Tallassee woman harvests 13-point, 242 pound buck in Macon County

MACON COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - A Tallassee woman has claimed top prize for the 2021 Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association’s Big Buck Photo Contest.

According to a release from ABBAA, Chelsea Hunter, 24, harvested the 242 pound, 13-point buck during a spur-of-the-moment hunting trip in Macon County. The photo, which features Hunter smiling ear to ear, was submitted and took top prize in the 10th annual photo contest.

Hunter told ABBAA she had harvested a 9-point during the 2020-21 deer season, and “about five minutes” after killing that buck, she saw this one.

“I was just amazed at how beautiful he was,” Hunter said. “I hunted him hard last year. I was in the woods every opportunity I got.”

The big buck drew her into the woods on the family’s 1,000 acres of property, located near the filming of the final scene of the movie “Big Fish.” Hunter said she didn’t see him again until Jan. 4.

“He was chasing two does,” Hunter remembered. “I never dreamed I’d see him that day. He was coming toward me. He stopped and turned. I took the shot.”

As the winner of this year’s Big Buck Photo Contest, Hunter wins a $500 gift card donated by Jonathan Goode and Southeastern Land Group.

ABBAA said it created the contest to educate the public on the abundance of natural resources found in the Black Belt region. All entries in this year’s Big Buck Photo Contest are available for viewing online.