Donnie Monroe knew he’d killed a special buck when he downed a 23-point whitetail that grossed 230-4/8 inches three days into Kansas’ early muzzleloader season.
But he didn’t know the monster buck would break the Buckmasters’ mark for the top irregular (Buckmasters’ term for nontypical) category for muzzleloader hunters in the Sunflower State. Monroe’s buck netted 213- ⅞ inches, topping the previous category leader by ⅞ inch. Buckmasters acknowledged Monroe’s buck as the new state champ in late September 2022. The group scores racks similarly to Boone and Crockett, though it eliminates spread credit, does not require a 60-day drying period and does not recognize deductions.
A Familiar Buck Monroe is no stranger to big deer. As a member of the Team 200 television show, he has several trophy bucks on his wall, including a 200-inch buck shot in 2018. Still, this past season, he had his hands full with a buck he’d known since 2021. “This buck ran with another deer last year, and I kind of figured his buddy was going to be my target buck this fall,” he said. “That deer was a 4-year-old, 150-class 10-point that I figured would be a Booner this year. Well, that deer did look really nice this summer, but his running buddy had really caught my attention. As the summer wore on and I studied trail cam pics, I kept thinking, ‘That buck could score over 200 inches.’” But the buck presented challenges, Chief among them was that the 160-acre farm Monroe was hunting was bordered on one side by an avid hunter and an outfitter on the other. “I don’t kid myself about what I can accomplish on this property,” he said. “I’m not going to keep a buck on here and prevent him from going any other place. So, I just try to make it as attractive to bucks as it can be, so it will always be in their list of preferred places. One of the things I do that I know works is each spring I put out Whitetail Institute’s 30-06 deer mineral, not only as an attractant, but because I know it’s full of minerals, vitamins and nutrients that will allow a buck to express his potential. And having that mineral out just keeps that area in the buck’s head as a safe spot. I stay pretty much out of there except to check a camera now and then.” As the 2022 season approached, Monroe became more excited. “By late summer, I was sending pics of the buck to a buddy and saying ‘200-incher,’ and at first, he didn’t believe me,” he said. “Some deer just don’t make big jumps from year to year, but this one had absolutely exploded. He had the right stuff, and I was focused on him and no other deer.”
Planning the Hunt Still, Monroe didn’t underestimate the difficulties the buck presented. As noted, the small Kansas farm was surrounded by a large property that was hunted seriously on one side, with the lease of an area outfitter on the other. “I was sure that both of them knew this deer, and I honestly thought I had about a week to kill this buck or one of them would,” he said. “I felt like I had to figure him out in a hurry and be prepared for any opportunity he presented. I spent a lot of time glassing, putting out trail cams and coming up with a plan. I’d finally figured out where he was bedding and the beanfield he liked to feed in, and I decided I had to try for him in a little pocket of cover connecting the two.” However, a south wind — forecast for the first week of season — was about dead wrong for Monroe’s setup. “But I’ve learned over the years that sometimes a terrain change can tweak wind direction a bit, and I knew a spot where I thought that could happen,” he said. “And when I snuck in there, I was right. The wind was more east-southeast, which was almost perfect for the deer, so he would be comfortable moving into the wind. But it was just right enough for me that I thought I could go undetected. I’m also a firm believer in the Moon Guide, and it was the first red moon of the month. I really felt like if I was going to take a shot at this deer, this would be the day and the place.” Monroe’s plan worked, as he slipped into position with the wind still barely in his favor. “I knew I was going to have a narrow window of opportunity if he showed up, so I sat on the ground and kept my muzzleloader on shooting sticks, with the butt against my bino harness,” he said. “I’m normally a bowhunter, and I probably should have carried my bow, since the buck came through within my effective range. But I simply wasn’t taking any chances with this whitetail.” As he settled in, Monroe prayed that the monster buck would move toward the beanfield during shooting hours. “Suddenly, I could hear a deer moving and got the gun ready,” he said. “When the buck popped in my opening, I barely had time to get nervous. Suddenly he was standing broadside at 40 yards, filling up my opening. Fortunately for me, that’s not much of a shot for a muzzleloader. I settled in on his shoulder, touched off the shot and watched him crash off. I just let out a big breath and sat down for a bit. I knew I’d made a good shot. Finally, I stood up and walked over to where I’d last seen him, and I spotted him piled up not far away. “When I walked up to the buck, it was pretty humbling. I mean, I’d had plenty of intel to let me know how big he was, but when you actually see a deer like that in front of you, well, it’s just amazing.”
Kansas
Dream Though he’s
had plenty of success, Monroe admitted he’s awestruck whenever he stands over a
giant whitetail. “I grew up dirt-poor in Indiana, and I honestly learned to
hunt just to put good food on the table for me and my dad,” he said. “But the
more I hunted, the more I fell in love with it, and it’s turned into a way of
life for me. I’d been coming to Kansas as a nonresident for 17 or 18 years then
I had the opportunity to move here for work. So now I get to not only hunt this
magical place but live here. I honestly have to shake my head now and then.
This is like living a dream for me.”
