Big Game Illustrated - Issue 25

COVER STORY

VELVET FILLED MULE DEER FORKS Spencer Vandenberg

Summer 2019 issue CANADA/USA 6.99

FEATURE ARTICLE

THE BACHELOR BUCK FROM THE PRAIRIES Trevor Simmons

Publisher: Big Game Illustrated Media

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26 Feature Editorial VELVET FILLED MULE DEER FORKS STICKING OUT OF THE LATE SUMMER CROPS

By Spencer Vandenberg

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After sitting in a boat for two months and guiding fishing, you start to feel the effects of fall kicking in and begin to forget about the giant pike and unreal shore lunches. to get my elk.

THE BACHELOR BUCK FROM THE PRAIRIES

By Trevor Simmons

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It was August 30th and my good buddy Jason Tailby and I were loaded up and the truck was headed south to an area we have had success in the past.

In This Issue BOW HUNTING FOR THE KING 06

By Kyle Sinclair

RIGHT IN MY SHOOTING LANE WAS MY PIEBALD WHITETAIL

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VELVET FILLED MULE DEER FORKS STICKING OUT OF THE LATE SUMMER CROPS

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UNIQUE TREASURES FROM SHED HUNTING

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By Cassanda Hirsekorn

By Spencer Vandenberg

By Cody Denbow

FINDING BROW TINE IN GOOD DEER COUNTRY

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TWENTY YEAR QUEST

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GRILLING WITH GRYBA

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DRAWN FOR MULE DEER IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

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MIKE HONCHO

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CAPTAIN HOOK

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THE BACHELOR BUCK FROM THE PRAIRIES

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By Colby Nieckar

By Dana Pace

By Eric Gryba

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By Karlie Kowalchuk

By Travis Ocker

By Ben McKean

By Trevor Simmons

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I really pride myself on how original the names are that I come up with. When September 1st arrived it was go time and we were able to locate The Big Non-Typical. Unfortunately, he was not in a good position for us to move in so the day was spent trying to locate others and keeping an eye on him.

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Part 1:

BOW HUNTING FOR THE KING

By Kyle Sinclair

Hunting Mule deer and Elk in the Foothills of Alberta every fall is my passion. Correction on that, it is my obsession. Every year I take the first week of September off to hunt big mule deer in the crop land and then I take the third week of September off to hunt big rutting bull elk; September 2017 was no different.

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Before I get ahead of myself, this story actually starts back in the summer of 2015. Due to land sales and development, I had lost some of my best mule deer hunting property and I was on the hunt for a new playground. In Alberta, it is illegal to lease or compensate a landowner for access to their property.

All access is gained by simply asking and hoping that you’ve presented yourself in a way that the landowner will be kind enough to access their land. After many miles in the truck and hour spent glassing, I had identified a couple of key properties that I wanted to hunt. A few phone calls and door bells later, I was granted permission to hunt close to 800 acres that was held by a few different landowners. When mid-July hit, I really ramped up my spotting to every second or third night so I was able to get a good feel of what was around that year. My adventures had turned up one bachelor group that had thirteen bucks in it with three shooters, and another field that had nine bucks with two shooters. I am one of the guys that names the target animals so when discussing plans we can keep it all straight. This year we had, “Left Sticker”, “Right Sticker”, “Wide Load”, “Too Tall”, and “The Big Non-Typical”.

“I really pride myself on how original the names are that I come up with” I really pride myself on how original the names are that I come up with. When September 1, 2015 arrived, it was go time and we were able to locate The Big NonTypical. Unfortunately, he was not in a good position for us to move in so the day was spent trying to locate others and keeping an eye on him. On the night of September 2, 2015 my hunting partner and my wife were able to sneak in on The Big Non-Typical and put a perfectly placed arrow in him at 17 yards. This was my buddies first antlered animal with a bow and he ended up grossing 199 7/8” non-typical and netting 192 2/8”, not bad for a first and a good start to

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our season. The rest of the season had my wife and I chasing, “Left Sticker” and “Right Sticker” along with elk. We weren’t able to put it together on mule deer but I was able to take a cow elk and a 342 5/8” net archery bull that I had been chasing for four years, but that is a whole other story.

The reason I started this story back in 2015 is because the Left Sticker turned in to King in the summer of 2016 and was my target buck from that point on. The summer of 2016 followed the routine of 2015; knock on doors, secure permission, locate target bucks. In the summer of 2016, I found some amazing mule deer. We had, “U”, a beautiful mid 170” mule deer with a box frame and every one of his forks resembled a U. Then we had Right Sticker, a beautiful high 170” mule deer with a 5” sticker coming off the right antler where the G3 came off the G2.

Lastly, we had Left Sticker who I immediately changed his name to King; this was because his left sticker was now an upward tine and the G2, G3, and non-typical point that resembled a crown hence the new name of King. The summer flew by and before I knew it opening day was upon us.

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September 1-4, 2016 were spent mostly driving, sitting, glassing and waiting for the perfect situation to present itself. On the morning of September 5, 2016, I watched U and King come off an Alfalfa field, cross a long ridge where I could hunt and head into a thicket in the bottom where I could not hunt. Even though I couldn’t hunt the thicket, I was excited about the situation because I knew that evening they would retrace their steps back to the field. Very early in the afternoon, I parked the truck and geared up. It was hot out and the hike was short but I wanted to make sure I was in position long before they started to move. I got setup on the edge of a large buck brush patch on the hill side above where they travel; from here I was able to see the thicket that they bedded in.

Not long after getting settled, U appeared with a small 3X3 mule deer. They jumped the fence and moved towards me, after feeding for about 15 minutes they decided to bed at 80 yards.

After about 15 minutes the little buck decided that he wasn’t satisfied with their bedding location and he got up. The small buck walked over to U and actually kicked him, it was hard but I managed to contain my laughter.

With both bucks up, they started to feed towards me but I was not in position or ready for a shot at all as neither of these bucks were my target.

After about 10 minutes of feeding they found some light shade and decided to bed down 40 yards below me. Over the next two hours I had the most enjoyable time watching these two bucks doze in and out, chew their cud, and lay there without any knowledge of me being so close. It is an experience that will live with me forever and it was over those two hours that U became my target buck for 2016.

