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Election Day Buck

King of the Woods

A true New York whitetail story of faith, fatherhood, and the buck that changed everything for Michael J. Betanzos Jr.

Read the Story Outdoor News
Election Day Buck: King of the Woods promotional book cover with buck, forest, and read the story call to action
Animated book-cover hero for Election Day Buck.

How one buck changed everything

Read the Story

Book Debut

Election Day Buck: A True Story That Changed Everything

Available in hardcover and paperback beginning November 1.

Keep believing. The journey continues.

Outdoor News New York bow non-typical record-book contender
Likely ranking No. 12
Harvested Election Day 2025
Family standing with the mounted Election Day Buck
Featured Article

Outdoor News followed the Election Day Buck story from the start

Dan Ladd's December 5, 2025 article introduced Mike Betanzos Jr.'s Ulster County archery buck as a New York record-book contender, noting 16 scorable points and a 208-3/8 gross SCI score before official Big Buck Club scoring.

Election Day buck shot with a bow may have shot at New York's record book

Outdoor News, December 5, 2025
Read on Outdoor News Outdoor News may require an account or subscription.

A memoir built around one impossible encounter

The story begins in the old familiar woods of Plattekill, New York, where long hours, family lessons, faith, and a three-season connection with a mysterious whitetail came together on Election Day.

Mike's book is not only about a record-class buck. It is about the bond between a father and his children, lessons handed down through generations, and the quiet belief that something greater was moving through the whole journey.

"This time, a buck chose me." From the manuscript
Animated charcoal drawing of Election Day Buck.

Photo Journal

Pictures can grow here as Mike adds memories from the woods, family, press, and book events.

Large family group photo inside a cabin
Family roots
Family posing with the mounted buck
The buck, the family, and the moment the story became real.
Michael J. Betanzos Jr. seated in a reading room
Author visits
Children outdoors with a turkey
Outdoor life

Field Notes

Simple blog-ready entries for stories, book updates, scoring news, and family memories.

Prologue — November 11, 2023

This story begins on November 11, 2023, because that was the moment everything unknowingly began to come together.

That day, my children and I encountered an extraordinary whitetail buck in the woods behind our home. At the time, I could not have known where that encounter would lead us or how deeply it would become connected to my faith, my family, and the journey I was already walking as a father. Looking back now, I believe that moment was the beginning of something much greater than a hunting story. It was the first step in a journey that would eventually bring so many pieces of my life together—in God’s time, not mine.

Woods Wisdom — A Family Lesson

The woods have always been one of my greatest teachers.

Long before Election Day Buck, the lessons of the woods were passed down to me through my father, my family, and the generations before us. They taught me patience, perseverance, respect, responsibility, and that some things in life simply cannot be rushed. Those same lessons are now being passed from me to my children. Michael and Mandy have learned beside me that the woods are about much more than hunting. They are about listening, watching, believing, spending time together, and understanding that sometimes the greatest rewards come only after we have been willing to wait. Those lessons traveled my father, through me, to my children—and now, through Election Day Buck, into this book.

Why This Book Is Important to Me

I did not write Election Day Buck because I believed I was a writer. I wrote it because I felt I had to.

There came a point when what had happened between my children, this extraordinary buck, my family, and me was simply too meaningful for me to simply keep inside. What began as notes written from the woods became the story of one of the most important journeys of my life. Yes, this book contains a remarkable hunting story. But to me, it has never truly been about the size of a buck or an accomplishment in the record books. It is about being a father. It is about holding onto your family when life becomes difficult. It is about perseverance, forgiveness, faith, and continuing to believe when you cannot yet see where the road is leading. Election Day Buck became part of a story much greater than my own. If sharing that story helps even one father, one mother, one family, or one person who is struggling to keep believing, then writing this book was worth it.

Stay connected

For press, book-event information, or general correspondence, readers can reach Mike's team directly.

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