While hunting a decade ago, Brad Heuvelmann of Burlington, Iowa, ran into an older gentleman dragging a trophy buck over fresh snow. The man had shot the deer early that morning and had been struggling to get it to his truck.
It was about lunchtime, and the man was only halfway to his vehicle.
"I was happy to give him a hand, just for the opportunity to get a close look at the monster," Brad admitted.
Before the guys parted company, the man offered Brad some advice: If you want to shoot a big buck, go sit on this corner of this field tonight, and stay until shooting hours are over.
Brad did just that, and he harvested a great 8-pointer. Other bucks followed in subsequent seasons.
In 2013, Brad could wrangle only two days away from a new job to hunt during Iowa's shotgun season. Of course he went to his field corner stand in Des Moines County.
With less than half an hour remaining on the second day, he spotted two does downhill to the east. He decided to shoot one of them, but they smelled him and quickly switched ends.
Ten minutes later, he saw two more does standing 10 yards upwind.
"As I grabbed the old 870, I looked up and saw this buck only 7 yards to my north," he said. "I had no idea where it came from, and the deer had no idea I was there."
Brad didn't bother to count points before squeezing the trigger, which bought him 19 seconds.
The 19-pointer has a BTR composite score of 215 2/8 inches.