“He didn’t magically grow over those two hours or reveal any unique features that had been unnoticed prior” He didn’t magically grow over those two hours or reveal any unique features that had been unnoticed prior; it was simply the moment, the experience, and I felt that for this season this was the deer for me. After bedding for nearly two hours I could see that he was starting to move more and I knew he would stand soon so I decided to get ready. I got into a ready position and within two minutes he was up and feeding on some grass at 40 yards. I waiting until he was feeding heavily and I drew back, settled my pin, sent the arrow on its ways and watched it disappear into his chest. That was the moment that my 2016 mule deer season ended and King was still roaming the hills. U ended up being a lot better buck than I had though scoring 172 2/8”; a personal best on typical mule deer. I only seen King a handful of

times over the rest of 2016 and only once was he where I had permission; not that it mattered at that point, but I was still keeping tabs on him.

Summer of 2017 was once again the same, except for one thing; my summer was jammed with weddings, camping, family reunions, and holidays; there was not a lot of time for spotting. The little time that did have to spot turned up some great deer. I had once again found King, and new double drop tine (DD) mule deer, a large typical (Big 4), and another large typical with a huge inline tine (Inline). The first time I spotted King in 2017 was mid-July and it was for a mere 10 seconds. Even though I was looking for him every time I was out spotting, I never did see him again that summer. On September 6, 2017 I got my second and third glimpse of King. In the morning I watched him and another buck graze up the pasture hill side and into a set of trees where I don’t have permission. That evening I watched him graze on the same pasture hill side. After that I scoured every bush and deer I seen trying to find him again, but I couldn’t.

On September 22nd I was out hunting elk with my father-in-law. When the morning didn’t turn up any elk we drove over to where King lived. As soon as we pulled up and looked across to the hillside I noticed there were two large bodied mule deer. I got the scope on them and instantly found the crown on the back left for; King was there and he was huntable. Now where he was situated there was a 75% chance that he would head north to where I couldn’t hunt and about 25% chance he would head south west into a patch of trees where I could hunt. I decided that I wanted to be in those trees on the offside chance he did go south west.

Within five minutes I had driven around to the far side of the property, got geared up and was headed up the ridge to come into the trees from the top. As I worked my way down through the trees I got eyes on King again; just as he jumped the fence and headed north to where I didn’t

have permission. Well, nothing ventured nothing gained, and back up the hill to the truck I went.

The next couple of weeks was going to be busy with work and family affairs so my next real opportunity to hunt would be October 6th.

Friday, October 6th found me looking over a field watching more than 270 elk feeding in a green feed field. I know there was this many because I lost track at 279 head and there was still more that I hadn’t counted but just gave up. Saturday I tried to put something together on a cow but they didn’t follow the game plan and Sunday I was headed north to have Canadian Thanksgiving with family.

Monday the plan was to go and look for elk again as I really wanted to fill my freezer with a nice young cow. When I showed up there was not an elk to be seen; not anywhere. At this point, the morning was still young, so I decided to head over to where King lived and see if, by some miracle, I could turn him up. As I pulled up I could tell right away that the hillside was littered with mule deer; most of them however, were where I couldn’t hunt. I got parked and started checking them over with my spotting scope to see if he was there.

The first two I checked were on the property that I could hunt; the first one was a nice 4X4 with crabbed front forks. I couldn’t see the second as his head was behind a bush but I figured it was his brother that is a spitting image of him.

As I checked over the rest of the deer across the fence where I couldn’t hunt, I kept turning up the usual suspects, none of which were King. The last deer I checked and the farthest north deer turned out the be the other nice 4X4 with crabbed front claws; immediately my heart started racing with anticipation to what the unknown second deer was with his head behind the bush. By the time I got the scope back on the original two, the unknown deer had moved slightly from behind the bush. In all his glory there he stood. King was on the property that I had permission. Now him and his buddy were feeding in almost the exact same spot that I had seen him a couple weeks before, when he headed north to where I couldn’t hunt.

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The difference today was there was a slight south west wind so I was hopeful that he would head up and into the trees. I made the decision to drive around to the far side of the property and try this again. Within five minutes I was parked, geared up, and headed up the far side of the property angling toward the trees that they were below.

As I worked my way up, I was worried about the south west wind that kept hitting the back of my neck; I decided that I would keep going and put faith in scent killer and keeping my gear in air tight bins when not hunting. As I worked my way into the trees and crested the hill I could feel that the wind had more of a west direction that followed the slope of the hill. I knew this was promising. The plan was to get into the trees and work my way downhill and get near the bottom. I figured that King would enter the trees from the north edge at the same level as where I wanted to be. This property has not had livestock on it for over fifteen years so the bush is littered with dead fall, young popular, scrub brush, and waist high grass; all of this combined is not ideal for silent movement but it’s what I had to work with.

Now that I was in the thick of the trees I was unable to see the open hillside or King and I was stalking blind. My worst fear was going in hot and bumping them before I could get eyes on them.

I made a plan in my head that I would take two steps and then stop and glass. I made it through the trees to the level in which I figured they would enter from the north and work their way into me to bed for the day. Shortly after I stopped to glass, I picked up the crabbed buck to the north of me and slightly down hill; he was 60 yards and working his way through the willows looking for a bed. Seconds later, directly north of me, I caught movement and found King, he was right where I thought he would come in and he was at 50ish yards. The trees and brush was so thick that I couldn’t get a range on him. I stood there motionless and watched him browse, hoping that he would work his way in. Mere moments 12

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later he did two circles and flopped down; I was not impressed with this but at least the wind was good now and I could just hang out until he did something.

While he was bedded I tried to move uphill and downhill a couple feet to try and find something that resembled a shooting lane. I finally found a spot that offered a clear 30 yard shot, slightly downhill to a trail. I had hopes that when he got up for a mid-morning stretch he would work deeper in the trees and maybe take that trail. As the time passed, I kept an eye on him and could see he was pretty settled in and, with how thick the bush was, there was no way I could move in closer. Ten minutes later his head went up into full alert, my first thought is that he winded me but as I watched him through the binos, I noticed that he was looking straight away from me. As I continued to watch him I saw a one antler spike mule deer grazing towards King. As the buck got closer, King decided to get up and turned directly to me; it’s go time. Now that he was grazing through the bush towards me, buck fever has set in and bad; I’m shaking like a leaf in the wind and I need to calm down.

Over the next five minutes King slowly grazes towards me and is working his way directly to where I thought and is steps away from a clear 30 yard shot. His head entered the shooting lane and I raised my bow, starting to put slight tension into the string. As he moved forward I increase the tension getting ready to come to full draw.

At that moment he turned and was now straight on and I have no good shot. King is now feeding directly towards me and is about 23 yards away.

