The biggest deer I' ve ever killed was claimed by someone else.

On the last day of my " rut" scheduled vacation, the buck I was after--a HUGE 10 point came to my calling and I hit him perfectly, right behind the shoulder. But for some reason, I didn' t get the penetration I normally got. I didn' t wait long enough and went after him too soon. He got up and made it onto the neighboring land which is managed for hunting and closely patrolled.

I called the landowner of the land where the deer went and explained my problem and he gave me the number of the game manager there and told me to contact him. He told me I couldn' t look for it, but wanted exact directions as to where it came on their property so he could look for it " for me."

That night I was called back and told that I could look for it the next day if I wanted. OF COURSE, I never found it, but was told a year later that he did indeed find it and checked it in as his own. I met the landowner a few years later who verified the story. The caretaker had been fired for other unscrupulous activities and his whereabouts were unknown.

The buck was a potential B&C buck and weighed 275 dressed from what I was told.