Scoring Big Bucks: Tahara Bish's Monster Buck
By: Brian Kightlinger
Tahara Bish is a seventeen-year-old from Knox, Pennsylvania. When she was eleven, Tahara started hunting with her father, Pat Bish, because she wanted to hang out with him and make fond memories. She never really took hunting seriously until she met Wyatt Smith in 2019. Wyatt asked Tahara into to help him set up trail cameras for the upcoming season. She enjoyed learning more about whitetail deer from Wyatt and, in 2019, she shot a four-point buck.
The happiness and accomplishment Tahara felt from taking the four-point fueled her new passion. In 2020, Tahara set a goal to harvest a bigger buck than her four-point. She would accomplish that goal, but it would leave her in tears. Nevertheless, her passion and enthusiasm grew even more.
During the Pennsylvania 2020 rifle season, Tahara was sitting in her favorite stand inside a stand of hemlock trees. Her father, Pat, was hunting from the ground across the property. Despite the rainy and cool weather, she felt confident that her dad would push a deer her way. She watched the direction her father would be coming. Eventually Tahara saw a few deer sneaking her way. A few deer turned into a large group. Tahara scanned the group intently for antlers.
Through the hemlock branches, Tahara finally spotted antlers. She gasped at the size of the rack on one of the deer, and waited patiently for the deer to get closer to her stand. Some of the does passed under a hemlock tree and crossed the trail she was watching. She watched as the buck with large antlers disappeared behind a hemlock tree.
Tahara shouldered her Remington .243 rifle. Her heart was pounding. In an instant her excitement turned to worry, as her scope was almost completely fogged over. Unsure of what to do, Tahara squinted into the scope and focused on the hemlock where she last saw the buck. Through the fog she saw the buck emerge. She squeezed the trigger.
The sound of the shot caught Pat by surprise. He quickly walked towards Tahara’s stand. As he got closer, he saw Tahara standing over a deer. Pat hurried over to greet his daughter and to see what she had shot.
When Pat finally reached Tahara, he found her in tears. He asked if she was crying tears of joy. Tahara shook her head and told her dad that she had shot the wrong buck. There were two bucks in the group, and she didn't realize it. A large-bodied five-point stepped out from the trees first, and she shot him. The monster buck, the one she’d spotted first, walked over the dead five-point and trotted away, over the hill and out of sight.
Pat congratulated his distraught daughter and calmed her down. Tahara was happy to have bagged a larger buck, but she wanted another chance at the monsterbuck that gave her the slip.
In the spring of 2021, Tahara purchased her own trail cameras. She and Wyatt placed them on her hunting property.Each time she checked her camera, her heart skipped a beat, as she hoped the monster buck passed by one of her cameras. He never showed himself, but Tahara regularly saw a beautiful ten-point on the cameras.
Spring faded, and soon it was early autumn. The chill was in the morning air. Tahara focused on the best way to get a shot at the ten-point she tracked on her cameras. She was excited to spend time in her treestand with Wyatt. He would come over regularly to sit with her in the stand, but they never saw the ten-point.
After hunting most of October without seeing the ten-point, Tahara wondered where the buck had gone. Wyatt was still confident that Tahara would get a shot at him, but she was unsure. On the evening of October 27th, Tahara and Wyatt headed out to her buddy stand.
The dry leaves rustled as the duo crept towards the stand. After they settled into the stand, hey made small talk about sports, the different animals they saw, and watched the woods for any sign of deer.
Tahara squinted into the setting sun. Wyatt said that it was almost the "Magic Hour", and he had a good feeling they would see a good buck. Tahara nodded. She returned to scanning the woods and hoped Wyatt was right.
As the last of the light began to fade, Tahara was ready to pack up and head home. Wyatt encouraged her to stick it out until dark. They continued on, in silence and creeping darkness. Suddenly Wyatt turned to Tahara and said he saw a deer walking towards the stand. She didn't believe him at first, but then she saw the deer, and it was a monster buck!
“Big Buck! Big Buck!” Wyatt kept whispering. Tahara raised her Yukon crossbow and watched the buck stop twenty yards away. The buck worked a licking branch and violently dug up a scrape. Tahara couldn't get a shot because Wyatt was sitting in her way.
Wyatt slowly leaned forward and put his chest on his knees. Tahara swiveled in her seat and rested the crossbow on Wyatt's back. The buck was now in a frenzy working the licking branch. Finally, the buck turned broadside and gave Tahara a good shot.
Wyatt held his breath, giving Tahara solid rest. She focused on a spot behind the buck's shoulder and slowly squeezed the trigger of her crossbow. Tahara heard the bolt hit the buck, and she knew her shot was fatal. Wyatt sat up, and they both watched the buck run for about seventy-five yards.
"I think you missed him!" Wyatt said. "There is no way I missed him!" She said as she watched the buck stop running and turn back towards the stand. Her heart was beating out of her chest. The deer wobbled and fell to the ground.
Wyatt said that they ought to call their parents to help recover the deer. They made the calls, and climbed out of the stand to wait for the recovery party to arrive.
The minutes passed slowly for Tahara while she waited for everyone to arrive. Wyatt tried to keep her calm while they waited. By the time everyone got to the treestand, the light was nearly gone. Tahara bent down to retrieve her bolt. When she did, she spied blood. She followed the crimson trail to the downed buck.
Tahara’s and Wyatt’s families arrived. They were silent when they saw the monster . Tahara started to count the points. As she counted, she thought she recognized this buck. After stopping at twelve, Tahara looked at her dad and said, "This is him! This is the buck I missed last year with my gun!" The celebration began with hugs and cheers for Tahara's monster buck.
Tahara never imagined she would have a second chance at the buck that had given her the slip the previous year. She wondered where the deer had been hiding and why he chose to show up on this night. Overjoyed, Tahara thanked everyone for coming out to help her.
Months later and Tahara still can't believe the buck gave her a second chance. She has thanked Wyatt a million times for making her stay in her treestand that evening. Tahara has now accomplished her goal of shooting an ever-larger buck two years in a row. Her goal for 2022 is to shoot a an even bigger buck than the one from 2021. Tahara knows it is a daunting task, but she is up for the challenge.
Have you done something interesting outdoors? Join Global Outdoors and write a review to tell everyone about it! We’re building the home for trusted reviews of outdoor experiences, outfitters, and guides.
