By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

Oh Deer!

“That’s a big buck.”

Deer hunters can be extremely patient in cultivating, feeding, and waiting on THE deer, even if it means the shoot won’t happen until future seasons of growth. Twelve- year-old Ashton Copas and his dad, Tim of Beaver, Ohio, are no different. They scrutinized a mighty buck for three years, hoping that Ashton would take it as his prize.

Youth gun hunting season is limited to two days. Tim Copas said, “We had over a hundred pictures of that deer, and I knew he was going to get him.” Ashton referred to the deer as “The 10 Buck.” On the first day of the season, Ashton and Tim sat and waited when an 8-point buck came within shooting distance. Tim asked Ashton if he wanted to shoot him. Ashton asked, “Is that the 10 Buck?” And when his Dad said, “no,” Ashton replied, “No, I don’t want to shoot it.”

At 5 p.m. the next day, Ashton and Tim spotted two does. Tim explains that they use a lure called “Evercalm” to relax the deer and another scent, “VS1,” that simulates a doe in heat. Tim said both products work well. A few minutes after they saw the does, 10 Buck appeared just 70 yards away.

Using a portable gun rest (Bog Pod), Tim helped Ashton steady his Ruger American Predator 350 Legend for the shot. Ashton dropped the buck in its tracks. Tim looked at Ashton and described, “His eyes were as big as saucers!” Tim said he began thanking God, and Ashton exclaimed, “That’s a big buck!” Then, Ashton gave Tim an enormous hug that Tim depicts as the biggest he has ever given – father and son shed some happy tears.

It turns out that 10 Buck was, in reality, 17 points, and to echo Ashton – “That’s a big buck!” Ashton’s grandparents are Jerry and Ruth Ann Copas of West Union and Ed Heisler and the late Brenda Heisler of Lynx. Grandpa Jerry is a taxidermist and will proudly preserve and mount Ashton’s prize.

Ashton’s sister posted a photo of him and his trophy buck on social media. It ended up on Facebook’s Hunting and Fishing Memes, receiving plenty of attention locally and nationally. The post read, “If this doesn’t make you smile…you are just wrong! Congrats, Ashton, on an incredible buck!” Hundreds of congratulatory comments followed. Tim said they had received many messages from famous personalities, including Jeff Foxworthy, Ted Nugent, Frank Stallone (Sly’s brother), and “Pigman.”

Congratulations, Ashton, on harvesting a vast and beautiful whitetail. And thank you for giving so many people a reason to smile this season.