I did forget one final bit of information, I do have a regular job with a regular guys pay. I work very hard for everything I have. I dont lease ground or pay any body to take me hunting. I hunt by myself and I try to film every hunt just to keep people like you from getting the story wrong, I have this all on film, no high fences, no tags in the ears, 100% Fair Chase.

Steve Esker

Well Steve thanks for all the information about the kill. I still don't like the baiting part and do have a problem with some situations and crossbows.
With all that said, we all need to put ourselves in your shoes and think real hard about the course you took in harvesting this deer. I bet most would take the same rout being legal to harvest this giant. In my mind you used the crossbow in the correct situation. Now I give you the Congratulations you deserve. Way to go, he will look great with your other mounts!

Great Deer!!! Congratulations!!! Come on guys lighten up, it doesn't sound like he's doing anything illegal -- just taking advantage of what he has. If that deer is not behind a fence and he's following the game laws, what's the big deal?

Steve heck of a buck. You know one thing I have learned in life is don't mix family and money and when it comes to hunting I've seen good friends destroyed out of jealousy. Reading these posts sadden me to see how hateful, envious and non supportive fellow hunters can be. Sounds like a bunch of democrats. Whatever happened to the each one of us dictates our own fate, work hard invest your time and you will benefit.

Steve again great buck. Having a 200 within bow range regardless of whether you used corn. I imagine that most everyone on here has used doe in heat scent, a grunt call and has used topo maps for an edge. What's the difference.

life is not fair. Congrats on a great deer though.

It says nothing about high fence it seems to be that some people on here are jealous. And if he gets to hunt over bait like many other states he is doing nothing wrong. Crossbows only extend the range of an archer and imo are better for the common man to shoot. A lot less can go wrong in shooting a crossbow unlike an regular bow. Nice deer Congrats

Hi Steve,

Thanks for sending the link to the article in Field and Stream. That is an impressive deer, I think this proves that a good well manage plot of ground can keep and produce great quality bucks. Thanks for sharing your hunts with us, the ones that are still looking for the Monsters. Keep up the great land management program that you use, it works. For all of those that are upset over a real hunter that is able to use his years of knowledge to bag the big bucks, get out in the woods and learn how too do the same thing instead of being jealous of other hunters hard work and commitment to the art of management.

Wow thats huge

Steve,
Wonderful Buck. Period! Don't pay any attention to all the haters. Last time I checked, Ohio permitted all the techniques you utilized to take this truly magnificent specimen. I too hunt Ohio and the Urban areas. To all those who say those deer aren't as smart as "big woods" deer you are largely mistaken. I've harvested deer from five different mid-west states and have had easy kills in the hardwoods, and damn difficult ones near the city centers. And, according to the Ohio DNR, there has been no noticable decline in deer populations due to the use of crossbows. In fact, it seems like Ohio is producing more record book bucks than ever before. So to those nay-sayers who criticize crossbow hunters as having an unfair advantage can pound salt. And no, I don't hunt with a crossbow. Great deer Steve, try sending them up Akron's way please!

Steve, awesome buck and congratulations on your hunt of a lifetime, (or 3rd hunt of a lifetime!) Don't listen to any of the garbage the people above put out. The people above are all jealous and self righteous individuals who feel that they have to make themselves look better by claiming their methods of hunting are superior. First and foremost, I love that you harvested this buck with a crossbow. Crossbows are not legal in the state of NY, but should be made legal precisely for people like you. You paid a great sacrifice for your country, while most of the people here turned up their noses to the thought of joining the military, and then you come home and can not hunt with a regular bow due to your injury. If you are not the epitome of people who should be able to use a cross bow to continue the pursuit of their passion, I don't know who is. People are hating on you for using an advanced technological method to kill a deer, but just what do they think their compund bows that shoot 350 fps are? and what about those super sharp mechanical broadheads that cut a 2 " or greater wound in the animal, and are attatched to those laser cut arrows that are guaranteeed precision flight to -.002". are those not advanced as well? stop berating this great American hunter for using his crossbow because it is "unfair". If you want fair go back to making your own bows and arrows, take away your expensive camouflage clothing, the atv that takes you into those impossible to reach places and the treestands and trail cameras that help you scout and shoot your animals. Walk through the woods naked like our ancestors did and shoot the first thing that comes into sight and be grateful for it. Otherwise, shut up and accept the fact that hunting is a sport ever evolving by technology: and be thankful that that very technology gave an American soldier coming back home a chance to get back into the woods and ease his mind of the horrors of war, doing the thing he loves most.
I would hunt with you any day Steve, and would offer you to come and hunt with me here in NY, but you wont even be seeing one of those 150" bucks that you passed on here. Still, I spend every minute I can in the woods, just hoping to see a giant. Congrats, and hopefully your 4th hunt of a lifetime comes to you next year!

