Oklahoma Bowhunter Waits For Broadside On A 202-Inch Buck
The buck, the why, and the gear
Oklahoma Bowhunter Waits For Broadside On A 202-Inch Buck.
KW Adair had been keeping tabs on a giant eastern Oklahoma whitetail through the early season. The 5-year-old buck had shown on cameras around his feeder and on neighboring properties for the previous two years, enough history to make one October morning feel different before Adair ever reached the stand.
On Oct. 11, Adair left the house with a bow, a release, and one arrow. Does and small bucks filtered through around daylight. Then came a false alarm, another doe approaching behind him, followed seconds later by the deer he had been waiting for. The giant walked to the feeder and faced Adair straight on. He still had to wait for the shot. Let’s dive in.
The Buck
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Oklahoma whitetail · Bowhunting · Early season · October 12, 2026
202
GREEN GROSS
60
YARD RECOVERY
5
YEARS OLD
Adair had watched the buck make appearances on his cameras and on surrounding properties over the previous two years. By the 2026 season, the deer was 5 years old and carrying an enormous typical 10-point frame with extra points around the brows. The buck was using Adair’s feeder often enough to keep the possibility of a close encounter alive.
On Oct. 11, Adair headed in carrying only his bow, release, and one arrow. Around daylight, does fed below him, followed by a few small bucks. Later he heard deer approaching directly behind him and felt the adrenaline jump, only to see another doe. The relief lasted only seconds.
The big buck stepped out and walked straight to the feeder. Then he stood directly facing Adair without offering a clean broadside shot. Adair waited. When the deer finally turned broadside, he drew, picked his spot, and released. The arrow found its mark and the buck ran roughly 60 yards before crashing in the brush. Two separate measurements put the green gross score at 202 inches.
𐂂 Field Fact
Oklahoma’s 2026-27 deer archery season runs Oct. 1 through Jan. 15. The state allows hand-held releases, and hunting arrows or bolts must use hunting points at least 7/8 inch wide.
The Woodsman’s Edge
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A buck facing you is not a shot clock.
A 202-inch rack at close range can make every second feel urgent. Adair’s best move was the one that created no new problem: he waited for the deer to turn.
𐂂 Let the deer finish the move. If he is facing you without the angle you want, stay quiet and let him create the broadside or quartering-away opportunity instead of forcing one.
𐂂 Pre-range the places a buck is likely to stop. Knowing the distance before the deer arrives removes one more movement and one more decision when your heart rate climbs.
𐂂 Pick your spot before you draw. Antler size should not change where you aim. A familiar visual reference on the deer keeps the shot process the same when the buck is anything but ordinary.
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The Field Call
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Would You Take The Shot?
A 200-inch buck walks straight to the feeder and stops facing you.
He is close, calm, and giving you time, but there is no broadside angle yet. Every extra movement risks getting picked off.
What’s your move?
Tap your call to see why Dale lets the deer create the angle instead of forcing the shot.
Gear Bench
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TruFire Hardcore 2.0 Foldback Release
$99.99
Dale’s note: Adair walked in with his bow, release, and one arrow. When a buck finally turns broadside, I do not want the release to be the part of the shot I am thinking about. The Hardcore 2.0 uses an open-hook design for quick D-loop attachment, has micro-adjustable trigger travel and pressure, and a foldback wrist strap that keeps it out of the way until you need it.
The Last Word
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Adair had exactly the deer he wanted standing close enough to make the moment feel simple. It still was not a shot yet.
The buck walked to the feeder and faced him. Adair waited through the part that can make a hunter rush, then drew only after the deer finally turned broadside. Sixty yards later, the biggest whitetail of his life was down.
The rack measured 202 inches. The lesson is much smaller: a giant deer does not make a bad angle better.
The buck walked to the feeder and faced him. Adair waited through the part that can make a hunter rush, then drew only after the deer finally turned broadside. Sixty yards later, the biggest whitetail of his life was down.
The rack measured 202 inches. The lesson is much smaller: a giant deer does not make a bad angle better.
When a target buck is close but facing you, how long are you willing to wait for the angle you want? Reply and tell me.
Let the deer make the angle.
Dale Richey
Big Buck Journal
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