By late afternoon, about 15 deer were out in the open, including a couple of nice bucks. Taken in Pushmataha County, this deer is nearly 2 inches bigger than the previous record. After a while, I decided to make a few grunts with my Primos Rut & Roar, which I had set on mature buck. Gordon Whittington heads north to his personal Missouri farm for some crossbow action. Spicy Buttermilk Fried Goose Breast Sandwich. Lance Hill brought down this 4 -year-old whitetail much earlier than most hunters have a chance to go hunting. WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Sherrod Brown has survived a decade of statewide Democratic losses in Ohio by building a reputation as the rare person in his party who can still connect with the white . He threw up his head and was looking around. "I had class on Tuesday and Thursday, so I hunted Friday through Monday. Arkansas Hunter Falls From Tree Stand After Arrowing the Biggest Buck of His Life. Minutes ticked by, the sun started its visible ascent and Latimers thoughts turned back to the big target buck. I ran to the house and headed straight to Dads, he said. "I was standing there holding my Mathews Helium bow, and my knees were knocking," Ryan remembers. The buck spun and took off into thick cover. Morelands brother, Josh, had been headed to hunt himself when he heard Johnathan hollering in celebration, and went to investigate. I hunted him pretty hard, but never encountered him.. Just $1 per month , After a month of dogging the elusive deer, bowhunter Jonathan Moreland arrows a Natural State giant, By Everytime we go out, we can get our hopes up that the deer crunching the leaves behind the stand we're in is one we have only seen in our dreams until now. That's based on photos from 2010, when he clearly wasn't over 3 1/2. I leaned Dads .25-06 against the tree and tried to collect myself, he said. After a quick congratulatory text, Ryan looked up to see a trotting doe. The story of Loyd's Arkansas buck shows why effective deer management in many states is creating the potential for record-book . The big buck walked in front of Lees father while he was hunting, but unfortunately, the deer broke off its entire right side. Hall sure did. The G3 on the right had three stickers and the left G3 had two. There will be more about this deer in a coming issue. I called my dad at 7:45 a.m. and told him what had happened." I was overcome with emotion when we recovered the big eight. Taking any deer with a traditional bow is an accomplishment, but shooting a giant buck with a traditional bow can be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Deer hunting is my peace. We all shared an emotional moment. On a morning when the bucks in Scott County were in a serious mood for love, Jason Hooper got a lucky break when he pulled the trigger on the first shooter than ran past chasing a doe. Thank you, Dad, for being my constant in life. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Arkansas County in the southeast is in the heart of the Natural State's big-buck zone, and that's where Joe Schimmel of Stuttgart killed our largest typical with archery equipment last year. Likewise, the last 200-class buck to break into Boone and Crocket Club's list, which includes gun-hunted deer, was also killed in 2003, and 2000 before that. Dont forget to enter photos of your bucks in theBig Buck Photo Contestto be eligible for monthly giveaways. Wardens recently concluded a three-month investigation centered around a 34-point whitetail that was poached this fall in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. the only deer I killed was an 8 point, and I shot him at 295 yards. Well, not so in this situation. Even though he was in the tall weeds and stuff, I could see his body and his vitals. He was bowhunting from the ground with some natural brush around him. The deer closed within range, and Jared took the 27-yard, quartering-away shot. However, when it happened, he was focused on finishing the job. Im very fortunate to have had the opportunity not only to see a wild New Hampshire buck this big, but harvest him., Justin Kamps Illinois GiantScore: 170 inchesDate of Kill: Nov. 4, 2021Location: Northwest IllinoisWeapon: Hoyt RX-1 compound bow. The deer instantly whirled and ran out of sight . The Boyett buck sits at . "About 50 yards behind the doe, there he was. Several years ago, Lee was able to purchase the property right next to his father, and they both began hunting there. He was coming right towards me. Alex Laffey, Dion Laffey, and Eugene Heisler, all from Eau Claire, have been charged with multiple wildlife violations. When the buck is adding 20-30 inches of antler per year, the stakes just keep getting higher. It scored 164 6/8 and ranked 