West Virginia Deer Hunter Arrows 200-Inch Buck That’s Almost a State Record
Despite the rain and wind, Josh Carter, 29, checked his remote cellphone trail camera Halloween morning for deer activity near his treestand. He discovered two photos of a massive buck he’d never seen before. Carter quickly gathered his gear and climbed up into his fixed-position treestand on an oak ridge flat. Although he hadn’t hunted this spot yet in the season, his father-in-law, Brad Butcher, had successfully hunted there in 2020.
Carter was hunting in Logan County, a small 50-acre lease near the Kentucky state line, where only bowhunting is allowed. The rain subsided later in the morning, but the wind continued to blow strongly.
“The strong wind may have actually worked in my favor since I was near a ridge where deer were filtering along the hillside just 25 feet below me,” says Carter, who owns a trucking business.
During the rut, when bucks were actively moving, Carter only encountered a small buck around 9 a.m. However, as he checked his phone at 11 a.m., he noticed the massive buck from the trail camera photos staring at him from a close distance, already within bow range.
“I remained motionless, and eventually, the buck turned away and began feeding slowly on acorns,” says Carter. “Amazingly, he didn’t detect my scent even though he was downwind of me, but located well below my stand.”
At a distance of 15 yards, the buck briefly disappeared behind a tree, giving Carter the opportunity to draw his 65-pound Hoyt bow. When the buck reappeared, it presented a quartering-away shot, and Carter successfully aimed his Rage Hypodermic broadhead behind its shoulder. Confirming a good hit, the buck sprinted away and eventually fell around 80 yards from Carter’s stand. This deer marks one of the approximately 15 that Carter has harvested with his bow.
He promptly contacted his father-in-law, who arrived an hour later to assist in recovering the buck, field dressing it, and dragging it downhill and out of the woods.
Estimates suggest that the 18-point buck is between 6.5 and 7.5 years old and weighs around 220 pounds. Its gross green score amounts to 214 6/8 inches, with a net score of 200 2/8 inches.
Carter’s remarkable buck falls short of the state record non-typical deer, which measures 212 1/8 inches and was harvested in 1986 by bowhunter Jerry Hill.
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.