Chasing whitetail bucks I know well is my passion as a bowhunter. Ghost was 8.5 years old and scored 159 6/8 inches when I killed him in the fall of 2023, but my history with this buck spanned five years! I studied him from afar with trail cameras, had numerous encounters in the field and even found one of his shed antlers in 2020.
November 22, 2024
By Emily Schaad Konkler
Building history with a particular whitetail buck is my ultimate bowhunting high. Chasing a buck that always seems one step ahead of you is a difficult journey, but patience and persistence are the keys to success. That is exactly what I had to keep telling myself during the three-year hunt for a reclusive Ohio buck I nicknamed “Ghost.”
History in the Making My first glimpse of Ghost came in 2019. He was roughly a 150-inch, mainframe 10-pointer with split brow tines. Based on his body, I estimated him to be 3.5-4.5 years old. I hoped he would make it another season or two, so I didn’t target him that fall. Luckily, he made it through the season, and in February of 2020, I was fortunate to find one of his antlers while shed hunting.
I first encountered Ghost in 2019, though he hadn’t yet earned his nickname. That year, he was a 150-class 4.5-year-old that I elected not to hunt in hopes he would survive another year or two. Little did I know… Summer of 2020 came and went, and I was only able to gather a handful of pictures of Ghost. He didn’t put on many inches of antler, if any, but he was still a looker. That October, I was fortunate enough to kill my target buck, a deer I named “Freak,” that gross-scored 190 6/8 inches. After finally capitalizing with this once-in-a-lifetime buck, I shifted my attention to Ghost.
After tagging Freak, I wanted more time in the woods. So, I decided I’d try to outsmart Ghost and see if I could photograph the big 10-pointer from my stand. Well, on Nov. 4, I got my wish! I was perched along the edge of a thick bedding area when along came a doe with a big 10-pointer hot on her tail. The buck pushed the doe right to the base of my tree, where she bedded. It was Ghost, who proceeded to stand beneath me for more than an hour, guarding his mate. I was able to stay undetected and captured several photos of the buck. This was such a unique opportunity and close encounter to have with such a big deer. After that, I couldn’t wait to chase Ghost with my bow in 2021.
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The Unexpected Season Summer 2021 started strong. I was able to get trail-camera photos of Ghost throughout August. I was honestly shocked when I first saw him, as that year he had added quite a few inches and turned into a big 7x5. He was a heart stopper, and I was extremely excited for the opener at the end of September.
Starting in 2021, Ghost became my target buck. I monitored him as closely as possible and used every tactic I could think of to get him within bow range. Despite my best efforts, Ghost managed to elude me throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons. As opening day approached, Ghost’s appearance on my trail cameras dwindled, and I realized I was going to have my work cut out for me trying to kill this buck. The alfalfa field I normally hunted faded out, so deer were not visiting like they had in years past. The acorn crop was next to nothing on this particular farm, and a new barn was being built right behind my preferred hunting area. Between the lack of food and added human activity, I knew tagging a mature buck there would be tough.
September came and went, and I barely got any photos of Ghost at all. I created mock scrapes and added trail cameras in every direction, just trying to catch a glimpse. I did catch him periodically throughout the beginning of season when he was using the mock scrapes, but still no daylight photos and nothing consistent enough to create a plan to hunt him.
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By now it was November, and the buck seemed to simply vanish. This is when I officially gave him the name Ghost. He eluded everything I had done and every camera I had placed. I had no plan and no idea if I was even going to have a chance to hunt him. Peak rut came and went, still with no sightings of Ghost.
Late season was now my only hope. Thankfully, Ghost had been a frequent late-season visitor in previous years. I also had some standing corn I could hunt, and with a lot of snow in the forecast, I figured this was my best hope at seeing him. Sure enough, I had two encounters in the extreme cold and snow but couldn’t seal the deal either time.
