(Photo courtesy of Ben Black.)

September 22, 2026 By Clifford Neames

Ben Black remembers when Dr. Gary Alt began antler restrictions in Pennsylvania. They weren’t really popular at the beginning, but all these years later trophy bucks are showing up all over the Commonwealth, even in backyards.

In 2024, Ben had a nice buck cruising through his property and decided to try for it. The buck gave him one opportunity at 40 yards that season, which he deemed too far for his crossbow, so no shot. After that encounter the buck disappeared, and Ben thought someone had likely taken it.

Later, a neighbor told him he was getting trail camera pics of the deer, so Ben kept his eyes on the yard in hopes the buck would return. 

Move to 2025…

Ben knew where the buck had scraped the year before, so he freshened it up for the new season. 

The target buck came through his yard trailing a doe one evening; a little while later they were back. It was time to start hunting!

(Photo courtesy of Ben Black.)

Ben has a small food plot on his tract with a box stand where he can watch the action. On the afternoon of October 25th, he was settled in there, watching a bunch of deer when the big deer came out of the woods. It was walking straight toward the box then stopped behind some big pine trees as Ben waited patiently for the shot.

When the deer eased out and stopped, he sent the bolt from his crossbow on its deadly mission, then watched as the big deer retreated to the woods.

“I was not sure I hit it at first”, he remembers. “Then, I found the bolt and realized it was a done deal!”

His girlfriend, Lesli, helped him find the buck, by far the best one he has ever killed!

When it was being processed a bone-encrusted broadhead on a short piece of shaft was found in the ribcage under a front shoulder. Someone else must have been terribly disappointed at the outcome of that hunt!

(Photo courtesy of Ben Black.)

The buck has an interesting rack with a forked G2 and G3 on the right side, and a forked G2 on the left. With 7 points on each beam, it is a dandy for a backyard PA buck!