Being tired is the worst, and it almost kept Andrew and Austin King from hunting the morning after a Nov. 22 wedding, but with the rut in full swing, they decided to get out there anyway. According to Outdoor Life, the brothers made a two-hour drive to their public land spot in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, and started glassing at dawn. From a high point, they spotted a massive buck about 800 yards away and used the terrain to stalk within 200 yards, setting up for a rare opportunity on public ground.
The buck was sparring with another mature deer when Austin rattled and grunted, which stopped the bigger buck and turned him toward Andrew. Using his dad’s Remington .270, Andrew made the shot, dropping a 21-point whitetail that later green-scored 217 inches gross.
After a long drag and very careful handling to make sure to save it for a full-body mount, the buck became the biggest in the King family! This is proof that pushing past exhaustion in the morning during hunting season, especially the rut, can pay off in unforgettable ways—regardless of what you did the night before!
What a beauty!
Feature Photo credit: Andrew King
