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And the winner is - congratulations !!! to Bill Costin, this years winner of the 2008 Trail Cam Contest.  He received a Bass Pro Shops gift card ($75CND). Read his Medusa Buck story below.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

2008 Trail Cam Photo Contest Results

Second Place goes to :

Shawns pic.

First Place goes to :

Bill's pic

25 point buck

This pic was taken in Aubrey, Texas. Bill later harvested this buck with his bow and the animal scored 155 4/8 P&Y with 25 official points.

Well done Bill.

Third Place goes to :

Jake's pic

Bucks Sparing

By Bill Costin

Thank you for selecting my photo. I have a long history with the buck in the winning photo. It all started several years ago when my daughter decided to see determine favourite foods of deer for a science project at school. We made a contraption that held six different types of food and placed it in the woods behind our house. We’d recently purchased 50 acres and were happily surprised to find many deer living on it. An avid fisherman, I’d never been much for hunting until then.

Anyway, I put a camera up to get photos of the deer that came to her buffet. We took many photos of different deer and, eventually, a big buck buck started showing up almost every night. We took numerous photos of him and she used some of them for her final science project display. In the winning photo for the contest was one of the best… he was looking right at the camera and he was centred in the frame. We named the buck Medusa due to his rack’s numerous points that resemble Medusa's snake-filled hair. Daughter placed first at her school and third regionally. The conclusion of the project was that deer prefer acorns, peanuts, corn, soybeans, black-eyed peas and broccoli, in that order. Daughter chose the food samples.

I’d purchased a bow the year before the project and I was just starting to get into bowhunting when the photos of the buck began appearing.  Needless to say, I became obsessed with hunting and hunted for Medusa for the entire season.  I got photos of him almost every night for two months, but none ever during legal light. The buck was very careful during the daylight hours.  The season ended without a bowhunting encounter. Hopefully, I’d see the buck again the following year.  I’d passed up shots at many very good bucks that year in hopes of getting a shot at Medusa. After late January, and on through April, the buck eluded the camera.

In October of the following year, Medusa showed up again. He looked to have grown in both headgear and body size.  I photographed him only three times (all at night) during the whole season, but I again passed on several other bucks because Medusa was in the neighbourhood. Season #2 ended without a shot fired. I was still looking for my first deer with a bow.

In September of the third year, Medusa showed up again and, again, he was appearing only at night. After three or four photos, he disappeared. 

By November 1, I’d decided that I was not going to go another year without taking a shot. A very nice 12 pointer that was coming to a small 1/4 acre food plot I planted behind my house.  On November 10, I was in a stand about 100 yards behind my house and at 7:15 a.m. two does came in and started browsing the plot.  After about ten minutes, I noticed a pair of deer legs standing behind a cedar tree 50 yards away. I figured it was another doe.  A few minutes later, the deer took a couple of steps and I immediately saw Medusa’s distinctive rack.  My bow was hanging up and I didn't even have my release on! 

 Shaking uncontrollably, I put on my release and quietly grabbed my bow. While I was gearing up the buck closed to 30 yards, focused on the two does.  I barely remember drawing my bow or shooting. The sound of my arrow hitting him, however, remained distinctive. Medusa had made his first daylight appearance in three years and I was lucky enough to be in the stand when he did!  My very first buck was on the ground; my patience had finally paid off!