
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 16, 1995                   TAG: 9510160092
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BIG BUCKS TAKEN BY ARCHERS

As director of the Hunters for the Hungry program in Virginia, David Horne stumps the state soliciting venison and money from sportsmen to help feed the needy. Last week Horne found one sure way of getting the venison. Kill it himself.

On a hunt in Bedford County, Horne killed a buck that won't just feed a family, but also may get Horne's name in the record book.

``It should make Pope and Young [the national record keeper for bow-killed bucks] and it will have a good Virginia score,'' said Melvin Mitchell, a taxidermist in Forest. Mitchell gave the buck a rough score of 187 under Virginia's measuring system.

Horne was hunting from a tree stand late in the day when the buck approached.

``He walked straight to me, just like he was on a string,'' Horne said. ``I knew the antlers had a lot of mass, but I didn't know there were that many points. I thought it was about an eight-pointer.''

Horne was concerned the buck was about to walk by without offering a decent shot.

``I started to shoot and decided to wait another second, then he angled off and gave me a shoulder shot.''

Sam Austin killed a 12-point buck in Roanoke County after positioning his tree stand in an area where buck sign was abundant.

``It was a perfect opportunity,'' said the Roanoke County sportsman. ``He walked into my shooting lane and stood broadside.''

Austin was lowering his bow from his tree stand on a rope in preparation to leave for the day when he heard the 200-pound animal coming. He had scouted the area a couple of weeks earlier, then returned to find scrapes and rubs where the buck had been active in the rut.

by CNB