Rack Magazine

The toppling of this public land Hoosier buck began with a terrible 2014 deer season.

David Fischer of Georgetown, Indiana, is a devoted hunter, the type of person who rises in the wee hours, drives 60 minutes, and stays in a tree all day. But despite his dogged determination, he didn’t get a chance at a deer in 2014.

“Fifteen days during gun season, 15 days during muzzleloader, and nothing,” David said. “I was seeing a lot of hunting pressure on the public lands I was hunting, and was getting tired of that; also getting tired of not seeing any deer.”

He should thank the competition for running him out of that place.

Through diligent scouting, he discovered an overlooked bit of public ground in Orange County. A long walk was required to reach the spot he liked, but he hoped the effort would provide the privacy he craved.

“I wasn’t seeing any sign, but I just thought I’d keep going and hope for the best,” David said. “After the long 2014 season and not seeing deer, I told myself that no matter what, I was going to shoot something in 2015.”

Nov. 14, is prime time to be in the woods anywhere in the Midwest. Although many hunters from the east just drive through Indiana on their way to more storied destinations like Illinois and Iowa, David says his home state has plenty to offer.

“Everybody wants to go to the better known states for big deer, but Indiana has everything those states have: long seasons, plenty of agricultural land and good public hunting,” he said.

If David hadn’t been so jaded by his 2014 deer drought, he most likely would not have taken a shot at the doe he saw Nov. 14. Contributing to his decision to shoot the doe, he’d arrived long before dawn, and it was approaching noon.

He hadn’t seen another deer.

“I’ve been hunting a long time, but I never saw a doe moving like she was, holding her tail just straight out — not up, not down, but straight out, even with her back,” David said. “Part of my mind was telling me she was ready to breed and there should be bucks around, but the other part of my mind had me picking up my shotgun.

“As I did that, I heard a grunt from some other deer, but I went ahead with what I was doing anyway,” he said. “I shot at her, and I missed.”

Nothing changed for a few seconds. The doe didn’t run, and David didn’t move. It would prove to be the best shot he ever didn’t make in his whole life.

“If I’m looking at 12 o’clock, she was at 10:00,” he said. “As I’m looking in her direction, I saw a buck come up the draw, maybe 70 or 80 yards distant.”

Fortunately, things happened quickly. David didn’t have time to count points or marvel at the buck’s size.

“It had to have heard the shot, but it didn’t stop. It kept walking toward the doe,” he said. “When it got into the area where my stand was, it stopped for a second, and then resumed walking.

“As soon as I got a clear shot at the deer, I took it. Afterward, it turned around and came back the same way, jumping over the same fallen log it had jumped earlier,” David added.

The animal collapsed a few seconds later.

“As soon as it fell, I just looked up toward heaven and said, ‘Why me, Lord? Thank you,’” he said. “I was pulling off my hat when I heard a noise, and then I saw two more bucks, a 6- and a 10-pointer.”

David could have added those racks together and the tine total still would have fallen short of his buck’s 17 points.

“I don’t know where the doe went. I never saw her again,” he said. “Looking back, I think the buck I shot didn’t spook at my first shot when I missed the doe because she was ready. There was no way it was going to leave her, and it must have also known competition was nearby.”

Even with only five years of hunting under his belt, David realized immediately he needed help.

“I’d once shot a 150-pound 8-pointer, and it took me six hours to get it out of the woods,” he admitted. “I knew there was no way I was going to drag that big one out by myself.”

David returned to his vehicle and encountered five other hunters, who graciously agreed to assist him. One even offered the use of an ATV.

David was in a happy daze for the rest of the day, even while people gawked and photographed his deer at the check station. It took his taxidermist’s reaction to bring home how special his deer was.

“John Smith told me I was going to want to add the buck to my homeowner’s insurance,” David said. “Something like that hadn’t crossed my mind.

“I was thinking How do I put a value on this deer?” he added. “How do you put a value on something you’ll relive all your life?”

This article was published in the April 2017 edition of Rack Magazine. Subscribe today to have Rack Magazine delivered to your home.

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