"After climbing into the stand, I sprayed a little cover scent on the tree," Barry said. "Next, I have this habit of lightly rattling right after getting settled, and finish off with three to five grunts. It's my way of covering any sounds I made on my way in. At 6 o'clock, I started my third rattling sequence. About five minutes after I finished, I spotted a body moving through the thick stuff. When he hit an opening, I saw his rack and knew it was him! The next time I saw him, he was leaving and wasn't going to give me a shot. Luckily, he smelled the No. 1 Select Estrus, turned and came in on a string. Once he reached the canister, he really put on a show. There, standing 20 yards in front of me, this incredible buck was inhaling this scent and raking his antlers on the branch! It had him totally captivated."

When the buck switched course, Barry came to full draw. Crossing the first shooting lane, the buck was quartering slightly toward Barry. Rose waited because he was confident the buck would hit his second shooting lane, thus offering a better shot. That's when his hurried placement of the film canister comes into play. Barry forgot he placed the canister just before his second shooting lane. The buck worked the scent right in front of Barry, but he didn't have a shot! This went on for minutes. With Barry's arms now shaking from the strain, he had to let down on his bow. Luckily, a large tree blocked the buck's view. But finally, the bruiser sensed something wasn't right. Turning to where he had come from, he began walking away. As he did, Barry came to full draw again. When the buck hit the shooting lane, Barry let the arrow fly.

"The arrow went all the way through," Barry said. "As the buck kicked and took two big bounds, the one thing I'll never forget is how he looked like an elk smashing through the thicket. In an instant, he was gone! With him out of sight, I sat down -- nervous, shaking, blood pumping -- and looked at my watch, and it was 6:27. I struggled to regain my composure. The first thing that went through my mind was, Oh my gosh! Next, all I could do was hope I didn't shoot too far back. After five minutes, I couldn't take it any more and climbed down. The arrow was covered in bright red blood! That was very exciting for me."

Slipping out of the woods, Barry couldn't wait to share the news with his wife, Tammy, and the boys. To make it even more of a family affair, Barry called his brother, Jerry Jr. Two hours later, the two brothers were following a blood trail, only to have it disappear 30 yards from the shot location. To play it safe, they slipped out and waited for morning.

"That night, I called my other brother, Cary, and my dad," explained Barry. "They would help me and Jerry Jr. the next morning. I was confident the buck was dead, but worried that the coyotes might get him. I didn't sleep at all that night!"

Four of them started searching at 8:30 a.m. As noon approached, Barry decided it was time to get some lunch and then resume the search.

"I was sitting on the tailgate of the truck," Barry recalled. "Dad and Cary were still looking in the woods. I was now thinking there was a 10 percent chance I'd find him. I was depressed. That's when Cary came running around the corner, and it was such a shock to see that I grabbed my bow because I figured he must have been getting chased by a bear. Finally, I understood what he was screaming. He had found the buck!"

Handshakes and hugs followed as the Rose clan stood over what is now Wisconsin's new state-record typical bow buck. Netting 187 2/8 typical inches, this Dunn County 16-pointer beats the previous state mark of 186 5/8 inches held by Ken Shane's 2000 Buffalo County buck and Frederic Hofman's 1994 Langlade County rack.