At the shot, the buck instantly fell to the ground. Within seconds, it struggled back to its feet.

Still watching through the riflescope, Jonathan fired a second time, dropping the deer again.

This time, the buck stayed down.

After hurrying across the wet field, Jonathan was stunned at his first close look at the buck's huge rack, which he identified instantly. Except for the antlers' slight increase in size, they were a near-perfect match to the 2006 trail camera photos of Hightower.

The buck's wide 10-point typical frame includes long main beams of 27 4/8 and 26 5/8 inches, plus an inside spread of 20 2/8 inches. The nickname of Hightower was certainly appropriate, with paired back tines (G-2s) of 13 2/8 and 12 6/8 inches, followed by G-3s that exceed 11 inches.

After the rack grossed a grand total of 183 4/8, deductions for minor asymmetry, plus two small sticker points, reduce its final typical Boone and Crockett score to 178 4/8. This qualifies the buck for B&C's Awards and All-Time record books.

Additionally, it ranks the deer as Kentucky's top typical gun kill of the 2007 season.

Within Henderson County, it stands as the second-biggest typical whitetail ever recorded.

BRANDON HALL'S ESTILL COUNTY GIANT
One of the great side benefits of deer hunting is the social camaraderie the sport can generate among friends and family. Ever since Brandon Hall first began deer hunting, his usual companion has been his grandfather, Freddie Ashcraft.

Over the last several years, they have shared some great moments and a few not so great. But their times together in the woods have always been special. However, it's not likely that the two will ever top the hunt they experienced last November.

Only a few days remained in gun season. The two hunters rose well before dawn and drove their truck to an Estill County farm located along the Kentucky River.

After parking, they followed an old farm road downhill to a large hayfield near the river. There they positioned themselves in a small patch of brush under the limbs of a big tree at the edge of the field.

Days before, a trail camera near the field had recorded the image of a huge whitetail.

This outing was Brandon's first opportunity to hunt the area.

"Hunting the river bottom in the middle of November was a little strange," he noted. "Normally, most deer would have already moved to the oak ridges near the top of the mountains, which is where we usually do most of our hunting.

"But there was a poor acorn crop in 2007. Deer really weren't concentrated in any specific area."

Shortly after daybreak, the two hunters began hearing distant rustlings in the leaves and an occasional twig snapping from just beyond the opposite wood line.

Something -- most likely a deer -- was moving along the wooded bench that paralleled the riverbank.

"Eventually, the sounds seemed to turn toward the field, in our general direction," Brandon said.

"Assuming it was a deer, I picked up my rifle and got ready."

For several minutes, the hunters listened as the animal moved slowly, less than 60 yards away, but still out of sight. However, no amount of time would have prepared them for their first look at the huge whitetail that eventually stepped into view.

"I glanced at my grandfather, and he looked at me. I don't think either one of us could believe what we were seeing," Brandon recalled. "I immediately recognized the buck as the same one on my trail camera.