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Ohio hunter Mike Ferriman shot a non-typical whitetail buck with a crossbow on Oct. 20 after trail-camera photos showed the deer visiting a mineral site. The buck weighed 290 pounds before field dressing, according to Ferriman, and a Buckmasters official scorer measured its rack at 250 3/8 inches across 28 scorable points.
Ohio hunter Mike Ferriman shot a non-typical whitetail buck with a crossbow on Oct. 20, then had its antlers measured at 250 3/8 inches across 28 scorable points, according to an Outdoor Life report. Ferriman said the deer weighed 290 pounds before field dressing, a measurement that makes the harvest notable alongside the rack’s reported size.
Ferriman, a 42-year-old agricultural sales representative from Caledonia, Ohio, said he first saw trail-camera images of the buck on a farm where he had permission to hunt on Sept. 22. He told Outdoor Life that the rack looked similar to one on a buck photographed there the previous year, but had grown considerably. The camera recorded the deer at a mineral site on the night of Oct. 19, prompting Ferriman to plan a hunt for the following afternoon if the wind was favorable.
Ferriman hunted from a 21-foot ladder stand in heavy timber. He said the buck approached from about 90 yards and continued toward the mineral site. After it paused behind a downed tree and brush, it stepped into view and turned quartering away when a doe made a noise behind him. Ferriman took a shot at about 30 yards with a Ravin crossbow and a 100-grain Rage Hypodermic two-blade arrow. He said the arrow passed through the deer and it ran about 50 yards before falling.
Ferriman and friends used a drag sled to move the buck from the woods. He said it weighed 290 pounds, not field dressed, on a scale at a friend’s home. He later brought the antlers to Toby Hughes, a Buckmasters official scorer in Ohio, who measured 28 scorable points at 250 3/8 inches. The buck is estimated to be 5.5 to 6.5 years old; Ferriman said its teeth will be used for an official age determination.
A Large Rack and Heavy Body
The reported measurements give readers two distinct details about the harvest: a 250 3/8-inch rack score and a 290-pound live, unfield-dressed weight. The figures are reported by Ferriman and the scorer identified by Outdoor Life; they should not be confused with a dressed weight or a final official age determination.
For hunters, the account also illustrates how a small amount of trail-camera information shaped the timing of the hunt. Ferriman said he had only one photograph of the buck at the mineral site on Oct. 18, then saw it return the next evening. He chose to hunt the stand on Oct. 20 when the wind was suitable. The story’s particular significance is the combination of the measured antler points, reported body weight and the circumstances of a close-range crossbow shot—not a broader claim about the deer’s standing among records.
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Trail-Camera Clues Before the Hunt
Ferriman said the farm was permission ground and that the mineral site was roughly 30 yards from his stand, with trail cameras nearby. The buck appeared at the site on Oct. 18 and again the following evening, when it reportedly returned three times. Ferriman had hunted the location once before and said another large buck was also in the area.
On Oct. 20, he said he bumped does while walking to the stand, then spent the evening surrounded by deer. He credited scent-control equipment for keeping the does from detecting him, although that is his account of the conditions rather than an independently tested finding. When the buck came in, Ferriman waited instead of shooting at 50 yards, hoping for a closer opportunity. The deer’s turn after a doe made a noise presented the angle he chose for his shot.
“But this year his rack had just blown up.”
— Mike Ferriman, speaking to Outdoor Life
Age and Record Status Pending
The buck’s 5.5-to-6.5-year age estimate has not yet been confirmed through the tooth examination Ferriman said he plans to have done. The supplied report does not state that the antler score is a final record certification, nor does it give a record-book comparison or ranking. The 290-pound figure is specifically described as not field dressed; no dressed weight is provided.
The account relies on Ferriman’s description of the hunt and weight, along with the score attributed to Buckmasters official scorer Toby Hughes. The report does not provide independent documentation of the scale reading, the scorer’s measurement sheet or additional images that could clarify those details.
Official Aging and Mount Plans
Ferriman said the buck’s teeth will be used to establish its official age, as he does with his other deer. That result could clarify whether it falls near the younger or older end of the reported 5.5-to-6.5-year estimate.
He also plans to have the buck mounted and is considering a full-body mount. The source report does not identify a further scoring appointment, record submission or scheduled public release of the aging result, so those details remain unannounced.
Key Questions
Where and when did Mike Ferriman shoot the buck?
Ferriman said he shot it on Oct. 20 on a farm in Ohio where he had permission to hunt. The report does not identify the farm’s precise location.
How much did the buck weigh?
Ferriman said the deer weighed 290 pounds before field dressing. The report does not give a field-dressed weight.
What was the buck’s antler score?
Outdoor Life reported that Buckmasters official scorer Toby Hughes measured 28 scorable points at 250 3/8 inches. The supplied report does not say the score was a final record certification.
How old was the deer?
It is estimated to be 5.5 to 6.5 years old. Ferriman said the buck’s teeth will be examined for an official age determination.
What weapon and shot did Ferriman use?
Ferriman used a Ravin crossbow with a 100-grain Rage Hypodermic two-blade arrow. He said he shot at about 30 yards and that the arrow passed through the buck.
Source: outdoorlife.com
