A Traditional Bowhunter’s 3-Year Wait for a 12-Point 170-Class Whitetail
Bowhunting mature whitetails requires time, patience, and dedication. Taxidermist Nick Krivoniak took up traditional bowhunting in 2018 after successfully hunting with a compound bow. He wanted to challenge himself and hunt only mature bucks. Over the next few years, he took a wild turkey and a few whitetail does. However, his main goal was to shoot a mature buck, and it took him three years to accomplish that.
Krivoniak’s motivation for hunting big mature deer has changed over time. He loves spending time in the woods and believes hunting mature bucks extends his season. Although he focuses on mature bucks, he doesn’t ignore the opportunity to hunt does.
When several years pass without filling a buck tag, a deer hunter’s standards tend to change. However, Krivoniak stuck to his plan of only killing mature deer, and it finally paid off after three years.
Targeting a Whitetail with a History
During the 2021 Ohio archery season, Krivoniak set his sights on one specific buck, a 10-point with split brow tines. He had been observing this buck on private property since 2019 when it was an 8-point. In 2020, he found the buck’s sheds, and it had grown to a 140-class 10-point. By 2021, it had become a 12-point that scored 172 1/8 inches.
“This buck was my main focus. I was going to hunt him whenever the wind was favorable. He was living on a small landlocked farm, so I could only hunt him when the wind allowed me to approach from a specific direction,” Krivoniak explained.
A Close Encounter with an Ohio Giant
On the evening of November 2, Krivoniak settled into a lock-on stand. It was his first sit in that tree, and bucks were moving. Despite a small buck and one with broken antlers passing by, Krivoniak kept his eyes peeled for the target buck. Around 6 p.m., he spotted the buck and anticipated it would approach a scrape and pass right by him. Sure enough, it did, coming within 18 yards.
Using his 47-pound Black Widow recurve bow, Krivoniak drew back. Unfortunately, his arm hit the tree, causing a soft noise that made the deer stop and search for the source. Undeterred, Krivoniak crouched until he had a clear shot at the buck’s vital organs and released his arrow. The arrow grazed a small branch but still flew true.
The buck reacted by mule kicking and running away. Krivoniak saw where it bedded down and knew it was a liver shot. He waited until dark, then climbed down from his tree. In the morning, he returned with a friend and a tracking dog. They found the buck 20 yards from where Krivoniak last saw it.
“I was relieved, excited, and awestruck,” Krivoniak said. “Years of watching and waiting for a buck of this size had paid off. Holding out to shoot one with my traditional bow made it even more rewarding.”
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.