Rack Report: Mike Farris Tags Kentucky 'Dreamer'

Buck: 190" 10-point
Hunter: Mike Farris
Location: Christian County, Ky
Time of Year: November, 2011
Weapon: Rifle

Without question, giant whitetails bucks with tall tines and heavy mass have the ability to mesmerize and captivate serious hunters. Deer like these often earn nicknames and they routinely haunt the dreams of diehard deer fanatics each and every fall. A hunter named Mike Farris came across such a buck in his home state of Kentucky last season. A combination of dedication and perseverance enabled him to encounter the giant he aptly named “The Dreamer.”

This particular whitetail was living on a secluded piece of private property that Farris and several of his friends had permission to hunt. Numerous trailcam pictures, sheds and sightings showed that this big boy would have probably scored well over 170 inches around two years ago. However, the legendary buck had grown even bigger this past season and everyone in camp was dreaming about hanging the monster on their wall.

As a lifelong deer hunter, Mike Farris knew that earning a shot at “The Dreamer” was not going to be an easy task. The thick-bodied bruiser had a reputation of being a stealthy ghost that would seemingly vanish during whitetail season without a trace. On the other hand, Farris felt pretty good about his chances, because he would be hunting one of his favorite big buck honey-holes.

On the morning of the hunt, Farris entered his strategically placed box blind that overlooked a secluded late-picked cornfield that was surrounded by heavy cover. Once again, the buck had mysteriously disappeared just before the season, but the hunter didn’t let this get him down.

"My setup was overlooking a heavily-covered transition area near the edge of a late-picked cornfield. Over the years, this location has been a hotspot for mature bucks, because it contains a lot of thick cover and easy access to food," Farris said. "The big boys just feel safe and are not afraid to move during the daylight hours. In fact, I was able to harvest a really nice 150-class 9-pointer from the same exact spot last season."

As he sat in the blind waiting for daybreak, he said a little prayer to start the hunt. He asked the Lord for a shot at the buck, but only if he would be able to stay humble after taking such an animal. Over the years, Mike had developed a profound respect for the whitetail that no other hunter in the area had been able to tag. He knew it would be really easy to let those jaw-dropping antlers go to his head.

Apparently, God was listening and thought he could handle the glory, because just after daylight the hunter spotted a white flash that looked like antlers. A sudden surge of adrenalin shot through Mike’s entire body at the sight of the whitetail’s massive rack. It was hard to believe that his dream buck had finally showed up.

Without hesitation, Mike raised his trusty Remington .270 rifle and placed its crosshairs on the monster’s sweet spot. After a deep breath, he slowly squeezed the trigger just as the buck stopped inside of a cleared shooting lane. On impact, the buck frantically kicked up its hind legs and jolted into the thick entanglement of cover.

Needless to say, Farris was overwhelmed with emotion when he finally wrapped his hands around the monster’s massive antlers. “The Dreamer” is expected to score around 190 inches, which is incredible for a 10-pointer. This amazing whitetail has excellent tine length and an impressive inside spread of 21 ½ inches.

"Over the years, I had developed a profound respect for 'The Dreamer.' This amazing buck had been able to consistently fool other hunters in the area. It was almost like hunting a ghost that always stayed just a few moves ahead of everyone," Farris said. "When a shot opportunity finally presented itself, I was overwhelmed with a lot of emotion and mixed feelings, because the chess match was finally over. It was definitely one of my most memorable hunts!"

On a side note, Mike Farris didn’t just tag a phenomenal whitetail with a hard-earned nickname and legendary reputation. He did this from the constraints and limitations of a wheel-chair. Mike is the kind of guy that didn’t allow a disability to keep him out of the woods or from doing something that he truly loves.

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