Ohio hunter bags monster 20-point buck that had eluded him for years

PICKAWAY COUNTY, Ohio - In a tale of patience and ultimate triumph, a hunter's three-year dream etched in the central Ohio woods found its final chapter.

Brandon Sheets, a 30-year-old bowhunter from Pickaway County, has added a legendary page to his hunting story. His recent harvest of a massive 20-point buck scored nearly 215 inches by Buckmasters' standards.

Brandon Sheets, an Ohio bowhunter, spent three years tracking a massive whitetail buck. After a heart-pounding encounter, he finally harvested the legendary deer, which scored nearly 215 inches. (Brandon Sheets)

The epic chase began in 2022 when Sheets first caught a glimpse of the young buck on private land. At the time, it was a promising 150-class deer, Sheets told FOX Weather.

"I saw him out chasing the occasional doe, but nothing near close enough for me to shoot," Sheets recalled.

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The first glimpse of greatness for Brandon Sheets was spotted in December 2022. (Brandon Sheets)

The following year, Sheets intensified his efforts, placing additional trail cameras to track the growing buck, now estimated to have a rack around 170 inches. Yet, the elusive deer vanished once more.

"I couldn't figure out where he was," Sheets said. "I would get him sparingly on this camera or that camera, but it was never daylight," he said.

The passage of another year brought hope, but also a chilling reality. A severe outbreak of EHD, a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, swept through central Ohio, decimating the local deer population. 

Sheets couldn't help but question whether the legendary buck would succumb to the deadly disease.

"I don't even know if this deer made it to live another day," he said.

More than just a deer

Fate intervened Nov. 8 when Sheets first caught sight of the buck on another trail camera in the area. The following day, their paths crossed once more, this time in person.

By the afternoon of Nov. 9, Sheets said the woods came alive with so much rut activity around his tree strap.

"I had a nice eight-pointer, probably 140s, laying in front of me," he recalled. "I've got like deer camouflage, basically. Nothing is going to be spooked. There were deer literally circling around me."

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Sheets' recent harvest of a massive 20-point buck scored nearly 215 inches by Buckmasters' standards. (Brandon Sheets)

The thicket soon erupted and out walked the king of the woods, led by a doe. Its antlers, a crown of glory, seemed to touch the sky, Sheets said.

"Everything knew that daddy was home," Sheets laughed.

The moment Sheets had been waiting years for had finally arrived. As the grunting buck pranced towards him, head lowered, it paused. Now was the perfect opportunity for Sheets to draw his bow. The arrow found its mark, bringing the creature down.

"My heart was pounding. Three years of nothing but going out and moving cameras and scouting," Sheets said. "My wife wanted to almost kill me for this deer, so it kind of all washed over me at that point."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Sheets approached the fallen giant with its antlers covered in heavy, gnarled points.

"This deer meant so much," he said. "I put the time and effort in to get this deer. This deer had been outsmarting me for years, and now I'm blessed to be able to harvest this year finally."

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The legendary buck has now begun its transformation into a timeless trophy. Sheets has delivered the deer to the skilled hands of a taxidermist and eagerly anticipating the finished mount next year.

"I'll probably never see a deer this big for the rest of my life," he said. "It's a deer of that caliber."

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