He continued to feed towards me until the 18 yard mark and he turned up hill. I started scanning for the next clean shooting lane as he is now broadside. For the life of me I can’t find a shooting lane and King is feeding at 18 yards! He continued his way uphill as I am in full panic mode. This is the first time I have ever been this close and I don’t have a shot. He finally worked his way uphill 14

slightly of me, walked into the middle of a thorn bush and flopped down right there.

“Oh boy, now what?” I think with the King bedded at 18 yards. “I have no shot and it’s so thick it is hard to move without making noise, but I have to try,” I think as I decided to try and work uphill slightly. I managed to move uphill three feet but failed to find a shooting lane. I moved back down hill to where I was and decided to try moving more downhill to see if there is anything there. I moved downhill about two feet and found a clean ten inch wide shooting lane. There is no shot with him being bedded, so I just got ready for when he stands. Bow in the left hand and released clipped on, I am ready for him to stand. I am thinking this may be a two hour ordeal, but it will be worth the wait. Only a couple minutes go by and I feel I need to shift weight from my left leg to my right leg. In doing this a hidden six inch twig that is below my right foot snaps. Kings head snaps up and he is in full alert. I know he is going to stand. I see his hind end start to move to stand and I come to full draw. As he stands, I saw I have a clear path to his chest, I settled my 20 yard pin right in the sweet spot and pull the trigger.

“I see the arrow heading right for him almost in slow motion” I see the arrow heading right for him almost in slow motion. I also see my arrow hit a small twig about two feet in front of him and start a deflection upward. At this moment my heart sinks and bad situations start racing through my mind.

It was short lived because I heard a loud thwack and watched King drop in his tracks. My arrow has hit King in the spine and he is down. I quickly moved up to him for a follow up shot to ensure things are ended quickly. From the time I had first seen King that morning to the time I first put my hands on him was an hour and a half. When I first

got a hold of him I started noticing features that where unknown to me. He has a 2” sticker on his left base, his left pedicle is deformed oblong and has close to a 7” circumference, and his main one main beam was bladed. I sat there for a good ten minutes observing every detail of this buck and admiring him. That is when it hit me. I had been watching and after this deer for three years and he evaded me countless times, and to be honest I was sad. I was sad that this journey was now over; to me we had almost played a game of chess and the joy was in playing, not winning. I have the up most respect for these mature animals and the skills they develop to evade predators, humans, and sustain life in the harshest climates. I am truly thankful for the experience this deer gave me and the adventure he took me on; this is a deer hunt that I will remember and cherish forever.

29” Carbon Express Pile Drivers

Equipment List:

Havalon Torch

2013 Elite Answer 80lbs 29.5 Draw

Green Nockturnal Nock 100 grain Slick Trick Magnum QAD Rest Spot Hogg Real Deal 7 Pin with Wrap T.R.U. Ball Short-N-Sweet Vortex Talon 10X42 Binoculars Vortex Razor HD 20-60X85 Spotting Scope Vortex Ranger 1000 Range Finder Lowa Tibet GTX Boots Sitka – Coldfront Pant Sitka – Core Heavyweight Hoody Sitka – Jetstream Vest Sitka – Traverse Cold Weather Hoody Hoody All Sitka is in Optifade Open Country

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RIGHT IN MY SHOOTING LANE, FACING ME, WAS MY PIEBALD WHITETAIL!

By Cassanda Hirsekorn

My story with a once-in-a-lifetime whitetail begins late in the summer, when I hung trail cameras and setup for a fall hunt.

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It was the first time I ever had to do everything that comes with a hunting season 100% on my own.

Everything seemed to be going well, until I checked my trail camera later in the summer and realized that I had a very odd deer on my trail camera.

I had never seen anything like it, and my initial thought was that it looked sick. It absolutely broke my heart to see him in the pictures and wonder what would become of him. I contacted our local

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Conservation Officer in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan to try to get more information. I sent him the trail camera pictures and asked what I should do with this sick deer. He responded to the pictures I sent him and said, “I would venture to guess either mange or ticks.

I am leaning more towards mange, but either way, he can live like that and can even recover as long as he appears to be eating and healthy.� I thanked him for his time, while also sending the pictures to a few friends and everyone said it was mange, and to wait for

a bigger buck. So, in the meantime I watched this deer come in like clockwork, and began to get frustrated with him, because I didn’t want him infecting all my other deer that I had coming in. I didn’t want them to get mange too!

I began sitting and waiting, to see what else would come in, and it seems like almost every time, he was out there! I went as far as stomping on the floor of my hut to try to scare him and get him to leave. Angry.

Frustrated. He kept coming back! I hung a better camera and got much better pictures of him that made me wonder what exactly was going on with him. A week later I messaged the Conservation Officer again with a few better trail camera pictures and he said, “It actually looks like a piebald. It is just a very rare hair coloration. Nothing to worry about.”

“Hmm, what the heck is a piebald” I thought, because I had never heard of it. I found myself doing research

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I had never seen anything like it, and my initial thought was that it looked sick. It absolutely broke my heart to see him in the pictures and wonder what would become of him. I contacted our local Conservation Officer in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan to try to get more information.

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on piebald while I sat in my hut, waiting for the deer to show up. I began to find it extremely interesting and very different! “I work as a hairdresser, so why wouldn’t I want a deer with white hair! That’s super cool!” I thought to myself.

So now I decided that I absolutely NEED this deer.

He is 100% my target buck! I could not help but think, and regret, all the times I had let him go, but I knew now that I would put in all the time needed waiting for him to come back. I started hunting, and it seemed like endless hours were spent in the wooden hunting hut my Dad made me. As I continued passing up tons of other deer, there was no sign of this piebald at all! “What the heck, did I scare him away for good?!” I wondered nervously. I checked the camera, and to my relief he was still there, but never there when I was! I wondered if I had educated him and he was not going to risk coming in again when I was there. Despite my doubt, I sat the next day from sunrise until dark, and again there was no sign of him. I figured he had to come out if I was there all day, but I was wrong, and it was -25 with the wind-chill so I had to keep the propane heater running to keep the cold out. Despite my best efforts, I had no luck that day.

I did have a steady stream of deer, but not my piebald! I packed up frustrated again and walk back to my vehicle.

