Because he was pressed for time, Tony Fulton of Louisville, Miss., almost decided not to go hunting on the evening of Jan. 5, 1995. His wife, Rhonda, talked him into it.
A doe was the first deer to enter the green field Tony was watching. Apparently spooked by something she heard in the woods, she eventually darted back into the timber.
Tony could also hear what sounded like a buck thrashing a tree with its antlers, but he never really thought the deer would visit the food plot before dark. When it did, Tony was ready.
The buck appeared suddenly, apparently looking for the doe that had already gone. As if either nervous or eager to find her, the deer instantly broke into a run, stopping momentarily a mere 50 yards from Tony’s tree to get his bearings.
Though aware the deer had a large rack, Tony had no idea how many points it carried. And he didn’t take the time to count them; he simply squeezed the trigger.
The buck ran into the timber afte...