![]( "dennis_chevalier")
Sunrise was to be at 7:36 a.m., and it was 6:50 when I slid into the pop-up ground blind on Nov. 19, 2012. The mixed coniferous bush near Kenora, Ontario, was still draped in darkness, and I soon had settled in for a dawn-to-dusk hunt.
My partner Chris Savage and I had spent the last five weeks archery hunting several spots near Kenora, trying to pattern a quality deer. Even though our eight trail cameras and on-the-ground scouting in several other spots had shown some respectable whitetails, we were concentrating most of our time in this particular location. And for good reason: It was home to a giant buck we’d named “Kong.”
Now, despite the number of trail cameras we had out, we’d not yet snagged a photo of the monster. But we knew he was here.
No matter where you are, locating a big whitetail usually involves a lot of work. Through all our scouting efforts, as of early last October we had located one really good whitetail. Chris and I were fine-tuning our setups around that 170-class deer when a friend and co-worker, Jason, stumbled across something of even more interest.
Jason stepped into the office one day in early October and told me he had just seen “a really big buck” while cruising a local back road. In my experience, a lot of people that see an average 8-pointer on the hoof sometimes refer to a deer like this as “a really big buck,” so when Jason dropped that comment, I honestly didn’t pay much attention.
However, I did respond with “Hey, you didn’t get a picture of that deer, did ya?”
Surprisingly, when I asked, he answered, “Yeah, I did get one in fact.”
Jason then showed me the photo on his iPhone. It was the best deer picture I had seen in years. The buck was a giant! I immediately called Chris and emailed him the photo. We were excited and agreed that this deer could be in the 180-class. And so began the quest for Kong.
The area in which he’d photographed the buck consisted of a lot of private property, with few houses and mostly solid bush. Access was limited. We got as close as we could by getting permission from a local landowner friend to hunt his parcel, but we were still a mile from where we believed Kong’s “bedroom” was.
Chris and I spent a couple days walking the property, which consisted of solid bush, mixed deciduous and coniferous growth with an old skidder trail through the middle. The trail ended at a large 25-acre swamp.
There was also a ridge that ran from the swamp back to the main road, which was about 3/4 of a mile away. The swamp was the key. These are great barriers, funneling animal travel around them. We decided to set up about 125 yards from the swamp, which would force most animals cruising around the swamp to pass close to our location. There was still 125 yards of solid bush between the swamp and us, but in my experience, you’re better off giving a bit of distance from these large obstacles.
We set up with the ridge to the south of us and the skidder trail to our north. With this being such a low area, we knew scent control would be an issue. It seemed ideal for a “doublewide” pop-up blind. We set the blind only 20 yards to the main trail, still within good bow range.
In front of our stand was also a thick area of balsams, which appeared to be a bedding area. We tried to position ourselves in a high-traffic area, but close to a bedding location, so that when the rut kicked in, hopefully cruising bucks could easily locate does nearby.
While our strategy was simple, we believed it had a good chance of proving effective. We weren’t sure where Kong’s bedroom was, but we felt he would breed all available does close to him first, then eventually begin drifting farther and farther through all phases of the rut, eventually passing through our spot. And at that moment, hopefully one of us would be there.
Chris and I do most of our hunting from climber-style tree stands. However, this location was ideal for a two-man pop-up. We hunted it consistently for 5-6 weeks, hour by hour trading turns with the bow or video camera. During that span we saw some nice bucks and a lot of other deer but never laid eyes on Kong.
The pre-rut came and went, then the peak. Finally, it was dipping into the post-rut, with still no sightings or even trail camera photos of Kong. But as each phase of the rut passed, Chris and I remained positive that at some point Kong finally would show himself, and that one of us would get an opportunity.
I hunted solo on Nov. 19, as Chris was coming off his first night shift. The forecast was for a nice late-fall day, with a slightly below freezing morning giving way to an afternoon high of around 5 C (41 F).
Near 11:30 a.m., I was thinking of food; then I heard an animal approaching from my left. As I slid forward and peeked to the left, I saw a big buck approaching on the trail that would bring him directly across in front of me at 20 meters. I positioned myself for a shot as the buck appeared directly in range. When I bleated, he stopped.
The buck was a beauty we had never seen, even on trail camera. He sported a wide, fairly heavy rack with 9 or 10 points. One brow tine ![]( "dennis_chevalier_box")
looked to be 6-8 inches long, the other maybe 3 inches. He was a cool-looking deer, but not Kong. I put my bow back on my knees and let him pass. The buck’s arrival buoyed my confidence; he had left his home area and showed up here, looking for a doe in heat. Maybe Kong would as well.
I saw no more deer until 1:20 p.m., when a doe and her fawn drifted in and began feeding around me. I was unsure if I had seen this particular pair earlier that morning. I kept still so as not to alarm them.
