Billy Husted had given up bowhunting years earlier because of the heat and the never-ending mosquitoes, but last year he bought a new bow and headed out to the woods. He came home with this incredible 18-point megabuck, scoring 219 1/8, a new Louisiana state record. Photo courtesy of Billy Husted.

Some of the South's most impressive whitetails thrive in the Mississippi Delta region of Louisiana. Each year during hunting season, reports trickle in about huge trophy bucks taken in this deer-rich part of the state. Bucks with weights approaching 300 pounds and does in the 200-pound range are not uncommon. Deer in this fertile region attain heavy body weights and grow impressive headgear for one main reason: incredible nutrition.

The weather was warm with temperatures in the 80s on the afternoon of Oct. 2, 2007, when 55-year-old Billy Husted, owner of a sporting goods store in Monroe, Louisiana, decided to go bowhunting. Billy was hunting in Tensas Parish between the towns of Tallulah and Newellton.

"I've hunted deer most of my life with a rifle," Billy said. "I was perfectly content to continue hunting with a rifle until my son-in-law began working on me to give bowhunting another chance. I hadn't bowhunted for more than 30 years, mostly because of the heat and the mosquitoes that drive you absolutely crazy in the early season."

However, Billy finally relented. In August 2007 he purchased a Hoyt bow and began practicing. By the afternoon of Oct. 2, he had only been out in the woods with his bow one time previously. Now, on that warm October afternoon on what would be his second bowhunt of the season and only his second bowhunt in some 30 years, he was about to accomplish a feat that would change whitetail history in Louisiana.

A DAY TO REMEMBER
"I climbed into a lock-on stand that was situated down in a bottom next to a waterhole where the deer frequently drink late in the afternoon," Billy said. "It wasn't long before several deer began to slip into the area for water. I was watching two or three does and a small buck when, all at once, a huge buck suddenly appeared out of nowhere at about 20 yards. His unbelievable rack was still in velvet, and I knew at once that he was a shooter. I already had my bow at full draw and was waiting for a shot when he stopped and looked straight up at me. After a standoff of what seemed like a couple of minutes, I couldn't hold the bow back any longer. As I slowly started to let down, he turned and walked straight away from me.

"At 35 yards, he stopped and turned broadside. I quickly drew back again, got the pin on his shoulder and released the arrow. He was gone in a flash!"

Daylight was quickly fading when Billy climbed down from his stand and checked the area.

"I found no blood, but I found half my arrow where it had broken off, so I knew I had hit him good," Billy said.

Because of the late hour, Billy decided to go back to camp and renew his search early the next morning.

A DAY OF HOPE
"As you might imagine, I had a hard time sleeping that night," Billy said. "The moment I saw that buck, it was like all my breath was sucked out of me. Once I saw that huge rack, I tried to concentrate on the deer and not focus on the mass of antlers. Now I hoped I had made a good shot."

The following morning, Billy and his wife Vicki who is also an avid whitetail hunter, headed back to Billy's stand.

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