My brother Matt & I and a bunch of our hunting buddies were driving some ditches in northern Audrain county Missouri.  Near our folk's home.  This other guy and I walked in about 1/2 mile and set up in overlook positions.  We were on the ground.  I hadn't been in place more than 5 minutes when I heard "boom! boom!".  I thought it was a shotgun, then "boom! boom!"  I figured they jumped 'em.  A huge old owl flew right past me.  It was a good sign.  I was in a real deery place; thick underbrush, roses, blackberrys, tall weeds, cedars and scrub oaks.

I saw him coming and I knew it was a buck.  I did not know he was a BIG BUCK.  He was crouched down and crawling/running low to the ground.  He was moving very fast.  My heart beat 3 or 4 times before I realized that I was going to have to shoot through the brush.  I'm glad I had already cranked my Leupold Vari-X II 3-9 down to 4 power.  I could see him clearly through the scope.  It wasn't going to get any better.  50 meters.  "BOOM! BOOM!"  He was still running.  "Boom!"  I really shot the third time just to be shooting.  In about 2 seconds he was gone.

It was quiet.  I was standing threre thinking "Oh Shit!  What do I do now?" Then all of a sudden I realized that I should chase him.  I tore through the brush.  I ran about 50 meters up onto the pond damn.  It opened up across the pond and I could see pretty far.  I had my Springfiled Armory SAR-8
(.308 Win/7.62mm NATO) semi-automatic rifle shouldered and I was looking for movement.  I didn't see him.  Then, I saw him standing there looking at me at about 150 meters.  I held on him and shot, "Boom!".  It knocked him right down.  I'm pretty sure the first two were enough, but the fourth one put him down and out.  I had one more round in the magazine, and I would've used it, but he was done.

I still didn't know he was such a big buck.  When I got up to him, I couldn't believe it.  I grabbed his antlers and pulled him.  It was all I could do to stretch him out.  I could not drag him.  He was a huge bodied deer with tall tines and heavy beams.  He had 23 points.  I have never seen anything like it.  His head is all scarred up from fighting other bucks. One of his ears has a 4 inch gash from a fight years ago.  He was definetly the bull of the woods.

I have heard stories about big bucks.  I have known guys who have killed 'em.  My dad has killed a few big ones and my brother has killed more than a few.  Their three biggest are:  B&C 140, B&C 160, and B&C 178.  I have killed two 10-pointers, but neither were worth scoring.  We have some really
nice mounts, but the only thing remarkable about them is the fact that we have them all displayed together.  This buck will tower over them all.  He is going to be the ceterpiece.  I cannot believe how lucky I am.

Regards;

John