When Chad Carney's job took him from North Carolina to Kansas, he immediately started searching for places to hunt. Knowing only that the Sunflower State grows big whitetails, he turned to leasing agencies and land auctions and found a farm with potential - which means trees - within little more than an hour's drive of his new home in Olathe.
He and three coworkers chipped in to lease the 500-acre parcel, half of which was planted in corn. The remaining ground was rolling hills with woods, pastures and a river.
The papers were signed a month and a half prior to bow season.
"I was incredibly excited about the lease," Chad said. "As soon as I could, I walked the property and put out several trail cameras. While looking at photos on my laptop a couple of weeks later, I actually jumped out of my seat when I came across one of a huge buck with points going every which way."
His wife, Ashley, nicknamed the gnarly buck Coral Reef.
Chad became obsessed with the deer. He even passed up other bucks that would've been his career best with a bow.
The reward came on Halloween.
October's last evening was in the 40s, thanks to a newly arrived cold front. The deer were afoot early, stuffing their faces with acorns. There was still an hour of daylight remaining when Coral Reef emerged from a patch of cedars.
"Like all the other deer that evening, he headed straight for the acorns," Chad said. "As he approached the tree, he ran toward the does already there as if to claim ALL remaining acorns. One of the does ran toward me and stopped about 20 yards below my stand, content to wait for her turn."
Although the buck was only 30 yards from his tree, Chad had no shot.
Twenty or so minutes later, the buck started ambling toward Chad's tree. The doe was still right below him.
As soon as he had a clear shot, Chad took it.
The Carney Buck's BTR composite score of 228 6/8 is helped tremendously by its 53 1/8 inches of irregular growth. The mass is equally significant.
The rack's first circumference measurements exceed 7 inches.
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Searching for the Right Pronoun: Shawn Trull / BTR Composite Score: 188 7/8