Kyle Simmons' world-class megabuck was scored as a main-frame 7x8 with 13 additional points and a 23 4/8-inch inside spread. The initial green score was 270 6/8 net, but this could change, as the massive rack will no doubt be panel-scored by both B&C and Pope & Young at their next regularly scheduled respective awards ceremonies.

For those who follow big-deer stories in North American Whitetail, you might remember the phenomenal 2003 Iowa deer season like I do. 2003 happened to be the year that 15-year-old Tony Luvstuen shot the largest whitetail ever taken by a hunter with a muzzleloader. He took the record deer during Iowa's youth season. Tony's 38-point megabuck scored 307 5/8 and ranks No. 3 in the world behind the Hole in the Horn buck and the Missouri Monarch. (Both of those deer were found dead, so Tony's buck ranks as the largest whitetail ever taken by a hunter.)

Later that same season, 16-year-old Brian Andrews rocked Iowa when he arrowed a giant non-typical that clinched the title as the state's largest non-typical bow kill ever with a score of 253 1/8. With this kind of track record, Iowa truly is the land of the giants!

Fast forward to Oct. 16, 2008. While hunting in Jackson County on that historic day, 24-year-old Kyle Simmons of Spragueville arrowed an Iowa giant that green-scored 270 6/8 non-typical points. The massive 28-point non-typical was initially green-scored as a main-frame 7x8 with 13 additional abnormal points. This is not an official score, and the official entry score could change as much as 10 to 12 points depending on how the rack is scored.

The official entry score will also be subject to change because the rack will in all likelihood be panel-scored by both Boone and Crockett and Pope & Young at their next awards ceremonies. (The next Boone and Crockett awards will be in June 2010, and the next Pope & Young awards will be in April 2009.)

Naturally, when a deer like Kyle's is publicized over the Internet, the rumors start to fly. Here is Kyle's amazing story about a buck that may well be a new non-typical state record by bow, as well as one of the largest whitetails taken in North America during the 2008-2009 season.

THE EARLY YEARS
Kyle didn't actually begin bowhunting until three years ago, but he's not new to deer hunting by any means. At the age of 12, he began hunting with his father, Todd. Kyle didn't shoot a deer that first season, but the following youth season he shot his first buck, an 8-pointer that scored 135 inches. A few years later, he shot another dandy 8-pointer. When he started bowhunting, he became more selective, and he frequently passed up smaller bucks.

"As far as I know, the first time anyone knew the big deer existed was last spring when Dad and my younger brother, Lance, came home from shed hunting on the property where we hunt," Kyle said. "Lance had found both sheds from a big non-typical that none of us had ever seen before. I measured the sheds afterwards. Needless to say, when I came up with 190 inches, we were all pretty excited about the upcoming season.

"My dad has been hunting the same property since 1984, so there's not much reason to do a lot of scouting. If we do, it's usually during the late muzzleloader season, or just after the season closes. In 2008, however, we did set out a few trail cameras in early September. We set up one in the general area of where Lance had found the sheds. We set up several others in different spots around the farm.

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