Biggest Buck Seen?

Ok, think a little on this one. Whats the biggest deer you have ever seen while HUNTING with a weapon. I mean you actually had your gun or bow in hand and you just could not release an arrow or get that trigger pulled. I'm not talking about a buck you got trail camera pics of or a buck your headlights shined on across the highway one night. I'm talking about the one that made your heart about jump out of its chest and you instantly new it was a "shooter." Feel free to elaborate on the story of when you saw it, what happened, etc. Lets hear it!

About 15 years ago i was hunting a private farm with 360 acres. I had been stalking a 14 point buck for 2 years. one day i walked into a wooded area where an old run down house and pond was, i went into the opening and the buck was bedded down, near the old house. I was hunting with
my bow. I never saw him again after that. The next week i went to the same area that i had a woop pile ground blind. Never saw him. While walking out of the wooded area the farmer that owned the land asked us if we had seen a 14 point buck. I told him i was hunting him, and that i hadn't seen him in a while. Well he told me the worst news ever. A couple guys were caught poaching and that they had killed him while he was walking into mthat open field. I was heart sick,but also glad they were caught. I have never seen another like him again.

In 06 I was in Illinois and had an encounter with a deer that had to be pushing 200". It was the last day of my bow hunt and I was set on killing a doe. Just after first light I had a doe sneak in right under my stand. didn't know she was there until she stomped, she must have caught my scent. Well she turned to walk away and I drew back on her and about shot her a few times but something told me not to shoot her. She gets out to 60-70 yards and I catch movement off to my right and BAM an absolute monster is standing there. He was heavy, wide and had a huge drop tine. Well needless to say he followed the doe slowly the other way. I tried call in my arsenal but he wasn't leaving that doe. After they topped the hill I heard a twig snap and a nice buck was coming down the hill behind me straight to my tree. I ended up smoking him ( a nice 146" 12 point with a 6" drop tine ) so that made not getting a shot at that biggin alot easier to take.

In "08" I was in Illinois at the famous "Pig Farm" (Don knows this farm well).Was sitting on the edge of a big creek,had crp behind me and a cut bean across the creek from me,around 7:30 a couple does does walked down the edge of that bean fiekd on the other side of the creek (about 75yds),then around 8:30 the deer of a lifetime started down the same trail the does walked down on the other side of the creek,I threw everything at him (Calls) that I had in my backpack,he would stop and look my way but just wouldn't cross the creek,not sure how many points he had but he a REAL HEAVY thick horned monster,I would say he was at least in the 190's if not 200"s,To this day I syill think if I would have had a decoy out he would have crossed that creek to see what was going on,guess I learned from that day,In Nov have a decoy out!!!,The day before that Don (camoedassasin) and myself set and watched with bino's 2 probally mid 140's fight for a good 10 minutes,wish we would have had a video cam with us.

Really enjoying the stories... Keep 'em coming!

Interesting question and it really has me thinking. Here's as close as I can come to that kind of situation. In 02 I started seeing this nice 8 point in July, he had a smaller 8 as a buddy. I'd see him in the fields in front of the house and up the road. I couldn't wait till the first day of archery came around. The evening of opening day I was sitting over my foodplot with high hopes. It was about a half hour before sunset when the smaller 8 came out into the plot. The excitement started to build and about 10 minutes later here comes the big 8. He gives me a shot so I draw, aim and shoot right under him. So I go from my heart jumping out of my chest to this sinking feeling as the biggest buck I've had a chance at runs off into the timber. Guess I got so excited I thought he was closer.

A little over a week later I was in the same tree watching 3 young buck feeding when the small 8 comes into the plot. Not long after I see the big 8 very cautiously skirting the edge. Once he was comfortable with the situation he walked right out and stood like a king poasturing at the other bucks. I drew and shot but this time I hit my mark. That was such a better feeling than the one I had just over a week earlier.

