Fond du Lac man gets 30-point buck

FOND DU LAC - The deer a Fond du Lac man bagged has people talking all across Wisconsin. Hunters call the buck unbelievable, a freak of nature.

"For anybody to shoot a fair chase animal like that is incredible, it just doesn't happen," Duffy Munson with Dutch's Trading Post said.

But on Sunday it did for Wayne Schumacher. The avid hunter is now finding fame on the heels of a 30-pointer.

"There had to be 250 people that came through looking at it yesterday," Schumacher said. "One would call the other one, after they saw it they would call the next person and people would keep rolling in, it was awesome."

He says the attention is a bit overwhelming, but nothing compared to the moment when the deer, dubbed "Lucky Buck" crossed his path. Schumacher was hunting near Rosendale when he saw it and grabbed for his bow.

"I pulled it back and told myself you do not want to flinch on this deer," he said.

The 30-point buck has an inside antler spread of 20.5 inches. It bolted for 70 yards, but Schumacher says his arrow hit a good spot.

"I saw him stop, his head went down and he dropped to his knees, tipped over," he said. "It was just unbelievable."

And a story he'll be telling for years. At Dutch's, hunters snapped shots and stared in disbelief.

"You don't see a deer like that everyday. It's amazing, it's simply amazing," Bill Tabbert of Fond du Lac said.

It could even be record-setting in Wisconsin.

"Usually, a once-in-a lifetime deer for an average bowhunter is, honestly, about a 120-inch deer," Munson said.

"Lucky Buck" is approaching 250 inches. Official numbers will come in 60 days, but Schumacher isn't looking for accolades.

"I don't care," he said. "I was just able to get a nice deer for all the years I've been hunting, I put a lot of time in and I'm glad I finally got myself a really nice deer."

Nice may be an understatement. Schumacher says he plans to preserve the memory with a shoulder mount. Ideally, he says he'd like it in the living room, but that will depend on the rest of the family.