground long enough for Bob to take the shot 21 years in the making. Bob was in position to shoot…Jamon with video, and in that moment, 3:06PM the decision was made…bang. As the boom was heard, “Le Grande” hit the dirt and never moved from that spot.   Down went the buck.  Bob was so excited that he actually started shaking, and had to put his head down to calm. 

 In that moment Bob and Jamon reverted to children as they laughed, shouted, and gave high-fives reflecting in disbelief the events that just took place.  Jamon took a video of his own hand that was shaking also.  Both came down with “Shaking buck fever”.  Bob could not believe the size of the buck.  He had waited patiently for 21 years!  This had to be “Le Grande”.  The buck unofficially scored a 165 4/8BC gross and had 17 points with two points being broken off as evidenced by game camera and visual of the harvested antlers. 

Ernie, the ranch manager, was not at the ranch at the time.  He was in San Angelo at his daughter’s birthday party.  Bob and Jamon had set out on a mission that weekend…to find a big buck.  And that they did!