The next day I decided I was going to sleep in. I was exhausted at this point. It is amazing how exhausting it can be to sit, and try to stay alert, all day long. I was refreshed after sleeping in and ended up getting out to where I park at 1:45 in the afternoon. I was sitting in my vehicle, watching a couple small bucks play out in the field. This was a good sign, but I could not help but still be a little frustrated. I started the ten-minute walk out to my hut. I got to my hut and put everything inside. My frustration got the best of me, and I decided to go get the camera just to see if he was still around. I grabbed the camera, which was now dead, walked back to the hut and sat down. I begin changing the batteries, with the door of the hut still wide open. Finally, I got the batteries in and the card out of the camera when something caught my eye a bit, and I looked out the window. I could not believe my eyes, but he was just standing there, in a perfect spot for a shot! “Well holy crap! 2:15

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in the afternoon, I can’t believe it,” Is all I can think. As I try to compose myself, I realize that my fingers are completely froze at this point. Finally, I regained my composure, and slowly try to slide open the plexiglass window. To my horror, I realized it is froze shut! The condensation from the day before with the heater going and cold weather had it iced up and there was no way it is moving! I am in disbelief, but slowly start scraping the ice with my nail from the bottom of the glass. “He knows I’m here, he’s staring right at me,” I think. “I wonder if he watched me grab the camera,” I wonder as I continue to work the ice off the window.

I finally got the window open and, to my amazement, he was still standing right in my shooting lane, facing me now. It is not a good angle, so I waited. He finally turned broadside with his grey hair side facing me. My heart was pounding, and I was super excited. I took the shot and instantly he jumped probably three feet straight up in the air. “I got him!” I think, as he took off running until I couldn’t see him anymore. I waited five minutes and went to go look for him. I looked over to see him 15 feet away, then he fell down and it was all over. I was literally out there doing a happy dance, freaking out! I was so proud, as I did this entire experience from start to finish, 100% by myself! I had accomplished my goal, even though it was not easy.

I walked over to him and notice that he fell with the white hair side down in the snow. I grab his antlers and roll him over. I was so excited to feel what his white hair felt like! It was noticeably more coarse than the rest of his hair. “Best experience ever!” I think, as I sit in the snow with him. I called a friend to help me get him out.

I dressed him and skinned him myself. It was the first time I’ve ever had to dress an animal myself, let alone skin it properly for it to be shoulder mounted, so I took my time and was very careful! The taxidermist let me know that I did it perfectly. I want to say a big thank you to Al Bohn in Ebenezer, Saskatchewan for the beautiful mount. I am very excited to have him at our wildlife banquet in Hudson Bay next year and at home on my wall, to forever remind me of the amazing experience that the 2018 whitetail was!

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Finally, I was off work for a couple of days and headed out to try and find the buck that had been filling my head with all the thoughts and ideas of where he might have moved in all those days I was not able to watch him. I showed up to the area he was living in and could not believe what I was seeing.

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VELVET FILLED MULE DEER FORKS STICKING OUT OF THE SUMMER CROPS Cover Story

By Spencer Vandenberg

After sitting in a boat for two months and guiding fishing, you start to feel the effects of fall kicking in and begin to forget about the giant pike and unreal shore lunches.

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Your mind switches over to the thought of velvet filled mule deer forks sticking out of the late summer crops. I was on my way home from an amazing summer guiding up at Wollaston lake lodge and headed straight to Prairie Sky Outfitters to help get our new lodge up and running for the coming fall season.

Every evening after working on the lodge I would jump in the old truck and go spend some time out on the gravel roads looking for a big typical mule deer that I had spent a lot of time hunting last year. My first night out scouting I managed to find a big 190 class typical mule deer that I thought was possibly the deer I was hunting the year before. I spent a couple of nights watching this gorgeous mule deer and realized that he was not leaving the area he was in, so I decided to go in search for some more big velvet bucks that drive a guy crazy and go crazy is just what I did. On the evening of Aug. 26th, myself and Jason Eichorst, the chef at Prairie Sky, decided to head out scouting for the evening. We were talking about big non-typical mule deer and how I had never hunted a mule deer with a big drop tine.

“It wasn’t two miles down the road when I spotted three bucks a long way away out in a wheat field and that is where the craziness started” It wasn’t two miles down the road when I spotted three bucks a long way away out in a wheat field and that is where the craziness started. A big framed buck with a drop tine was filling my spotting scope up and started to fill my head with images of a dream buck. The next

morning, I was able to find this buck two miles away in a short, nasty looking canola crop and was able to get some pictures of him through the spotting scope. I watched this buck every second I had and learned as much as I could about where he was living before I had to start guiding waterfowl hunts on September first and wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on this deer for 14 days due to guiding. What a long 14 days it was!

Finally, I was off work for a couple of days and headed out to try and find the buck that had been filling my head with all the thoughts and ideas of where he might have moved in all those days I was not able to watch him. I showed up to the area he was living in and could not believe what I was seeing. All the crops that were around the quarter this buck was calling home had been combined except the one he was living in. Sure enough, I found him bedded up with his buddy’s in that same field I had left him in. I just felt the weight of trying to locate this buck fall off my shoulders. “What a relief,” is all I could think. The opening morning started off with the weather all archery hunters love to have accompanying them, windy, overcast, cool with some rain in the forecast and a big mule deer in the spotting scope. An hour had passed, and I watched the bucks roll over a hill, so I decided to head downwind and slowly make my way into the field to see if I could find where they were bedded down. I slowly made my way through the field and spotted antler tips about 100 yards away. I made my way down a sprayer track and once I got to about 50 yards I realized I was stalking the wrong buck and the deer that I was after was another 125 yards away and walking away from me so I backed out and watched the bucks roam around in the crop for another hour until they all joined up and bedded on a side hill in the crop.

I slowly made my way into the four bucks bedded together using the awesome sprayer track left behind in the canola field. Anyone who has tried to stalk a deer in canola knows just how loud and dry it is!

Having a sprayer track headed right to these bucks was a blessing. I had finally closed the distance to 50 yards when I looked up and saw this giant drop tine rack looking around. I was hoping to close the distance to

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30 yards but once I watched this deer turn his head and start licking the other side of his body I knew it was a shot I had to take. There were no other bucks standing up and I had all the time in the world. I drew my bow back and let her fly, the arrow hit its mark and the deer fell right over. This is when all my luck had changed as I watched the buck get up and start running away, that’s when realized I had hit him far back in the lower ham. With a strong crosswind and the wildest adrenaline rush that has ever gone through me, I just did the worst thing any archery hunter could do and any hardcore archery hunter has experienced this.

Unfortunately, it’s part of the game, no one is perfect and going to make the perfect shot every time, but it still felt awful. I had just wounded the buck of my dreams and the worse feeling anyone could feel just set in. I watched him bed down and stalked my way back into where he was. The buck got up when I was closing the distance and started running hard to the south towards an old farmyard. I followed a blood trail in my socks for a mile until the rain had washed the tracks and blood away. Spending the rest of my day in the rain, searching for this buck came to an end with

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no results. A couple of days had passed, searching for this deer with no results. What a gross feeling, a feeling that will live with me until the day I die and a hard learning lesson.