October 14, 2002, I had taken a weeks vacation to hunt up in SC with my bow. I had a few errands to run and got a late start Monday morning. Someone was parked where I had planned to hunt (public land) so I took off walking down a road to scout and sit through the middle of the day. I found some nice tracks and entered the woods paralleling a branch. I finally found a spot that looked good and was trying to pick out a tree to climb when I caught movement ahead of me and saw a monster rack for the SC Lowcountry. Of course, I don't have my release on, my climbers on my back and I'm about to mess myself. I was new to bow-hunting but not deer hunting. I dropped to my knees and nocked an arrow. The buck is quartering to me and I'm thinking I'm going to have to shoot with fingers. I've never shot with fingers and quickly ruled that out. The buck passed within 45 yards and enters some canes in the branch, DOWNWIND! I panicked and got my release on then hung some estrous scent I had on a near by bush, trying to cover my scent so I could come back and hunt this buck. A minute passes and I see him coming back out, curl his top lip and smelling and licking his nose. I'm thinking that I've just ruined my chance as he's closing in on me, on my knees without much cover. He turned a bit and went behind some brush and I drew my bow and let an arrow fly when he stepped out at 16 yards. I heard a THWACK and watched him wheel and run off the way he had come. I ran over to where I had shot him and found blood everywhere and my arrow drenched. I can not put into words the emotions that I felt.

I recruited the guy who was hunting where I had intended to go that morning and he and I found the buck about 75 yards later laying on the edge of a pond. He weighed 202 lbs and scored 142 6/8 as a ten point. I had just killed a SC Pope and Young buck for my first bow-kill. I've been ruined ever since.


This buck was aged by a SCDNR biologist at 6.5 years. Funny part is my buddy had loaned me his old bow to "try-out" bow-hunting. Shows sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Living here in the region of IL that I do, for 36 years, I've been very fortunate to see some tremendous animals but the largest I've ever had within "range" but just couldn't make it happen was on Nov. 15, 1998 just a little after 7 AM. A Buck named "Kickstand" (because of the 12+" droptine off his left beam) walked to within 31 yards and stopped just his shoulder width shy of my shooting lane!!! That Buck was easily a 230"+ B&C class buck. I had one other sighting of the monster later that season as he angled down the draw just 60 yards out. That was the last time anyone ever seen him to my knowledge. I've been fortunate enough to see a respectable handful of B&C class bucks growing up here but I've never been that close to tagging one! I swear I went through every emotion a person could until even tears in my eyes as I headed back to the truck at the end of the day! Man, that one broke me!!! LOL!

Great story and pic Stick. Sounds like you were lucky enough to capatilize on the monster you saw.

Biggest buck I've seen hunting is a strange story. When I lived in California, I headed waaaay up in the mountains to camp on opening weekend one year. I was camped at a little lake at the end of a very serious trail that was made of rocks the size of basketballs and bigger. On opening morning there were guys buzzing all over the place on 4wheelers, it was ridiculous. So sunday afternoon I decided to leave. I started crawling down the trail in my jacked up toyota, guns secured in the back of my truck, when two bucks crossed the road in front of me. I stopped, got my rifle out and ran a few steps off of the road. It was 2:00 in the afternoon, 95 degrees, and there were two mule deer in the 200 inch range, together, just jogging off through pines. Their racks looked wide enough to drive a truck through, and tines were eerily long. I never tried to take a shot. Even though I wasn't actively hunting when I first saw them, it stands out, I NEVER thought I would see 2 deer that big together, especially not in the middle of a scorching hot day. Besides that, I've never seen a deer during hunting season over about 145.

I seen my last real big one back in 1997.I had just returned from a hunting trip trip from Wisconisin early that morning and decided since I already had the day off from work I would just go ahead out to my place and do some hunting.It was really cold and frosty that morning.I decided to sit on this knoll that over looked to small wood lots and had a creek running through it.After an hour or so I spot some movement working on the outside of the thicket and see he's heading my way.So I lay down flat on my stomach and get everything ready for the shot.After about 5 minutes or so I see these antlers sticking out against the sky.I had the shakes and everything else going on,he wasn't maybe 10 yards from me.I put my cross hairs on his shoulders and squezze slowly.All I heard was a click.I was using my old Marlin bolt action slugmaster.I guessed as I was putting the slug in I didn't get it seated well on the bolt and the pin wasn't hitting the primer.That buck looked at me for a second and got out of dodge.I had to get my knife out to pry the shell back out so I could get a shot off.I never was able to get the second shot off.And the whole time I had my 44mag on me too,I just forgot I had it or he would be on my wall today.He was a big non typical and one of the biggest I have ever seen while hunting.I talked to the landowner a week or so later and he told me another guy who hunts there got him on thanksgiving morning about an 2 hours after I left in the same area I hunt.He ended up being a 24 pointer and scored in the 190's I believe.I learned several things from that trip.1.Always make sure my slugs are in right.2.Never leave early for thanksgiving dinner.3.Never tell anyone where I been seeing a big one.That was 13 years ago and seems like yesterday,same with most of my hunts.I know all of the those mistakes has made me a better hunter though.I can't wait for this year.

