RALPH PORTER’S OHIO COUNTY 8-POINTER
During the first week of bow season, Ralph Porter and his 15-year-old son, Jaron, chose to try an afternoon hunt in a small tract of woods, which deer were using as a travel corridor between several fields of row-crop agriculture and a large area of woodlands.

On several occasions in August, the two had spotted a big antlered buck in or near a small woodlot. Shortly before the season, they positioned their stands in a large hardwood near several well-used trails.

“Jaron was attempting to take his first deer with a bow,” Porter noted. “I told him he could either try for a doe, or wait and hope the buck would show up. The decision was his.”

Not long after getting situated, the hunters heard a deer coming through the woods. Seconds later, a doe walked into view.

The deer continued directly toward their location, eventually approaching well within bow range.

“Jaron indicated he wanted to take a shot and moved his bow into position,” Porter said. “The doe came all the way under us, but wouldn’t stop walking. I finally whistled, and she paused long enough for him to shoot.

“His arrow was right on target, and the deer didn’t go far before she started to go down.”

As Porter was watching the doe, he suddenly heard the footsteps of a second deer. Turning, he spotted a big buck approaching along the same trail the doe had used.

Quickly swinging his bow into shooting position, the hunter came to full draw. As the buck abruptly stopped, 20 yards away, he released.

“The buck immediately took off running. But I knew I had made a good shot, and within seconds, we heard the deer go down.

“What an afternoon! I don’t know if I was more excited over shooting the buck or having watched Jaron take his first bow deer.”

The rack of Porter’s big whitetail has a great combination of width and height. The basic 8-point frame includes long main beams of 27 4/8 and 25 6/8 inches, and an antler spread of 23 1/8 inches outside and 21 2/8 inches inside. The paired back tines (G-2s) tape 9 7/8 and 8 6/8 inches, and the G-3s exceed 8 inches.

The rack grosses an impressive figure of 148 7/8. But over 6 inches of abnormal points, plus asymmetry deductions, drops the final P&Y score to 138 6/8. Nevertheless, this is still a great total for an 8-pointer.