Deer Hunter Battling Cancer Tags Giant 210-Inch Ohio Buck

Against incredible odds, Jason Dornon stayed in the fight and was rewarded with a legendary whitetail.

November 12, 2025 By Josh Honeycutt

Hunter: Jason Dornon
Buck: 210 2/8 inches (gross)
Date of Harvest: November 30, 2021
Location of Harvest: Ohio
Weapon of Harvest: Arrowhead Rifles .45 caliber muzzleloader

When Jason Dornon’s friend showed him a trail camera photo of this big deer, which originated from a neighboring hunter, he was skeptical the buck would be in play where he planned to hunt. Much to his surprise, but as deer often do, it ended up crossing over to their property. Numerous hunters had photo of the deer.

“My family owns a couple farms in the area,” Dornon said. “The farm that I shot him on was a new purchase.”

In 2021, they took possession of this farm. Immediately, Dornon put the Kubota to work. It was an uphill battle, but he made improvements to enhance the hunting.

He also faced another uphill struggle.

“I don’t blast my every move on social media,” Dornon said. “But in December 2015, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I was given a 13% chance of living five years after diagnosis. It has not been an easy nine years, but here I am. I’m beat, battered, and bruised, but I refuse to quit.”

Happy to see another deer season, Dornon kicked off the 2024 season by hunting a different property across the road from this one. However, as the season progressed, he hoped to find a mature buck to hunt. So, he shifted to this property.

hunter posing with massive ohio buck — Jason Dornon had the deer season of his life. This Ohio buck has all the goods.

On November 30, 2021, Dornon headed out for the second day of the first gun season. It was typical Ohio valley weather with sunny skies, temperatures in the low 30s, and an approaching cold front.

He set up in the bottoms and camped out over a beaver dam crossing. It cooled off, clouded up, and deer started moving. Eventually, for the afternoon hunt, Dornon set up in a box blind overlooking both legs of an L-shaped food plot. It’s at the top of the hill in hopes of pulling deer out of a nearby bedding area. The surrounding acres have a lot of steep terrain. Green briar, crab apples, and multiflora rose dotted the landscape.

“My son nicknamed that blind the North Pole,” Dornon said. “I can’t say that I have ever hunted a spot with more wind. It’s one of the highest points in the county.”

The sit started off slowly. Several squirrels scampered around looking for acorns. Well pads clinked and clanked nearby.

Just before sunset, a big doe walked over the hill. She fed quickly toward, through, and out of the food plot. Just as she departed into the woods, a big deer appeared 300 yards away. Peering through binoculars, Dornon spotted a big G2 and other junk on the huge deer, as it followed the doe.

“That’s all I needed to see,” Dornon said. “I dialed the scope to 12x, adjusted the side focus, and without hesitation, sent the XLD downrange. From the time that I saw him until the trigger broke was a total of 15-20 seconds.”

“Typically, when I shoot a good buck, I walk up to it and start counting points,” Dornon said. “This dude was so big that we all just stood there in awe. It was several minutes of just silence before someone asked how many points he had. I had no idea. He ended up with 23 points but had a few more in trail cam pictures he lost beforehand.”

After talking to local hunters, and studying sheds, they believe the deer is 8 ½ years old. It scored 210 2/8 inches (gross).

“None of this would have been possible without the support of my friends and entire family,” Dornon said. “I have been crazy about hunting for years. Fortunately for me, they all understand.

“I am faced with another major surgery to remove my pancreas,” Dornon continued. “But I hope to be in the stand this fall in search of another Ohio giant.”

We hope that for him, too. Maybe we could help out with some prayers on his behalf.