9th overall. The left main beam had palmation, and the last circumferences were as big as the bases. This time he got a gross non-typical score of 261 3/8, with a net of 230 7/8. I was just hoping he would survive in 2013 and not lose too much . It was another doe, and the big buck was right behind her. For several years, however, he gave up most of his duck season to lock horns with the world-class buck. When you see a photo of a young hunter with a world-class deer, it's tempting to wonder if he or she "lucked" into it, or if perhaps an older hunter did most of the scouting and strategizing. Bucks like this in New Hampshire on public land are far and few, Martinson said. What do you think Jimmy would do? Lance asked. Supposedly could be the heaviest whitetail ever taken. It was sunny and 40 degrees with a north-northwest wind. I thought he was bigger than 190. It was light and I couldnt really tell the direction. Right before Halloween, his trail cams captured good photos of the deer during daylight. However, every year the buck would become much more random as the Delta rut came closer. The buck had morphed into a world-class bruiser right on Ryan's home turf. But with no exit wound, they didnt have a great blood trail. I had just built a rifle but hadnt set the scope. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. All told, Moreland would see the buck a total of six times before the deer slipped up. Beka Garris is a freelance writer and Outdoor Life contributor who enjoys writing about all things hunting and fishing. Eight hours later, one of the trail cameras captured photos of the buck, who seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened. . Yes, the two most giant bucks ever didn't fall to the bullet or arrow of a hunter. From his stand, he was able to see the buck go down. A little buck was chasing a doe.. . The age of the deer was estimated to be 4 years old, and the buck had a significant jump in antler growth in the past year. That's the beauty of hunting. Fortunately, the boy was able to take him, resulting in a great first whitetail and sparing the big one's life. The deer had fallen, but gotten back up and continued running. The buck walked past him inside 20 yards. His late grandfather started JJ Ranch in 1961, but passed in 2009, and its been worked by the family ever since. Surprisingly, one camera took 50 to 60 pictures of the monster within a few days. I would hunt this deer in the afternoon and the wind would be blowing 1-2 miles per hour and swirl, Latimer said. Advertisement. He was hunting on the edge of a hayfield between a bedding area and food source. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. This time everything came pouring out.. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Nearly any hunter would be thrilled with a buck that size. He was directly downwind of me and lifted his head and sniffed," Ryan recalls. I still had no idea about the size of the rack, Hooper said. but he got way bigger. Ryan is a native of the region and the son of a farmer. Follow along to see exactly how. . I took one last look at his antlers, couldnt believe what I was looking at, and then took aim. Kamps settled the pin and took it. The way I see it, this deer was my deer the good Lord made sure of that.. Kamps was hunting along some thick bedding cover with steep bluffs around him. I cant wait to see you again and tell you about this one., Jacob Latimers Kentucky BuckScore: 170 inchesDate of Kill: Sept. 30, 2021Location: Montgomery County, Ky.Weapon: Compound bow. And on Thursday, Myers was found guilty of the . . Ryan Sullivan was only 19 when, during the 2013 season, he arrowed an Arkansas buck of gigantic proportions. Throughout the day, we saw a few bucks that I rattled in, one being a nice 4-year-old, Kamps said. During the offseason, he used HuntStand to find and mark numerous stand locations to target this deer. Don't Miss:Is This the Largest Buck of the 2019 Deer Season? Trust me: I thanked the good Lord numerous times for this buck and for letting me miss that first buck, he said. Cole Hartman, of Dundee, N.Y., arrowed this impressive, 10-point buck on Oct. 31 "on our new property located just in Schuyler County. The doe came by, and I knew he was fixing to come right past me.". Instead, he recruited another friend to help him grid-search the woods. Follow along as the unbelievable story of Arkansas's New Longbow State Record unfolds!Watch as some of the most rare occurrences ever recorded on film during. The second time, I actually drew back, Hall says. After several minutes of waiting for a shot opportunity, the deer finally turned broadside. "He got to about 25 yards, and I drew when he went behind the tree," Ryan says. He was probably