The Bowling Green man has bagged a monster buck worthy of the trophy rooms at the two outdoor goods retailers.

Initial measurements give the rack 34 measurable points on seven brow tines (four on one side, three on the other).  The spread between the twomainbranchesspans20 inches.  The racks beam measures 28 inches. 

One estimate put the bucks age at six years and Simonitch guesses itweighedabout250pounds while alive. 

He says he is keeping the deer's jaw in case an official age is needed to be determined later.

The unofficial green score compiled by scorer Jay Hurd puts the racks total Boone and Crockett Score at 268.  However, Hurd stresses the green score is an early measure.  An official score can not be given until the antler shave dried for 60 days.

The current bowhunting world record Pope and Young score, which uses the same scoring as Boone and Crockett, is 279.

The rack must dry for 60 days before an official scoring to be done. 

If the rack's score meets the early estimates, Simonitch may be in for some traveling.

Such a score would likely put his buck at the top nationwide.  Such a place earns an invitation to the Boone and Crockett national banquet, where a panel of four scorers score the nation's biggest racks.

Simonitch says he has been called by a couple of nationwide outdoor magazines, but has not heard yet from big hunting retail companies.

Taxidermist James Graham says such a buck may also attract large hunting companies to seek Pike county land to lease for hunting.

People had watched the deer in the field from their house on several occasions, according to Simonitch.  He says he saw where the big buck had beds down some thirty times in the field after he had shot.

The big hunt began after a fruitless morning of bowhunting on his own land. Simonitch headed to the field after getting a call from his friend to let him know the buck had been spotted.

He moved to the field and slowly made his way to the buck, working a little bit closer every time he could see the bucks head.

He took the shot about 35 yards away from the deer.  Simonitch says all kinds of things went through his mind when he finally found the deer two hours later.  I was surprised when I found it.  I was surprised at how big is was.  It is like a dream come true, he said.

Hurd says Pike County residents will probably never see a deer like this one again. 

"It is a once in a lifetime type of rack"

"We watched that buck throughout the summer in my and my neighbor fields." Simonitch said of the possible history making deer.  Simonitch shot the deer with a bow and arrow on Tuesday, Oct 3, near his home outside Bowling Green. The buck has approximately 34 points and field dressed at around250 pounds. Simonitch " neighbor had gotten very close tothe deer and shota video.  The video was setup at Joe's Jug in Lousiana after the kill.

On Tuesday, Simonitch hunted early in the morning.  By late morning, a neighbor called to let him know the deer was spotted in a field.  Simonitch went back out to hunt and caught sight of the horns in a bean field. 

The crop was over waist high, so all I could see was his horns over the top, Simonitch said. " The deer's head kept disappearing in the crop.  I used my grunt call to get his attention, then took my shot" Simonitch explained.

He saw the deer leaping away with the arrow stuck firmly in its side. He shot the deer at approximately 11Am and found it around 3 p.m.. The temperature that day was around 85 degrees, so the deer was beginning to stink badly.
 
 
 

The deer was checked in at Elliott's in Bowling green.  It was tagged, without any notice of its enormous size. Simonitch put the deer in his garage until Jamie Graham of Wild Creations in Frankfort could look it over.  When Graham saw the tremendous rack with its impressive span, Simonitch said Graham just kept saying, "Oh my God" and backed away from it.  Graham added, "I've seen some really big whitetails, but that's the biggest I've ever seen."

Graham was quick to return the deer's rack to Simonitch.  "I didn't want to keep it in my shop,  I didn't want to be responsible for it Graham remarked.

Once the deer is officially scored after the standard 60 days of drying. Simonitch will bring the rack back for mounting.  However, Graham has advised Simonitch not put the original antlers on the mount Graham commented that it's common for hunters to put the original antlers in a  vault and mount replicas.

Pope and Young is the official record book for archery kills.  However,  Boone and Crockett will likely score this deer and enter it into their record book.
 
 
 

The pope and Young world record is over 279 inches, The Boone and CrockettworldRecordIs333inches.  That deer was found dead in the St. Louis area.

Graham expects this deer to score between 270 and 280 inches,  So it will probably not break the World record deer found in St. Louis that's in the Boone and Crockett record book.  It could break the Pope and Young world record. Simonitch will have to patiently wait the 60 day drying period before the deer is officially scored.

Until then, Simonitch has the deer in a safe place. He is enjoying the fanfare that comes with thrill of the Kill.  Rumors are as vast and unlikely as one might imagine.

I've allegedly been offered $100,000 for the deer's antlers, Simonitch said.  He hasn't seen the money though.

Simonitch also heard that the taxidermist (Graham) couldn't mount the deer's head because it was too big.  That is also false. 

No Mater the rumors, this kill will be a great story that Simonitch can enjoy telling for years to come. Simonitch remarked,  "I just wanted a big buck to hang on my wall, that was as big as my buddies."  He got his wish and much more.