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November 4, 2009 by
Word just in on this awesome muley deer...Taken during the Idaho muzzleloader season (Unit 45), it is said to be the new state record.
[ Read Full Post ] November 3, 2009 by
With the quality deer management philosophy so solidly ingrained in today’s hunter’s mind, the old “if it’s brown, it’s down” approach for more and more hunters is becoming a thing of the past. I make no judgment on whichever approach you choose to pursue or to what degree you make those decisions on your own land or lease. As for myself, I suppose I have shot enough deer and see enough in a season that I am more than content to let the “little ones walk” with the rightful hope that they will grow into bigger deer—the tagging of which is always a thrill to any hunter. A big set of antlers is truly one of nature’s most awe-inspiring works of art.
But here’s the question: How big is big enough? And I don’t necessarily mean the minimum accepted size for where you hunt. Some places it’s a 125- or 130-inch buck, in others it’s a series of measurements that must be judged in the field, i.e., the rack must be bigger than 14 inches wide, 12 inches tall and have a base circumference measurement of at least 28 mm. That can be a lot to determine!
I’m talking about if you have one buck tag in the area you hunt or if you are on a guided hunt where you are nearly always limited to a single buck and your hope is to take a really nice one, not just the minimum, how do you decide? That is the dilemma I’ve faced on a pair of hunts so far this season.
Hunting with Hunter’s Specialties David Forbes on his place in northern Missouri earlier this season, I had a rare broadside shot at an 8-point that would have easily scored in the 140s. The shot was a few yards beyond my self-imposed limit, which certainly gave me pause. But what honestly weighed more heavily on my mind was that it was the first morning of a four-day hunt where 150-inch and bigger deer were a very real possibility to shoot. To be clear, I never get to hunt anyplace with realistic odds like that. It’s always a possibility, but a remote one at best. I let the buck walk.
While I saw some bigger deer during the hunt including an incredible 170-inch buck (first I’ve ever seen on the hoof in my life), none of the bigger ones came close enough for a shot. A parade of smaller bucks presented shots, but that was it. I never drew an arrow on anything as big as the buck I passed on that first morning. I had had a choice, and in a way, I had chose incorrectly.
Fast forward to my hunt with Rut-N-Strut Guide Service (www.rutnstrutguideservice.com) last week and the second day in, I was faced with watching a mid to high 120s 8-point feed 56 yards in front of my blind. I was sporting a Thompson/Center Triumph Bone Collector muzzleloader so the shot was imminently doable. While I would have been fine had I chosen to shoot, I knew outfitter Todd Rogers really preferred us to shoot a 3 ½-year-old hitting at least the 130s if possible. I sighed as my conscience and H.S. cameraman Jimmy Estes agreed it was the right choice. I was becoming a wildlife watcher. Back in camp, half of the hunters would be done by the end of the day, including H.S. pro staffer Rick White, who actually filled his tag the first day of the hunt.
The next evening, same blind, virtually the same time and what I thought was the same buck came ambling along. But it wasn’t. This one was a 10-point. It had roughly the same frame as the buck of the day before, but two more points that meant extra inches. This one miiiggghttt scrape 130, but I was betting it would still come in a touch under. I went so far as to actually settle the crosshairs of the Cabela’s scope onto it’s shoulder (usually a sure inducement to pull the trigger), but in the end, simply watched it walk away.
By the second to last morning, I wasn’t seeing much until a big boy strolled into a field about 400 yards from my hillside perch with a handful of other deer. We watched him for an hour as the other deer filtered back into some draws. The heavy-racked whitetail was with three does and a smaller buck. When the rest of his group began to follow a fenceline my direction and funnel through a ravine that brought each of the other four within 80 yards, I thought I was in the money. I was wrong.
The big buck turned the other direction and disappeared into some trees far, far out of my reach. With a windy evening ahead and only one day to hunt after that, I was growing convinced that my choice to hold off once again was going to bite me.
I’m interested in knowing what some of our BBZ hunters would have done in that situation. Would you have shot the 10-point (he was a very nice buck) or held out for something bigger knowing that possibility may never happen?
Most outfitters will tell you, don’t shoot the first buck that comes along, but in light of my experiences this season, how much weight do you give that advice? Share your opinions below.
[ Read Full Post ]November 2, 2009 by
Proving that you’re never too old to hunt, 90-year-old Delores Wilhelms got her buck for the second straight year. The Wisconsin granny connected on a 9-point buck earlier this month using a crossbow. Last year, after sitting out hunting for years after her husband passed away, Wilhelms’ neighbor, Ron Haessly, helped the woman return to the woods. She was successful in her initial return to the woods taking a buck with her crossbow then as well. The feat earned Wilhelms a write-up in the pages of Outdoor Life.
