A big buck that Joseph Socobasin nicknamed “Drop Tine,” for the tine on its antlers growing down instead of up, eluded multiple hunters in Washington County for four years.
The deer became a local legend of sorts, with several hunters, including other members of Socobasin’s family, avidly pursuing it, as it showed up on game cameras in a 4-mile area during the dark hours.
But on Nov. 19, Drop Tine, driven by the annual rut, showed himself in the daylight and the good luck fell to Socobasin of Indian Township. It not only was the end of an odyssey, it was a spiritual journey as well for Socobasin, who is a game warden for the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
A well-placed game camera caught pictures of Drop Tine for the first time in 2020. At least a dozen other hunters had him on camera as well, Socobasin said. A hunter actually shot it in the neck that year, but the big deer healed and lived.
In 2021, game cameras picked the deer up again. It had lost its drop tine on its rack that year, but the name stuck, Socobasin said. He hunted for the deer, but gave up on it when it wasn’t showing up on camera much. Socobasin’s nephew had a shot at it, but fogged the scope by breathing too hard and he couldn’t see to shoot it, he said.
In 2022, the buck seemed to have the biggest rack of any of the years. It was in its prime. Socobasin said he couldn’t figure out the buck’s travel pattern from the few times it showed up on camera, but knew from feedback from other hunters that it was traveling in a four-mile range.
Socobasin focused on other deer that year but came away empty-handed.
In 2023, he had an idea of where to hunt for the big deer. He put in some extra effort and saw the animal right away on a game camera. But before he had a chance at Drop Tine, he shot a 10-point buck weighing 205 pounds.
Socobasin’s brother pursued the deer, but it had a knack for showing up in the camera at the times he couldn’t hunt.
In 2024, Socobasin didn’t get any pictures of it before he left for training in New Mexico on Oct. 20. He got his first picture of Drop Tine that day and not again until Nov. 17, when the buck was chasing a doe on camera. It showed up again around 1 a.m. on Nov. 18 chasing a large doe with white feet.
On Nov. 19, Socobasin made sure he was settled in his treestand early, where he watched the dark fade to light. Two small bucks showed themselves. Then a doe with white feet came out about 35 minutes into legal shooting time. Not 30 seconds later, Drop Tine appeared. Socobasin could see its rack coming through the woods and he couldn’t believe it was finally that buck.
It was the first time Socobasin had seen the deer in person.
Socobasin thought Drop Tine was looking directly at him, but really it was looking at a rival buck that was standing next to his treestand. He shot the big buck, which went only 50 yards before dropping.
Ten seconds later, his cellphone rang. It was his cousin who was sitting about a mile away from him and heard the shot.
“I just shot Drop Tine,” Socobasin told him. He couldn’t believe it either.
Socobasin said the deer’s rack was a little smaller than last year and he guessed the animal was about 9 ½ years old. The 14-point buck weighed 180 pounds.
The hunter said he didn’t touch the dead buck when he walked up to it, just sat on the ground beside it for about an hour to soak up the special moment and to show the animal respect.
Socobasin is using Top of the World Taxidermy in Benedicta to do a head and shoulder mount of Drop Tine. He had the same taxidermist mount his big buck from the year before.
“I was kind of sad that (Drop Tine) wasn’t alive anymore. It was pretty cool to see him on camera, but it will be amazing to see him on the wall,” Socobasin said. “A deer like that deserves a lot of respect. All animals deserve respect.”
