Joe Bryant’s 26-point Chariton County giant scored 227 2/8 inches as a Boone and Crockett non-typical. Photo courtesy of Tony Kalna Jr.

The 2007-08 deer seasons in Missouri proved to be another banner year for harvesting trophy-class bucks. We've compiled the inside stories on five of the biggest bucks taken in the Show-Me State last year. Read on to relive the exciting accounts of how these giant whitetails met their demise!

JACKSON COUNTY
On Dec. 28, 2007, Ted Butler, an avid archer from Independence, climbed onto the platform of his hang-on tree stand some 12 feet off the ground in Jackson County. He was overlooking a cut bean field that was covered in snow. It was nearly 3 p.m. by the time he settled in.

Butler had been hunting deer for 21 years. His first bow kill, a 115-class 8-pointer, was his best -- at least, it was until that fateful December afternoon last season.

"I chose to hunt a corner where a good funnel exists," he explained. "The lay of the land pushes the deer past my stand."

Not much was going on until later in the afternoon, when Butler heard commotion behind him near a creek. At first he thought it was squirrels playing, but then he heard the distinct sound of antlers crashing. A buck fight was on!

Butler finally spotted the dueling males in the woods behind him, antlers locked, spinning around in their strife over dominance. The hunter anxiously watched the battle for nearly five minutes, and then grunted on his tube call. Immediately, two yearling does came out of the timber to check out the new buck on the block.

The fight finally wound down, and a 140-class buck ran off; Butler grunted again. The other buck proceeded to come up out of the bottom towards his stand. He stopped at 50 yards, but the archer couldn't see the buck's rack through the brush. The deer was facing the hunter head on. When it finally stepped into a clearing, it was 40 yards out.

"I started counting points but decided I better quit," Butler said. "I decided he was a shooter, but I couldn't move, because it was wide open, and he was looking in my direction."

The buck grunted once and stomped its front hooves. Butler thought for sure that it was going to bolt at any minute -- but the deer calmed down and began moving to the hunter's right. When the deer got its head behind a tree, the bowhunter drew back his string and the buck stopped. At 36 yards, the deer turned and faced the hunter again, stomping nervously.

Suddenly, the bruiser jumped back about 10 yards, partially concealing itself behind a tree. Butler let down and waited for the buck to calm down again. Within a few tense moments, the deer started moving to its left. That's when Butler drew back his Mathews Conquest again. The buck stopped one final time and looked toward Butler, who decided it was his last chance to shoot. He released the string and the three-bladed Muzzy broadhead buried itself in the buck, dropping it in its tracks.

The beautifully symmetrical whitetail featured a 4 4/8-inch drop-tine on its left antler. Butler's buck netted 164 2/8 inches as a Pope & Young typical.