Meanwhile, across the country on Oct. 8, another grandmother, Doris Baumann, who also hadn’t hunted since her husbands passing returned to the Nevada’s high desert at the behest of her sons. After missing church one day to hunt, Mrs. Baumann, 75, made a fantastic 250-yard shot on a 4x4 mule deer.
“I took the picture of the deer to my church, because I wanted everyone to know why I wasn’t at the meeting that day,” Baumann told the Record-Courier newspaper.
Congratulations ladies. You’re an inspiration to all of us.
[ Read Full Post ]October 30, 2009 by
These photos have just come in—two giant bucks reportedly from Nebraska. Can't hardly believe the size of the buck's rack in the back of that pickup truck! It looks more like a moose. Details as they come in.
We're in the process of tracking down Mystery Buck No. 2 as well. Killer mass and brow tines.
[ Read Full Post ]October 29, 2009 by
Way back in 1962, when the world of trophy deer hunting was a far more innocent place, a Nebraska bowhunter by the name of Del Austin arrowed a buck that today still stands as the biggest non-typical ever taken with bow and arrow. Many giant non-typicals have come along over the years, but this huge whitetail just might give the Del Austin buck a run for its money.
Details are sketchy, but this is apparently an Ohio buck that rough scores somewhere north of 320. Whew! Stay tuned to the Big Buck Zone for more.
[ Read Full Post ] October 28, 2009 by
Reports of giant bucks are streaming in to the Big Buck Zone. We promise to post photos and stories at any hour of the day or night as we receive them. Here's a great story out of Kentucky.
Anyone who has ever picked up a bow or climbed into a treestand has dreamed about running into an absolute monster during deer season. All of us have envisioned a bruiser with heavy mass and super long tines. Unfortunately, for many hunters this type of buck only shows up during an occasional dream or distracting thought. However, sometimes things just magically fall into place and a distant dream suddenly becomes a reality. This is exactly what happened to a young hunter named Michaella Monroe during Kentucky’s 2009 youth season. Monroe was able to come face to face with a buck that would make any veteran deer hunter’s heart skip a few beats. This young lady kept her cool and was able to drop the hammer on a jaw-dropping giant that would green score around 230. How is that for jumpstarting your season?
It’s a safe bet that Paul and Sheridan Monroe are more than just a little proud of their 14-year old daughter. Paul Monroe took his daughter Michaella into the field during Kentucky’s annual 2-day youth season in Spencer County. This special season is setup as a tool for introducing and encouraging more young people to take up hunting across the Bluegrass State. During the hunt, Michaella came face to face with a true buck of a lifetime that has the entire state talking right now. Can you imagine squeezing the trigger on a 26-point trophy with well over 200 inches of antler? The picture of this unbelievable buck alone is enough to make you want to grab your bow and climb up a tree right now. Michaella is definitely starting her deer hunting career at the very top and it will be tough for her to ever match this season. Way to go girl!
All of us at the BBZ would like to congratulate Michaella Monroe on one heck of a buck. As hunters, we also appreciate her father and mother for taking the time to pass on the gift of hunting and the outdoors to their young daughter. I strongly believe that a family who hunts together has a better chance of staying together. In addition, I would like to know what all of you think about Michaella Monroe’s monster whitetail and this story? Also, what are your thoughts about a young hunter tagging a giant right off the bat?
[ Read Full Post ]October 27, 2009 by
A cool story from former OL contributor Chris Niskanen on the Pioneer Press’ twincities.com, but after finding a set of huge shed antlers early in 2007, Minnesota hunter Michael Versland became obsessed with hunting the deer.
The high school biology teacher set out to take the buck with bow and arrow, spotting it twice in 07 and then again the following year. Unfortunately, none of those encounters panned out. In that time, he managed to find the buck’s increasingly large sheds and even captured the monster a few times on his trail camera.
Finally, on Oct. 2, Versland connected. The 10-pointer green scored 210 1/8 gross inches with a width of 22 ¼ inches. Amazingly, the buck tipped the scales at a whopping 350 pounds.
For the complete story, check out Niskanen’s story at http://www.twincities.com/ci_13535184.
[ Read Full Post ] October 27, 2009 by I’m in the Sooner State this week going after a big Oklahoma whitetail with a Thompson/Center muzzleloader and so far while I’ve had some close calls, I’ve yet to seal the deal. It’s my first muzzleloader hunt in a couple of years and I have to admit to being excited about getting to trade out my bow for a few days here in October.
The weather has been what you would expect here—windy—with yesterday’s 40 mph blow threatening to turn our H.S. Boiler Room blinds into box kites. (The Balloon Boy would have had nothing on these rides.)
After three days of hunting, we have four bucks down including a wide 10-pointer taken on camera the first evening by Hunter’s Specialties’ Rick White and another wide-racked eight shot by T/C’s Craig Cushman.
