biggest buck killed in arkansas

"There was no way he could get any bigger. The doe, however, wanted nothing to do with her pursuer and jumped into a nearby pond in an attempt to flee the buck. It was a 5 X 7 main-frame 12, with one one-inch drop tine and several sticker points off the brow tines and other tines.. The 200-yard shot hit its mark. "I waited until about 2 p.m. to trail the buck with my cousin and some good friends," Ryan says. Arkansas Hunter Falls From Tree Stand After Arrowing the Biggest Buck of His Life. Only 22, Wilson knows matching this kill will not be easy, not in Pike County. Around 5 p.m., an 8-pointer walked by, then, five minutes later, Watson caught a glimpse of Scoob. Behind them was a solid 10-pointer, so he stood up and grabbed his bow. About 206,00 hunters used a crossbow and harvested 93,000 deer. The buck was definitely dead. As he waited for the sun to rise, he couldnt help but think of all his memories of the place, as well as the many times his father had taken him hunting as a kid. He decided he would try to take a deer with it. Now in private ownership and no longer a club, it was on that same property he took the 16-point. He arrowed a 5-year-old giant. Im very fortunate to have had the opportunity not only to see a wild New Hampshire buck this big, but harvest him., Justin Kamps Illinois GiantScore: 170 inchesDate of Kill: Nov. 4, 2021Location: Northwest IllinoisWeapon: Hoyt RX-1 compound bow. The second time, I actually drew back, Hall says. Before the hunt, Lance and his dad were talking and couldnt decide on which stand to sit. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The DNR estimated 574,000 hunters spent 8.7 million days afield during the 2017 deer season, and harvested 376,000 deer for a nearly 50% success rate. He closed the remaining distance needed to get within range, dropped into a kneeling position and took the shot. At the 2009 Arkansas Big Buck Classic, the huge typical mainframe 5x5 rack officially gross-scored 182 7/8 inches and netted 174 2/8. He was directly downwind of me and lifted his head and sniffed," Ryan recalls. To their surprise, he wasnt there. I had just sat back down, and about 4:10, I heard a limb snap behind me to my right. Hunting public land, he killed a buck in the Natural State that would make a Midwesterner swoon. The state archery record is a 188 5/8 buck from Pawnee County which was killed by Gunner Womack of Morrison two years ago. "I remember the exact time because I got a text from a friend saying that he had killed a buck." Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Arkansas doesnt jump to top of mind as a big-buck destination, but that didnt stop bowhunter Preston Hall. The first year was challenging, as they had to learn how deer used the property. He decided to leave work early, hiked into the woods, and climbed the same tree he had done so many times before. . It's a mirror-image 180-inch mainframe 4x4 with 34 inches of non-typical points. Right at last light, after several minutes of silence, a big buck eased out into a clearing 40 yards away. Lee settled the crosshairs and pulled the trigger. The big buck walked in front of Lees father while he was hunting, but unfortunately, the deer broke off its entire right side. It followed the large doe group and chased one of them into a nearby cattle working pen. He passed away the week before, and this was the first time I went hunting after his passing., Jake Murdaughs Oklahoma MonsterScore: 194 inchesDate of Kill: Nov. 28, 2021Location: Pittsburg County, Okla.Weapon: .308 Winchester. The giant non-typical sported a typical 1211 frame, but was scored as a non-typical because of an abundance of small kicker points. He went ahead and came in to stay with his doe, and I got the shot off quickly.. As I entered the road where hed been, I started looking in the direction he ran and immediately saw him lying there, he said. Despite his pursuit to further his education, his desire to pursue the buck hadn't diminished. Trust me: I thanked the good Lord numerous times for this buck and for letting me miss that first buck, he said. So I went ahead and let the bow down to the ground, climbed over and onto the climbing sticks, he says. This big buck was killed in Randolph County, near Maynard, Arkansas during the Arkansas 2020/21 modern gun deer season. "I thought he was going to go downhill after 2012," Ryan admits. I was excited and sad. His stand location was in a draw between two ridges that led to a destination ag field. At least, he did until a buck he'd never seen showed up on one of his trail cameras. Last year, in Arkansas. Check out these 10 monster bucks that were taken throughout the country. Where Lefty was bedding this day was almost impenetrable, so I opted to take a turkey seat and hunt off the