Green's buck scored 180 3/8 inches.
- Hunter: Timothy Green
- Buck Score: 180 3/8 inches
- Date of Harvest: October 26, 2024
- Location of Harvest: Ohio
- Weapon of Harvest: Elite Synergy
For Timothy Green, the 2024 deer season was extraordinary. He arrowed a 5 ½-year-old public-land deer that stretched the tape beyond the 180-inch mark.
“I began hunting public land five years ago when I moved to Ohio,” Green said. “I didn’t have anywhere to hunt other than public land, and that really forced me to adapt and helped forge my desire to learn new ways of hunting. Also, I started listening to interviews with people whom I believed were in the same situation and started applying what they shared to my overall analysis of areas I was interested in.”
Green had three years of history with the buck, but never captured a trail camera photo of it. Instead, his first sighting came on the initial trek into the property, more than three years ago.
“I was scouting for the upcoming archery season and decided to stay until dark to hopefully get eyes on some deer,” Green said. “At the time, he was likely a 120s 8-point and had his core area locked down. It seemed impossible to get close enough to him. He had visual and private land advantages from all angles. The bedding area I was targeting was elevated and completely surrounded by some form of a water barrier.”
Bowhunter Arrows Massive Velvet 12-Pointer Along Bed-to-Feed Travel Route
Green bagged this buck on October 26, 2024, with his compound bow.
Green shot a different buck in 2022. In 2023, he scouted the property again but didn’t catch up to the buck. He did jump the deer from its bed while scouting. But in 2024, everything changed.
“The rubs I found from the 2023 rut were very impressive and seemed to be localized to a specific crossing,” Green said. “This information played a huge part in determining where to set up to get a shot in October of 2024.”
On October 26, 2024, Green encountered the deer for the final time. The weather rode in on a 16-mph wind out of the north-northwest. Temperatures maxed out in the mid-50s, and cooled off into the mid-40s.
His stand location was in a skinny section of hardwoods between a wide-open CRP field with hedge rows and a main drainage that formed a 50-yard-wide cattail wall.
“I was hunting in a pin oak tree surrounded by maple trees,” Green said. “Younger pines started to scatter in on the edge of the cattails in front of me. Beyond that was another thin pine edge into a new-growth section with elevated swampy areas.”
Edge Habitat for Deer (and How HuntStand Helps Find It)
This deer has a lot of points and heavy mass.
Around 2 p.m., he was set up and ready. Soon, the crackling of cattails breaking and the splashing of water signaled deer were on the move. Faint grunts echoed from the bedding area.
Green saw 11 deer total. First, two yearlings exited the bedding area. Soon after, a 6-point, 4-point, 8-point, and four does followed suit. Finally, around 6:30 p.m., an estrus doe, and the massive 14-pointer, walked into view.
“I remember seeing the silhouette of his body cross the open timber about 100 yards away, and knowing immediately it was him,” Green said. “I remember seeing him in my binoculars for the first time at 75 yards and instantly telling myself to only look at the spot I was going to put my pin until I made the shot.”
The big deer stopped at an oak tree and worked an overhanging oak branch. It also freshened up the scrape beneath it.
“The wind all but died at that very moment, and everything moved in slow motion,” Green said. “I drew my bow and cursed the cable guide creak that only seems to happen at the worst moments. I released, hearing the arrow cut through the air and seeing my Lumenok disappear behind his shoulder. Several seconds later, I heard him hit the ground just out of sight.”
The 18-yard, slightly quartering away shot was good. The 245-pound (field dressed) buck was challenging to retrieve, though. It was about ¾ of a mile from his truck. So, Green’s sister and brother-in-law, who live about an hour away, drove out to help him get him out of the woods.
“This buck was smart and experienced,” Green said. “He lived in a very heavily pressured area and was able to survive for 5 1/2 years. This buck used boundaries and visual advantages to stay safe. He would travel about a mile to access any agriculture and had immediate security cover at all times. The hunt for this buck was the product of a lot of effort.”
Key HuntStand Usage: Green prefers HuntStand due to the ultra-clear imaging. He uses it routinely to locate edge cover for deer.
Reflecting on the hunt, he says that HuntStand played a big role.
“I prefer HuntStand, because I believe the imaging and the clarity of edges and foliage change is more profound,” Green said. “Tools are how I begin the process of scouting any public property. Once I choose my points of interest, I will go and scout in person. While I’m physically scouting, I will map out what I find. So, later I can zoom out and view the big picture. Once I have the big picture, I can strategically hunt the area.”
Green labels himself a passionate archery hunter. And public land poses the ultimate challenge to test skills and grow as a deer hunter.
“The challenge doesn’t get much better than a big buck on public land,” Green said. “This buck, in particular, will always be a little more special because of the amount of effort that went into the opportunity, and where the opportunity took place.
“Deer hunting is much more than pulling the trigger,” Green concluded. “In my opinion, being a hunter means having the utmost respect and appreciation for the environment and those that inhabit it.”
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