If mule deer are in I have one with them. Montana '06 the weekend before Thanksgiving, some will say the peak of the mulie rut. I was still hunting out a snow covered ridge and just starting to approach the point. I spot two mulie doe bedded and take a good look round. I needed to get just a step or two more to see over this knob before the point. So I take one more step and all I see are mule deer busting out everywhere. There was one buck and he was a tall and wide and the first thing to mind was SHOOTER. I got him in the scope but didn't feel comfortable with the shot as he was hightailing it through the timber. It didn't take long till I seen him at 500+ yards running up the other side of the drainage. He never looked back or slowed one bit.

It was 06 & I was hunting on a companies land that my old clerk worked for & he said, their was some good deer on it. I was by my self I then it moved like a ghost from a creek bottom to a hill side. He was a huge 12pt that just floated as he moved. He was a good 145'' around 200lbs I was so messed up with buck feaver I missed him at 30yds.

Several years back I saw a buck that I still think would have scored 200 inches. Never came anywhere near close enough to shoot

It was definately the buck I had 20 yards in front of me at full draw with my wife filming. He was not being very photogenic as my wife could not get him in the view finder while I was ready to shoot. This buck was named Tower and was on my hit list last season. He is a monster 8 pointer with very High thick tines and a split brow tine, with a couple stickers off his other antlers. What a stud. Probably scores in mid 150's. I believe he made it through the season and again will be my Number 1 buck on my hit list

2007....... and I was able to shoot him. 187" 16 pointer!!!!

it was a good day!!!!

first time I saw him he was 30 yards and closing!!! heart was a beating 100 MPH.............. even faster after I shot!!!

Unfortunately this has happened to me twice. The first time was in 2000 at my lease in SE MN. The day before I shot a very nice 152" 10 pointer then the next day it was pouring rain, most of the guys did not go out. But I knew my stand was hot so I got out there plenty early. We can party hunt in MN so I was going out there no matter the weather. It was the begining of November so I did not pack my rain gear. After sitting for an hour, I see a giant come out of the corn and right toward my stand. My first thought was that buck is way BIGGER than the buck I just shot. He came within 20 yards of my stand and when I raised my gun I could not see through my scope. It was completly fogged I tried desperately to dry it but I did not have a dry article of clothing. That buck never knew I was there and ended up walking away. I never could see through my scope so I never had to chance to shoot and never saw that buck again. The second time happened during the 2008 archery season at Bluff Country Outfitters in Buffalo County WI. This was my first guided hunt and the last morning was incredible, there were bucks chasing all around me. I saw a large doe come from my right and work her way behind some brush 50 yards away and down a hill. I kept close attention from where she came, and 15 min later a HUGE buck was walking her same path. I knew I had to get him on the other side of that brush. I grunted and used a can call, he would look but would not stray from his path. I snort wheezed, he stopped again and looked butr walked right behind the brush at 50 yards with no clear shot. I believe he would have scored 180" and I had to watch him walk away with my bow in my hand and no shot opportunity.

Man that would be heart breaking. I've had the fogged scope thing happen with my ML on a doe but not on a buck. That's enough to make a guy cry right there

Monster Raxx wrote:

He came within 20 yards of my stand and when I raised my gun I could not see through my scope. It was completly fogged I tried desperately to dry it but I did not have a dry article of clothing.

Would you have tried a shot on him if you would have had see through scope rings? Just wondering if you would have and if anyone else has ever used them as a last resort? I have them on both my muzzleloader and shotgun, but have never had to use them.

Would you have tried a shot on him if you would have had see through scope rings? Just wondering if you would have and if anyone else has ever used them as a last resort? I have them on both my muzzleloader and shotgun, but have never had to use them.[/quote]

Never really even thought about it. I have them on my 6mm varmit rifle that I got for the exchange of some work. Never thought of putting them on other rifles if that situation presented itself. I have had them fog up alittle but I have the Butler Creek flip lenses that do a pretty good job of helping keep the moisture out. Now you guys got me thinking.

I have Butler Creek flip caps on all of my scopes now.