MIKE BEATTY'S BIG DEER

A Passion For Bow Hunting

EDITOR'S NOTE: Avid deer hunter Mike Beatty from Xena, Ohio, has been hunting since he was 12-years-old. In the 2001 hunting season, he took the buck of his lifetime -- a monster buck that scored 304 6/8 Boone and Crockett points. This week, Beatty will tell us about his hunt of a lifetime and share his passion for bow hunting whitetails and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends.

QUESTION: Is whitetail hunting your favorite type of hunting?
ANSWER: Yes, by far. I enjoy bow hunting for whitetails more than any other type of hunting.

QUESTION: Why do you enjoy bow hunting?
ANSWER: I just love sitting in my tree stand. The woods are so quiet, and I feel no pressure. Bow season is not like gun season. Gun season is fun, and you get to hang out with more people, but I enjoy bow hunting more. You get more personal with the animals when you bow-hunt, and it offers more of a challenge.

QUESTION: What kind of bow did you use to take your monster buck?
ANSWER: At the time I was using a Mathew's Z-Lite bow, but I have a PSE bow that I like just as well.

QUESTION: What hunting tips do you give to other people.
ANSWER: Have fun with hunting, and get out into the field early. Find a feeding area, and hunt the does that feed there. I hunt does all season. I may not shoot a doe, but I hunt for the does. Then when the rut comes, I'll know where the bucks will be.

QUESTION: Now that you've taken probably the largest deer of your life, is bow hunting still exciting to you? Do you feel disappointed when you only see an 8 or 10 pointer?
ANSWER: No, not at all. I still get excited, and my heart still races when deer walk up to my stand. Everybody asks, "Where do you go from here?" Well, I've got an 11-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy and a little girl. I take my 11-year-old boy hunting with me all the time. I took a 13 point the third week of October with him. Ever since then, I've been dragging him all over the country hunting. I've enjoyed going and videoing his hunts as much as I enjoy hunting myself. Everybody thinks that once you take a big deer the excitement is over with, but it really has just begun.

TOMORROW: BOW HUNTING -- A FAMILY AFFAIR