|
|
January 27, 2009 by
If you’re able to pull it off, there is no other feeling in the woods quite like putting a successful spot-and-stalk on a giant buck. Just ask veteran bowhunter Russell Patrick from Missouri who was able to connect with his best buck last season while sneaking and peeking.
Patrick who works full time as a concrete truck driver was facing a pretty slow season. For most of us who work, it can be difficult to spend enough time in the woods to pattern and tag a mature buck with a bow in a fair chase environment. This Missouri hunter had spent as much time as possible in the stand, but was only seeing does and small basket-racked bucks. Finally, Patrick got the break he had been waiting for while driving home after a morning hunt. He spotted a buck several hundred yards in an open field and decided to turn back around to glass the area. Unfortunately, it was only a small buck, but on the way back out a shooter buck and doe stood up on the other side of a fence line. Patrick and hunting buddy, Joe White, decided to make a move on the lovesick buck.
After a few hours, the two were unable to move in close enough for a shot and attempts to call the buck into range were also unsuccessful. Patrick’s friend had to get back to work and it looked like the hunt was over. However, a combination of perseverance and a little grit made Patrick stay in the field, go for broke and make a move. He used a waterway that cut across the field to shield his movement. The wind was perfect, but there was little cover and Patrick knew the odds were stacked against him. Another hour passed before he was able to close the distance and see the tips of the bedded buck’s long tines.
Quickly, Patrick ranged the buck at 47 yards and he couldn’t believe he had gotten this close. All at once, the doe stood up and several deep throated grunts made the bowhunter’s heart skip a beat. Then the buck stepped into plain view and Patrick released an arrow that would end one of his most memorable hunts. All of us at the BBZ respect you for choosing to stay in the woods and making something happen during a tough season. Awesome hunt buddy!
[ Read Full Post ] January 20, 2009 by
We interrupt the Big Buck Zone to bring you this photo and story about this giant black bear apparently killed by a combine last December in Dunn County, Wisconsin. Because we receive dozens of photos and e-mails that are, well, a bit dubious, we wondered about this one as well. However, a quick backround check indicates that although the photo might well have been taken from an odd angle, the story is indeed very true.
According to the Dunn County News, Neil Schlough was harvesting corn in one of his fields when his combine ran over the bruin, which was denning in the field. At first, Schlough thought he’d run over one of his dairy cows, but soon realized it was a bear—a very large bear.
The Wisconsin DNR was called in and estimated its weight at 700 to 720 pounds and might potentially be larger than the state record. Schlough was planning a full-body mount, but taxidermists will have to use a grizzly bear form to mount the huge bruin.—Gerry Bethge
[ Read Full Post ] January 16, 2009 by
For most of us, a small basket-racked buck or a slick headed doe was responsible for igniting a lifelong passion for deer hunting. All of us know exactly how tough it can be to connect with one of those top-heavy giants that make it hard to concentrate at work during November or even sleep the night before opening day. However, some lucky hunters don’t fool around with a pencil thin spike horn or a doe when they punch that first tag.
Some of the more fortunate hunters start out at the top and smoke a buck that makes jaws drop, temperatures rise, and hearts skip a beat! This past season, 14-year old Blake Jeffers laid the smack down on a stud muffin buck that was carrying around 15 breath taking points and scored just under 190. What’s even more impressive is the fact that this giant wall-hanger buck was actually the young hunter’s very first deer.
As some of you may have guessed, poor little Blake Jeffers is officially ruined. Now, it’s hard to get this Kentucky boy to talk about anything other than hunting. He is hooked for life and completely ate up with whitetail fever. A close family friend took Jeffers on an annual draw hunt that occurs at the Kentucky Bluegrass Army Depot each season. By the time 8:15 a.m. rolled around, Jeffers already had his sights on a nice 8-point buck and was getting ready to close the deal when Hale made him back off of the trigger. That is when the super wide and top-heavy 15-point buck suddenly came into view. Like a natural, the young hunter quickly switched his sights on the biggest bruiser he had ever laid eyes on and calmly squeezed the trigger. A loud echoing shot signaled the end of a picture perfect hunt and allowed one new member to enter our sacred hunting brotherhood with an absolute giant. Congratulations Blake on a phenomenal hunt and all of us at the BBZ would like to thank the family friend Ronnie Hale for taking the time to introduce another hunter to the outdoors. That is truly what hunting is all about!
