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Wisconsin hunter Tim Potter killed a 19-point buck in Monroe County on Sept. 17 after spotting it near a food plot while leaving his stand. The rack scored 214 5/8 inches by Buckmasters, according to Outdoor Life; the account says the deer traveled about 80 yards after the shot.
Wisconsin hunter Tim Potter killed a 19-point buck with a crossbow in Monroe County on Sept. 17, after spotting the deer near a food plot while walking out of his stand, according to Outdoor Life. The nontypical rack scored 214 5/8 inches by Buckmasters, the report said.
Potter, 59, of Sparta, was hunting from a wooden stand on family land in west-central Wisconsin. He had hunted the location for years, but livestock activity had disturbed deer on earlier visits that season. On the evening of the kill, rain and an ATV moving livestock again prompted him to leave his stand shortly after 7 p.m., he told Outdoor Life.
While walking out, Potter saw a doe near a fence and then noticed the buck by a food plot. He said he crawled toward it with the wind in his face, taking advantage of wet ground cover. At a distance of 35 yards, he raised his TenPoint crossbow and shot. Potter said the deer ran through woods and a bean field before falling in young pines, about 80 yards from where it was hit.
Potter told the magazine that the buck broke about four inches of antler when it struck trees. Friends helped him recover the deer, which they hauled out with a farm tractor. A processor weighed the dressed animal at 200 pounds, Potter said; he estimated its live weight at 230 pounds. The rack measured a 21.5-inch inside spread, according to the report.
A Chance Encounter After the Hunt
The reported kill came during an evening when Potter had already decided the hunt was disrupted and was leaving his stand. His account highlights how a deer encounter can occur away from a planned stand position, while the reported 214 5/8-inch score gives the story its particular interest to deer hunters and record watchers.
Potter said he had watched the buck for three years through trail-camera images. That history connects the harvest to a specific deer he had tracked over time, rather than a chance sighting of an animal he had never seen before. The account does not establish a broader trend in deer size or hunting success.
Three Years of Buck Sightings
The hunt took place in Monroe County, in the rolling hardwood country of west-central Wisconsin. Potter said the stand overlooked a clover and wheat field. Outdoor Life described the area as whitetail habitat, while Potter’s account places the buck near a food plot when he encountered it.
Potter told the magazine that years of baseball pitching, along with a work injury, had led him to use a crossbow after previously taking deer with a compound bow. He said he had dozens of archery whitetails to his credit. This was only his second hunt at the stand that season, in part because of rainy conditions, according to the report.
“I sneaked to 35 yards, raised my TenPoint crossbow, aimed and shot.”
— Tim Potter, speaking to Outdoor Life
Details Beyond the Hunt Account
The account relies on details Potter provided to Outdoor Life. The report gives the rack score as 214 5/8 inches by Buckmasters, but it does not describe the scoring process or identify an independent verification beyond that attribution. Potter’s 230-pound live-weight figure is an estimate; the report says the processor weighed the dressed buck at 200 pounds.
Outdoor Life reports that the deer fell after traveling about 80 yards. The supplied account does not provide additional information about the shot placement, a formal scoring record, or whether the rack qualifies for any particular record list. No such status should be inferred from the score alone.
Processing and Scoring Records
Potter took the buck to Brock’s Butcher Block for processing, where it was weighed dressed, according to his account. Outdoor Life reported the Buckmasters score but did not state whether further scoring, record submission or recognition is planned. The supplied information does not identify any upcoming event or additional official review.
Key Questions
When and where did Tim Potter kill the buck?
Potter killed it on Sept. 17, 2026, on family land in Monroe County, Wisconsin, according to Outdoor Life.
How large was the buck’s rack?
The 19-point nontypical rack scored 214 5/8 inches by Buckmasters, the report said. Its inside spread was reported as 21.5 inches.
How did Potter encounter the deer?
He spotted it near a food plot while walking out of his stand after livestock activity disturbed his hunt. Potter said he crawled to within 35 yards before shooting with his crossbow.
How much did the buck weigh?
A processor weighed the dressed buck at 200 pounds, Potter told Outdoor Life. Potter estimated its live weight at 230 pounds; that figure was not reported as a measured weight.
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