Ohio Bowhunter Breaks 200-Inch Mark with a One-Eyed, 16-Point Whitetail
On Nov. 5, Preston Lair, a 21-year-old construction worker from Miami County, Ohio, arrowed a buck he had previously only dreamt about. He almost missed his chance.
Lair first saw the buck in June 2022 on his parents’ property. He couldn’t get a firm count on the antlers from far away, but he knew the whitetail was huge.
“We talked to some neighbors who had him on trail cameras for the past three years,” Lair tells Outdoor Life. “He was in our area but not living in our woods. I hadn’t seen him until this year when he was more comfortable living in our area.”
Lair decided to focus on this buck for the 2022 season. He went out every weekend trying to spot it. Then on Nov. 5, he saw a small six-point buck near his tree stand and decided to record a video of it. Just as he was doing so, he noticed the massive buck approaching.
The 16-point buck came out near a spot Lair had marked earlier at 20 yards, but it had moved to 30 yards. Lair took the shot, but his arrow missed. However, he rattled with intensity, hoping the buck would return.
The buck did return, catching Lair off guard again. But this time, Lair was prepared and made a good shot, hitting the buck’s lungs. It ran about 70 yards before falling.
Lair realized that the buck was missing its right eye. Despite his initial distraction with his phone, Lair feels humility when reflecting on the experience.
After rough-scoring the buck at 201 1/2 inches, Lair believes it could break the current Miami County record. However, he is humbled by the overall experience and the buck fever he felt throughout.
“I sent a video to my hunting buddies trying to show where the buck went down. But my hands were shaking. They were like ‘Preston, what’s the big deal? It’s just another deer. Why are you so nervous?’ But once I actually showed them the deer, they realized why I was shaking so bad.”
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.