This amazing 34-point rack was found by Rick Weatherford during a hunt on the Ft. Campbell military reservation. Taxidermy by Johnny and Tracy Farmer. Photo by Bill Cooper.

Last September, Rick Weatherford of Somerset traveled to the western end of the state to participate in one of the special shotgun/muzzleloader deer hunts. These affairs are held annually on the Ft. Campbell military reservation. After hunting the first day without success, he moved to a different area on the reservation for the second day.

"The reservation allows for a specific hunt area to be requested, but if the quota on that unit happens to be filled, they then arbitrarily assign you to another location," Weatherford noted. "Occasionally, you get lucky and draw an area you previously have hunted and are somewhat familiar with; generally, that isn't the case. The habitat on the reservation varies from being extremely thick to open fields and scattered timber. Because of this, I usually carry both a muzzleloader and shotgun in my truck, and use whichever one best fits the terrain and habitat."

For day two of the hunt, Weatherford was assigned an area that he had never been before. Being unsure of the exact type of habitat he would be encountering, the hunter walked a short distance into what appeared to be a stand of thick second-growth hardwoods and sat down to wait for daybreak.

"When it was light enough to see, I continued on through the woods about 200 yards and took a position next to an open hardwood bottom," Weatherford said. "A short while later, I spotted a doe walking through the trees on the opposite side of the drain and decided to take a shot. I happened to be using a shotgun that morning, which isn't the best for very long shots and the deer ran off, seemingly untouched."

As a precautionary measure, Weatherford decided to make a quick check to see if there was any sign that the deer had been hit. Moving down through the trees, he began following the course of a dry creek bed that meandered through the bottom. At one point, while passing a high bank bordering the creek bed, the hunter spotted part of a deer antler partially covered by leaves.

"I just assumed it was a shed and grabbed the antler as I walked by," Weatherford said. "When something suddenly hit me in the back of the leg, I immediately stopped to see what happened; that's when I realized that I had picked up an entire rack and skull. Considering the rack's size, which included well over 25 points, I was amazed that the antlers had been almost completely hidden from view by leaves and debris."

The rack was bleached white from weeks of weathering, but fortunately, the antlers exhibited only a few minor signs of gnawing from the local mice and squirrels. After carefully placing the rack in his truck, Weatherford made the long drive back to Pulaski County that afternoon.

"The following day was Sunday and I showed the rack to several people at church," Weatherford said. "That was the first time I heard about needing some type of permit to keep the rack. There was no specific check-out procedure required at the reservation and since I was unaware of any regulation regarding found antlers, I contacted the local conservation officer. He met with me, examined the rack, and was very helpful in explaining the procedure for obtaining the proper permit."