Doug Vs. The Bully 8

A western pennsylvania hunt to remember

This week’s 360 In The Field story comes from Joel M. of Western Pennsylvania. We had the pleasure of meeting Joel earlier this year at the Great American Outdoor Show. While talking hunting and comparing notes on his property, Joel mentioned he was already running 360 blinds and liked them enough that after the show he went back to his local authorized dealer, West 4T Farm, and ordered two more.

But the story that stuck with us happened last season.

Joel had an older relative, Doug, travel down from New York to hunt his property. At 80 years old, Doug still had the desire to be in the woods, but covering long distances wasn’t as easy as it once was. Joel wanted to give him a real opportunity, so he built the hunt around comfort, access, and wise placement.

Joel planted a food plot not far from his house and positioned a 360 Pro overlooking a natural funnel that deer frequently used. With easy access and great visibility to the plot, the setup allowed Doug to hunt comfortably without needing to travel far.

The Backstory: “Bully 8”

Before the season even opened, Doug had already witnessed something special from that same 360 blind.

One evening during the preseason rut, two bucks stepped into the plot and began sparring. One was a solid eight-pointer Joel later nicknamed “Bully 8.” The other buck was larger, but what followed surprised them both.

Right there in front of the blind, the two bucks locked up.

After a brief but intense fight, Bully 8 pushed the larger buck off and chased him out of the field, establishing dominance in the area. The larger buck would still show up on trail cameras later in the season, but that night it was clear who was running the show around that food plot. Keep scrolling to read about the hunt and see a video of Bully 8’s larger opponent.

Watching Bully 8 from the 360 Pro, pre-season.

Bully 8’s fateful routine through the “funnel.”

The Hunt

Joel already had a plan. He walked with Doug to the blind that evening, showed him how the window system worked, and pointed out the shooting lanes and the exact direction where Bully 8 had been routinely entering the field. The buck had been moving through the area consistently and was following a tight pattern.

Joel headed back to the house, hoping the plan would come together. About an hour later, his phone rang.Doug was on the other end with the words every hunter loves to hear. “He’s down.” From inside the 360 Pro, Doug made a perfect 20-yard crossbow shot on Bully 8. The buck ran only a short distance and dropped right in the food plot.

A Hunt That Meant More

After the hunt, the guys were able to walk out and finally put their hands on the deer they had watched all season. The same buck that had stood his ground in that preseason fight, Bully 8, had now given Doug a hunt he would never forget.

For Joel, the moment meant more than just filling a tag. It was about giving an older hunter the chance to experience the woods once again, comfortably and safely.

Joel put it simply:"All of this wouldn’t have happened without the comfort and ease of using the 360 Pro." Stories like Doug’s remind us that sometimes the right setup can make all the difference. Comfort, accessibility, and visibility can turn what might have been an impossible hunt into a memory that lasts a lifetime. And very rarely, but sometimes, it only takes one hour in the stand.

After the hunt, the guys were able to walk out and finally put their hands on the deer they had watched all season. As they looked him over, they noticed something that made the name Bully 8 fit even better. The buck had a broken eye socket, likely the result of plenty of hard fights during the rut. It was a small detail, but one that told the story of a tough deer that had clearly been through his share of battles.

The larger buck that Bully 8 ran off during the rut!