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February 23, 2009 by
Like most other hunters, monster whitetails have always fascinated me with their gargantuan sized racks and secretive lifestyle. Top-heavy bucks that have lived long enough to grow some serious headgear are really a separate breed of deer. You can bet the farm that a buck with a rocking chair fitted on its head knows how to move through the woods like a ghostly shadow. In my opinion, after years of escaping intense hunting pressure, a lot of Boone & Crockett caliber bucks probably end up dying of old age. Unfortunately, some of these legendary bruisers never get tagged by a lucky hunter, but are found dead from rut-related injuries, vehicle collisions or disease. Last September, Ricky Weatherford stumbled upon a buck that will probably be haunting his dreams for the rest of his life.
At the end of September, Weatherford was on an early-season hunt in Christian County Kentucky. While easing along an old field edge, the hunter spotted the white glowing tips of a whitetail rack just above the high grass and overgrown weeds. At first glance, the hunter thought he had discovered a giant shed from last spring and immediately starting thinking about where to hang a treestand. However, when Weatherford parted the weeds, he made a shocking discovery. It was the biggest rack he had ever seen, but his heart plummeted when he realized the rack was still attached to the buck’s skull. Amazingly, the buck sported 34 scorable points with multiple drop-tines and unbelievable mass. This legendary whitetail would end up scoring 221 2/8, which is a depressing thought for any deer hunter.
 The actual cause of death was undetermined, but the buck was found near water and many feel this amazing deer had fell victim to the notorious Blue Tongue disease. In recent years, there have been several outbreaks of this heartbreaking disease across several states like Kentucky. It’s a crying shame that a buck of this caliber won’t be making rubs on trees the size of telephone poles or chasing and breeding does throughout the November rut next season. On the bright side, the buck has probably left behind some good genetics on this farm in Christian County for years to come. Consequently, Weatherford has already been offered $5,000 for the buck’s rack, but he just couldn’t let it go for that price.
[ Read Full Post ]February 18, 2009 by
I’ve told you about Nebraska whitetails before and not to ignore the Cornhusker state when it comes to whitetails. Here’s more proof. This past fall Deanna Hellbusch of Plattsmouth was hunting nearby in Nance County. As a middle school science teacher, weekends are precious periods for personal time. Deanna was hunting with a Remington bolt action chambered for in .270 and didn’t have a clue she was about to have a date with destiny, and encounter a truly giant buck.
The first thing that comes to mind is the mass of this buck and the gnarly nature of the buck’s chunky antlers. The buck has a 16x17 frame and Deanna has it on her “to-do” list to get the buck officially scored, but regardless of the final points, here’s her story.
Deanna was hunting with her husband and father-in law on opening weekend of the Nebraska’s firearm season. On opening day the trio caught a glimpse of the big buck as they scouted their hunting property. Instead of taking a risky shot the trio put together a plan to make the buck go where they wanted him to go; not where the buck wanted to go. Even though they knew it was a risky move, the three agreed a “push” of the area was needed to make the buck move. After choosing an open area for Deanna to take a stand and get a clear shot, her husband and father-in-law circled to the opposite side of the section of land, and began zigzagging back to Deanna in hopes the big buck would move past her. It worked.
 Deanna was in the right location and as the buck appeared she lined up the sights and shot, and shot again. She estimated the shots were from 150 to 200 yards away. “It took me several shots to get him down...maybe because I was shaking so bad.” Like many big buck stories, Deanna didn’t know how big the buck really was until she hustled over for an up-close inspection of him. “Thankfully I didn't realize REALLY how big he was until I walked up to him, then I might have completely missed.” she added.
Deanna started out hunting with her husband 11 years ago and has been fortunate to take a buck every year. She started out her deer hunting career with “Spike” the mule deer and has tagged some decent bucks since, “but of course nothing like this!”
Congratulations Deanna on a great trophy and a plan well executed!
[ Read Full Post ]February 9, 2009 by
The downside to being a hunting guide is finding enough time to hunt on your own. it’s extremely difficult to find time for yourself. You still love to hunt, but you’re too busy setting up other hunters in all of your hotspots.
For most deer guides, the late-season is a period where the business really drops off and you have much more free time. In most states, archery season is just about all that is open after the rut has faded and cold winter temperatures have cleared the woods of other hunters. This is when Caleb Beard of Ross Trophy Outfitters in Kansas likes to hit the woods wide open and make up for lost time in the stand. Last season, outfitter Perry Ross and guide Caleb Beard were able to put 24 hunters right on top of some of the best thick-necked bruisers you could imagine. The river bottom land is fair chase with no high-fences, but it is absolutely loaded with monster bucks. With a hunter success rate of over 60% you can see why they have a lot of repeat business.
During a recent ice and snow storm, Beard decided to hunt a massively racked buck that was holding tight to a river-bottom thicket near a food source. It was bitterly cold and the wind would just about blow you out of the tree, but he had to take advantage of what little opportunity was left of the Kansas season. On this particular hunt, the deer were grouped up and using the thicket to escape all of the bad weather. In fact, Beard spotted at least 14 different bucks within yards of his stand before putting an arrow through this 170-class giant and ending a perfect season. Being selective and hunting right down to the last minute during the late winter months can generate encounters with massive racked studs like this unbelievable buck. Congratulations, Caleb on a phenomenal buzzer-beater buck!
[ Read Full Post ]February 5, 2009 by UPDATE! Newest photo from the potential No. 1 Alabama whitetail. BBZ Continues to track down the full story.
Word has just come in to Outdoor Life that this buck will soon become the No. 1 Alabama whitetail of all time. Details to follow...
[ Read Full Post ]February 5, 2009 by
After watching all the amazing buck hunts that run on several of the outdoor networks, a hunter may start thinking that the grass is probably greener somewhere else. Hunting shows can sometimes be misleading by making things look a lot easier than what they really are. All we are watching is an edited highlighted version of a hunt that may have actually taken days or even weeks to make. However, seeing intense footage of long-tined giants fighting or thick-necked bruisers chasing does is enough to make all of us want to pack our bags and hit the road. Hunting out of state can be extremely tough and demanding when you work for a living, but it can also potentially knock you out of some really good trips right at home. This is almost what happened to an aircraft mechanic named Mike Thompson last season.
Ironically, Thompson used just about every vacation and sick day he had left last fall while hunting on the road. It was quickly turning out to be one of the worst deer seasons this bowhunter from Texas had ever experienced. Nothing was going right and it always seemed he was a day late or a few days early when it came to being in the stand at the right time. Most of the deer activity was taking place during the night on these hunts and the shooter bucks were really laying low. In the end, Thompson returned home empty handed and somewhat demoralized from his run of bad luck on the road. However, Santa Claus was about to bring this disheartened bowhunter a present he would never forget over the holidays.
Thompson decided to redeem himself and climb back into the stand over his Christmas break at home. It was the late season in north-central Texas and he had one more chance to punch a tag before time ran out. On December 22, a cold front hit that gave Thompson a quick surge of confidence. It wasn’t long before the deer were off the bed and on the move along the creek bottoms just below his stand. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the buck he had been waiting for all season long stepped into a cleared shooting lane just seven yards away. Without hesitation, he drew his bow and rested the first pin on the buck’s sweet spot before squeezing the release. The shot was perfect and a short tracking job later, Thompson found himself standing over his second best archery buck ever. Sometimes a lot of good hunting gets overlooked right in our own backyards. Way to hang in there Mike and turn your season around.
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