FAYETTE — Blake Smith killed his first deer when he was 4 years old.

But he’s never shot a deer quite this big before.

The 230-pound buck Smith took Nov. 15 while hunting with his dad is the biggest the family has seen from their lease in Jefferson County this year, and maybe ever.

“It was just amazing,” said Smith’s mom, Kendra Smith. “We didn’t think there was that big a deer by our house.”

Kendra said her husband Toler has killed a buck or two that were around the same weight, but never as tall.

Blake took the deer with his .260 rifle, and he said he was not quite sure how big it was when he was aiming.

“I shot him and I really didn’t know where I hit him, but he dropped,” Blake said. “I thought he was really big.”

Since then, he’s had the bragging rights to the biggest deer taken on the family’s land.

And he’s been showing off the photos to his friends.

“They said he’s a huge buck,” Blake said. “I’m very proud.”

Blake said shooting the deer was a bit intense.

“I was nervous and concentrating hard.”

He said he loves to hunt and goes about every other weekend.

His favorite part of hunting?

“Killing the deer and getting to shoot my gun,” he said.