ground.. ", His first knowledge of this deer came in 2010, when Ryan was just 15 and the buck is believed to have been 3 1/2. Here are all of the results: 1. Gordon Whittington heads north to his personal Missouri farm for some crossbow action. In the Midwest, with ample nutrition and healthy deer numbers, bucks seem more likely to continue to make the big jumps in antler development after 5 1/2. I unhooked from the rope attaching me to the safety harness, and I made it two steps down. After all the crazy things that happened to me while hunting this buck, I just think that I was meant to shoot him.. Knowing it wasnt a great shot, Johnathan called a buddy who had a tracking dog. No more high anxiety walks up to a world-class deers bedroom. Both bases were right at 5 inches, and the main beams were 23 inches, Wilson said. Ryan did have one other encounter with the buck that season, but it was while he was taking his 7-year-old cousin out for his first-ever deer hunt. HUNTING TIPS OF A REAL PRO. The 15 Largest Lakes in the World . I just love chasing big white-tailed deer., Lynn Jareds Kentucky WhitetailScore: 171 inchesDate of Kill: Sept. 7, 2021Location: Clinton County, Ky.Weapon: Bowtech compound bow, Lynn Jared grew up hunting in the hills of Tennessee, and now also hunts in Kentucky. Lance Hill brought down this 4 -year-old whitetail much earlier than most hunters have a chance to go hunting. I never saw him on the three cameras we had out, but Id seen him when I couldnt shootearly mornings going to work, or at night past shooting hours, Hill said. He charged in out of nowhere. By late afternoon, about 15 deer were out in the open, including a couple of nice bucks. During the summer of 2019, the big buck appeared regularly in a few fields close to where Hall hunts. Hunting with her CVA Cascade chambered in .308 Win., the buck was well within range. Lance Hills South Carolina StudScore: 155 inchesDate of Kill: Aug. 22, 2021Location: Calhoun County, S.C.Weapon: 7mm-08 Weatherby. The buck was at 50 yards and closing. It worked, Lee said. The deer instantly whirled and ran out of sight . We got permission on a new property in early July of 2021, and thats the first time we got him on camera, she said. During the offseason, he used HuntStand to find and mark numerous stand locations to target this deer. Being in the open, Wilson decided to sit still and let the buck continue to walk in the direction he was traveling, hoping it would cross in front and provide a right-handed shot. Rather, there's a short muzzleloader/shotgun season. It later taped out at 186 3/8 inches. Again, the deer skirted his stand near the middle of the 300-acre block in the same place as the year before. He was a good-looking, 150-class 10 . After a wait that seemed like an eternity, the doe finally started walking . On the afternoon of Oct. 13, Moreland finally got the shot hed been waiting for. Michigan: 31 deer per square mile. Non-Typical: 312 inches. Unbeknownst to Ryan, the buck would live three more years and make huge jumps each year. Still, he was able to get to full draw, settled the pin on the giant buck and took the 20-yard shot. That errant shot allowed him to stay in the stand, wait another hour or so and shoot and kill a 183-inch 16-point non-typical with double drop tines. Wilson kills 25-point buck that produces nearly 190 inches green. Lefty was gone., Then, our family received news that rocked me to my core, Lee said. It appeared that he was going to come right to me, Hall says. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities.2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. But this buck would measure much more than that. After a cold front blew in around the middle of the month, Watson moved to a treestand. On Dec. 3, 2018, William Lloyd of Wynne killed a 14-point buck in Lee County that netted a Boone and Crockett score of 200 1/8. And wouldn't you know it not long after the cousins had sat down, the 9-pointer appeared, walking directly behind a good 7-pointer. From there it was probably a five-minute ordeal, and he worked every scrape that young 8-pointer had worked, Watson said. Mississippi Sportsman Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi Sportsman Big Buck Photo Contest. By 3 p.m., he was harnessed to the tree and ready to go. Taking any deer with a traditional bow is an accomplishment, but shooting a giant buck with a traditional bow can be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I started getting pictures of him on my cameras. Likewise, the last 200-class buck to break into Boone and Crocket Club's list, which includes gun-hunted deer, was also killed in 2003, and 2000 before that. Spicy Buttermilk Fried Goose Breast Sandwich. By the fall of 2013, Ryan was enrolled at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Texas. Still, he