TL;DR
Get emergency and outdoor gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Chad Hepner, an Illinois bowhunter, shot a large Missouri buck he called Medusa on Sept. 23 after tracking its movements. The deer still had velvet on its antlers in late September; Hepner suspects an old leg injury affected its antler development and breeding, but that explanation has not been confirmed. His estimate that the rack may score more than 200 inches is unofficial.
Illinois bowhunter Chad Hepner shot a large buck he called Medusa in Missouri on Sept. 23, after patterning the deer’s movements near a bedding thicket and an acorn feeding area. The buck still had velvet on its antlers in late September, an unusual feature that Hepner links to an old leg injury, though that explanation remains his theory.
Hepner, 54, of Collinsville, Illinois, was hunting from a tree stand about 18 feet above the ground on a small parcel in Missouri where he had permission to hunt. The stand overlooked a trail connecting a deer bedding area with a place where deer fed on acorns. Hepner had seen Medusa in the area and believed he had learned its pattern: the buck often followed a smaller six-point deer.
On the afternoon of Sept. 23, Hepner saw the six-point cross an area cleared during a county public works project. While filming it, he noticed Medusa on the trail behind it. Hepner told Outdoor Life he drew his bow when the buck was broadside at 18 yards, used a bleat to stop it, and released an arrow. He said the shot struck near the top of the heart. The buck ran back toward the bedding cover, and Hepner later found it about 65 yards from where it was hit.
Hepner recovered the deer with help from his friend Mark Johnson and kept its head and cape for a taxidermist. While processing the buck the next morning, he found what he described as a broken leg. Hepner said he believed the injury may have happened in an automobile collision about a year earlier. He has not reported a confirmed cause for the injury or a veterinary finding about its effects.
Why Medusa’s Velvet Stands Out
The harvest stands out because the buck retained velvet late in September, when Hepner expected the antlers to have shed that covering. The animal’s condition and unusual rack have prompted questions, but the source report does not establish why it remained in velvet or whether the injury caused that condition.
The rack’s size is also unverified. Hepner told Outdoor Life that, based on his non-official measurements, it could score more than 200 inches. That is an estimate, not a certified score. He said he was trying to arrange an appointment with a Buckmasters scorer, so the final measurement—and how the rack will be assessed—remains pending.
For readers following the hunting story, the account also illustrates how Hepner’s observation of the deer’s movement shaped the hunt: he passed a smaller buck the evening before because he believed Medusa was nearby, then saw the larger deer follow another smaller buck along the same route.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Hepner Patterned the Buck
The night before the harvest, Hepner hunted the same location and passed an eight-point buck he estimated at 145 inches. He told Outdoor Life he made that choice because he believed the much larger Medusa was in the area. The next afternoon, he returned to the same tree stand and watched the smaller six-point deer appear before Medusa followed.
The hunting location sat beside a recently completed county public works project that had cleared and graded ground bordered by timber. Hepner’s stand was positioned on a field edge overlooking the trail from bedding cover toward acorns. The report describes the setting and Hepner’s observations; it does not provide a precise location for the parcel.
Hepner said he had scored many deer but found this rack difficult to assess because of its many points and unusual bases, as well as the remaining velvet. He said friends who are experienced Buckmasters scorers had reviewed photographs and offered advice. Those conversations have not produced an official measurement.
“I’d hunted the spot the previous evening and passed a 145-inch 8-pointer because I knew a huge buck still in velvet I called ‘Medusa’ was in the area.”
— Chad Hepner, speaking to Outdoor Life
Injury Cause and Score Pending
The source report does not confirm when or how the leg was broken. Hepner suspected an automobile collision about a year before the hunt, but the account does not include an independent examination or other evidence establishing that cause. His suggestion that the injury affected breeding, antler development, or velvet shedding is likewise an interpretation rather than a confirmed explanation.
The buck’s official antler score was not available when the report was published. Hepner’s estimate of more than 200 inches is based on his own non-official measurements, and he said he was still arranging a scoring appointment. The report also does not establish the deer’s age or provide a verified account of its medical history.
Official Scoring Still Ahead
Hepner said he was trying to schedule a meeting with a Buckmasters scorer to measure Medusa’s rack. Until that assessment is completed and reported, the suggested score should be treated as an estimate rather than a final result.
Hepner also told Outdoor Life that bow season was still open when he discussed the buck. The report does not give a date for the scoring appointment or say whether further details about the deer’s injury will become available.
Key Questions
When and where was the buck harvested?
Chad Hepner harvested Medusa on Sept. 23, 2026, on a small Missouri parcel where he had permission to hunt. The report does not identify the parcel’s precise location.
Why was the buck still in velvet?
The cause has not been confirmed. Hepner found what he described as a broken leg and suspected an old vehicle collision may have affected the buck’s breeding ability and antler development. That is his theory, not an established finding.
Has the buck received an official score?
No official score was reported. Hepner’s estimate of more than 200 inches is based on his non-official measurements; he said he was trying to arrange an assessment with a Buckmasters scorer.
How far did the buck run after the shot?
Hepner told Outdoor Life that he and his friend found the deer about 65 yards from where it was hit.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
