Not bad for being the first buck he'd ever killed!
December 18, 2013
By Game & Fish Online Staff
Editor's Note: On December 2, 2013, a hunter who wishes to remain nameless bagged this Ohio trophy buck in Richland County with a 12-gauge. The buck's green score is 195-1/4" non-typical, 175-3/4" typical. This is the story as told by his son.
Not bad for being the first buck he'd ever killed!
There are three generations of my family that hunt my father's farm, my son, me and my father. This deer hadn't been seen by any of us until this 2013-2014 deer season. The first indication that we had this buck on the farm appeared on a trail camera . The picture was a distant capture of him on October 8, 2013 at 5:22 a.m. The next time he was seen, he was spotted by my son on October 26 at approximately 7:15 p.m. when he was leaving the farm after an afternoon hunt. I saw him right at dark about 75 yards from my tree stand on November 30th as shooting time had expired for the day. We've only been able to see him at dark.
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My father hadn't hunted at all this season and hadn't in a couple of years. He and Grandma had been talking about wanting to try canning deer meat sometime. Monday's first day of Ohio shotgun season was relatively warm considering the time of year (he won't hunt if it's too cold). After Grandpa got home from work that afternoon, Grandma said to him, "Go out and shoot a deer so we can try canning some deer meat!" Grandpa gathered his Ithaca 12-gauge shotgun, some old slugs he had lying around that were roughly 10 years old, put his orange vest on over a pair of old camouflage coveralls and headed to the woods just after 3 p.m.
He went to the area of the woods where my son and I have our tree stands. Instead of getting up in a stand he picked a random spot and sat on a log next to a tree. At about 4:45 p.m., he noticed some movement straight out in front of the direction he was facing. He recognized it was a deer casually walking in his direction. A moment after that, he saw the deer had antlers but didn't pay much attention to the size of them as he really didn't care. He just wanted to shoot a deer, any deer, so he and Grandma could "can" it.
The deer continued on a line straight at Grandpa, who slowly raised his gun and focused on the deer's body. The deer continued his causal walk, nose on the ground, to a point where it was passing Grandpa broadside at 15 yards. It was at that point the deer would run its last 50 yards of its life.
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This was the second deer Grandpa ever shot in his life, as he is an occasional hunter. His first deer was a doe!
Aaron Joliff As a winter front pushed through northwest Arkansas on Dec. 12, 2011, the gray and ominous clouds hung low in the winter sky, drizzling rain. Days like this are exactly what Aaron Jolliff, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, has always loved to hunt — and for good reason. So began Joliff's 2011 hunt, which ended with a lifetime 170-inch buck. Read more at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Aaron Milliken Aaron Milliken caught up with this massive Kansas whitetail after repeated attempts to track down the 194-inch trophy. For the details, make sure to check out
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. .
Barry Turner After an off-season spent drooling over trail cam pics of the deer he'd come to know as "Big Show," Barry Turner came face to face with a Missouri giant. The rest of his story — and his 217-inch trophy — are enshrined in
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Bill Winke Bill Winke has earned himself a spot as one of the best Midwestern whitetail hunters of all time, with a recent buck to prove it. To read more about this massive double G4 Iowa giant, check out
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Bo Cocannouer Two years ago Bo Cocannouer fell from a treestand fracturing his back. Most hunters aren't lucky enough to walk away from a twenty-foot fall, and the ones that do don't normally get to hunt from one ever again. But Cocannouer did just that, and he came home with this 194 gross non-typical Oklahoma buck.
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Brian Herron Brian Herron fought numerous obstacles and setbacks in 2012 to bag this 184-inch bruiser. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Brian Hollands After many years of chasing the same buck and coming up empty, Brian Hollands' luck finally turned around. On a fateful morning in 2012, Hollands not only found a lost little girl wandering the back roads of Missouri, he also found the buck of a lifetime. Check out the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Carter Rice Carter Rice is another first-time hunter that had huge success in 2012. Carter killed this buck in Pettis County Mo., with his father at his side . "I had not experienced that type of excitement since my 15-year-old son Seth was that age," wrote proud dad Rusty Rice.