never caught up to the deer during the 2018 season. The deer ran 40 yards and expired. But the big buck, even with a good shot, bounded out of sight. It's one of the biggest ever killed in the Southeast. Follow along as the unbelievable story of Arkansas's New Longbow State Record unfolds!Watch as some of the most rare occurrences ever recorded on film during. In this edition of "From The Stand," Pat Hogan explains the importance of being aware of proper clearance when using your bow or crossbow out in the field. In 2012, Ryan hunted this deer exclusively. Hooper realizes his good fortune, even if the story belies just how good a shot he usually is. He stopped in a small group of persimmon trees to catch his breath. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. I took a picture and texted it to my dad. The charges cover violations in October 2014 when Joe Franz was hunting "Palmer," a deer believed to be the biggest whitetail buck ever bagged on video. Lance Hill's South Carolina Stud. It looked like they were going to get into it, but when the big one got a visual on the doe, he changed moods instantly. I had just built a rifle but hadnt set the scope. On Dec. 3, 2018, William Lloyd of Wynne killed a 14-point buck in Lee County that netted a Boone and Crockett . Everything seemed to be right until the buck slammed on the brakes. I turned in his direction and prepared to shoot. It's a mirror-image 180-inch mainframe 4x4 with 34 inches of non-typical points. March 3, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, March 1, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, The story of Preston Halls two-year quest for a monster buck on state ground. Date of Kill: Aug. 22, 2021. He'd lost a split G-2, but he'd grown a drop tine and matching split brow tines.". A little after 5 p.m., we heard running from the creek bed behind us. He has trail . In fact, going into 2013 he'd shot two net Boone & Crocketts: one a non-typical scoring over 200, the other a typical from public land. I would hunt this deer in the afternoon and the wind would be blowing 1-2 miles per hour and swirl, Latimer said. He had a little standoff with the 10-pointer, with them grunting at one another. The majority of these came from Maverick (28), La Salle (24), Webb (23), Dimmit (20) and Kleberg (11) counties. He was hunting an area mixed with crops, hardwoods and thick cover. Beka lives on a small Southern Ohio homestead with her husband and three-year-old daughter, Isabella. I enjoyed every day of the hunt, but being successful with this buck made it a hunt I will remember forever, Mullina said. A few minutes later, his friend, David, who was also in the tree, said he heard something in the bottom. Then, the buck disappeared again for more than a week.. However, every year the buck would become much more random as the Delta rut came closer. "I've always loved deer hunting," the young sportsman says. And theres only one of their treestands thats beside water. The buck was running with another good deer, but a cold front on Oct. 16 split them up. The next morning, he greeted sunrise from his tree stand. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. He was well outside his ears, and one of my brothers saw it, too, and he agreed that it was just a 6-point. Courtesy of onX Hunt, here are the eight states in the USA with the highest deer density: Mississippi: 38 deer per square mile. Over the next couple weeks, Watson followed him, moving from spot to spot, but he only caught glimpses on trail cameras. He couldnt retrieve his deer since he had to go immediately to the hospital. Stan Potts doubles down in Montana and Wyoming. All Rights Reserved. He was 19 inches wide.. When he reached some thicker, taller grass, he did stop and turned to look back. Lucky hat brings nurse Jefferson County monster, 159-inch buck killed by 15-year-old East Rankin Academy student, With hunting season in the books, its time to make plans to bring your bucks to the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest. He was sitting in a blind on the edge of where CRP, timber and a food plot meet. It later taped out at 186 3/8 inches. That errant shot allowed him to stay in the stand, wait another hour or so and shoot and kill a 183-inch 16-point non-typical with double drop tines. His summer and winter ranges didnt change much. . Hubert Collins' beast is the biggest buck you've probably never heard of, and one of only two typical whitetails in the Pope and Young top 10 that are not from . The buck had morphed into a world-class bruiser right on Ryan's home turf. Ive dreamed of a deer like this my whole life. