The trail cameras' photos indicated that the buck's two predominant periods of activity were in midmorning and late afternoon.

A few other photos had been recorded at other times, including after nightfall. But these incidents were widely scattered, as compared to the deer's primary pattern of activity.

On opening morning, Combs didn't hunt so that he could help coach his two sons, Jacob, 7, and Kalob, 5, in the local youth football league. Both boys won their respective games -- which turned out to be a great start to the weekend.

Shortly after noon, Combs showered, loaded his equipment and left for the hunting tract. Knowing the importance of eliminating as much human odor as possible, the hunter kept his Scent-Lok hunting clothes in a sealed bag until he arrived at his destination. Additionally, after applying a cover scent, he sprayed the bottom of his boots with a small amount of raccoon scent.

By 2 p.m., the hunter had climbed into his tree stand and was settled in position. Combs' stand was situated in a shallow hardwood drain on an old farm site, about 40 yards from the edge of a grown-up field.

The wooded drain continued downhill, where it eventually intersected a much larger hollow. This hollow partially circled the hilltop where the hunter was positioned. A barn and several old farm fields covered the upland area.

Deer commonly used the drain as a travel corridor to reach the fields and to visit an old nearby salt lick -- the location of one of the two trail cameras that had frequently photographed the big whitetail. The other trail camera that the buck often passed was in one of the old fields, approximately a half mile away.

Two hundred yards downhill from the hunter's stand, near the junction of the drain and hollow, lay a dense thicket of briars, brush, saplings and vines. Combs felt confident that deer were using the thicket as a bedding area -- which meant the location could be hunted only when the prevailing wind direction was favorable.

For over three hours, Combs waited patiently, all the while contemplating what events the afternoon might hold.

One truism about bowhunting is always to expect the unexpected.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the hunter experienced just such an event, as the wind suddenly made a dramatic shift in direction.

"It wasn't a good situation at all," Combs said. "I seriously considered climbing down and leaving. But having studied the times recorded on the camera photos, I knew I was very near that period of the afternoon when I might expect to see deer activity. Finally I decided to stay, hoping that my odor-eliminating measures would keep me from being detected."

Some 90 minutes passed without any sign of deer in the surrounding woods. The hunter couldn't help wondering if the afternoon breeze had revealed his presence.

Suddenly, as if to answer his unspoken question, Combs detected a distant noise.