A few more days had gone by and I got a text from my good buddy Derick Snider. Looking at the text and reading the words, “I think I found your buck in the field were combining” shot up on my screen. Half an hour later I was looking at my worst nightmare bedded down in a dried-up slough bottom.

With no wind and no cover to sneak up on this buck, I had a hard time cutting the distance I needed too but putting on a risky stalk was all I could do and an hour later I was sitting at 30 yards away, praying to make things right. I got the opportunity that a lot of guys don’t get and when this buck got up I made things right. There was a lot of mixed emotions and respect for this buck after wounding him and putting him through a lot of pain and stress but a giant relief to be able to fix my mistake and putting my hands on him for the first time was a sad but exhilarating feeling that I won’t soon forget.

A small sample of Cody Denbow’s shed hunting collection.

Read his shed hunting article starting on the next page.

Sometimes, it is not the wild creatures that find the antlers before you, but, with the growing interest in antler collecting, it is other shed hunters that you’re competing with. It can be tricky to know how long to wait and when to go for it. Shed hunting definitely has a special knack to it and every day is different.

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UNIQUE TREASURES FROM SHED HUNTING

By Cody Denbow

Shed hunting has been a big passion of mine for quite some time. Not wanting to sound old or date myself but I’ve been shed hunting for about 23 years, starting when I was in my early teens. I look forward every spring to getting out and scooping up the sheds off of some truly incredible whitetail deer.

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When I began actively pursuing this obsession, I remember taking my little XR80 motorcycle out and cruising the fence lines and open alfalfa fields where I would watch deer feed during the winter.

Some days were pretty good, and I’d have antlers of all sizes hooked on the handlebars and on my lap trying to navigate my way home without ending up in a wreck impaled by one of my treasures. Once I had the easy spots covered I would get home from school and hike the hills and bush searching for more and trying to match up any of the singles I’d found earlier.

Back then there were no trail cameras so finding the sheds off the deer in the area was the only way to know what potential deer there were to look forward to hunting the next season. Now, as technology has changed, it’s neat to be able to get some pictures of the bucks wearing their headgear, then being able to find the sheds off those bucks. It’s helpful in determining when exactly they start shedding and what general area they are in when they start dropping. If conditions are right and the snow isn’t too deep, I’ll begin looking in the feeding areas and staging areas where they will tolerate a little human intrusion but I tend to stay away from where they might be bedding during the day until the snow melts. The last thing I want to do is bump the deer out of the area if any have not yet shed their antlers, also I don’t want to put any pressure on them or undue stress. If the herd has found a reliable winter food source and the temperatures are cold with deep snow, then they are best left alone to conserve energy and come through winter in good shape.

The antlers will hopefully still be there in spring when conditions are better but the risk of porcupines or squirrels chewing them up is always a concern! It’s hard to stay out, especially when a particular buck has caught your eye that you desperately want to collect the sheds from, but in the long run it’s likely better to wait if you’re able. Sometimes, it is not the wild creatures that find the antlers before you, but, with the growing interest in antler collecting, it is other shed hunters that you’re competing with. It can be tricky to know how long to wait and when to go for it. Shed

hunting definitely has a special knack to it and every day is different. The best tactic I have found is to cover a lot of ground in areas I know deer were using when they were dropping their antlers and to continuously scan the area in close proximity. I’m not necessarily looking for a complete antler but a tine or main beam or antler burr that looks out of place. I’ve almost stepped on antlers before seeing them and I’ve also spotted them from quite a distance, so it’s just letting your eyes direct you in the right direction. Sometimes the harder you look, the harder it seems to be to spot them. Nothing beats finding a giant shed off a big, mature buck followed by the sense of almost panic trying to match up the other side. If you’re lucky, the other side wont be too far away, but often times it will take several outings and quite some distance before the match set is reunited. Or the other side may never be matched up and that can drive a shed hunter crazy!

“Every single antler I find in that split-second when I realize it’s a shed gives me that little burst of excitement” Every single antler I find in that split-second when I realize it’s a shed gives me that little burst of excitement, regardless of the size or score. Big heavy chunks of bone are the ultimate goal but there’s also something about finding tiny little spikes and fork horns that is kind of neat because they are so difficult to spot. You never know but that spike might grow up in five or six years to be a giant set of 80 inch typical sheds you count among the best in your collection. buck, watching him grow up through the years, then being fortunate enough to be able to harvest him is an accomplishment that very few people get to experience. I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to find some truly impressive sheds over the years off big mature whitetails, both giant clean typicals and heavy nontypicals with stickers and tons of character.

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One of the most unique sheds I’ve found was not fresh at all, it was years and years old, so old that it is hard to put an age on it. I didn’t find it on the ground where chances are, after that long it would’ve been chewed on or succumb to the effects of time and moisture that laying on the ground would have deteriorated it.

“One of the most unique sheds I’ve found was not fresh at all, it was years and years old” I found it hanging in a poplar tree where it sat long enough for the tree to grow around the antler, permanently locking in place. My guess is somebody years before picked up this giant mainframe 5 point shed with a split brow tine and split G4, realized it was something special but instead of taking it home, hung

it on the branch growing out of the trunk of the tree and walked away.

Years went by and the antler, survived up off the ground, somewhat protected from the elements, while the tree slowly grew around it. Eventually the branch died, and the tree as well, but I found it and was able to save it before the tree fell and this rare treasure was lost. Shed hunting has, and will likely always be, a passion of mine and makes me a better hunter and outdoorsman.

It makes the addiction of pursuing and hunting whitetails a year-round adventure. It’s great exercise and allows me to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. If I had to choose between shed hunting and deer hunting, I honestly don’t think I could, so I’m just thankful to live in a great country that affords me the opportunity to experience both.

FINDING BROW TINE IN GOOD DEER COUNTRYTIME!

By Colby Nieckar

Growing up on the farm, hunting was always a big part of my family’s traditions. Hunting in November, as a young boy, created some of my fondest memories between my Father and I.

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When the fall of 2018 rolled around, it was harvest time on the farm for me, and boy did it ever last a long time! With my stand only vehicle accessible when our crop was off, it limited my time to get out there and put trail cameras out. So, when I finally had a chance to get into the area, it was only six days before opening day.

As was so often the method back then, I used to love cruising in the truck, looking for the next bush to push with Dad and his buddies, followed by telling stories about all the big ones that got away!

