A Tractor Cut Hay In Front Of Him. He Stayed. Then A 214-Inch Buck Stepped Out
The buck, the why, and the gear
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A Tractor Cut Hay In Front Of Him. He Stayed. Then A 214-Inch Buck Stepped Out.
Ervin Yoder had been watching an Ohio whitetail for years. The buck carried roughly 150 inches in 2024, vanished completely through the 2025 season, then returned in 2026 looking like a different deer. He had added more than 50 inches of antler and pushed well beyond the 200-inch mark.
Opening afternoon should have been the perfect chance to get him before the rut changed everything. Then the neighbor showed up with a tractor and started cutting hay right in front of Ervin. The mower kept making passes until 5:30. Ervin stayed put. About 30 minutes later, the buck appeared. Let’s dive in.
The Buck
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Whitetail · Crossbow · Opening-day patience · October 19, 2026
214 7/8
SCORE
21
POINTS
30 MIN
AFTER MOWER
Ervin first had the buck on camera three years earlier. By 2024 it was carrying a rack around the 150-inch mark, enough to make it a serious target for Ervin, his brother Leroy, and their father Aden. Then the deer disappeared for the entire 2025 season. They figured the story might be over.
It wasn’t. The buck returned in 2026 with more than 50 additional inches of antler. Cell cameras kept the family updated through the summer, and they knew their cleanest opportunity might come before the rut pulled him somewhere else. When Ohio’s archery season opened Sept. 26, shifting winds kept them out until the afternoon. Then all three hunters slipped into different parts of the farm.
That’s when the hay cutting started. The neighbor’s tractor made pass after pass in front of Ervin until roughly 5:30 p.m. Ervin texted Leroy to see if he was leaving. Leroy wasn’t, so Ervin stayed too. About half an hour after the tractor finally pulled away, Ervin spotted movement roughly 200 yards across the field. Minutes later, the giant stepped out only 20 yards away. Ervin fired his crossbow, and the buck traveled about 60 yards before going down.
𐂂 Field Fact
The buck went from roughly 150 inches in 2024 to more than 200 inches in 2026. Its 21 scorable points eventually produced a Buckmasters score of 214 7/8 inches.
The Woodsman’s Edge
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If the disturbance is temporary, don’t make it permanent by climbing down.
Ervin’s hunt looked ruined the moment the mower started making passes in front of him. But nothing had actually told him his target buck was gone.
𐂂 Separate ugly from over. Noise, machinery, or activity can make a sit feel hopeless without actually ending the evening. Don’t climb down just because the hunt no longer looks the way you pictured it.
𐂂 Protect what is still working. Ervin had the right wind, knew the buck had been moving early, and already had his position. Leaving would have added another round of movement and scent at exactly the wrong time.
𐂂 Give the woods time to reset. The tractor stopped around 5:30. Ervin didn’t immediately change plans. Roughly 30 minutes later, the buck resumed his trip toward the corn and walked into range.
The Field Call
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Would You Stay Through It?
Your 200-inch target has been showing early. You’re finally in position on opening afternoon when the neighboring farmer starts cutting hay right in front of you.
The tractor keeps making passes, but your wind is still good and you haven’t seen the buck leave.
What’s your move?
Tap your call to see why Dale wouldn’t let a tractor make the decision for him.
Gear Bench
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ThermaSeat S2 Self-Support Hunting Seat
$63.99
Dale’s note: Ervin spent the afternoon sitting on the ground while a tractor kept making passes in front of him. That’s exactly the kind of sit where comfort starts affecting patience. ThermaSeat’s S2 folds flat, weighs 2.7 pounds, has a self-supporting backrest, a waterproof triple-layer cushion, and quiet materials. Nothing fancy. Just something that makes staying put a little easier when the afternoon gets longer than expected.
The Last Word
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Ervin had every excuse he needed to call the hunt ruined.
The tractor was loud. It was working right in front of him. His target buck usually came out early, and every pass of the mower seemed to make that less likely.
But the wind was still right. Ervin hadn’t blown the deer out. And climbing down would have guaranteed that he wasn’t there if the buck returned.
So he stayed. Thirty minutes after the tractor left, the biggest buck of his life walked into range.
The point isn’t to ignore a busted sit. It’s learning the difference between a hunt that looks bad and one that’s actually over.
The tractor was loud. It was working right in front of him. His target buck usually came out early, and every pass of the mower seemed to make that less likely.
But the wind was still right. Ervin hadn’t blown the deer out. And climbing down would have guaranteed that he wasn’t there if the buck returned.
So he stayed. Thirty minutes after the tractor left, the biggest buck of his life walked into range.
The point isn’t to ignore a busted sit. It’s learning the difference between a hunt that looks bad and one that’s actually over.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve had happen around your stand and still stayed to hunt? Reply and tell me.
Don’t let the tractor decide for you.
Dale Richey
Big Buck Journal
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