RE: What buck haunts you???
Was on stand one evening in Southern Illinois about 8 years ago. Had a spike come in from behind me and walk right past my tree 8 yards away. Not long after I see an absolute monster coming down the same path. I start to get set up for the shot where the spike traveled. Well, the monster decided to take a different route. He walked behind this little knoll into a thick area to my right and I lost sight of him. 20 minutes went by and I still don't see him. I guess he's gone. I sit back down, put my bow in the holder attached to my climber, scan the area again and look in front of me.....THERE HE IS...broadside, right in the open, 24 yards away. I quickly (but carefully) stand up, grab my bow, draw and release. In a rush, I misjudge the yardage and shot right over his back. He bounds away to about 60 yards and looks at me. I'm not sure how many points he had but he was massive with 12" or more G2's and he was a few inches past his ears in width. I killed a 150 class deer last year and the one that got away would have dwarfed him. I don't even want to think what he would have scored. Haunts me to this day.