Maybe five minutes later, the doe’s head shot up, and she seemed to stare right at me. Then I realized she was looking past me, toward a thick hill behind my blind. I turned around and slowly and quietly pulled the window covering over to peek out. I could hear an animal walking. Then I spotted a lot of long tines parting the trees about 45 yards away. It was Kong!
He turned and walked parallel to me, cruising the adjacent ridge. He never stopped and quickly drifted out of sight, traveling west as he cruised for does. Then, as quickly as he’d arrived he was gone from sight, the sound of his hooves in the crusted snow diminishing to silence.
Should I snort wheeze? Should I grunt? What should I do? So many thoughts were swirling through my mind. But rather than call, I turned back to look out front.
The doe and her fawn went back to feeding. At that point I was willing to wait to see if Kong would come back on his own. I knew he was cruising for does, and I had one directly in front of me.
Again the doe’s head snapped up, staring directly down the trail the other buck had walked in on that morning. I heard approaching footsteps in the snow…and then they stopped.
I grasped my PSE and peered out to the left. There Kong stood, about 35 meters away, staring directly at the doe and fawn. He was a giant, and my heart immediately began pounding even harder than before. His rack was taller than any I had ever seen in the bush. He was beautiful.
I slid back and focused straight ahead, waiting and trying to compose myself. I heard his steps again in the crusty snow to my left, and in a moment I could see Kong begin to fill the front window of my blind. The doe and her fawn bolted to my right. He stopped directly in front of my blind, broadside at 20 meters—then suddenly bolted toward the doe.
Fortunately, Kong quickly skidded to a stop again, quartering away from me. The range was still 20 meters. I’ll always remember the hard, adrenaline-charged draw of my bow; I was so shaken I could barely pull it back. But once at full draw, I put my 20-meter pin behind his shoulder and let fly.
As my Lumenok went out of sight, the deer bolted, crashing out of sight into some thick tag alders and birch trees to my left. I sat in disbelief, knowing I had just shot the giant we had been after for so long!
I sat in shock for a few minutes, trying to connect the scraps of what had just happened into a coherent thought. Then I began texting a few key people. First, of course, was Chris. “I just killed Kong!!!!!” my text to him read.
Next to get a text was my wonderful and ever-patient wife Beth. The third text went to my dad. The latter was the only one who responded immediately, calling my phone—but I wanted to remain quiet in the blind, I did not take his a call. We texted back and forth for a couple of minutes, as I tried to describe this amazing hunt.
Then my phone began to vibrate. It was Chris, so I decided to pick up.
“Are you serious?” he asked, followed by, “Why didn’t you call me?” and finally, “WOW!”
Chris was soon en route with another good friend and avid outdoorsman, Jeff Gustafson. I sat until 2 p.m., giving Kong a full 30 minutes to expire, even though I was totally confident in my shot. While I sat there, enjoying the moment, I decided to call and share the moment with my wife. I knew I had taken a buck of a lifetime, and it was an amazing time for me.
At 2 p.m., I climbed out of our blind and located my arrow, which was covered in beautiful, bright, lung blood. I placed it in my quiver and began to follow the heavy blood trail. It was a short one; Kong lay in the thick tags and birch trees where I had lost sight of him. He’d traveled about 50 meters before expiring: as clean a kill as one could hope for.
I sat beside the deer, admiring his 17 points. All of his G-2 and G-3 tines split, and there was some junk off his brows. He was heavy, high, dark and beautiful. I sat in disbelief that after hunting for 23 years, I was lucky enough to take the buck of a lifetime. A lot of great hunters never get the opportunity I was given, and for that I am truly grateful.
Following the 60-day drying period, I had Kong officially scored. He grossed 197 2/8 inches and had an incredibly low 2 inches of side-to-side deductions on the typical frame, yielding a net score of 195 2/8. This not only makes the 195-inch minimum for B&C’s all-time record books, it ranks him No. 5 with a bow all-time in Ontario.
×
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 Giarraputo
Mike Giarraputo set a New York state record with this 210-inch non-typical 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.
Payton Mireles
Payton Mireles, age 10, of Ind., killed her first buck in 2012, a 154-inch bruiser. Read the full story in NAW's 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.
Picture 1 of 37
NAW's Best Bucks of 2012
Sunrise was to be at 7:36 a.m., and it was 6:50 when I slid into the pop-up ground blind on Nov. 19, 2012. The mixed coniferous bush near Kenora, Ontario, was still draped in darkness, and I soon had settled in for a dawn-to-dusk hunt.
looked to be 6-8 inches long, the other maybe 3 inches. He was a cool-looking deer, but not Kong. I put my bow back on my knees and let him pass. The buck’s arrival buoyed my confidence; he had left his home area and showed up here, looking for a doe in heat. Maybe Kong would as well.
