Lightning Strikes Twice for Jordan on Honey Brake

When Tyler Jordan shot a huge buck on December 7, 2020, he made a prediction that fortunately didn’t hold true.

“I may never shoot another 190 inch buck. I’m in the woods a lot and I have never seen a buck that size,” Tyler told me when I wrote the story for LA Sportsman about a huge buck he had taken, a buck that scored 190 4/8 inches of mass.

Because one of the buck’s hooves was infected by foot rot, leaving a stub in its place, the buck earned the name of “Stomper”.

Jordan was hunting in Catahoula Parish on the 20,000 acre Honey Brake property when he took the buck. Fast forward four years when Jordan, now age 32 encountered a buck that has earned the name of Stomper, Jr. because of similar genetics as Stomper.

The son of Bill Jordan, founder and CEO of Real Tree, the leading licensor of camouflage patterns in the world, Tyler works in the marketing department of the company. He lives in Columbus, GA.

“We became interested in Honey Brake in 2018 and would bring business guests down to duck hunt. We had no idea at first that the property was capable of producing quality deer but as we learned what the folks at Honey Brake were doing our interest was piqued,” said Jordan.

Putting out trail cameras this past September, plenty of quality bucks began showing up but it was not until November 1 that Stomper Jr. started showing up on cameras.

“We purchased a ground blind to set up on the food plot where we felt was the best chance to see the deer. One afternoon, two minutes after legal shooting hours had ended, Stomper Jr. showed up at 20 yards. A camera man and I were in the blind and apparently the buck saw the camera light and he spooked and took off. We didn’t see any more evidence of him for 2 ½ weeks,” Jordan recalled.

A couple of days prior to Thanksgiving, the buck was showing up fairly consistently on a different field half a mile away. It became an issue of looking for favorable weather when deer would more likely to be active.

“On December 2, I checked the weather forecast and it looked like things would be pretty decent and I felt that if deer would move at all, it might be then. We had the north wind we needed and on the morning of December 3, he showed up four minutes before legal shooting time,” he said.

Setting up a ground blind in the area where this photo was taken, Jordan got in the blind around 2:30 the afternoon of December 5th.

“There was plenty of action as does and smaller bucks were displaying rutting activity and then at 5:10, I looked up and there stood Stomper Jr. I shoot a Franchi .308 and got on him. When I hit the trigger, he dropped on the spot,” Jordan continued.

The rack the 250 pound buck carried was mind boggling. There were 14 points, evenly distributed on each side and the inside spread was 19 5/8 inches. Main beams were 26 ½ inches each with bases measuring 5 2/8 and 5 1/8. The buck was determined to be 6 ½ years old.

The tale of the tape measured a gross score of 203 inches with the net score being 192 3/8 inches.

The current Louisiana state record for typical whitetail bucks is a record that has held since 1939 when Marshall McKay downed a massive buck in Madison Parish that measured 186 6/8 inches. After a drying time of 60 days, it is very likely that Tyler Jordan can lay claim to a new Louisiana state record for typical bucks.

Well Tyler, you won’t ever be able to say what you told me in 2020 that you may never shoot another 190 inch deer. You just did.

FISHING REPORT

CANEY LAKE – Crappie fishing has been good with some slabs caught fishing shiners or jigs around the deeper tops. Bass are best fishing topwater lures and buzz baits early around the grass lines. Bass fishing has been best fishing secondary points on soft plastics and crank baits. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU – No report. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing has improved with warmer temps. Fishing is best flipping soft plastics along the wind rows and tree lines., Crappie are hitting shiners and jigs around deep brush along the flats. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – The river is still low. Very few are trying the fish so reports this week are spotty. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – The lake is still down some 5 feet. Crappie are scattered a bit with warmer water temps but return to colder weather will cause them to bunch up again. Some are caught along the stump lines on shiners and jigs. Bass fishing has been best fishing the points with soft plastics or crank baits. Bream are slow; catfishing good off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been good with some slabs caught fishing shiners or jigs around the deep tops. With the water temps slightly warmer, bass should be a bit more active with Carolina rigs, square bill crank baits and Shaky Heads working best. Bream are slow. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Crappie have improved on both ends of the lake with some big slabs reported. Catfishing is good. No report on Bass. For information, contact the marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is rising which should help the fishing. Right now, fishing is quite slow. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.