Huge Ohio buck, 35" mains

[fishuhalik]

My cousin sent me this email, I don't know if it's been posted on here yet, I haven't seen it. What an unbelieveable deer!

Rick Busse sees a lot of deer. As a popular taxidermist located on the

Miami-Shelby county line, Busse has handled some extremely large deer,

including the famous Beatty Buck about this time of year in 2000.

When Brian Stephens brought in the buck that he shot on opening day of

the deer gun season last week (Nov. 30), Busse figured it would be

just another nice buck to mount. And then he saw it

"It's the biggest thing to come through my door since the Beatty Buck,

and that was nine years ago," Busse said.

The buck that is likely to have the name Stephens Buck is a huge

18-pointer with one main beam of its rack possibly the largest for any

whitetail ever recorded - 35 inches. And once the antlers are

officially scored, it is likely to be an Ohio record for a nontypical

deer killed by a muzzleloader.

The rack will be green scored by Boone & Crocket scorer Mike Wendel of

Botkins today, Dec. 9. Once it has dried, 60 days from now, it will be

officially scored. There's a good chance it will measure out with a

net score of about 235 inches.

"The main beams - as far as my research has been able to come up with

- are the longest main beams ever recorded on any deer in history,"

Busse said.

"Seeing a deer with main beams over 30 inches is rare. And I think the

record is 33½. These are both over 34½."

Stephens, 39, lives in Clayton and works in software development for

CS Stars. Having hunted every year since he was 12, he has become an

experienced hunter and has seen plenty of deer. But he's never seen

another deer like this one and, in fact, it took some time to sink in

once he downed the buck with his 50-cal. muzzleloader.

Hunting in a group of six family and friends on his family's farm in

Highland County, Stephens climbed into his tree stand just before dawn.

Not

long after first light, he saw a doe followed by a buck with huge

antlers walking toward him.

"But I could never get a clear shot," Stephens recalled. "They were

walking slowly around in an area covered with trees. They were only

about 50 yards away from my stand, but I never had a clear shot."

Stephens watched the doe and buck for most of the morning, hoping to

get an opportunity that never came. Finally, they wandered off and

Stephens decided to take a lunch break at their farm house. He ate

quickly and then returned to his stand, hoping to get another glimpse

at the monster buck. After seeing several deer, that chance came

again.

Just after 4 p.m. he saw the buck again, this time about 250 yards

away and headed straight for him. When it reached a fence row about 80

yards away, it turned broadside to Stephens and his Thompson/Center

muzzleloader.

Stephens

took his shot.

"When the smoke cleared, I couldn't see him, so I thought I had missed

him,"

Stephens said. "Then I saw it running and fall. I took a drink of

water and collected myself. It was probably a half an hour before I

got to the deer.

When I saw the rack, I couldn't believe it. I knew it was big, but I

never imagined it would be like this."

The deer, estimated by Busse to be 5 ½ to 6 ½ years old, weighed 215

pounds after field dressing. It drew a big crowd when Stephens checked

it in at the Rocky Fork Truck Stop.

"It's amazing how quickly word gets around. We were only there a few

minutes. I even parked toward the back, out of the way, and people

still crowded around it," Stephens said.

If the Stephens Buck turns out anything like the Beatty Buck, people

will be crowding around for a look at those antlers for many years to

come.

[buckhunter21]

Wow thats pretty impressive when you dont come even close to fitting the rack underneath the tonneau cover. Looks like it has a mane too even more of a bonus.

[picksbigwagon]

That is SCARY big.........Does Ohio run an early muzzleloader season?

[hockeybc69]

Geezus cripes!!!!!!!

[mrklean]

thats not that big

[buckpredator]

Well wouldn't that suck to have to show everybody.

[mooneyes]

glad I dont have to walk around the woods all day with that on my head. no wonder he's got such a big neck.

[JimmyJames]

Now I regret passing that one up, I thought I'd let it go one more year.