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. The big buck was right behind her. I had no idea the journey our family was about to embark on with this deer, Lee said. After several tense seconds, the deer offered a quartering-away shot opportunity, and Hill took it. They were a little downwind and they started getting nervous. Shortly after the hunt kicked off, a doe popped out of the timber several hundred yards away. Whispering 'fire in the hole ' while floating the crosshairs on the spot, I gently squeezed the trigger until the recoil removed the buck from my view. About 74,000 hunters participated in the state's 2017 spring turkey season, and killed 33,000 birds. On Nov. 23, they decided to move in. He went through the patch so fast I just knew he was good but never could really tell what kind of rack he had. Arkansas County in the southeast is in the heart of the Natural State's big-buck zone, and that's where Joe Schimmel of Stuttgart killed our largest typical with archery equipment last year. He was running away from me, and it was a snap shot. Gordon Whittington talks with 13-year-old Troy Metzger about the 2016 hunt that landed the young man a monster non-typical buck on this edition of Big Buck Profile. His late grandfather started JJ Ranch in 1961, but passed in 2009, and its been worked by the family ever since. The limited gun hunting and rich Delta soil combine to make this a hotspot for big deer. Purdue clinched the Big Ten regular-season title outright earlier in the day when Illinois beat Two weeks ago, Arkansas hunter Chase Watson took the biggest buck hes ever killed however it came with a price. Site by Gray Loon. The cutover has no food sources, other than natural, and it had a small drainage ditch down in this one bottom with one stretch of small pines. . Knowing I couldn't even come to my knees without breaking the little concealment we had, I decided to lie on my left side, using my left elbow for as solid a rest as could be achieved within the slight incline of the old fencerow. The colossal deer has a 25 2/8-inch inside spread, two tines over 13 inches and superb mass. I shot him, and he bucked up like a bucking bronco, spun and turned back into the woods.. From his stand, he was able to see the buck go down. Chase Watson shot the biggest buck he's ever killed two weeks ago while hunting from a treestand on his family's farm in Arkansas. A couple hours later, Kamps returned with a tracking party. Bowhunting is the primary management tool in this region. When he succeeded, he was hooked. However, some just keep growing. I was speechless. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. The footage confirmed that Moreland had made a great shot. He was coming right towards me. He found the matching sheds of the buck from the year before, and he played his cards just right during the multi-year pursuit. He was about 50 yards and I was going to have to shoot left-handed, which I didnt want to do.. But the bowhunter was wrong. Wilson sat back down in his tripod stand, realizing how he stuck out in the huge cutover. I had a shooting lane through the pine trees. A friend killed a big buck that he entered in the Big Buck Classic, and Watts said the bigger buck was running with it. The bucks probably started thinking about the looming rut just ahead. He had high hopes for the afternoon hunt. Ryan's buck had the genetics and nutrition to continue to skyrocket. They continued planning, but his fathers health continued declining. This deer stepped out on an old road directly across the patch from the shoot house I was in, Hooper said. Bucks like this in New Hampshire on public land are far and few, Martinson said. When I got him he weighed over 300 pounds on the hoof, as suspected. I was sick as he pranced off with his nose in the air. So I guess Im back to hunting the 100-inch 8-points, but I know I will be more selective and start passing on the promising ones, he said. When the buck is adding 20-30 inches of antler per year, the stakes just keep getting higher. How to Create an Invisible Fence' Around Your Property to Hold More Bucks, Understanding Non-Verbal Whitetail Communication, Michigan Hunter Shoots 200-class Non-typical After Oversleeping That Morning, How to Find Big Buck Sanctuaries in the Spring, Illinois Hunter Sprints to Close the Distance On 21-point Bedded Buck, How to Develop the Best Fall Food Program for Your Deer, A Whitetail Hunter's Guide to Ballistic Reticles, Iowa Bowhunter Goes Stealth Mode with a Tree Saddle to Bag 194-inch Non-typical, Nebraska Shed Hunter's Wife and Dog Find 6x9 Set One Year After Learning About the Buck, Dr. The firearms seasons are only five days collectively. We dont think it could have been this big buck.. "He got to about 25 yards, and I drew when he went behind the tree," Ryan says. Now 25, hes taken three whitetails, all over 140-inches in the last 15 years. "All my buddies were expecting me to be jumping up and down when I found the buck," Ryan