In the first encounter, the doe Ghost was following down the hill caught my thermals once she hit the ravine behind me. Deer rarely come from that direction, so it caught me completely off guard. Luckily, Ghost hadn’t hit the ravine yet, so he was clueless about why the doe had spooked. The second encounter, everything seemed perfect, except I watched in horror as Ghost came out of the bedding area and walked down the edge of a creek to the neighbor’s property. All along he had been staying so close, yet he managed to elude me once again. However, everything was starting to make sense now.
Back to the Drawing Board I knew I had to make some big changes going into the 2022 season. I also knew Ghost was getting older, and I hoped his home range would continue to get smaller and, by some luck, he would come back to the farm I was able to hunt.
My hunting area in Ohio is a mix of hardwood forest and agricultural fields — ideal whitetail habitat! I rely on a combination of cellular trail cameras and in-person glassing to help me keep tabs on the local deer herd, identify shooter bucks and then develop a game plan to hunt them. The season started off promising. This time, Ghost was hitting the mineral sites extremely early in the spring. I was able to watch him grow from the tiniest of nubs all the way to a full-grown giant. This had never happened before. I could only hope he would keep those patterns into the start of bow season. A new alfalfa field had been planted the previous fall directly above me, so this time all the deer would have to travel by me to feed in the alfalfa. I was hoping this was going to finally tip the odds in my favor.
Unfortunately, by the time the season opener arrived, Ghost had started to become nocturnal. I opted to stay out of the area completely until the first red moon in October, starting the first week of that month. That had always been my favorite time to hunt in past years. Sure enough, Ghost started to appear in daylight. The only catch was the northeast wind — the worst possible wind I could have for that area. There was just no way to work around it without getting busted.
On Oct. 6, the wind finally switched to northwest. That was my chance. Deer activity that evening was plentiful, and right before dark, Ghost’s white rack popped over the creek bank and down the ridge towards me he came. My heart was racing as I thought I was finally going to get my chance! Unfortunately, he waited for all the other deer to head up the hill to the alfalfa field before even budging once he made it halfway down the ridge. By this time, it was too dark to shoot, even if he made it into bow range. He continued his walk down the ridge towards me and faced my direction at 30 yards for what seemed to be an eternity. Then he walked up the hill to the alfalfa field.
The next red moon was in mid-October. Ghost was still showing on a regular basis, but mainly at night. The red moon paid off, but I failed to release an arrow once again. This time he was making his way to the alfalfa field right after shooting light when I was trying to get out of the stand. As usual, he was within 30 yards, but it was strike two for me. I gave it my all to connect with him before October ended, but the cards just weren’t in my favor. I knew once November came, he’d disappear for the rut, and I wouldn’t see him again until late season. Just as I suspected, Ghost vanished yet again.
December arrived, and still no sign of Ghost. I was starting to get concerned he may have been killed during the rut. However, I hadn’t heard of anyone killing a deer of that caliber. Friday, Dec. 2, my cell camera went off in daylight, and in disbelief Ghost was standing in front of it. At a closer look, I noticed what looked to be a bullet or arrow wound right below his heart area. Then it hit me; this was the buck the neighbor had shot just three days prior in gun season and couldn’t find! I was so relieved Ghost was alive, but I was worried about the severity of the gunshot wound.
Fast forward to Christmas Day; we had gotten brutally cold temperatures, high winds and a lot of snow. Despite the minus 11 degree temperature, I headed to the stand. Around 5 p.m., before any other deer had even moved, Ghost was coming right to me from a completely different direction than normal! He kept closing the distance, and at 28 yards, as Ghost walked behind a cluster of tree trunks, I made it to full draw and waited. Shockingly, he never came out the other side. Instead, seemingly for no reason, he turned and walked back the direction he’d come from. I was devastated. To this day, I still don’t understand it; everything was perfect.
After striking out for the third time, I had a feeling my chances for the 2022 season were probably spent. My hunch was right. After Jan. 4, Ghost vanished yet again, never to be seen, even on camera, the remainder of the season. When February arrived and I still hasn’t seen him, I was 99 percent certain Ghost had died from the gunshot wound.
