Bowhunter Takes 266-inch Indiana Buck After Long Search

Stephen Crowell, a 35-year-old Ohio bowhunter and fishing guide, harvested a giant non-typical whitetail buck in eastern Indiana after months of searching for the deer known from a trail camera image. The buck measured 266 4/8 inches gross, according to official scoring cited by North American Whitetail.

Crowell, a manufacturing project manager from New Paris, Ohio, had pursued reports of the deer after seeing a photo shared by friends and coworkers. He eventually gained permission to hunt a roughly 100-acre property with wooded draws and agricultural fields, according to Outdoor Life.

The hunter said the only clue he had initially was the location detail visible in the camera image. "I only had one reference point to go off of," Crowell said. "A lone tree was in the trail camera picture with the buck so that was the only clue I was working with."

Crowell searched areas where the buck was rumored to live before finally seeing the deer feeding in a picked agricultural field. He continued preparing through the summer while running trail cameras on the property.

"I'd been busy through the spring and summer with my other ‘fun’ job," Crowell said, referring to his work as a fishing guide.

"I had been running several cameras through the summer but I'd still yet to get any sort of picture of the buck, I really think this buck was avoiding my cameras," Crowell said.

In late September, Crowell encountered the buck near a soybean field while checking the farm. The sighting confirmed the deer was still using the area before Indiana's bow season opened.

"As I was working my way through the area I jumped a deer, it was him, the buck I’d been looking for all summer for," Crowell said.

Crowell watched the deer stop and look back after being startled, giving him time to study its antlers. "The buck bounded from its bed but slowed and stopped at a little over 100 yards looking back at what had scared it. We had a stare off for about 2 minutes. It was then I got a good look at his rack," Crowell said.

On Oct. 2, a canceled fishing trip allowed Crowell to hunt the property. "With the cold weather coming in that afternoon I figured it would be a good time to check a small farm I’d just secured permission to hunt," Crowell said.

Crowell carried a stand into the soybean field area and prepared for an evening hunt. "I have a scheduled fishing trip for Oct. 2 later in the day," Crowell said.

The hunter chose the location because deer activity appeared favorable, with cool temperatures, wind conditions, and a green soybean field nearby. "I wanted to see how the deer were using the area," Crowell said.

Crowell returned to the area where he had previously seen the buck and set up his stand despite difficult conditions. "I decided to go back to the area I jumped the buck from only 12 days prior. I figured he’d be using the area again or at least I’d get a look to see where he was coming and going from," Crowell said.

Three does entered the field around 6 p.m., followed by a smaller buck. About an hour later, the larger buck appeared and slowly moved through the soybeans.

"I spotted him at 100 yards and even then, he looked incredible," Crowell said.

The buck moved cautiously, eventually reaching a position where Crowell decided he needed to shoot. "It was nerve racking to watch but it gave me time to settle myself down. I just kept telling myself don't look at the rack, don't look at the rack," Crowell said.

Crowell ranged the deer at 51 yards before releasing his arrow. "So I decided to take a shot at 51 yards," Crowell said.

The arrow struck high and the buck fell immediately, with Crowell taking a follow-up shot from the stand. He later described the moment of approaching the deer.

"I couldn't believe what I'd just shot, I just sat there and took the moment in," Crowell said.

The buck weighed 220 pounds dressed, with an estimated live weight of 250 pounds, according to Outdoor Life. The deer had a 21.5-inch inside spread and 28 scorable points.

Indiana Hoosier Record Book director and official Boone and Crockett measurer Tony Wright recorded a gross score of 266 3/8 inches and a green net score of 251 4/8 inches, according to North American Whitetail. The buck was taken to Wildlife Creations Taxidermy after the harvest.