I have had friends, unfortunately not me, who have shot numerous impressive bucks. It seems when anyone shoots a big one, you automatically get the yahooos who automatically think it was bought, or no fair chase, or some other issue. It's human nature to be jealous because they didn't get the big one. If they did, others would do the same to them. Great job and impressive animals. I consider myself to be a better hunter than 95% of those in the field but I have never shot anything over 140. But I archery hunt heavily hunted public land and have taken some of the known biggest whitetails on some of those tracts. I just wish some day I could use my 20 years of bowhunting experience on a good piece of ground and have a chance at a good one. But, now I live in Delaware and a big one has antlers, not big antlers, just antlers. Good luck to all this season. And if I can wade through all the illegal mexicans who somehow can get resident licensed to hunt in DE, maybe I'll get a deer too.

that permission slip is priceless!!

It must be nice to have a bigger budget for hunting every year than most people's salaries are. And who says money can't buy happiness? He looks pretty happy to me...

What you fail to realize is that all of the record bucks in recent years have come from Ohio. It is not uncommon to see 2 or 3 180-220 inch deer together here. The problem with Ohio hunting is most of the state is private land, which apparently is where this guy hunts. Also, within city limits, the deer are actually less wild. They are used to human smells and noise. They can't smell or hear as good when they are around diesel fuel and noisy highways constantly. Baiting is a little on the cheating side but it's legal in Ohio. The herd quality and quantity makes for better, hunter friendly regulations, that's all. Don't be a hater.

Can I just say one thing here. Crossbows have been in use since the 5th century BC. 2500 years ago, the compound bow is what 25 years old, surely not more than 30, so let's stop with the modern technology crap. It is a fine deer Steve and I know what you go through to harvest such a deer. Carry on my man!

Great deer Steve! I went to school in Columbus and know that the deer inside those city limits are still a tough hunt. Whatever scent and noise advantage you might have is more than nutralized by the chance of a dog or neighbor running the deer to Mississippi. Congrats again Steve and thank you for your service to our country.

THANK you for your service steve ,GREAT buck

if i saw that coming through the woods i would shake right out of my stand and have to try shooting while hanging from my harness. Congrats on the hat-trick.

Great deer!!! Congrats on a beauty!!! However,not that my say mattters, but I have an issue with it, not just this deer, but any deer, buck or doe. Crossbows should not be allowed to be used in any state during archery season, unless the hunter is physically disabled to the point they he/she cannot draw back their bow. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the use of a crossbow, If the hunters are certifed by a doctor as physically unfit to draw a bow, by all means, use a crossbow. I and many of my fellow hunters just feel they should be only be allowed to be used during a gun season. You draw them like a gun, you fire them like a gun, they should be used during gun season!!! That buck did not get that old, and that nice by being stupid. He avoided many, many hunter, both gun and archers for many years. Would this guy have gotten either of his two monster bucks, if he had wait for the right chance to draw back, hold the weight of the bow, wait for the right chance to let it fly, shaking the whole time. The world will never know.

I just scanned the comments. Anyone else find it odd that the bow is cocked in the pic?

And all this is after Delaware became yet another state to allow unrestricted use of crossbows during bow season in 2010. I am one of the advocates of handicap-only crossbow use during archery season so I gave my local DNR and earfull. Fine using a crossbow during shotgun season. But I am a hypocrite because since hunting archery only here is very difficult, I added a muzzleloader to my arsenal since it is still a "primitive weapon". Yeah right, Omega scope, sabots, 8 for 8 in shots to kills. Anybody who says todays inline muzzleloaders are primitive is funny in the head. So crossbows, muzzleloaders whatever. You still have to be in the right place at the right time.

Hi NYBIGGAMEHUNTER,I could not have said it better myself.It is too bad sesker had to defend himself.He did everything legal,here we can no longer bait.The crossbow is only different in that it is held like a firearm.Look at the muzzleloader,it has evolved into a firearm that shoots as good as a modern rifle.How would these people like it if we had to hunt with a traditional muzzleloader or bow!

cant pull back a bow so I'll use a crossbow, cant scout so I'll use trail cameras, I dont understand a bucks patterns so I'll bait it in, cant climb so I'll use a blind, cant track so I'll hire a helicopter.......Look at me and this big deer I shot what an accomplishment OMG field and stream publish my storyyyyyyy

Nice deer. I don't much care for crossbows. I feel that if you are physically able to draw a bow you shouldn't be allowed to use a crossbow during Bow season. But as long as the ODNR allows it, congratulations.

Really, over bait?

THIS IS A GREAT DEER THAT ALL OF US WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A SHOT AT BUT IT WASNT FAIR CHASE THAT IS FOR SURE I GOTTA REMIND MYSELF TO PUT A HELLICOPTER AND PILOT ON MY CABELAS CHRISTMAS WISH LIST AND WHEN I RETURN TO MY HOME STATE OHIO THE END OF NOVEMBER FOR GUN ILL SHOOT A 218"

Its bull that average people hunt the woods behind their house and hope to see a couple deer, while these rich folks shell out 5 grand and sit in a stand and pass up monsters because they know they are going to get something like that if the pay 5 gs
Whats this sport turning into?