As years went by and I got older, I wanted to get into hunting deer from stands or blinds. So, in high school, I started to do so with little to no experience. But as years went by and I spent hours and hours talking to experienced hunters, and watching lots of YouTube videos, I began to gain more confidence and my setups and began to learn more of the tricks and have more luck some my way. Day by day, year by year, I started to understand the mature bucks and they began to come in! By 2017, six years into stand hunting, I still hadn’t shot a buck but everyday I’d see dozens of bucks and does! It felt like it was going to be my year, but nothing came along that I really wanted to take a shot at! So, with another year down the drain, I was left wondering when it would be my year for all my hard work to really pay off.

Good deer country, I believe, is hard to come by.

Fortunately, my Dad has owned some land for many years in an area that holds many deer, and one particular piece turned out to be a diamond in the rough. I’m not really sure what it is, if its simple good deer genetics, or a good food source, but even with not much bush around it I began to realize that most of the bigger deer that I had seen were in that one area. However, the one constant is that with good deer country, comes lots of hunters in the fall. Over the years, there has been lots of nice bucks shot in the area. Four years ago, a buck was shot that hit the 180 mark and I soon found out it was the buck I had on my cameras for four years but never could get a chance at. After that, I was really hurt but hoped in the future I could get one like it, and at least I knew there was a possibility!

When the fall of 2018 rolled around, it was harvest time on the farm for me, and boy did it ever last a long time! With my stand only vehicle accessible when our crop was off, it limited my time to get out there and put trail cameras out. So, when I finally had a chance to get into the area, it was only six days before

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opening day. With not much time, I still decided to build a treehouse where I could sit comfortably 25 feet up in the air and not freeze! It was something that I was wanting to build for the last few years. Although I was excited about having such a comfortable and high vantage point to see the animals, I was also really nervous of how this would affect all the game around me as I was constructing it. Since I was in farm country, I hoped they would be used of activity like this. A full two and a half days later, I had it mostly built, at least enough that it would be usable for this year. The next morning, I headed up to moose camp for four days before returning two days into whitetail season. Before I left for moose camp, I checked my trail cameras and sure enough as I scrolled through all the pictures, there was a buck I had named Browtine. Amongst all the action of building a treehouse, he still came out at night for me to get the first glimpse of him on my camera.

At this point I was so happy and excited, but still did

not really know how big he really was. So, I didn’t know if I should stay back from moose camp or play it cool and try a shot at Browtine when I got back. Looking back now, I can’t believe I went to moose camp with Browtine within reach, but that is what I did.

Two days into opening day, I was driving back from moose camp at midnight and I decided to head to my cameras and grab my memory cards, not knowing until I looked at the pictures an hour later that Browtine came out that day! At this point, I was so nervous that I may have scared him away and I could not help but wonder if I’d ever get a chance at him in the stand. But as any hunter would do, I hoped for the best.

That next day is one that I will never forget! I got out to the field around 720am and started walking 1/4 a mile to my stand. As I made my way, I came across close to a dozen deer and four moose in the open field. This worried me because it was close to a fool moon and they could clearly see me. With no other option, I kept quietly making my way to my stand, as they started running

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for the bush. As I got to my stand with my hopes low after spooking some deer, elk were bugling in the bush, which was pretty cool and something that I’ve never heard before so late in the year. As the sun came out, it was legal shooting time, so I began to call and rattle all morning. I was happy to see there was lots of action, with small bucks and does coming through.

Clearly the rut was in full swing. Around 11.30am, I decided to head home for couple hours as neighbors 1/4mile to the south were pushing bush and burying stone piles with a dozer and a track hoe! I couldn’t believe how loud the tracks were, as it echoed through the bush with the wind northward. At that moment, I was certain that it my chances of seeing deer in the afternoon was close to zero.

“I returned to my stand and there wasn’t much activity until 4pm when a decent 4x4 came out right beside my trail camera!”

Around 2pm, I returned to my stand and there wasn’t much activity until 4pm when a decent 4x4 came out right beside my trail camera! As time began winding down, I continued calling and rattling on and off, which I don’t usually do when bucks are in so close.

Something immediately caught my eye and my heart started pounding. All I saw were antlers running 100 yards off through the bush, straight towards the 4x4.

At this point, I was hoping it was Browtine and moments later, when I couldn’t see Browtine due to heavy tree cover, the 4x4 bolted, clearly knowing Browtine was the dominant buck. As I waited for Browtine to show himself on the trail, I was hoping he would come out into the open. 20 minutes passed, which seemed like an eternity, until he finally showed himself. Walking out with his head moving side to side, I began shaking once I knew for sure that it was

Browtine. As I drew my gun out the tree house window to take a shot, I was shaking furiously from head to toe. Even my feet couldn’t sit still with tapping noises on the wooden floor that I thought were going to spook him.

As I looked through the scope, I was ready. My 30-60 loaded, holding firm, I took a deep breath, then I pulled the trigger. But nothing happened! Sure enough, I looked down and my safety was on. At this moment, I was really nervous, so I composed myself again and moments later took the shot, and it was a good one at that! When I found Browtine 70 yards from where I shot him, in deep bush cover on his side, with his brow tines and rack laying there. I can’t express the emotions I was feeling. All the years of struggles, learning curves and many hours of work sitting in stands, freezing, finally paid off. Sometimes you work your hardest and try to do your best year in year out and you fail.

But this year I did things I probably should not have done like build a stand so close to opening day or go to moose camp when a buck of a lifetime was on my cameras, or only putting my cameras out six days before the season started. But luck was on my side, and my first day of hunting for whitetail was the day that I got him. Maybe you can say a little bit of skill calling and rattling, or perhaps it was just right place right time. I’m not sure but it all worked out and I could not be any more grateful for the experience of taking Browtine!

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The right shed laid flat on its beam and the right tines stuck down in the soft dirt nearly 4 inches. I sent Adam a pin to show him my location and I sat down and waited for him to show. I didn’t want to even touch them let alone pick them up and it took nearly 30 min to even do so. I had been waiting for this for 20 years and I wanted to soak it all in!

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TWENTY YEAR QUEST

By Dana Pace

My passion for shed hunting began over twenty years ago.

I found my first shed walking down a well-used deer trail while pheasant hunting with my Dad and brother.

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Even though the antler had laid there a year and was a little weathered, it lit a fire deep down inside me, that still burns till this day.

Fast forward ten years and after many, many shed hunts and learning the ups and downs of the sport, I started setting personal goals for myself. I started at 20 sheds a year and an 80” shed. I thought that finding 20 sheds should not be a problem, but hitting 80” was a bit of a dream, but one that perhaps I could achieve at some point. Each year I walked and walked as my number goals were met and increased while enjoying the experience of walking midwestern whitetail terrain, while becoming a better shed hunter each year. Despite this, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t hit that elusive 80” mark.

