Veteran climbs out of tree, stems and arrows 19-point Kansas Buck on Army land

Chris Sykes has just been discharged from the U.S. Army at Fort Riley, Kansas. But he had been hunting a giant buck there for three years, and he wasn't going to stop his hunt for the unique deer now.

It was peak traffic and early Thursday, the 27-year-old left his home in Chapman to hunt. The fort extends over more than 100,000 acres west of Topeka and has limited hunting access. Only authorized personnel with appropriate security clearance have access to the premises.

“But I forgot my Fort ID when I drove there, and I had to go back home to get it so I could reach Riley,” Sykes said. Outdoor living. “I got to my spot late and it was well after daylight before I [got settled] in my saddle.”

At 8:30 a.m. Sykes started rattling.

'Two dollars came in quickly [after] and one was a good one, about 150 inches. But I hunted that spot a lot and knew there was a lot more money to be made, so I passed it.”

Skyes rattled off and on until about 9:45 a.m. when he spotted a huge buck he had encountered several times in recent years.

“I knew it was the dollar I was looking for, and I rattled [again] hoping to bring him closer,” says Sykes. “But he completely ignored me because he was chasing two young dogs.”

The deer were walking through cedar and CRP about 80 yards away. Sykes knew the terrain well, so he decided to slip out of the tree and sneak in for a shot.

“I had the wind in my favor, and every few steps I stopped and grunted,” he says. “I was hoping the deer would think I was another buck coming close when they heard me.”

Sykes finally spotted the buck within bow range. But with all that thick coverage, he couldn't get a clear reading from the rangefinder. He decided to come closer. Finally Sykes was at 17 yards, with only a small hole in the brush to pass an arrow through. The buck started walking and turned toward the bowhunter. Sykes growled.

“He stopped, I let go of my arrow and heard it hit.”

The buck turned and charged into the tall grass. Then he stopped and just stood there.

“I could see his rack above the grass as he looked around,” Sykes said. “He stood there for about 30 seconds, then his rack went down and disappeared.”

Thinking the buck had been there, Sykes retreated. He called a friend with a sniffer dog, and they returned that evening to pick up the deer, giving them plenty of time before looking for the deer.

In the dark, Sykes set out on the buck's trail with tracker Michael Pulido and his dog Bo, plus friends Brad Forbus and Nick Koroluck. They found the deer just 60 yards from where it had been shot. The arrow had been knocked back a bit and passed through the liver.

“We did the right thing to wait,” says Sykes.

The hunters dragged the buck about 500 feet out of the brush and CRP and loaded it into a truck. The buck had 19 points and Forbus, an official Buckmasters scorer, measured him under that system at 197 4/8 inches.

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Sykes estimates the dollar has added 6 to 8 inches from last year. (Sykes did not have any 2024 trail camera photos of the buck because Fort Riley banned their use this year).

“I was so blessed to shoot the biggest deer of my life,” Sykes said. “And he's a giant.”