He actually didn't "take" the monster deer anywhere until the next morning after a nighttime search left him empty-handed.

Vaughan returned to the area Saturday morning before 5, but still found it hard to track the beast in the dark, even with a new flashlight.

"After sun up, I searched for about 30 minutes and just as I was about to give up, there he lay," Vaughan said. "This was by far the largest buck I have ever laid cross hairs on, and I managed to take him just before dark."

The buck weighed in at roughly 200 pounds, and had a 19-inch spread and 14-inch height on his rack. The shot was taken from about 190 yards away with a .243 Kodiak bolt action rifle.