A Coin Flip Leads to a Booner White-Tailed Buck

Did you ever flip a coin to determine who hunts where? Hiram Cutter and another client who were both hunting at Brushy Fork Outfitters (BFO) in Ohio did this October.

Cutter resides in New Hampshire and was eagerly traveling to Ohio to hunt with outfitter Bryan Dawes of BFO when some sketchy driving ahead of him caused a small accident. Fortunately, the damages stayed within fender-bender status. After completing some paperwork, Cutter continued to Coshocton County, Ohio.

During his first few days on stand, Cutter saw does, small bucks and even a 150-inch buck that he passed up. Of course, other hunters in camp chastised that decision.

I told them I was here for one buck, and one buck only, he said.

The buck Cutter was referring to had appeared on a trail camera at the food plot he'd been hunting, but the monarch failed to show while he was on stand.

After checking a few trail cameras with Bryan and another client, the world-class buck appeared on a camera placed on the opposite side of the property from where I'd been hunting him, Cutter said. The other client had already been told that he could hunt the spot if a shooter was showing up. My heart sank as we reviewed many daylight pictures of the monster.

The other client would hunt there that afternoon … or would he?

Back to the coin flip. The other client had left his bow in the tree he'd hunted that morning, and he shared that he didn't think it was possible to retrieve his bow and get to this new spot. Obviously, the guides agreed that the evening hunt that day was the best chance for someone to kill the legend. So, the client proposed that he and Cutter would flip a coin to determine if Cutter would get his chance to hunt the world-class buck after all. Fortunately for Cutter, the coin landed heads-up.

After a scent-free shower, outfitter Bryan Dawes dropped Cutter off near his stand location.

When I got all situated, I was sure the massive buck would approach from the front, he said. So, I focused intently in that direction.

Soon, the wind became shifty. At one point, I got this uncanny feeling that I should peek behind me, and when I did, the target buck was standing 50 yards away, downwind and with his nose up, Cutter said. I really hoped he wouldn't spook, because I knew he'd probably become nocturnal.

Cutter anxiously clutched his bow, but as the monster meandered closer, he was unable to stand because two young bucks were directly beneath him.

Once the big buck was almost to my shooting lane, I started to draw my bow, but my elbow hit the tree, he said. Once I regained my composure, I began to lean out to shoot. Of course, the treestand squeaked, and the two young bucks bolted, alerting the monster.

Cutter feared the giant would slip out of his life forever, but the buck stood there to assess the situation.

He needed to take one more step to expose its vitals, but it looked like it was about to run, so I leaned out a little more and took the 14-yard shot, he said. My arrow hit perfectly. I got pretty emotional, and I was shaking like crazy.

Meanwhile, Cutter received a text that one of the Wounded Warrior veterans who were in camp had shot a buck, so he climbed down and returned to camp to join the tracking crew. After recovering that deer, he knew it was time to look for his world-class buck.

I found my arrow quickly, and it was drenched in blood, Cutter said. We found the deer 100 yards away, and when I first saw his right antler in the flashlight beam, it looked like a Canadian bull moose.

Inevitably, Cutter constantly replays the hunt and shot in his mind.

I was mowing [the] lawn last weekend, and I couldn't stop thinking about it, Cutter said. It's a day, and an event, that will be etched in my memory for the rest of my life. I thank the Lord for blessing me with such an opportunity.

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