in the 140s.". Arkansas doesn't jump to top of mind as a big-buck destination, but that didn't stop bowhunter Preston Hall. 5 Purdue outlasted Wisconsin 63-61. I could see his left horn and it looked bloody, and I instantly thought he was still in velvet. To their surprise, he wasnt there. I shot a giant, not only with the body size, but the headgear to boot. Lance Hills South Carolina StudScore: 155 inchesDate of Kill: Aug. 22, 2021Location: Calhoun County, S.C.Weapon: 7mm-08 Weatherby. Discover the Most Dangerous (Deadliest) Animals in Arkansas; WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. [], This is an easy two pot meal, one for the venison stroganoff and one for the starch that can be prepared at home or at the camp. He fractured a bone in his right . "But he evaded me. However, this 4-year quest came to fruition on the most stereotypical whitetail rut day on the calendar for most of North America: Nov. 15. I took a picture and texted it to my dad. It was so thick that he couldnt see what made the sound, though. Fowler's buck scored 212 6/8 making it the #12 All time Non-Typical in Arkansas Matt Howard had the biggest Typical that scored 172 6/8 making it the #44 largest typical in Arkansas to date. But thats life in Hills part of South Carolina, and last season, a big deer was waiting for him. Eric Mullina thought it would be a good decision to hunt whitetails with Indian Hill Outfitters last season, and he was right. Put everything together and you have a gross 9-point frame score of 193 6/8. and the buck followed. The buck took three steps and bounced back. Thats when the strap on the stick broke.. Although the arrow hit a little high, striking the spine but went through both lungs. He still has a deep bone bruise on his left heel and a fractured fibula in his right leg. Once there, they followed blood and found the deer in a logging road about 75 yards into the tracking job. On Dec. 3, 2018, William Lloyd of Wynne killed a 14-point buck in Lee County that netted a Boone and Crockett score of 200 1/8. The buck was as massive as he'd looked on camera, and the biggest Moreland had ever killed. Jonathan Moreland grew up hunting with a compound bow until, one day, he saw one of his fathers old recurves hanging on the wall. They both laid their ears back and stood their hair up, Hall says. "At least I think there were six. It later taped out at 186 3/8 inches. I finally decided to take a chance and take off work. He'd lost a split G-2, but he'd grown a drop tine and matching split brow tines.". Hes got a lot of stickers and stuff.. Did I gut shoot him? In regions without great habitat, many deer seem to plateau out after age 4 1/2 and don't make the huge leaps in antler development. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Late November through December is usually the prime time for breeding, as that results in higher fawn survival. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton talk about being realistic when it comes to managing a smaller deer property in this edition of Dr. They were a little downwind and they started getting nervous. He used briars and small cedar trees as cover as he went. Chase Watson shot the biggest buck he's ever killed two weeks ago while hunting from a treestand on his family's farm in Arkansas. Its where I untangle my mind., Jason Lucas Illinois WhitetailScore: 168 inchesDate of Kill: Dec. 8, 2021Location: Central IllinoisWeapon: Mathews Triax compound bow. Hunting public land, he killed a buck in the Natural State that would make a Midwesterner swoon. He passed away the week before, and this was the first time I went hunting after his passing., Jake Murdaughs Oklahoma MonsterScore: 194 inchesDate of Kill: Nov. 28, 2021Location: Pittsburg County, Okla.Weapon: .308 Winchester. He arrowed a 5-year-old giant. Instead, they hunted elsewhere in hopes of allowing the deer to live another year. Even so, I didn't figure that would matter if I aimed at the right spot and squeezed off a clean shot. His spot put him facing eastward out into the field. After the initial congratulations were over, the brothers walked to the spot where the buck had dropped. Ryan hunted the buck all season but saw him just one time from the tree stand. Blocker Outdoors Finisher gloves, headcovers and other accessories are available in Mossy Oak Bottomland and Mossy Oak Obsession NWTF camouflage patterns to match various turkey hunting terrain. Give a Gift This buck means a lot to me because of my grandaddy, Jimmy Hill, Lance said. Ryan was shooting a 2-blade Rage broadhead. So I went ahead and let the bow down to the ground, climbed over and onto the climbing sticks, he says. I was in the wide open, but it worked out. He watched the buck working a