says, "but I didn't. About an hour into the afternoon hunt, a doe appeared about 100 yards away and walked down through the finger of trees. Lee, Im not going to be able to hunt with you this year, his father said. I killed a lot of deer with a gun before I started bowhunting about six years ago. Ryan estimated the deer now was 7 1/2 years old. We started leasing this property in July of 2020, and this buck was the first deer that I got on camera, he said. Last year, we thought he was a really great deer, but this year, hes a world-class 8-pointer. That was set to change on Aug. 22, though. Weve been hunting that lease for about four years and the best weve done is a few 100-inch 8 points and maybe 110 or 120. Alex Laffey, Dion Laffey, and Eugene Heisler, all from Eau Claire, have been charged with multiple wildlife violations. Camping is available at Storm Creek Lake Recreation Area, about 4 miles northwest of Helena-West Helena. I could never get a consistent wind. "I keep cameras up nine months of year on the 300-acre block of woods I'm now in charge of managing," he says. . And I knew I would get to do some duck hunting, now that the buck was dead. Several minutes later, the deer started moving again. Instead, they hunted elsewhere in hopes of allowing the deer to live another year. He was hunting in a large clearcut paralleled by a steep ridge line. After the 60-day drying period, he again taped the rack. That would intimidate most hunters, but he commonly uses a boat to get to and from his best spots. With the buck on his right side, Watson spun himself around to get in position. Ive been hunting all my life, Murdaugh said. Put everything together and you have a gross 9-point frame score of 193 6/8. This season, Murdaugh had the opportunity to cash in some of that knowledge on a huge whitetail. [], This is an easy two pot meal, one for the venison stroganoff and one for the starch that can be prepared at home or at the camp. "My dad started taking me as soon as I could climb a deer stand. The buck dropped close by, but as Watson climbed down the tree to make a follow-up shot, the strap on one of his climbing sticks broke and he fell roughly 17 feet to the ground. . He went to the mock scrape I set up earlier in the fall and started pawing the ground, Martinson said. It was so thick that he couldnt see what made the sound, though. Arkansas rounds out the top of the special state stats thanks to William L. Loyd's 2018 typical buck from Lee County that scored 200-1/8 points and ranks #17 All-time and #1 in the state, pending review by the Judges Panel for the 31st Big Game Awards in 2022. Even though he was in the tall weeds and stuff, I could see his body and his vitals. On October 17, Watson got pictures of the buck from his cellular trail cam near the treestand. Some things are just meant to be, says Moreland. | He used briars and small cedar trees as cover as he went. After the day Id hunt him, he would always show up the next afternoon. For several years, however, he gave up most of his duck season to lock horns with the world-class buck. It was very warm for November, extending upward of 70 degrees with a southeasterly wind. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. "I've pushed a few deer (trailing too soon), and I knew I needed to get my mind off things, so I decided to do something constructive. It is my biggest to date. But luck was on the side of Kyle Heuerman and his girlfriend Jennifer Weaver when they put an arrow through this 196-inch Illinois brute. Fortunately, when Hooper reached the spot where the deer had been standing, he spotted the body in nearby brush. I said, did you hear my shot? He said, yeah, what did you get? I said, Im not sure but its the biggest Ive ever seen here. His father remembered some advice from Grandpa Hill (Jimmy) about hunting near water on rainy days. After showing friends and family the deer, I received lots of congratulatory messages, he said. Around 6:55 p.m., this giant buck stepped out of the cover and walked toward him. Virginia 'I'm sure the entire encounter only took a few minutes, but it seemed an eternity. I called my dad and said, 'It's over. When the buck stopped in an opening about 35 yards away, Watson drew his pin and let go. The right beam was 26 4/8 inches long, the left 24 3/8. "But he evaded me. "About 50 yards behind the doe, there he was. The arrow hit its mark, and the huge deer ran down into a ravine. The buck I missed was the sixth one to run through there that morning, said Hooper, a former Jackson resident now living in Benton, Ark. For more information, call the St. Francis National Forest at (870) 295-5278. The larger buck snort-wheezed twice. With a whopping 40 inches of non-typical growth, he has a gross Boone & Crockett score of 215 3/8. But with no exit wound, they didnt