A 200-Inch Texas Buck on a 90-Degree Day

Bonnie McFerrin has shot more mature bucks than most hunters have seen. She started hunting when she married her husband, Mike, and has been chasing whitetails ever since. They have shared that hobby for the past 20 years, and it eventually led to a hunting show, Legends of the Fall. They're straight poison on big deer, and her latest buck is more proof that she's one of the most lethal women in the deer woods.

They started seeing this deer a lot last season but opted to give it one more year to grow. This year, the 5 1/2-year-old became a true giant. They made plans to target the monster whitetail as soon as the season opened. Oct. 2 proved uneventful. Oct. 3 produced a sighting but no shot. The next day would bring the best action.

On Oct. 4, Bonnie and her daughter, Georgia-Kate — who was filming — went afield for the third straight day. The weather wasn't great. It was foggy all morning, but the sun eventually poked through the clouds and burned off the fog. It quickly heated up to a scorching 90 degrees. Hunting from a ground blind, that's no cakewalk.

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Nonetheless, she stuck it out and scanned the cactus, mesquite, and other thick brush around her for movement. The left, right, and rear sides of the ground blind faced mostly mesquite. In front was cactus, Spanish daggers, and open ground. Several does and young bucks filtered through the area, as well as a few cows. Bonnie hoped the cattle wouldn't mess up the hunt.

Later in the afternoon, wildlife began moving again. A javelina passed through. Then more deer. More cattle walked into view and pushed all the deer out of the area. Or, at least, that's what Bonnie thought. But she was wrong. The giant poked its head out from behind some cover, and the McFerrin women couldn't believe their eyes. When he stepped out, I was surprised, because I thought the hunt was pretty much over, Bonnie said.

The massive buck eventually walked into bow range and offered a 21-yard shot. She settled her top pin on the quartering-away buck and released the arrow. It struck true. The deer bolted for cover, ran 60 yards, and tipped over. Georgia-Kate looked at her mother and talked about how excellent the shot was.

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Given the short blood trail, the recovery was easy. It didn't take long at all to get the deer back to camp. Bonnie's husband, Mike, her daughter, Georgia-Kate, and LOF cameraman Harman Blanton all enjoyed the moment as well. She describes the day as pure elation.

This is the largest whitetail I've taken with my bow, and I could not be happier, Bonnie said. When he stepped out and presented me with a shot, I was excited, but also focused. I have hunted for 20 years and have spent a lot of time in the woods. I never imagined I would get an opportunity to take such a gorgeous deer.

Looking back, she credits her trail cameras for establishing such a good pattern on this deer. They watched the buck all summer long and homed in on where they thought was the best place to cross paths with it. She's certainly glad they put in all the time and effort to create this opportunity.

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Everyone around me was so excited I arrowed this buck, Bonnie said. We were all so happy about him. As a female archer, this deer means so much to me. I have put a lot of time and effort into archery hunting and he is the ultimate reward. This deer is so special, because it was a mother-daughter hunt with my youngest — making memories in the outdoors. To me, deer hunting means making memories in the outdoors with my family and friends while enjoying viewing wildlife and relaxing at our family ranch.