Steve (left) and his brother-in-law Ryan Berghorst show off Steve's massive 28-point non-typical, taken on Oct. 7, 2006, in Adams County, Illinois. The buck netted 226 7/8. Photo courtesy of Steve DeWitt.

Steve DeWitt of Zeeland, Michigan, wasn't looking to hang his tag on a buck of legendary proportions when he ventured to west-central Illinois last October. He simply wanted to enjoy his passion for hunting and share some time with friends and family. He knew that the possibility always existed of seeing some nice animals, but he never dreamed he would meet up with what would turn out to be the second-largest bow-killed bucks taken in North America in 2006.

Back in early 2005, Steve and his brother-in-law Ryan Berghorst made the trek from Michigan to the fertile lands of west-central Illinois to try to find and purchase a tract of deer hunting land. They searched and found their little "slice of heaven" in Adams County. After signing the closing documents, the two men wasted little time in learning the travel patterns of the local whitetails and setting up tree stands on their newly acquired farm.

The inaugural season turned out to be a good one for Steve. He harvested a 150-class 10-pointer during shotgun season. It was his largest whitetail ever, and it was a great way to christen the hanging pole at camp. Other members of Steve's party also saw several nice bucks, and Ryan scored on a respectable 8-pointer. The 2005 season was considered a great success, thus setting the stage for bigger and better things to come.

IMAGES OF A ROYAL CROWN
In June 2006, Steve, his brother Jim, his grandfather Marvin, and Ryan all traveled to Illinois to do some scouting. Because of the heat and the bugs, they toured the farm one afternoon in the comfort of an air-conditioned truck cab, driving around the field edges, glassing as they went. As they drove around an overgrown ditch line, a huge buck with velvet points seemingly protruding from every angle suddenly leaped up from the weedy cover and sprang for the woods.

All four men were in awe as the buck gave them a quick 40-yard stare before disappearing into the cover of the hardwoods. A simple glance was all it took -- even Steve's 87-year-old grandfather knew he was viewing a very special whitetail. During his lifetime, Marvin had viewed many exceptional whitetails, both alive and dead, but he had never laid eyes on a buck with such a crown on its head.

Steve and Ryan were practically speechless as they headed back to Michigan. It's one thing to see a buck of this size during the off-season, Steve thought, but the chances of seeing him again and actually getting a crack at him during hunting season must be astronomical. Still, the memory of the giant buck haunted Steve's dreams until the following October. At that time, the dream of a lifetime was about to become a reality.

A GLORIOUS NEW SEASON
Steve, Ryan and two good friends arrived at their cabin on the evening of Oct. 6, 2006, for several much-anticipated days of bowhunting. After unpacking and making preparations for the next morning's hunt, the four men settled in for a restful night.

Saturday, Oct. 7, dawned clear and cold, a perfect morning to be in the deer woods. After Steve settled into his stand, his ritual of saying a morning prayer while waiting for first light was interrupted by the sound of footsteps shuffling in the frost-covered leaves. Steve opened his eyes and tried to discern the object that was headed his way. In the dim light, he watched as a trophy 8-pointer made its way into a wooded hollow where it would likely spend the day.

As the buck went out of sight, Steve settled back and finished his morning prayer. Then he waited for daylight. The shuffling of leaves once again grabbed his attention. A mature doe and a young buck passed by at 20 yards, unaware of Steve's presence.

"I always try to take every precaution I can to minimize human scent," Steve said. "And since I was wearing rubber boots and carbon-activated clothing, the close encounter helped boost my confidence that I had done several things right that morning."

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