Of the 42,400 deer Ohio hunters killed on the first day of the 1995 firearms season, possibly the most prized was tagged in Greenfield.
Sardinia resident Jay Pfankuch checked the buck at Mitchell’s Sporting Goods.
“I’ve been tagging deer for 20-some years, and it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen,” said Mitchell’s owner-operator Jimmy Jones. “It’s very rare. It looks like a moose. I’ve only seen deer like this in magazines.”
Jay said he shot the deer around 2 p.m. Monday on state property at Paint Creek Lake, near the dam off Rapid Forge Road. He was standing in the lake bed (where water lies in the summertime, before the lake’s water table is lowered for the winter) when he heard a shot and turned to see the big buck running.
“Another guy was shooting at it. When I heard the shot and turned around, I couldn’t believe it,” Jay said. “I never expected to see something like that. It jumped in the weeds, and that’s when I saw the rack.”
The deer was about 80 yards away when Jay fired the first shot from his Remington 1100. He missed, but a second slug slammed home.
“It knocked him clear down to the ground, but he got right back up and I thought You ain’t gonna get away,” he said.
A third shot pierced the deer’s heart.
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Hunter: Jay Pfankuch
BTR Official Score: 242 5/8
BTR Composite Score: 262
Weapon: Shotgun
Category: Irregular
Location: Ross County, Ohio
Date: November 27, 1995