Used to spending more deer season time in a treestand than anywhere else, the wide open terrain leased by Todd Rodger’s Rut-N-Strut Guide Service is open, hilly and has few tall, straight trees for a stand. This is an area tailor-made for blind hunting (or even spot-and-stalk), and I have to admit, after just a few days, I really like the concealment and portability these blinds provide.
There’s something to be said for being able to sit back, stretch out, spread your gear out and even scratch if you want to without being spotted. Properly brushed in and the deer hardly even notice them, too, quickly growing as used to their placement as a piece of parked farm equipment.
Stay tuned this week as I report from Oklahoma on how the hunt goes and what I learn that might help your hunt this season as well.
Be sure to share your big buck (or even fat doe) stories with me as well and I’ll do my best to share them with other Big Buck Zone fans. Email me at hunteditor@gmail.com.
[ Read Full Post ]October 23, 2009 by
I'm sure some of you have heard of hunting Indian reservations and maybe a few of you have tried it for turkeys or possibly prairie dogs. Have you thought about hunting them for big game? I just returned from a big game hunt in South Dakota where we hunted whitetails on tribal lands. The hunting was great and South Dakota, like several Great Plains states, has several reservations within its borders to choose from for deer action.
I was a guest there on a hunt sponsored by Traditions muzzleloaders (traditionsfirearms.com), Hornady bullets (hornady.com), Code Blue Scents (codebluescents.com) and Trijicon riflescopes (trijicon.com).
After tagging out on a great mule deer with my Mathews bow, I switched to a muzzleloader and on my first night out was presented an opportunity. Snow was falling and visibility was reduced by gusty winds, but it was the perfect recipe to get me into 100 yards of a great looking 5x5 buck. When the buck turned broadside I lit the powder and lost the buck in a blur of smoke. When it cleared I saw the buck bound off for two seconds. To make a long story short, I looked that night and most of the next morning, but could find no sign of a hit. I went back to camp and soon discovered my problem. I had sighted in my muzzleloader with an open container of pellets and opened a new one for the hunt. They were the same pellets, but for some reason the new pellets shot low.
I didn't get a buck, but two of my hunting partners, Lee Hetherington, vice president of consumer publishing for Grand View Media and Mike Mattly, public relations manager for Pradco Outdoor Brands faired better. They both tagged out on the same deer drive through a dense thicket of riparian cover. Mike made a great running shot on a 5x5 buck and Lee's buck stopped for standing shot to end his hunt.
If you're serious about looking for new hunting opportunities check out tribal options. You might find them in your backyard or across the country, but there are ample resources to research. Many of the larger reservations and tribal holdings are found in the West, but the East also holds a share of the tribal land wealth. The Bureau of Indian Affairs works with 562 federally recognized tribes with approximately 326 Indian land areas administered as Indian reservations, pueblos, missions, villages and other designations. Some are small holdings while others are massive consisting of millions of acres of land. All don't have whitetails, but those in the Heartland and the edge of the West hide a surprising number of whitetails.
As a native of South Dakota and a veteran of years of tribal hunting I can offer a few tips. First, do research the hunt thoroughly and do it early. License application deadlines are often early in the year and can be complicated. You also need to order maps and get clarification on where you can hunt and can't hunt. Inquire whether a tribal guide is required and if not; ask if any are available for a consulting fee to get you started. I'd also suggest a summer trip to cement your scouting. You can combine that with a prairie dog shoot or even a tourist vacation.
Tribal hunting is definitely an option for a trophy whitetail. I've taken several great bucks on tribal hunts and on deeded lands adjoining tribal plots so I know the potential is definitely available on America's Indian reservations.
[ Read Full Post ] October 20, 2009 by
These photos are flying across the Internet this week and if they haven’t landed on your screen yet your friends are holding out. This monster whitetail buck was bowkilled last week in central Minnesota, more specifically on the Camp Ripley military facility (www.minnesotanationalguard.org). Information is sketchy, but the buck supposedly has 32 points (all may not be scoreable) and weighed 192 pounds.
The lucky bowhunter associated with the buck is Scott Okenek who hails from the Minnesota town of South Haven. According to some notes I’ve read on Internet posts the buck has also been estimated to be 5 ½ years old and looking at the buck’s antler mass and body, I’d have to agree.
To hunt the 53,000-acre Camp Ripley facility you need to apply in a lottery-style process. According to some acquaintances I know who have hunted the facility, you need to know the land, find a funnel, set a stand up and wait. Hunting pressure is moderate and you won’t be popular if you wander around under other hunter’s stands.
Not only does the facility serve to train America’s finest, it also is managed as a conservation property with environmental stewardship as a main goal. That said, the results could be outstanding and I’m sure Mr. Okenek would agree. This buck has it all and then some, especially in the brow tine department. What do you think this buck would score? I’d bet my truck it’s a Boone and Crockett contender. Congratulations!
[ Read Full Post ]
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