The 125-grain three-bladed Thunder-head had punctured the animal's right ham and severed the femoral artery on the opposite side. Armando's friends were thrilled about his success. Anthony tried to give Armando a bear hug, but the elated hunter was still holding the arrow and he had to warn Anthony to be careful. Armando was in shock over killing the biggest buck of his career with a bow. The celebration continued as Armando tagged and gutted his trophy. Its 10-point frame carried split G-2s and three other abnormal points. This is one of the best days of my life! Armando thought.

A HAPPY OCCASION
While dragging the deer out of the woods, a call was made to several of the hunters back at the club, and Armando called his wife, Donna. He asked her to come down to the club and bring his kids so that the entire family could share in the moment. When Armando's group got out to the road, eight to 10 hunters were waiting to see his buck. They all congratulated Armando as the buck was loaded in a truck. Armando's wife and youngest daughter, Victoria, were waiting back at the club.

Donna's father had passed away on Oct. 1, 1996 (nine years to the day before Armando shot his buck). Armando had been very close to his father-in-law. Donna, now realizing the relevance of the date, told her husband, "Dad must have sent you this deer." Armando and Donna both broke down and cried in sadness and joy after acknowledging Donna's father.

After dozens of photos were taken, Armand and another friend, George Condo, took the deer to Ted's Taxidermy Shop to check it in. (Ted's Taxidermy is an official New Jersey Fish and Wildlife check station.)

"I told Ted that I would be back with the head and hide to have it mounted," Armando said. "I told him I wanted a three-quarter body mount, and he gave me a price of $800."

The deer was taken back to the club and hung in the cooler. Over the next three days, numerous people came by to see it. Armando asked Anthony (a skilled skinner) to skin the deer for him since he would need most of the skin for the three-quarter mount. When the cape and antlers were delivered to the taxidermist, most of the skin was attached to the cape, including the hindquarter section with the arrow hole.

Many more photos were taken -- even as the deer was being skinned. Armando even took several photos of the buck's bloody hams. All in all, he felt very fortunate to have recovered this New Jersey trophy whitetail after making such a marginal shot.

THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
Two weeks later, Armando learned from friends that several game wardens had stopped by his house while he was away. "I had no idea what they wanted and figured they'd be back if they really needed to talk to me," Armando said.

On Dec. 19, more than two months after the buck was killed, game warden Wesley Kille and Lt. Mark Leonard went to Armando's home and told him that a "confidential informant" had accused Armando of poaching the buck with a rifle while trespassing on land that he didn't have permission to hunt. Armando denied the charge and insisted he had killed the deer legally with a bow.

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