Star-spangling a longbeard's head might have been the reason Mike Barnes went to Labette County, Kansas, in May 2014. But he also took the opportunity to hang a new deer stand before returning home to Mississippi.
Eager to christen his new setup, he arranged to take a week's vacation beginning Nov. 11.
Before noon on his first day in the stand overlooking a funnel, Mike glanced down and saw a giant buck at the base of his tree.
"It was literally 2 yards away, underneath me, and it had no clue I was there," he said. "By the time my hand touched my bow, the buck had hopped over a log and was trotting toward a nearby thicket.
"There was absolutely no shot opportunity," he added.
Two days later, right before shooting light, an 8-pointer with a busted-up rack chased a doe underneath Mike's perch. Soon afterward, the big buck from day one came into range.
"The deer was moving so quickly that I couldn't range the distance," Mike said. "When I thought it was inside 20 yards, I drew my bow, stopped the deer with a grunt, settled my top pin on his heart, and then released my arrow."
The broadhead only nicked the buck, but Mike was able to quickly launch a follow-up that connected.
The recovery wasn't exactly cut-and-dried, but Mike and his buddies found the deer.
"That was my third time to hunt in Kansas, but my first time to punch my tag," he said. "Looks like the third time was the charm."
Mike's 16-pointer has a BTR composite score of 183 5/8 inches. If not for a sheared point on the rack's left side, the antlers might've easily surpassed the 190 mark.