Ohio Farmer Arrows 231-Inch ‘Flyer’ Buck He Missed in 2024

David Hostetler doesn’t get many free evenings during the growing season. The Caledonia, Ohio, farmer prefers to hunt the rut, but crops and a nonstop workload mean he takes whatever chances the calendar gives him. On Sept. 12 — Ohio’s special early archery opener for Marion County — he got one, and it produced a nontypical whitetail that officially taped out at 231 4/8 inches.

Two Years in the Making

Hostetler, 35, had history with the buck he called “Flyer,” named for the kicker points jutting off its rack. Neighbors had seen it too. He’d even had a shot at it two years earlier during a deer drive.

“I even had a chance to take him two years ago with a 12-gauge during a deer drive. But I missed him at 50 yards,” Hostetler said.

Trail cameras helped him pattern the buck coming to a small 10×100-foot food plot of clover and radishes in the late afternoons. “It’s a perfect small spot for a bow stand, with a creek, pond, and lots of fields nearby,” he said. His hang-on stand sat 20 feet up overlooking the plot.

A Slow, Hot Evening

The evening was hot and quiet until around 7 p.m., when Hostetler spotted a pair of small bucks near the creek. Behind them came Flyer’s distinctive antlers. He watched the buck drink at 70 yards, cross the creek, and feed slowly toward him behind a smaller buck for about 15 minutes.

At 20 yards the buck faced him head-on, a poor angle for a shot. When it finally turned enough to quarter toward him, Hostetler drew and released. The two-blade mechanical passed through the chest, and a lighted nock helped him track the hit.

The Recovery

The recovery stretched overnight. Using a thermal-equipped drone which is legal for recovery in Ohio. Hostetler and family located the buck that night, but it was still alive. They backed out and returned at 7 a.m., eventually finding Flyer dead 80 yards from his bed. A processor confirmed the meat was fine despite the warm night.

Buckmasters master scorer Toby Hughes taped the deer at 231 4/8 inches. Buckmasters requires no 60-day drying period and takes no deductions, unlike the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young clubs.

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