Had a Zachary, Louisiana, woman not mentioned her unsuccessful deer season and yearning for venison to Donald Forbes, he probably would've remained indoors during the drizzling rain of Jan. 15, 2015.
The 68-year-old cattleman had shot a deer for himself earlier in the season, and he didn't need the meat.
"The only reason I went hunting that day was to get the lady a deer for her and her family," Donald told John Phillips, who's writing the story for Rack magazine.
Donald hunts property on both sides of the Comite River in East Baton Rouge Parish. When he decided to go grocery shopping, he went to a small "sitting house" overlooking a field of rye grass about 300 yards from the river.
About 4:45 p.m., nearly two hours after he arrived, Donald spotted the biggest buck he'd ever seen at 225 yards. He wasted little time in taking - and making - the long poke.
"When I saw him, I knew he was a good deer," he said.
When news spread, Donald learned others had been hunting the buck since 2013. For at least two seasons, it had mugged for trail cameras 7 or 8 miles from where he shot it.
"I think it was moving up and down the river, looking for does," he said.
After skinning the 14-pointer, Donald kept his promise and took all the meat to the lady. The cape and antlers went to the taxidermist.
The deer is No. 3 among Semi-irregulars felled by rifle in Louisiana. Its BTR composite score is 201 inches.