---
title: "The Story of the World-Record Whitetail"
description: "Respect The Game: The World Record Buck Story"
date: "2019-09-01"
modified: "2022-01-20"
authors:
  - name: "The Editors"
    link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/the-editors/"
url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/polaris-respect-the-game/"
categories:
  - "Big Game Hunting"
  - "Deer Hunting"
  - "Hunting"
  - "Trophy Deer"
  - "Whitetail Deer Hunting"
---

# The Story of the World-Record Whitetail

![](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/22/download.jpeg>)

Last fall, Luke Brewster tagged the biggest whitetail buck ever killed by a hunter. He didn't shoot the deer on an outfitted hunt or within the confines of a massive private property. The Brewster buck was killed on a modest family farm in eastern Illinois. Deer of this size aren’t tagged by accident. Chasing giant bucks requires careful habitat management and meticulous preseason preparation on the hunter's part. Brewster was able to make it all come together with the help of his buddies, a tight-knit crew of veteran deer hunters and land managers who mentored Brewster as a new bowhunter over the previous years.

Now, Brewster and his buddies are teaming up with [Polaris](<https://web.archive.org/web/20210107114619/https://ranger.polaris.com/en-us/ranger-hunting-vehicles/?utm_source=bonnier&utm_medium=display&utm_content=us_offroad_all&utm_term=respectthgame_orv_display&utm_campaign=polaris_orv_fy_2019_digitas>) to tackle the home-grown habitat projects they’ve always wanted to work on. They’re creating more and better food plots, planting trees that deer love, performing prescribed bow-range burns, and more—all ahead of this upcoming deer season. They may have tagged the biggest deer on record so far, but that doesn’t mean that these guys are done hunting—far from it.

We’ll tell their story in three chapters that will drop in August, September, and October. Their tale—where they’ve been with the world-record buck, and where they’re going with their habitat projects—really demonstrates how this dedicated crew respects the game of hunting. Their lives revolve around the habitat they manage, the deer they love, and their shared tradition of the hunt.

---

## Habitat and Hunting Tips

![men adding fertilizer to utv dispenser](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/09/RMDZGAIX2H3AIXX7LS5KG7TACQ-1024x768.jpg>)
*Shawn Luchtel*

### Why You Need a Soil Test Before Planting Your Next Food Plot

Understanding basic soil chemistry will help you grow better food plots

![spraying-food-plot-UTV-ranger](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/18/JEPGDNZ2F67KXMR6L7RYSLED6Y-1024x683.jpg>)
*Shawn Luchtel*

### [How to Plant a Mini Food Plot This Summer](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/strategies-for-growing-the-perfect-food-plot-for-deer/>)

Forget the tractor—put in an effective deer plot with just a UTV

![](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/09/YZZ22CVSXRLLVR7EJ2VA6ECYTM-1024x768.jpg>)

### [5 Tips for Getting Better Trail Camera Pictures](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/where-to-mount-trail-camera/>)

Better pictures means more intel for hunting season

![man pouring clover seeds into a seed distributor](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/OLX6UZQ7FPHUREO5VIMETDTCLM-edited.jpg>)

### 4 Reasons Why Your Clover Food Plot Crashed

To grow deer hunting’s most popular perennial, steer clear of these pitfalls

![bowhunters aiming compound bows](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/XBZEV3N3B77EEODSW6H5WA4HYQ-edited.jpg>)

### 3 Bowhunting Drills That Will Help You Beat Buck Fever

Ramp up the pressure in your archery practice sessions

![](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/7GWEUXXKF2MJMATSBB6CGIUS6M-edited.jpg>)

### [How to Hang Treestands to Target Mature Bucks](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/deer-hunting-tips/>)

Don't get busted by pressured whitetails

![three hunters planting a tree](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/6FG5HFLV5K4ANZT52D5STQSSDU-edited.jpg>)

### [The 6 Best Tree Species for Planting a Deer Orchard](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/best-tree-species-planting-deer-orchard/>)

The best choices to provide long-term forage for wildlife

![a chainsaw hinge-cutting a tree](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/O7B42F5PPSVUEVL2PC4ASMJAXI-edited.jpg>)

### [An Introduction to Timber-Stand Improvement on Your Hunting Property](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/timber-stand-improvement/>)

How to make a wildlife habitat, forage, and cover

![](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20/D65SAVIRHLPKERHOESGXTLH76Y-edited.jpg>)

### 4 Rules for Hunting Big Bucks Without Spooking Them

To target mature whitetails, step up your strategy

---

## Featured Videos

### Episode 1: The Habitat

### Episode 2: The Deer

### Episode 3: The Tradition

---

## More Videos and Tips

## [How to Plant a Deer Orchard](<https://facebook.com/outdoorlife/videos/2466976746894327/>)

## [How to Make a Food Plot Exclusion Cage](<https://facebook.com/outdoorlife/videos/798105767259305/>)

## [How to Hang a Treestand in One Trip Up the Tree](<https://facebook.com/outdoorlife/videos/566851000718791/>)

## [How to Make a Mini Food Plot](<https://facebook.com/outdoorlife/videos/3229548863785125/>)