Greensboro hunter kills Guilford County white buck

white buck

Hunter had seen the white buck once before

Mike Varner of Greensboro, N.C. killed a white buck in Guilford County on Nov. 3, 2020. Varner had seen the deer, a 6-pointer, once before. But this was his first time seeing it while hunting.

“I saw him back during the summer about a mile or two away from me. I never thought I would see it in the tree stand,” he said.

When the deer hunting season rolled in, Varner didn’t think much more of the white buck. And by early November, his trail cameras were capturing photos of a trophy 8-point buck that was visiting his stand during daylight hours. So he was focused on tagging that deer.

“I left the house that day at 2:30 p.m. because I’d been pictures of a big 8-pointer that was coming in during daylight. So I had a good feeling I was going to see him during shooting hours,” he said.

After a leisurely walk to his stand, Varner finally began seeing some action around 5 p.m. when an interesting buck showed up.

“I had a small buck with a drop tine come in around 5 o’clock. But I passed on him. Then about 5:20, two does came in from behind me. And maybe two minutes later, I heard a buck grunt behind me. I figured it was the big 8-pointer. So I got ready,” he said.

He continued hearing the deer, so he slowly turned around in his Loc-On stand to get a look.

“I couldn’t see it at first. So I kept looking. Then all of sudden, solid white stepped out. I just thought ‘holy crap,” said Varner.

Varner shot the white buck with a crossbow

The white buck slowly made its way around Varner’s tree as the two does took off to the hunter’s right.

“He got out, literally 10 or 15 yards out in front of me…basically underneath my tree. He was watching the does run off, so I figured he was about to take off after them,” he said.

Varner raised his Barnett Droptine crossbow, took aim, and pulled the trigger. His shot was true, and the deer dropped after running about 20 yards.

white buckHe immediately called his dad, who told Varner he would meet him there.

“Then I got out of the stand and tried to gather myself. I was just kind of in shock. My dad shot a solid white doe years ago and was never able to find it. So I told myself back then that if I ever killed a white deer, I’d get a full-body mount of it. So that’s what I’m doing,” he said.

“It’s an experience I’ll never forget”

With some other friends on the way to see the buck, Varner’s dad was the first to arrive. The two shared a moment together talking about the deer and the incredible luck that comes into play to get a shot at such a deer, that beat plenty of odds just to get that far in life.

The deer was solid white, and it had pink hooves, a pink nose, and pink eyes with a slight bit of blue in them.

After Varner shared photos of the deer on social media, a nearby hunter sent him some photos of the white buck that his trail cam had captured a few days prior to Varner’s hunt.

“It’s been a crazy experience. Most people congratulated me, and some were really ticked off. There’s something about shooting a white deer than can really upset some people. But, that is what it is. I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to getting the mount back. It’s an experience I’ll never forget,” he said.

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Bag-A-Buck

Congratulations to Varner, who is now entered in our Bag-A-Buck contest. This makes him eligible for a number of great prizes. That includes the grand prize, a two-day, two-man hunt at Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge. Click here to view the Bag-A-Buck gallery or to enter the contest yourself.

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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