Redemption Then, on Feb. 15, 2023, my cell camera transmitted proof of life — Ghost was still alive! He had already shed both antlers, but there was no doubt in my mind it was him. Once again, my inner fire was lit, and I couldn’t wait for the 2023 archery season.
In 2023, I watched Ghost from the time he started growing his antlers until they were finished. Although his rack was probably a bit smaller overall than it had been in 2022, the gunshot wound he’d suffered the previous fall resulted in a non-typical left antler. Last year, I watched Ghost grow every inch of antler from the start all the way to when he shed his velvet in September. Due to his injury the previous year, he grew one normal side (right) and one very abnormal side (left). Overall, his rack was smaller than it had been in 2022, but I didn’t care; this was a true giant of a deer, now ancient by Ohio free-range whitetail standards, and one that had proven himself a more than worthy opponent for many years. And when Ghost shed his velvet early in September, he showed me that he still had a few tricks left, vanishing once again as he had so many times before.
Ghost was gone for a little more than a month, reappearing in daylight two days before opening day. Talk about perfect timing!
I had a really good idea where Ghost was coming from after what he had done the previous year, but he always seemed to elude most of my cameras. So, I still wasn’t 100 percent certain what trail he was using. I did my homework though, and I hung three stands around the general area he would hopefully be traveling so that, regardless of wind direction, I could be in a tree. I figured by sitting every day I’d get at least one good opportunity.
The season arrived, and I was in a tree every afternoon no matter the temperature or the weather. After a week of this, I was getting exhausted hunting a deer that it seemed was never going to show. Ghost was certainly living up to his name; I hadn’t even gotten a single trail-cam photo of him since the season started!
Finally, on Oct. 7, I got the break I needed. It was the last day of the red moon and the first big cold front of the season. I knew if Ghost didn’t show then, he never would. Feeling optimistic and hunting 30 yards away from the only acorn-rich white oak on the ridge, I was hoping it would finally be my night. About an hour into my sit, a horrible wind and rain storm came through. I was miserable and cold, but I hoped once the weather passed the deer would move.
After three seasons of trying and failing, I finally got my chance at Ghost on Oct. 7, 2023. I made a perfect shot, and Ghost didn’t go far. Finally laying my hands on such an old warrior was a dream come true! Sure enough, once the rain stopped, two does and a fawn came up from the creek and fed under the white oak. Then a small buck showed. Sitting still, unaware of what was lurking down the ridge, all the deer went on high alert. I immediately looked in the direction of their focus, and sure enough, a good-sized buck was heading towards the white oak. It was like he just appeared out of nowhere. I could tell he was a really good buck, but I couldn’t make out what deer it could be. Luckily, I was hunting in a very large, split-trunk maple and had plenty of cover and time to stand up, grab my bow and get ready.
All the does and the young buck scattered. Whatever deer this was, he ruled the woods. As he put his head down and turned towards the small buck, I saw the abnormal side. It was Ghost! My heart immediately started to race. As Ghost closed the distance, he finally made his way down the ridge in front of me. I waited for him to get behind a cluster of saplings before attempting to draw. As I began to pull the bowstring, Ghost froze in his tracks and locked on the base of my tree. Only halfway drawn, I was in a panic that he was going to see me. I said a quick prayer and continued to draw straight back, as slowly as I could. By some miracle, Ghost didn’t see me. I settled my pin behind his shoulder and squeezed the release. My arrow hit its mark, and Ghost whirled away and went down over the bank.
My emotions immediately took over, but I knew I’d made a good shot and soon heard him crash. I had finally done it! All the years of hard work and failure had come to end in a euphoric victory. I called everyone who had been close to me during my quest for Ghost and told them the news. Later that evening, when I finally put my hands on Ghost for the first time, I felt like a piano had been lifted off me. My dream had become reality, and I thanked God for finally allowing me to connect with this truly amazing whitetail.
