Newland hunter kills huge, wide 8-point buck

8-point buck

8-point buck green-scored 124 4/8 inches

Stella McKinney of Newland, NC was hunting in Avery County on Oct. 29, 2022 when she drilled an 8-point buck that’s been green-scored at 124 4/8 inches. It weighed a whopping 203 pounds — and that was after being field dressed.

McKinney shot the buck with her Excalibur crossbow armed with an arrow tipped with a NAP broadhead at approximately 6:40 p.m. She was perched in a tree stand overlooking a wooded area when the 8-point buck showed up and offered her a shot at 40 yards. 

She had 2 years worth of trail cam photos of the deer, which had a 20-inch spread. And she’d also had in-person encounters with the deer before. But this was the first time she’d ever had a clear shot at it.

“I had seen him a couple of times last year, but could not get shots on him,” she said. “I have history with this deer. And I named him the Wide 8. I have hunted him for 2 years.”

McKinney put her time in, targeting this deer specifically almost every evening since the opener of archery season. And she was rewarded with a great buck, and a first for her with a crossbow.

“I have hunted almost every evening since bow season opened this year, and I hadn’t seen him in person this season until he showed up on Oct. 29. This was my first kill with a crossbow,” she said.

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Bag-A-Buck

Congratulations to McKinney, who is now entered in our Bag-A-Buck Contest and in the running for these monthly prizes and the Grand Prize package:

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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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