March 1, 2019, I hooked up with my good friend Adam.

We headed out to a great friend of ours’ farm in West Central Illinois. We started early that morning and planned on walking as much as we could that day. The day started really slow, with only a couple old chewed up bones to show for it. Around 10 or so, I decided to change it up a bit and hit some thick bedding. Winter was tougher than normal this year and the bucks had changed their usual patterns I was used to. I started seeing a change and picked up some freshies on the thick hedge brush ridges.

“I happened along a real nice upper 130’s 8 point set laying 30 feet apart” Around 11am, I ventured into some thick brushy bedding with some south facing hedge flats. A spot where the landowner had told us that a big buck was

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hanging out in the late winter. I started grid searching through the thick pucker brush and happened along a real nice upper 130’s 8 point set laying 30 feet apart in a nice open sunny spot in the timber! I took some pictures and started my grid again. Moments later, I got a call from Adam and we talked about starting to work our way back to the truck, but as I turned the corner to try and position the sun at my back again, I spotted what I thought was a dead head at 70 yards, laying in the sun.

“I spotted what I thought was a dead head at 70 yards, laying in the sun“ The closer I got, the louder I got on the phone, realizing what I had just found and then screaming, “I found him!”

I was walking up on the most beautiful sight I had ever witnessed in the shed woods. Laying there, as if they were placed by the shed Gods themselves, was a set of glowing antlers. Like a spotlight was streaming down on them, and I was privy to a private showing of an artist’s most prized painting.

The right shed laid flat on its beam and the right tines stuck down in the soft dirt nearly 4 inches. I sent Adam a pin to show him my location and I sat down and waited for him to show. I didn’t want to even touch them let alone pick them up and it took nearly 30 min to even do so. I had been waiting for this for 20 years and I wanted to soak it all in!

The left shed taped out 85” even and the right at 88 6/8”.

Now that I’m officially in the 80” club, it’s time to baby step my goals into the 90” club!

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GRILLING WITH GRYBA

By Eric Gryba

Japanese Kabobs Ingredients:

Steps:

2 lbs wild game

1. Marinate cubed meat in ingredients overnight in the fridge.

1 cup rough cut white onion 1/4 cup fresh ginger 5 cloves of smashed garlic 1/2 cup red drinking wine 2 tubes of wasabi 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoon of Worcestershire 3 tablespoons of sesame oil 1 puréed Asian pear

Be sure to catch Eric’s show on the Wild Pursuit Network

2. Put on skewers with onion and peppers and grill for 15 minutes at 375 or until internal temp is 140 degrees This is a one of my favourite recipes to use when cooking wild game. It is great for venison, moose, elk, and caribou! * Don’t skip the Asian Pear as it’s going to help tenderize the meat. Also, the wasabi isn’t picked up by the meat as much as you would think so don’t be scared of using 2 tubes!

Instagram @grybes02

Twitter @grybes02 www.ericgryba.com

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After he stepped out, I froze and was caught myself just watching him in awe, my Dad gave me a little nudge and told me to shoot. I finally put my gun up and took a shot. I seen it was a good hit, but the big bull stayed up then took off into the bush. Me and my Dad both looked at each other but didn’t say a word.

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DRAWN FOR MULE DEER IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

By Karlie Kowalchuk

Without a doubt, my mule deer hunt will be a hunt to remember. This hunt was rigorous and exhausting but my patience was rewarded when we stumbled upon my trophy buck. Being drawn for mule deer in southern Saskatchewan was a big deal to my boyfriend Cody Link and I. 59

On November 7th, we packed up our truck and camper and prepared for the seven hour drive from Preeceville, Saskatchewan south to the heart of mule deer country. I hoped that I had everything packed and that I wasn’t forgetting anything vital to our hunt.

An anxious 7-hour drive later we arrived at Clint’s farm.

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Almost immediately after realizing we were drawn, Cody and I phoned our good friend Clint to let him know we had been drawn and ask if we could come to his place to camp out and hunt for a week in hopes of finding a pair of mature mule deer.

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to have hunting as a way to be able to feed my family at the end of each and every season. I do not only hunt mule deer but also whitetail, elk, moose, and bear almost every hunting season. I have hunted many years for whitetails but just recently began to have more success with other species. 2014 was an extra special year for me as I was able to tag my very first bull elk and also my first bear with archery equipment.

Once November rolled around, Cody and I started to get anxious about going mule deer hunting. This would be my first mule deer hunt, and for Cody it would be his second after being drawn seven years ago. On November 7th, we packed up our truck and camper and prepared for the seven hour drive from Preeceville, Saskatchewan south to the heart of mule deer country. I hoped that I had everything packed and that I wasn’t forgetting anything vital to our hunt. An anxious 7-hour drive later we arrived at Clint’s farm.

After setting up camp we still had enough daylight to go scout for the remainder of the evening. We had quickly spotted three mule deer bucks come over the horizon. My heart was racing, as I was so excited to see mule deer as soon as we started hunting. After looking through the binoculars, there was one of the three bucks that looked like a possible shooter! We saw the buck go down into the coulee. Cody and I wanted to try cut him off and get a better look at him. As daylight was fading, there was no sign of the deer, so we backed out and called it a night.

The following day we woke up early before sunrise, got ready and headed out trying to get another glimpse of a mature deer. In the morning we were walking the ridges, glassing the coolies, and we witnessed a lot of deer moving. As the morning sun rose brighter into the sky, we went back to Clint’s farm so he could show us some new areas to hunt. Clint showed us an alfalfa

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field where deer were traveling from the hills to feed.

We decided to spend our next few days by in that area, trying our luck at spot and stalk. We heard that there were two really large bucks that a farmer had seen in the field, they called the bucks “the Twins” because of their similar triple split G2’s. One of our friends from back home in Preeceville was also drawn for the same zone, and had harvested one of the twins the previous week. His buck ended up scoring 215 net! Clint had spotted out the other twin to that buck on a ridge from the alfalfa field, and at a long distance we watched him leave the field with another small buck and three does. Once he was out of sight we moved in to try and get a shot. Slowly and carefully, we got within 300 yards. I was looking at him through my scope to make sure he was the deer I wanted. After getting down on the ground and setting the bipod up, I was extremely nervous! I took a second look at the buck, watching him keep busy chasing does. After he settled, I waited for him to turn broadside. I was waiting there patiently watching the buck sniff the dirt then the air. I could hear Cody say, “Make sure you take your time.” With that advice, I steadied the cross hairs, exhaled long and slow and then I squeezed the trigger. I couldn’t believe it! He had dropped instantly and slowly rolled down the hill stopping at a barbwire fence.

