FOND DU LAC — With two arrow blades embedded in its leg from a previous shot, the 30-point buck recently downed by Fond du Lac bow hunter Wayne Schumacher had been a model of survival.

♦ Photos: 30-point buck
♦ See more in our Buck Shots special section
♦ Click here to sign up for news, weather and sports text alerts.

"The (arrow) head was gone, but razors were still in its leg from two years ago when it was hit (by someone else)," Schumacher said.

The blades, found above the knee of one of its legs, were aluminum and had not rusted or caused infection.

A few who saw the buck suspected it previously had survived a shot or two.

Life has calmed down considerably since Schumacher showed off the deer with its massive rack on Sept. 21 at Dutch's Trading Post in Fond du Lac.

"(That) week was insane," Schumacher said, noting he often had 25 messages on his phone at a time.

Interview requests were flooding in. Schumacher was on a Fargo, N.D., radio show and was interviewed by Field & Stream and Outdoor Wisconsin.

After the deer was taken back to a cooler at his brother's home in St. Peter, Schumacher estimated more than 250 people showed up.

"It was crazy," he said.

The initial dressed weight estimate on the deer was 225 pounds. A 300-pound scale used later had the deer at 235. It is thought the deer's true field-dressed weight was about 245.

For now, Schumacher's 30-pointer is hidden. He said after official measurements are taken, he will have a mount created.

Schumacher's older brother, Pete, said he and Wayne picked grapes for wine before heading to the hunting spot that yielded the once-in-a-lifetime buck.

"I never saw any deer (that day) — period," Pete said. "About 10 minutes to 7 (p.m.), I saw Wayne on the ground, coming toward me. I wondered why he was out of the tree already.

"He ... started walking toward me, so I let my bow out of the tree stand and started coming down."

Pete said his brother apologized for "messing up his hunt" but that he had just "hit a monster."

Laurie Ritger writes for the Fond du Lac Reporter.