have a great blood trail. Id have him on camera morning and evening. This great non-typical also is the latest member of Kentucky's all-time Top 30 list. The wind was just right for the spot he wanted to hunt. Deer. 10. He wasnt hunting that day so I asked if I could borrow his.. And on Thursday, Myers was found guilty of the . Not only that, but he also got the biggest buck killed in Arkansas during the 2008-09 deer season. In addition to being the top non-typical bow buck in Arkansas history, this giant was the state's biggest killed by any hunter, gun or bow, in 2013. The deer closed within range, and Jared took the 27-yard, quartering-away shot. I hit it four times, pointing in each direction once.. Mississippi County is in the far-northeast corner and borders both Tennessee and Missouri. That beat the record set by Ayecock in 2015 with a Drew County buck . About 45 minutes later, he heard a leaf crunch to his right. Heres a look at 10 of the most flexible long-range hunting cartridges. Deer hunting is my peace. "He stopped at 40 yards, standing behind some trees. []. Lefty fell right there. I ran to the house and headed straight to Dads, he said. Luke Wilson of McComb was stunned when he and his brother walked up on the big buck Luke had shot minutes earlier in a big cutover on his deer lease in Pike County. I still had no idea about the size of the rack, Hooper said. I finally decided to take a chance and take off work. Sub-hed: When the Washington Blade caught up with Gisele Barreto Fetterman this month, she was looking forward to some upcoming travel plans Yeah I'll bet she was!!! Still, they thought they had a good chance of seeing Spider Man up and on the hoof. It ran about 50 yards and expired in the middle of the open field.While the buck scored 166 inches, it was the character that impressed her and others so much. We called the buck Spider Man because we had hundreds of velvet pictures of him with a spider web in front of the camera.. Later in the afternoon, he heard a thunderous crash in the clearcut. . Justin Kamps first learned of this deer in 2019, but it wasnt on their radar. Hes got a lot of stickers and stuff.. I knew he was a shooter, but I didnt really see all that he had. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. The area I hunt is really brushy and thick, and I couldnt get a good, clear shot. To his right and rear were stands of thick timber that opened in several spots, and to the left was more meadow with intermittent timber. Ive been putting food plots in, hunting hard and so much more for years, and it finally came together. "Then I duck hunted about everyday after that.". Taylor's Temptation. This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! After a while, I decided to make a few grunts with my Primos Rut & Roar, which I had set on mature buck. It was an overwhelming feeling. This deer means so much, Reed said. With an unofficial Boone and Crockett score of 194 1/8 inches, the . Beka Garris is a freelance writer and Outdoor Life contributor who enjoys writing about all things hunting and fishing. Eastern Arkansas farm country is home to a growing number of record-book deer. I could see his left horn and it looked bloody, and I instantly thought he was still in velvet. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. He was a good-looking, 150-class 10-pointer. Instead, he recruited another friend to help him grid-search the woods. The terrain is relatively flat, with large sections of agricultural land, swamps, muddy rivers and blocks of hardwood timber. Four hours later, Latimer returned, and followed the trail 140 yards to where the buck had fallen. Halls bruiser gross-scored 212 3/8. It was sunny and 40 degrees with a north-northwest wind. The buck walked past him inside 20 yards. This was a resident buck., Thinking the deer would remain on the property, they decided to not hunt the farm that year. It was overcast with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. In hindsight, Ryan is glad no one killed the big buck in 2011. Yet, the state Game Commission charged him with poaching, killing out of season what was described as the largest bear ever seen in the county. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton talk about being realistic when it comes to managing a smaller deer property in this edition of Dr. It was heaven-sent to our family. He went from fighting mode to loving mode and made a move. I shot a giant, not only with the body size, but the headgear to boot. Its hard to justify shooting a spike or forkhorn when you know there is a Boone and Crockett buck in the area. Once there, they followed blood and found the deer in a logging road about 75 yards into the tracking job. I couldnt believe what I was looking at.. The buck ran about 35 yards, and Lucas watched him fall.