licking branch from his tree, but again, didnt have a shot. A couple hours later, Kamps returned with a tracking party. I hunted him hard all of 2020, but he disappeared mid-October. Beka lives on a small Southern Ohio homestead with her husband and three-year-old daughter, Isabella. Lee Dixon and his father have been hunting together for 28 years. Its hard to justify shooting a spike or forkhorn when you know there is a Boone and Crockett buck in the area. A friend killed a big buck that he entered in the Big Buck Classic, and Watts said the bigger buck was running with it. This was a resident buck., Thinking the deer would remain on the property, they decided to not hunt the farm that year. Hunters in Texas have killed 200 bucks since 2010 that made book. The DNR estimated 574,000 hunters spent 8.7 million days afield during the 2017 deer season, and harvested 376,000 deer for a nearly 50% success rate. I was trying to get another arrow in him, but he kind of flopped over in some brush and I couldnt get another [shot] from the stand.. Man, that stand doesnt have any cover at all, not at all, and I was sticking out like a sore thumb, he said. His father passed away in October. Doctors said he only had weeks to live. "When we recovered the deer, his head was leaned on a sapling, propped up. But at his shot, the deer jumped the stream and his arrow hit high. Later in the afternoon, he heard a thunderous crash in the clearcut. I said, did you hear my shot? He said, yeah, what did you get? I said, Im not sure but its the biggest Ive ever seen here. Hall hunts some swampy ground, and some of it is navigable by water. With hunting season in the books, its time to make plans to bring your bucks to the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest. (Photo courtesy of Tres Jackson) Hunter: Tres . I glanced over and all I could see was antlers, he said. I unhooked from the rope attaching me to the safety harness, and I made it two steps down. I saw him on camera in 2013, and he had grown a tremendous amount. The following table contains some of the largest whitetail deer in Arkansas. Deer. Rarely do you see a buck with a drop tine, let alone two of them. Biggest buck ever killed in fl? About 74,000 hunters participated in the state's 2017 spring turkey season, and killed 33,000 birds. In the end, Josh walked right up on the buck. The buck was definitely dead. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. He was 19 inches wide.. The doe, however, wanted nothing to do with her pursuer and jumped into a nearby pond in an attempt to flee the buck. Junior's outstanding whitetail is the biggest ever recorded from Monroe County, and he ranks as one of the Bluegrass State's top bucks from the 2013-14 season. I never knew this buck existed, not until my brother and I found him dead, piled up in the top of an old fallen tree in that cutover, Wilson said. It was a 5 X 7 main-frame 12, with one one-inch drop tine and several sticker points off the brow tines and other tines.. Knowing I couldn't even come to my knees without breaking the little concealment we had, I decided to lie on my left side, using my left elbow for as solid a rest as could be achieved within the slight incline of the old fencerow. "I've always loved deer hunting," the young sportsman says. It's one of the biggest ever killed in the Southeast. Many mallards were saved during his absence from the flooded timber. Hooper waited 15 minutes before starting the recovery. Not only that, but he also got the biggest buck killed in Arkansas during the 2008-09 deer season. I had a good shot at about 150 yards, and I put the crosshairs behind the last rib on my side and took the shot.. The rack gross scores 214 1/8 and nets 212 1/8. I was sick as he pranced off with his nose in the air. "The buck chased in a doe at 7:05 a.m.," he says. The terrain is relatively flat, with large sections of agricultural land, swamps, muddy rivers and blocks of hardwood timber. Bucks this big dont get that way by being stupid. This was one buck that didnt have ground shrinkage, but had ground growth, he said. In addition to being the top non-typical bow buck in Arkansas history, this giant was the state's biggest killed by any hunter, gun or bow, in 2013. The 2021-22 deer season is a wrap, and some big whitetails fell between the opening and closing bells. In addition to the single short drop tine, the deer had two split brow tines one with three splits. In 2012, Ryan hunted this deer exclusively. Neither can most people who hunt this Southwest Mississippi county, which has produced only one non-typical entry in the Magnolia Records Program, a 174 4/8-inch 10-point in 2011. Then, the buck disappeared again for more than a week.. On Friday evening, Nov. 8, Ryan saw the monster for the first time all season. Im thankful for the knowledge he instilled in me in how to hunt big deer.. Indiana: 28 deer per square mile. Hunting with her CVA Cascade chambered in .308 Win., the buck was well within range. Morelands Arkansas bow season started much like any other. When the Washington Blade caught up with Gisele Barreto . I sat there for a couple of hours, going through trail camera cards, Hall says. At least I think there were six. