Buckmasters Magazine

The Story of Kentucky’s top crossbow buck.

I’ve been a diehard bowhunter for 29 years, but shoulder replacement surgery on July 26, 2010, almost broke my bowhunting streak.

My surgeon suggested I use a crossbow, and after a lot of thought, I decided to give it a try. I purchased a crossbow and obtained the proper paperwork to hunt with it during the regular bow season in Kentucky.

I have taken 60 or 70 deer with a compound bow and another 30 or so with firearms, so I never dreamed 2010 would turn out to be so memorable.

I was in my stand on Nov. 2 when a huge buck approached. He was moving pretty fast, but not at an all-out run.

I was unable to stop him, but I felt pretty good about the 15-yard shot. I knew right away that I’d hit the giant deer, but was unsure of how well.

It was not until about noon the next day, after hours of blood-trailing and prayers, that I realized I was not going to recover that buck.

I returned home, sick to my stomach. For the rest of that day and for the next two, I was as miserable as I have ever been. I had let the deer of my dreams slip through my fingers. I played that shot over and over in my mind, and I believe I would take that shot again, given the chance.

After days of self-pity and making everyone around me miserable, I considered never hunting again. I went to bed Friday night really tired from three nights with little sleep, but something seemed a little different.

I was starting to accept I had made an ethical (although off-the-mark) shot, and thoughts of the rut were creeping back into my mind.

I thanked God for all his blessings and felt a wonderful calmness come over me. I knew I had to get up the next morning and return to the ridge that had been so good to me over the years.

I got out of bed around 4:30 the next morning and arrived at my stand 30 minutes before daylight.

When it got bright enough to see, I looked at the shooting lane where I had taken the shot at the giant deer, imagining God had answered my prayer for one more shot at the buck.

I rattled and grunted every 15 minutes or so. Then, around 8 a.m., a small-racked buck came to within 75 yards. I had made up my mind to take him if he came close enough, but he disappeared over the ridge.

At 9:20, I looked at my watch and decided to try another two or three rattling sequences before calling it a morning. About 10 minutes after hanging up the antlers, the sound of footfalls whispered through the woods. The source was just over the ridge and out of sight, but I was positive a deer was approaching.

I stood and shouldered my crossbow, but it was two or three minutes before the deer topped the ridge. It was a big, mature doe, but I could hear another deer somewhere behind her.

The doe kept coming until she was directly under my stand. When I turned my attention to the second deer, I nearly fell out of the stand. The shooting lane I had looked at a thousand times that morning — the same one where I had shot the giant deer on Tuesday afternoon — was once again filled with a giant buck.

I immediately leveled my 20-yard pin just behind the deer’s shoulder and squeezed the trigger.

But nothing happened.

I started to panic until I realized I hadn’t released the safety. I disengaged the safety and tried again. That time, the 20-inch bolt left the bow and whisked through the buck’s vitals just behind the front leg.

I sat down and thanked God and tried to calm down enough to call my wife. When she answered, I said, “You’re not going to believe what just happened!”

She said, “You better not have hurt that new shoulder.”

When I told her I had shot another giant deer, she gave me a few warnings about not dragging, tugging or lifting it with my tender shoulder. I assured her I wouldn’t. Non-hunting spouses sometimes don’t have their priorities straight, after all.

I then called three of my hunting buddies. It felt like it took forever for them to get there, but it really wasn’t that long — and there’s nothing wrong with giving a deer plenty of time.

We didn’t rush the tracking, and about an hour after we started, we found the giant buck. There was no ground shrinkage.

I walked up close enough to see the massive antlers sticking well above the ground. I sat down about 25 feet away and thanked God again for allowing me to harvest yet another one of these wonderful creatures.

My buddies and I celebrated with a few high-fives, and I am not ashamed to say I also shed a few tears.

When I turned the big buck over to field-dress him, I got another surprise. He had a fresh wound just in front of his leg where my broadhead had passed through his brisket Tuesday evening. Yes, it was the same buck, and I was unbelievably blessed to have two shots at a monster whitetail.

The buck has been officially scored for Buckmasters Trophy Records scoring system, and at 188 1/8 inches, the new Kentucky record for crossbow bucks. And that, of course, doesn’t include the 21 3/8-inch inside spread!

Other notable statistics include a 26 5/8-inch right main beam and a 28 1/8-inch left one. Both base measurements were more than 6 inches, and he has 20 scoreable points.

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