Steve Schabes was bowhunting in St. Joseph County, Michigan on Oct. 21, 2005 when he ran into this beautiful 9-pointer. A month earlier in September, Steve had borrowed his cousin's trail camera and placed it under his stand on his uncle's property.To his amazement, he got a picture of this buck along with eight other smaller bucks on his very first roll of film.

Steve had hunted this land for many years and never seen a buck this large. On the afternoon of the hunt, Steve had a smaller buck step within range. He actually came to full draw two times but the buck was standing behind some limbs and he could never get an open shot. Then Steve heard something behind him.

He looked back to see this awesome 9-pointer only a few yards from his tree. Slowly he turned and faced the buck. After a several minute standoff, the buck started quartering away and offered Steve a 23-yard shot. Steve's trophy, only his second with a bow, field dressed at 230 pounds. The buck sported a 21-inch inside spread. It grossed 160 1/8 and netted 149 7/8.

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