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Ohio bowhunter Stephen Crowell went deer hunting after a scheduled Lake Erie fishing trip was canceled by rain. He arrowed a large Indiana whitetail on Oct. 2; an official Buckmasters scorer measured its rack at 266 4/8 inches, with 28 scorable points.
Ohio bowhunter and Lake Erie fishing guide Stephen Crowell arrowed a large whitetail buck in east-central Indiana on Oct. 2, after rain led his scheduled fishing clients to cancel. Buckmasters official scorer Rick Busse measured the deer’s rack at 266 4/8 inches, according to Outdoor Life’s report.
Crowell, a 35-year-old manufacturing project manager from New Paris, Ohio, also guides walleye anglers on Lake Erie. With the charter canceled and colder weather forecast that afternoon, he decided to hunt a small farm where he had recently secured permission. He had visited the property only a few times and had heard reports of a large buck, which he nicknamed “Rumor.”
Crowell said he had seen the deer near a still-green bean field in late September. On Oct. 2, he carried a lock-on stand to a tree at the field’s edge, arriving at 3:30 p.m. and settling in to hunt about an hour later. He said cool weather and favorable wind made the field’s beans seem likely to draw deer.
Three does fed in the field before leaving. A smaller buck appeared later, then returned from a nearby thicket with the larger deer behind it. Crowell ranged the buck at 51 yards and shot when it turned broadside, he told Outdoor Life. He said the arrow struck high and the deer fell at the spot. The buck had a 21.5-inch inside spread and 28 scorable points. Its dressed weight was 220 pounds; its live weight was estimated at 250 pounds.
A Canceled Charter Led to the Hunt
The report documents an unusually large deer harvest and the circumstances that brought Crowell into the stand: a canceled fishing trip left him with time to hunt a property where he had recently gained access. The buck’s reported score and point count give readers concrete details about the animal, while the account also shows how an opportunity can depend on timing, permission and conditions in the field.
The score is a measurement of the antlers, not a claim about the deer’s age or the broader health of the local herd. The story does not provide regional harvest statistics or compare this animal with other Indiana bucks, so no wider trend can be drawn from the individual hunt.
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From Late-September Sighting to Shot
Crowell had been on the east-central Indiana farm only once or twice before the hunt. He said he placed trail cameras there in late September and saw the buck at the edge of a bean field. That earlier sighting informed his choice of a stand location about 100 yards from where he had seen the deer.
On the afternoon of Oct. 2, Crowell hung the stand in a tree he said was covered in poison ivy and kept trimming to a minimum, planning to use branches for cover. He was in place by about 4:30 p.m. The does and smaller buck appeared before the target buck entered the field at around 7 p.m., according to his account to Outdoor Life.
After the hunt, Crowell used a heavy-duty carry tote to move the buck to his truck and took it to Indiana taxidermist Paul Lyles of Wildlife Creations Taxidermy. Rick Busse, identified in the report as an official Buckmasters scorer, calculated the antler measurement.
“I knew I had to shoot then or maybe never again.”
— Stephen Crowell, speaking to Outdoor Life
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Details the Report Does Not Establish
The report gives the Buckmasters score and antler measurements but does not say whether the score is a final entry in a particular record book or provide further scoring documentation. It also does not identify the buck’s age, give a precise location for the farm, or report whether the landowner plans to continue allowing Crowell to hunt there.
Crowell’s account of the shot, the deer’s fall and the conditions in the field is attributed to him. The report does not include an independent account of the hunt. The 250-pound live weight is an estimate; the stated dressed weight is 220 pounds.
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Scoring and Mount Plans
The buck was taken to Wildlife Creations Taxidermy, owned by Paul Lyles, after Crowell brought it out of the field. The report does not specify when the mount will be completed or whether the rack will be submitted for additional scoring or record-book consideration.
For now, the reported measurement from Buckmasters scorer Rick Busse is the principal documented score in the account. Any later confirmation, formal entry or new details about the deer would need to come from Crowell, the scorer, the taxidermist or a relevant record-keeping organization.
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Key Questions
Who shot the Indiana buck?
Stephen Crowell, a bowhunter from New Paris, Ohio, shot the deer on Oct. 2, 2026, according to Outdoor Life.
Why was Crowell hunting instead of guiding a fishing trip?
Rain led the clients scheduled for his Lake Erie fishing charter to cancel, Crowell told Outdoor Life. He used the time to hunt a farm in east-central Indiana.
How large was the buck’s rack?
Official Buckmasters scorer Rick Busse calculated the rack at 266 4/8 inches. The deer had 28 scorable points and a 21.5-inch inside spread, the report said.
How much did the deer weigh?
The buck’s dressed weight was 220 pounds. Its live weight was estimated at 250 pounds, according to the report.
What happened to the buck after the hunt?
Crowell hauled the deer to his truck using a heavy-duty carry tote and took it to Wildlife Creations Taxidermy, owned by Paul Lyles. The report does not say when the mount will be finished.
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