For The Record Book

FOR THE RECORD BOOK

BY RAY WARD

Mercer County Pennsylvania

Number 3 typical State of PA Archery

Mike Hecathorn

2000 P&Y score 171 6/8

I was 20 feet up in a poplar tree and I knew that I only had two nights left to hunt before my archery season would end for another year. The season was actually in for four more days but I was leaving for Illinois for the weekend to hunt.

I had just let out a series of grunts when I heard those faint footsteps in the leaves and the sound was closing in fast. My mind was already prepared to see another yearling buck with another scrap rack on its head so I wasn’t ready for what was about to reveal itself.

I had passed up 21 or 22 bucks already this season and only one had been a shooter. The one that was a shooter sported a 130-class eight-point rack but I just couldn’t bring myself to shoot him knowing a real monster was still out there. I was still sitting down and my bow was resting on my left thigh, my release was clipped and ready to go.

What I didn’t realize is that my hand was torqing my release upward and my arrow was nearly off my string. When the buck finally came into view I instantly knew it was a shooter. He was 30 yards out, closing fast and walking straight at me. The hair on his neck was standing up, his ears were laid back, and he looked as if he hadn’t slept for a week. Whatever I said to him with that grunt call made him real upset and he was looking for a fight.

I picked up my bow and came to full draw, only to have an archery hunter’s worse nightmare come true. Everything was perfect except my arrow was resting on my lap! So there I was, in full draw with a 170-class monster standing at 11 yards staring right up at me. I had plenty of time to look him over. He had a massive 10-point frame with a couple of sticker points and I guessed his spread to be around 18 inches. I figured with the smirk he had on his face it was all about to end and if he didn’t end it soon I would have to.

The 75-pound PSE Carerra was wanting to unleash it’s fury, but I was so desperately trying to hold back. Finally he gave me the break I thought would never be possible. He started to walk from left to right and was very slightly quartering away. As soon as he turned his head I let my bow down and started to frantically get my arrow knocked back on my string. He kept looking back up at me but could really care less that I was there. The hair on his back was still sticking up and his ears were laid back as he continued to circle my position.

Well, his luck was running out because I managed to get my arrow knocked and my bow drawn again. The buck was only 20 yards out and slightly quartering away. I picked a small opening and as soon as the buck stepped into it I released. I saw my white fletching streak right behind the shoulder. Now it was all up to the 125-grain spitfire broadhead to do the rest. It didn’t take long.

The buck ran 75 yards before crashing. I got out of my tree and walked down to recover my trophy and as I walked across the creek I saw the biggest deer that I had ever seen in Pennsylvania. The live weight was 300 pounds and dressed at 220. After the 60-day drying period I contacted Ed Definbough (DON’T KNOW IF SPELLED CORRECTLY) , an official Pope and Young scorer. The deer’s gross score was 180 2/8 and netted at 172 6/8. Deer this big are extremely rare in Pennsylvania. Since I became a trophy hunter I watched countless bucks walk by and can only hope that one might live to see four or five years of age. I just wonder if this buck was once spared by me. It’s been quite a few years since I harvested a buck here. The wait was well worth it and with Dr. Alts (SPELL) new deer management program I’m hoping to be able to hunt deer this big in the Keystone State every year.

Editor’s note: Mike’s first ever kill was a black bear at the age of 16. Mike got his start in hunting with the help of his grandfather with whom he was always very close. Mike’s biggest wish was that his grandfather could have been there to see the trophy he harvested. By a strange coincidence the day Mike harvested this buck was exactly two years to the day of his grandfather’s passing.