First off, I’d love to thank God for giving me the opportunity to lay eyes on this MICHIGAN MONARCH let alone harvest him.

On the evening of December 9, the wind finally changed in my favor. This buck had been using this bedding area pretty frequently. Lots of sign that they had been feeding in the area. I slide into the sand about 2pm and get nestled in. 415 was the first Deer movement. It was a button buck he fed around until more deer started showing up. 5 pm comes. I have 6-7 does and bucks feeding on acorns and browse all around me . Then I looked up, and I could see him coming through the swamp transition with his signature limp and His beautiful white rack. All the other deer start to get squirrely. And skittish .. I’ve never really seen that before. He comes on a string to 40 yards and is facing me the whole time. He looked like he wanted to go right, but a young doe moved in, and I think he was curious about her. he took 2 steps to his left, and that was all I needed for a perfect slight qtr to shoot. I settled the cross hair and letter rip.. he took off like a shot and ran through a second shooting lane. I let another shot ring.. and lost track of the deer. The woods went silent, and I didn’t hear him kicking, so I was nervous. I spent the next 10- 15 minutes shaking uncontrollably trying to figure out how to get out of the stand. I was able to get it together. Enough to with my buddy to track the deer.. perfect double lung shot. Ran about 100 yards and piled up.

All the glory be to God . Special thanks to my buddy Rick for helping me get him out of the woods and Zach. For the pictures.

Buck scored 173 7/8 give or take a few one way or another.