This photo was submitted to NAW Editor Gordon Whittington earlier this season via e-mail.
Dorothy Shaffer Iowa native Dorothy Shaffer has only been hunting for a couple years now, but she already has the buck of a lifetime with this 196-inch giant, her second buck ever.
At about 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1, Shaffer arrowed this bruiser through both lungs, dropping it near one of her husband's stands.
For more info, check out Shaffer's Deer of the Day entry .
Dylan Beach-Bittner Have you seen the (almost) Turdy-Point Buck?
Taking a cue from the popular folk rap song, 12-year-old Dylan Beach-Bittner, downed a 27-point Minnesota monster scoring 241 green.
For more info, check out Beach-Bittner's Deer of the Day entry .
Fred Swihart You need only skim the pages of the record books to understand why the majority of hunters pick the November rut as the prime time to hunt giant whitetails. Mature bucks are never a pushover, but they are more vulnerable when their nose is glued to the ground trailing an estrus doe. Fred Swihart proved, however, that you can have success outside the rut — sometimes it's just a matter of persistence. Check out the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Garry Greenwalt Garry Greenwalt teamed up with North American Whitetail's Gordon Whittington to kill this amazing Washington buck, known to Greenwalt as "The Ghost." Greenwalt spent a good deal of time tracking down the amazing 172-inch Washington giant, but it was all worth it. Read the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Garry Morris It was mid-afternoon on Nov. 13, 2009, and Gary Morris of Winslow, Ark., was heading south out of Iowa. Driven by a haze of internal frustration, he was headed back to Arkansas six days early. The last three years of planning, anticipation and excitement for his Midwestern hunt had been stolen by an encounter with a 170-inch behemoth buck and a blown 12-yard 'chip-shot. ' After his miss, Morris thought about giving up bowhunting altogether. But it's a good thing he didn't. Read about his unlikely comeback — as well as his 221-inch monster — in
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Jay Price Like any bowhunter who has chased mature whitetails, Jay Price is proof dedication and tenacity are often factors to success. On a fateful day in Kansas, Price once again went through his scent-masking ritual and headed to a treestand that was positioned in the hedgerow deeper into the property. It hadn't worked until that moment, but things were about to change. Get the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Jeff Danker Jeff Danker of Major League Bowhunter is no stranger to trophy bucks, and on Oct. 3 Danker proved his prowess. He killed this 183 5/8-inch typical buck in Kansas' Rice County after following him all year.
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Jeff Iverson Earlier this year, Jeff Iverson killed what might be the new non-typical record for a Minnesota whitetail. This is the third season that Iverson hunted this particular buck. Two years ago, when the buck was a six-by-six typical, he missed a shot at it with his bow.
For more, read the rest of the story in NAW's Deer of the Day entry.
Jordan Dressler On the first hunt of her lifetime, Jordan Dressler killed this amazingly wide whitetail in Iowa. Now all she has to do is hunt the rest of her days in search of another buck like this one.
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Josh Barnard As a dedicated whitetailer, Josh Barnard has had his fair share of ups and downs. This year was a high point, as Barnard killed this monstrous 192-inch trophy buck in Ohio. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Joshua Earp Joshua Earp's Georgia giant scored 187 inches green, weighing in at 235 pounds, and was a great October surprise.
"'I've hunted 25 years for this," Earp said. " I give all thanks to God and my father for teaching me and introducing me to this sport I'm addicted to. '
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Lindsay Groom With the help of her husband, Kevin, Ohio resident Lindsay Groom scouted this buck for two weeks before coming across its path again on Nov. 7. Lindsay shot the buck with her crossbow at about 10 yards, but was unable to locate the buck.
After watching the kill shot again on film, the couple decided to track it the next morning, finding the deer just 30 yards away from where they stopped looking the night before.
For more info, check out Groom's Deer of the Day entry .