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. "I could feel myself starting to sway. Like many of his fellow Arkansans, Ryan is a deer and duck fanatic. 'I'm sure the entire encounter only took a few minutes, but it seemed an eternity. Alabama: 25 deer per square mile. Lefty was gone., Then, our family received news that rocked me to my core, Lee said. It is also the new state record for the biggest buck killed with archery equipment. But, I will keep shooting the 125s and 130s because around here, those are what you expect and they are trophies.. In 2011 the buck blossomed into a true shooter. . My thermals would be rising. But Ryan isn't just any hunter. When he succeeded, he was hooked. Zach Edey had 17 points and 19 rebounds as No. By 3 p.m., he was harnessed to the tree and ready to go. Watson has been bowhunting on his familys 450-acre farm since he was 10. He had a little standoff with the 10-pointer, with them grunting at one another. Part of the beauty (and difficulty) of hunting with traditional equipment, is that you have to hunt close. HUNTING TIPS OF A REAL PRO. Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. They followed blood about 150 yards to the downed buck. This big buck was killed in Randolph County, near Maynard, Arkansas during the Arkansas 2020/21 modern gun deer season. He was hunting in a large clearcut paralleled by a steep ridge line. I had just sat back down, and about 4:10, I heard a limb snap behind me to my right. Bowhunting gives the deer a chance to grow. The gross score evidently makes this the highest-scoring wild whitetail ever harvested on professional video. Its hard to put into words. Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. He decided he would try to take a deer with it. Three double-digit tines of 10 2/8 to 13 5/8 inches, plus 7 1/8- and 9 3/8-inch brows and a 21 3/8-inch inside spread, add plenty to this regal crown. As he left his tree stand to get a better shot at the buck, the strap on one of his climbing sticks broke, and he fell some 17 feet to the ground. He was sitting in a blind on the edge of where CRP, timber and a food plot meet. The first year was challenging, as they had to learn how deer used the property. This is one big deer. In fact, going into 2013 he'd shot two net Boone & Crocketts: one a non-typical scoring over 200, the other a typical from public land. The majority of these came from Maverick (28), La Salle (24), Webb (23), Dimmit (20) and Kleberg (11) counties. Arkansas doesnt jump to top of mind as a big-buck destination, but that didnt stop bowhunter Preston Hall. Then, later in the season, he finally crossed paths with the deer one last time. On Nov. 1, Moreland got a later start than he had planned, and didnt get to his stand until 12:30 that afternoon. Lucas drew back, settled his pin, and took the 38-yard shot. And dont forget about theMississippi Sportsman Big Buck Photo Contest, which is free and offers great monthly Sportsman Gear prizes. Now in private ownership and no longer a club, it was on that same property he took the 16-point. My two boys were familiar with the buck, as they go through pictures with me. After a while, he looked for the deer and recovered his buck. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam. He encountered the buck a second time soon after. After a few days of class, he again left on Thursday night and headed home to hunt. . In the Midwest, with ample nutrition and healthy deer numbers, bucks seem more likely to continue to make the big jumps in antler development after 5 1/2. Arkansas Biggest Bucks: Score: Typ? It worked. Mississippi County is in the far-northeast corner and borders both Tennessee and Missouri. Knowing it wasnt a great shot, Johnathan called a buddy who had a tracking dog. Moreland, who always brings his camera along to film hunts, talked to the rolling camera for about 20 minutes before settling into his climber to wait. His summer and winter ranges didnt change much. South Texas' ranches are known to grow some giants; still, this state just barely made the top 10 list for typical bucks. Mississippi Sportsman Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi Sportsman Big Buck Photo Contest. Everything about himhis frame, tines and beamis