[ Read Full Post ] January 14, 2009 by
Deer hunting virtues like patience, perseverance, and dedication are often rewarded for those willing to stay in the treestand, especially during the magical November rut. Jared Horner of Blanchester Ohio spent three years of his life chasing a giant non-typical buck that routinely haunted his dreams. During this period, he had several close encounters with the top-heavy bruiser, but the buck always managed to make all of the right moves.
On November 12, Horner found himself spending his vacation days back in his dream buck’s stomping ground. A recent shoulder injury had the Ohio hunter packing a Horton crossbow instead of his old compound bow on this particular trip. Just two days prior to this hunt, he spotted the monster buck about 600 yards away in an opening across the field. Once again, the buck was safely out of range and Horner began to wonder if this three-year journey would ever come to an end. His memory of that hunt was suddenly interrupted when he spotted a buck slowly working its way down the fencerow. After temporarily losing sight of the deer, Horner was relieved when the buck cautiously stepped out of the opening in the fence.
Three years of anticipation and waiting caused a surge of emotion to overtake Horner’s mind. He couldn’t believe his dream buck was standing within 30 yards munching on a pile of corn dropped by the farmer’s combine. All at once, the buck turned his head to look back across the field and Horner was given the shot he had worked so hard for. A gentle squeeze of the trigger sent a screaming arrow flying toward the buck’s kill zone and an echoing smack confirmed the hit. The buck only ran about 20 yards before crashing into the thick underbrush of a nearby woodlot. For Jared Horner, three years of suffering had finally paid off with a massive 17-point bruiser with forked G2’s that would green score 199 4/8. Congratulations Jarred for reaching the end of a long journey and a hard earned trophy-class buck.—Travis Faulkner
[ Read Full Post ] January 10, 2009 by
After years of watching videos of bucks with beef-cow bodies and head ornaments that looked like rocking chairs, I was finally going on my first Kansas hunt. My cousin Tyler and I were so excited before the trip that we could barley sleep the week before our flight. It was mid-November and the bad boys were strutting around the open prairie land with massively swelled necks and nasty attitudes.
The rut was in full swing and we decided to film our first hunt in the legendary big-buck state. We both took five days off from work and made a pact to only shoot a giant. This agreement would put a serious strain on our relationship as the last day of our trip quickly approached. Over the course of the week, we had passed on several nice 140- and 150-class bucks. During this time, we had stayed locked in the small platforms of our hang-on stands from daylight until dark fighting the cold and sometimes unbearable wind.
Finally, on the last day it looked like our perseverance was going to pay off with an absolute giant. We spotted a super stud buck chasing does in an open field across the river from our stands. Even at 300 yards both of us knew this was the buck we wanted to take back to Kentucky. Unfortunately, the buck ran all of the does out of the field and jumped a fence going directly away from us. Quickly, I grabbed my “Pack-Rack” rattling call that Harold Knight had sent me and began making some serious noise. The buck stopped dead in his tracks and turned toward the loud commotion. Then he broke into a run and was headed right for the river crossing just below our stand. However, just before the buck got into range a doe jumped off her bed and cut him off. This was one of the biggest letdowns I had ever experienced in the woods and all of the bucks I had let go that week were coming back to haunt me.
 With about 30 minutes of good shooting light left, several does stepped out of the thicket and began feeding just below my stand. All of a sudden, I caught movement about 60 yards to my left. It was the same buck I had rattled in earlier that morning and he was headed back across the river. Three loud bursts on my grunt call grabbed the buck’s attention and he spotted the does that were scattered beneath my tree. Immediately, the bristles on the buck’s large back stood straight up and he started trotting toward the does. I came to full draw and let an arrow fly that would end one of my most memorable hunts. On impact, the buck hunched over and ran into the thick scrub brush not 20 yards from my stand. My first trip to Kansas was rewarded with one of my heaviest bucks ever and a hunting memory that will last a lifetime. You can checkout this hunt next fall on Realtree’s Monster Bucks DVD.—Travis Faulkner
[ Read Full Post ]
|
|
