Posted on 02/16/2005 6:53:16 AM PST by Calpernia
Unicorn buck makes Crestline hunter a legend
John Moore, 32, of Crestline shows off the unicorn buck he killed in Knox County on the opening day of gun season. "I think I missed him three years ago ... I know some people were hunting it, Moore said. "I noticed there was a cut on his leg that probably came from a crossbow.
CRESTLINE -- John Moore went into the woods as just another hunter, but he emerged a star.
That's what getting a unicorn deer can do for a guy.
"It's pretty cool. I never knew it would go this far, but when I saw that center horn, I knew this was big," Moore, 32, said.
Since getting the unique 10-point buck on the opening day of deer gun season Monday, the Crestline man has given newspaper and radio interviews and been hounded by friends and well-wishers who want to see pictures of the deer with a two-point horn growing out of the middle of its forehead.
Moore's day started late. He took a partial vacation day from Newman Tech, but didn't get to his family's property east of Danville until 1 p.m.
"I got there and my brother (Doug) had already gotten a 12-point. We talked for a while and said that's nice," he said.
He then went to his spot, and within an hour, saw the deer that would make any hunter envious. He knew it was a stout eight-pointer, but didn't notice the horn until he tracked it down.
"This thing pretty much came up on me. That's how quick it went. At 2:30, I looked at my cell phone and saw the time as I was standing over it," Moore said.
Hunting on property that sits in Knox, Coshocton and Holmes counties, he took the shot as the deer stood atop a hill. Moore found it in a valley and worried about how he was going to get it out.
"It was pretty much luck. I know where the deer are, but to pinpoint a big one like that is luck," he said. "The people in the area had seen it and nicknamed it the unicorn buck, but (his family) didn't know about it."
He found help and managed to drag the deer out. When he checked it, the buck was aged at 5-and-a-half with its antlers rough scored at 139 without counting the horn.
He sent pictures of the deer to Cabella's in Michigan, one of the largest sporting goods stores in the country. Moore also sent photos to the Ohio Division of Natural Resources. A wildlife biologist in the department is checking into how rare this kind of deer is.
He's going to have it mounted and plans to take it to the Ohio Deer and Wild Turkey Expo this spring in Columbus.
"It's still a ride right now, getting people calling and e-mailing me. I've had a lot of friends wanting me to send them pictures and a lot of kids want to see it, too," Moore said.
ping
So9
I've never seen one like it and there are thousands of deer taken in Texas over the years.
Thank you. That worked alot better than my post.
Technically speaking, wouldn't that be a Tricorn deer?
bttt
And the guy has an earing.
Source of the legend?
So9
I wonder if the center horn would shed when the normal ones did. If it didn't, then for part of the year he really would be a unicorn. Source of the legend? So9
He's killed it so now we'll never know.
He looks like he's riding it like Bill & Monica, doesn't he? There's just something stupid, perhaps perverse, about this story, photo.
Definitely *not* a unicorn.
The Arabian Oryx is a beautiful desert antelope whose impressive horns gave rise to the myth of the unicorn - these desert antelope were hunted for the status prized of their horns and almost brought about its annihilation.
This deer is from the couinty next to mine in SouthEast Ohio. We're overrun with deer.
I think Cal's picture is better, your version looks like uhh....mini John decided to have it's picture taken also.
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