exceptional., Lee Dixons Tennessee TankScore: UnknownDate of Kill: 2021Location: TennesseeWeapon: .25-06 Remington. All three deer were within 20 yards, and thats when he heard a fourth deer, then a fifth, coming from the same direction. Jeremy Martinson had been hunting in the area throughout the season, but on Nov. 1, 2021, he received an opportunity at a huge whitetail. I really had no idea.. He hit hard, fracturing a bone in his right leg and three vertebrae in his back. A coyote ran out of a nearby thicket and spooked the buck past his stand, but with no possibility for a shot. Still, he only had five or six trail camera photos, and didnt have much hope of seeing the deer. "I thought he was going to go downhill after 2012," Ryan admits. Despite his pursuit to further his education, his desire to pursue the buck hadn't diminished. I followed it up with a few grunts and grabbed my rifle. but then, within seconds the archer heard him crash to the ground. The day before Halloween, Johnathan saw the buck chasing a doe at 4:30 p.m., but the buck stayed out of range. "The buck I missed was the sixth one to run through there that morning," said Hooper, a former Jackson resident now living in Benton, Ark. Halls bruiser gross-scored 212 3/8. Despite having broken off a 9-inch tine on his left side when he crashed, there was no ground shrinkage. He missed. In another huge jump, the buck had grown from a 160-inch 9-pointer to a monster 15-pointer with matching split G-2 tines. Ryan hunted this buck for four years on family property. At daybreak a doe busted through the cedar thicket with an eight-point suitor following close behind. On Dec. 8, 2021, though, he did. On the afternoon of Oct. 13, Moreland finally got the shot hed been waiting for. He stood behind a big pecan tree for about five minutes. "Apparently, the buck had put on roughly 50 or so inches from last year," Travis said. Its pretty common to scroll through your social media news feed this time of year and see various photos of bowhunters sitting behind the monster bucks they have shot. A mature Missouri buck showcased some serious head gear totaling a staggering 333 7/8 inches, making it the most giant whitetail ever scored. So, Lance went with that. A week later, deer season opened. My other younger brother was hunting the same property 200 yards away and I called him, he said. There were bucks going everywhere at one time, and I actually shot at another deer and missed. After all the crazy things that happened to me while hunting this buck, I just think that I was meant to shoot him.. After a cold front blew in around the middle of the month, Watson moved to a treestand. He found the matching sheds of the buck from the year before, and he played his cards just right during the multi-year pursuit. Justin, his brothers, and his father targeted this deer in hopes of arrowing it. They didn't want me to leave. Arkansas deer usually score around 120 to 130 inches, Moreland says. Still, he never caught up to the deer during the 2018 season. It ran 177 yardsan incredible distance for a deer with a 190-grain broadhead inside of him. Camping is available at Storm Creek Lake Recreation Area, about 4 miles northwest of Helena-West Helena. A slight southwest wind swept across the landscape. I hit it four times, pointing in each direction once.. The mammoth rack was 17. I enjoyed every day of the hunt, but being successful with this buck made it a hunt I will remember forever, Mullina said. Published Nov 26, 2020 2:00 PM EST. He stopped in a small group of persimmon trees to catch his breath. At just about any time I could have gone and seen him a mile away in a bean field. On Nov. 23, they decided to move in. I was locked down by the doe that was really close.". He was hunting hill country in a 65-acre hay meadow, which was part of the larger 160-acre cattle operation. BREATHE LIFE! He came to 40 yards and stood by a brush pile. The eastern boundary of the county is the Mississippi River. Jurassic-era insect found near Arkansas Walmart . Some things are just meant to be, says Moreland. The 15 Largest Lakes in the World . This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! The giant non-typical sported a typical 1211 frame, but was scored as a non-typical because of an abundance of small kicker points. It netted 209 0/8 Boone and Crockett, but grossed 216 2/8 B&C before the mandatory, 60-day drying period. Before the hunt, Lance and his dad were talking and couldnt decide on which stand to sit. In fact, he wouldnt be able to see the slain 163-inch buck until the following afternoon when his friend brought the deer to the hospital parking lot. Hooper realizes his good fortune, even if the story belies just how good a shot he usually is.