Lucas Cochren Lucas Cochren killed an amazing 238-inch Kansas trophy, but it all started with a blood trail gone cold. Fortunately, Cochren stuck to it and bagged the trophy of his lifetime. Check out the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Matt Ford Abingdon, Ill., resident Matt Ford downed this monster buck in the early evening of Nov. 4; the Knox County beast scored 219 1/8 inches green.
'I still can't believe it. I thought my 145-inch 8-point was big until this, ' Ford said. 'I never thought I would see a deer this big, but getting to kill one this big never crossed my mind. '
For more, check out Ford's Deer of the Day entry .
Michael Morgan Michael Morgan killed this amazing double drop-tine giant in Kansas. After watching in agony in 2011 as the monster buck walked just out of range, Morgan found success in his second attempt at the bruiser. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Mike Moran Mike Moran's Saskatchewan buck was a dream come true for the hunter who'd spent 27 years looking for a deer of that quality. He finally got his wish on Thanksgiving day, an experience he won't forget. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Paul Keller Having chased whitetails in Wisconsin since 1978, Marion bowhunter Paul Keller is no stranger to monster bucks, but this year was decidedly different. Keller dropped a 229 2/8-inch buck that will challenge for the top of the record books when all is said and done.
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Pete Alfano After a two-year quest to track down the massive deer known as "Mufasa," Pete Alfano finally struck gold with this 215-inch Kansas buck. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Randy Walk It's pretty safe to say Randy Walk, president of
Hoyt Archery , knows a thing or two about bowhunting.
Nevertheless, the 225-inch Kansas beast shared by Hoyt's Facebook page stands alone as the biggest buck he'd ever seen, he said.
'He is a giant buck. Eighteen points total with nine on each side. He has been green scored at 225 inches and some change and is clearly the largest whitetail deer I have ever seen on the hoof or on the ground for that matter."
For more info, check out Walk's Deer of the Day entry .
Rich Baugh For years, Rich Baugh carefully managed his Iowa property to maximize whitetail trophy production. After several years at it, Baugh finally capitalized in 2011 with this monster 177-inch trophy. Read more about his process — and his amazing buck — at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Richard Buker Richard Buker has been hunting his family's property in Vermillion County, Ind., for over 20 years, and on Oct. 28, he finally got the buck of a lifetime.
That windy evening, he spotted the massive 170-inch buck working the treeline before heading across the field toward him. At 35 yards, Buker stopped the buck with a grunt, placed his shot perfectly behind the shoulder and squeezed off a shot. After running 75 yards, the buck then dropped within sight.
For more info, check out Buker's Deer of the Day entry .
Robert Gramoll Robert Gramoll killed his 202-inch Juneau County, Wisc., record in 2012. Having deliberated about staying for the last evening of rifle season, Gramoll doesn't regret that he did. Read the full story in
NAW's Deer of the Day entry. Ryan Dietsch After a sleepless night and an unsuccessful afternoon tracking a blood trail, Ryan Dietsch was sure he'd squandered the opportunity of a lifetime. He and friends went back to track the deer he thought he'd hit, but couldn't find so much as a drop of blood. His luck all changed, however, and the rest — along with his 219-inch trophy — is history. Check out the full story at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Shane Frost Whitetail fate played its hand for Arkansas' Shane Frost on January 23, 2012. The setting was in the big-timbered, fertile ground of the Black River Bottoms in Clay County in northeast Arkansas. The ancient oaks and sloughs, in all their years, had likely never witnessed a more epic bowhunting scene. So began Frost's whitetail season, which ended with a 216-inch trophy on his wall. Read more at
NAW's Deer of the Day .
Stanley Suda Southern Ohio turned in another giant earlier this season when Stanley Suda shot this buck which is estimated between 235 and 240 inches.
"The shot was perfect," he said. "I watched my dream buck run across the field and pile-up about 20 yards inside the wood line. This was definitely my finest moment in the treestand. '
For more, read the rest of the story in this Deer of the Day entry.
Travis Trimmer Travis Trimmer of Varina, Va., killed this monster buck on Oct. 27 with a crossbow at 15 yards. The brute weighed in around 159 lbs. and was reported to have a 27-inch wide inside spread.
For more, read the rest of the story in this NAW Community entry.
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