Ethen Schneider arrowed this great Missouri buck from a Muddy blind in his underwear. Photo courtesy of Ethen Schneider
March 20, 2024
By Josh Honeycutt
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Ethen Schneider is no stranger to deer hunting, and last season he bagged a monster 7 1/2-year-old buck nicknamed “King.” He had three years of history with the deer.
“I had one other opportunity to get a shot at him in the 2022 season, but I had an equipment malfunction,” Ethen says. “I was unable to take a shot. I have only a few good trail camera photos of him over the years.”
Thanks to a few trail camera photos, Ethen realized the buck was in the area. “I had been out of town for the weekend, so the first thing I did was check all the cameras,” Ethen says. “I still use card cameras, so I had to walk in there and change them out. I got back to the house to find him on camera in daylight a few days prior on November 1, 2, and 4.”
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The final hunt occurred on Nov. 6. It was warm, especially for November. Temperatures were in the 60s.
In the days prior to Ethen shooting King, the buck daylighted three different times. Photo courtesy of Ethen Schneider “I was actually in my underwear, as my ScentLok was far too hot for my Muddy Blind, especially with having the windows closed,” Ethen says. “But I had just gotten daylight photos of him, so I told myself I would sit there until I saw him.”
His setup was in a valley where a series of ridges tapered down. The area also sported a four-acre fall food plot mix and another four acres of native grasses around the plot. Around 3:00 p.m., the hunt began. Soon after settling in, does and smaller bucks started feeding in the plot. Eventually, several younger bucks began acting odd. Ethen thought a bigger buck might be nearby.
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Around 5:00 p.m., King stepped into view. The deer walked out along a logging road; he was hot on a doe’s tail. The buck hit a scrape at the end of the logging road and then ran straight at Ethen.
“I had all my windows closed to keep my scent under control,” Ethen says. “I thought I missed my chance at him. They were at 18 yards, and I wasn’t ready. He ran her about 150 yards in front of me out of the food plot behind a bunch of cedar trees. I had to try something to get him to come back within range. So, I let out two big grunts like he had been doing.”
Ethen’s buck grosses 183 6/8 inches. Photo courtesy of Ethen Schneider It worked. The deer spun, looked in Ethen’s direction and made an aggressive scrape. Within five minutes, King entered the food plot again. He hit several scrapes and marched toward the blind.
“I believe the small 10-pointer in front of me was instrumental in getting him within bow range,” Ethen says. “He headed right for him, thinking he was the one grunting.”
Ethen had pre-ranged several spots, including a big rock. When King neared it, he’d be 30 yards out. King reached it and turned directly toward the blind; Ethen waited at full draw. A few seconds later, King turned left to head out of the plot, and that’s when Ethen took the shot. The slightly-quartering-to opportunity resulted in a vital hit, and the arrow lodged in the deer. It ran out of sight, quickly disappearing.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., he recovered the deer. It wasn’t nearly as difficult to find as he anticipated; King expired 40 yards from the point of impact.
What a sight to walk up on after the blood-trailing process. Photo courtesy of Ethen Schneider Reflecting on the hunt, Ethen knows it was special. “This area is my homeland,” he explains. “I was born and raised here in the woods, and if it’s up to me, I will die here. I was put on this earth to care for the ground I hunt on; it's a part of who I am. I have been hunting this ground from the beginning.”
