January 05, 2023
By Josh Honeycutt
Connor Webb grew up hunting, and he started hitting the woods at age 7. He was passionate about it from the start and dreamed of fall each year. It’s always been part of his lifestyle. This year, with hopes for a giant whitetail, he spent numerous days prepping for the season in a variety of ways.
This season, he first received photos of a monster buck on Oct. 5. On Oct. 8, he had an encounter with the deer, but no shot opportunity. On Oct. 9 his luck changed. About 40 hours on stand culminated into an incredible hunt. He worked hard to get into the stand early and stayed late to avoid spooking deer, and Connor even took off work to chase it.
The weather was clear and calm. That’s great for most people, but hunters prefer a little nastiness in the skies. His stand location? An open cottonwood bottom. And as the sun dipped closer to the horizon, things got more interesting.
He started seeing a lot of young bucks and does. More than 20 does and numerous bucks meandered around him. Then, about an hour before dark, the big deer stepped out 250 yards away. “I remember seeing the thick, heavy rack on this buck,” Connor says. “I felt like I heard my heart beating through my chest.”
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After multiple hunts for this incredible whitetail, Connor Webb arrowed the giant on Oct. 9. Of course, that’s a natural response to seeing a 200-plus-inch deer on the hoof. “When the buck came out, he stayed on the tree line looking for about five minutes before he started working across the opening,” Connor recalls.
Once the deer was within range, Webb carefully drew back, settled the pin and took the 44-yard shot opportunity. It struck the monster in the shoulder. Much to Webb’s surprise, the deer dropped in its tracks.
Of course, both he and everyone around him was excited about the outcome. “I’m ecstatic with the buck, the hunt and just to see it all come together for me,” Connor says. “I really didn’t have any words after putting my hands on the deer, besides feeling thankful. The people who knew I was hunting this deer seemed just as excited as me, which made me even more thankful for the harvest.”
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To Connor’s surprise, the non-typical dropped in its tracks after he arrowed it. Overall, this whitetail is huge, especially for being so much heavier on one side. The deer scores 207 3/8 inches. Based on its teeth and its body, Webb ages the buck at 5 1/2 years old.
“Deer hunting is my main focus in the fall and winter months,” he says. “It is something I cherish and always look forward to the next season. This deer means a lot to me. It’s a buck of a lifetime. I’ll always be proud of it.”
