It's probably easier to become president than it is to legally shoot a buck - small or large - inside the Lone Star State's Granger Wildlife Management Area.
James Henderson of Taylor, Texas, knows how many hurdles lie in the latter path. The 40-year-old deer hunter brought in a buck to the WMA check station last year that drew nearly six dozen gawkers before he could complete the paperwork and take it home.
Among the largest free-range Texas whitetails felled in 2015 and one of the most impressive ever taken from public land in any state, the people who saw it that day aren't likely to forget it.
And to think he shot the buck with a weapon he once scorned!
James has put in for the Granger WMA's "postcard hunt" for 15 years. Last season was his second time to draw a permit.
About 1,800 people applied for the 60 permits. When only 38 folks showed for the orientation meeting on Oct. 16, the state turned to the 154 hunters on the standby list to fill the remaining spots. James and his longtime friend, Jackie Volek, got in during that second round.
In order to shoot a legal buck at Granger (at least 13 inches wide), participants must first take two does.
"It's sort of a management and trophy hunt combined," he said. "And it seems to be working. That's why the hunt is so popular."
James, a road maintenance worker with the Texas Dept. of Transportation, has bowhunted for 22 seasons. Before last year's WMA hunt, he'd never shot one that has a trigger.
"I was against crossbows, at first," he admitted.
When a friend bragged about a great 10-pointer he'd shot at 60 yards, James realized the extra yardage might be just the ticket for the public tract's mostly open spaces. If necessary, he would take advantage of the very capability he'd once criticized.
James saw this buck during his second visit to the WMA. It stood up in some tall grass just 60 yards from him.
With a healthy dose of incentive, James made short work of collecting the required two does.
On Thanksgiving Day, he saw the buck about an hour into his hunt. He took a shot at it 10 minutes after that.
The broadhead's kiss wasn't fatal.
Two days later, James saw the buck chasing does at 200 yards. It had a pronounced limp, but not enough to affect its speed or libido.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, James saw the buck pestering does about 500 yards distant. One of them lured it all the way past a stump James had ranged. The 65-yard shot was broadside.
The buck's BTR composite score is 233 5/8 inches. Check out the August issue of Rack magazine for more details.
— Read Recent Blog! Playing Hooky: Austin Etherington / BTR Composite Score: 200 5/8