Iowa Bowhunter Arrows Old, Heavy-Beamed Monarch

Ronald Even tagged the buck of a lifetime this season — a 6 ½-year-old monarch he had one trail camera photo of this fall. He had passed the deer during previous years, but it turned into quite the buck this season. Even had already taken 140- and 157-inch bucks off a permission property the past two years. This season, he topped those in a big way.

A lot of people say not to hunt early mornings in October because you can spook the bucks, Even said. I was willing to take the risk because I felt the odds were in my favor. I had a few trail camera pictures of him coming from the bean field and walking right past my stand around 5:30 to 6 a.m.

On Oct. 7, the wind was perfect, and with highs in the low 50s and dropping temps dipping into the mid-30s, Even expected good deer movement. Sitting in his perch, he scanned the hills and fields for movement. At first, he didn't see anything in the wooded pinch point to his left, timber line in front, open field to his right or along the timber to the rear.

We just had the big cold front push in, Even said. I just had the feeling that no matter what, this buck was going to be there.

As the sun started to rise and lighten the landscape, the action heated up. About eight to 10 does walked from the bean field directly under Even's treestand. Then, he heard and saw another deer — the big one.

I couldn't make out what he was because it was so thick, Even said. Finally, I saw it was him, and my heart started pounding. At one point, I had to look away from him and try to calm down. After a few breaths, I turned my camera on, and he started straight for my mock scrape.

The deer tended the scrape for about 45 seconds before continuing toward Even. Fortunately, the buck offered a 12-yard shot, and Even took it. The arrow struck the vitals right behind the shoulder, and the buck took off.

Six hours later, Even began blood trailing. About 120 yards into the tracking job, they recovered the deer. Even and his cousin Jason hunt together, and neither could believe the buck's size.

I love his mass, Even said. Both base mass measurements are over 6 inches.

Overall, the deer scored 190-1/8 inches — a great deer anywhere.

You see all of these guys shooting giant bucks, Even said. All you can think is, I'll never shoot one like that.

But he did, and it was a result of good ground, the right timing, putting in the work and being there when it mattered.

Deer hunting separates me from the world and puts me in a state of mind where I feel happy, Even said. With everything going on in the world, it's one place that silences all the bad. It's just you and Mother Nature.

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