On October 5, 2023, I set up in a Lone Wolf stand about six feet off the ground, cutting a shooting lane through the branches. My spot overlooked the edge of a soybean field where a low area still held green leaves. That afternoon, I witnessed 15 bucks feeding and sparring, a sight I’ll never forget.
As the evening progressed, the last deer to enter was the Mega Brow Buck. He moved parallel to the field through the native grass, heading toward a scrape along the edge. When he stopped broadside, I took the shot, placing my arrow behind his lungs. The hit looked good, and as he bounded into the CRP with his tail up, my heart pounded.
Recovering my arrow, I found a clean pass-through with some blood, but nothing definitive. I searched, but there was no clear trail, and doubt crept in. Despite my efforts, I never recovered him. He never showed up on camera for the rest of the season—vanishing like a ghost.
Even now, a year later, there hasn’t been a single sighting, trail cam image, or shed to confirm his fate. If anyone has seen this buck after that day, found his shed, or caught him on camera, I’d love to know. If not, he remains one of those legends that got away, forever a mystery in the woods.