After about ten minutes of silently celebrating with my uides, we walked towards the spot where my trophy lay. I was in such a state of shock! I couldn’t have been happier to get my very first mule deer buck! We immediately tagged him and began taking pictures.

After loading the animal, we went back to Clint’s farm so we could start skinning and quartering. By the time we had got back to the farm it was already dark out, but our night had just begun for us. The hunting was not yet over! Cody still had his tag to fill. He ended up filling his tag two days later, with a beautiful 174” mule deer buck. This hunt was definitely one of the more exciting ones I’ve been on and will never forget the experiences and many lessons that I have learned from my guides, the land and the incredible animals that I had the honour of hunting. My beautiful buck ended up scoring 190 7/8” gross, aa truly incredible animal that I will forever be grateful for!

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This stand location started paying off immediately. The first day I sat there, I was able to harvest a good 9 point. In fact, it was within the first five minutes of being in the stand! In Oklahoma, you were permitted to harvest two bucks. Since I took a respectable buck for the first one, I told myself that there wasn’t any hurry to fill that second tag.

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MIKE HONCHO!

By Travis Ocker

A Dark Racked 10 point with Long Tines. This was the first year I started hunting in this area and I had zero knowledge of the area or of any of the deer that might be roaming around there.

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On the afternoon of November 5th, I found a heavily travelled creek crossing leading back into a bedding area and hung my Lone Wolf Treestand in an acorn tree overlooking a trail coming out of the creek bottom and another trail skirting it to the east.

This stand location started paying off immediately.

The first day I sat there, I was able to harvest a good 9 point. In fact, it was within the first five minutes of being in the stand! In Oklahoma, you were permitted to harvest two bucks. Since I took a respectable buck for the first one, I told myself that there wasn’t any hurry to fill that second tag with just anything; I could afford to be picky.

On the 7th, I spotted a big, dark racked 10 point with long tines and good mass. He was the biggest buck I had seen within bow range in my life at that point. I watched him and the doe he was tending just casually feeding about 45 yards out, but he never presented a shot that first day. I nicknamed him, “Mike Honcho” and I decided that I was going to hunt that buck exclusively. The next five days were almost carbon copies to the first time I spotted him. That fifth day he finally made a mistake; he moved into a small opening at 35 yards. As I anchored, he took a half-step forward, tightening the window I had to shoot through, but I was determined to take a shot. After some minor contortion of my body I was able to clear the lane between me and his vitals. I missed him completely!

The sound of my arrow sliding underneath his belly gave him an uneasy feeling and he cautiously walked out of the area. I thought to myself, “That is the last time I’ll see him.”

On the morning of the 12th, I was back in that same area hoping for another chance. Shortly after sunrise, I heard a splash to my back left. There was Mike Honcho stepping through a puddle and heading my way. As he walked behind a small cedar, I drew back.

The second the nock touched the corner of my mouth I heard a doe blow. I never saw her, nor bothered to even check. I saw my buck and got tunnel vison. In a flash, both of them were gone back into the heavy cover and safety on the west side of the creek. I felt

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that all too familiar punch to the stomach feeling again. Mike Honcho had given me two chances and twice I had blown it.

I stood there shaking my head in self-pity. I toyed with the idea of tucking my tail between my legs and going home. As turned to hang my bow back up, I saw a monster buck moving with his nose to the ground, oblivious to me or what had just transpired five minutes prior. He went right up the creek bank opposite of me and was now out of bow range. At the top of the bank, he stopped at a low hanging branch and started making a scrape. I snatched my phone from my pocket and shot a text to my best friend telling him about the 200” non-typical I had just laid eyes on. He sent back a thumbs up Emoji that I took as, “yeah right”. “I know what I saw,” I thought.

I sat there still shaking with excitement for the next 30 minutes. I had never seen that deer or imagined that a deer of that caliber even existed in the area. I was lost in daydreaming of what it would be like to kill that buck when a splashing sound snapped me back to reality. It was him, he had reversed his path and was heading right back at me! He walked behind that small cedar and I drew. He continued three more steps and cleared the cedar when a stopped him. I carefully set the pin behind the shoulder and released. I didn’t see the impact but heard the thud and he wheeled around and bolted back to the west. As soon as he disappeared into cover, I pulled my phone out and started calling everyone I knew. I finished my phone calls and climbed down from my stand to go check my arrow and start trailing him up. The first 50 yards were a solid line of blood and tracks that the most novice of trackers couldn’t have missed, but then it just stopped.

I spent the next 30 minutes and 25 yards picking out drop here and there. My excitement just turned to despair. I began to get frustrated and made the decision to back out and get some help out there. I got on the phone again and got my son, Chaddwick Saylor and neighbor Mike Traut, came out there to help me.

We started on the trail again at the last known drop I could find and that’s when I discovered my boy was a regular bloodhound. He was spotting pinhead sized

“Steve� for short, became a regular on my trail cameras. In fact, in 2016 and 2017, he was the first deer both years to make an appearance.

Since he lived so far back in the forest, we had daytime pics, night time pics, anytime pics. Whenever he was hungry he would amble in, eat his fill, and bed in one of the nearby poplar ridges he called home.

General Info:

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Who: Travis A. Ocker SGT (Ret), US Army

Scored for P&Y, B&C, and Cy Curtis (OK Dept of Wildlife

What: 245 2/8�, 27 score able points (3 Broken off)

Records) by George Moore on 13 Jan 17

Non-typical Whitetail

When: Harvested 12 November 2016; 0830 approx.

#3 all time in OK; #2 Archery buck (as of 08 JAN 18)

Where: Comanche Co., OK (SW Oklahoma)

drops of blood at 10 yards. We would find small pools of blood from time to time as well but never any sign of the buck. At this point we had been out there for about four hours on our hands and knees looking for some sign of where he had gone to. We actually stopped and went back to the trucks to take a break after the trail circled back around to an access road we were parked on. After some conversation, we decided that he wasn’t done yet and we have been pushing him for hours.

I said that, “He can’t have much left in him and we should keep going,” so that is what we did.

We were back on the trail, which hadn’t got any better, but Chadd was still able to track him. Over the next hour I convinced myself that this was not going to be a happy ending. Chadd was in the lead, with Mike and I marking the last known drop when all the sudden Chadd turned around with his eyes the size of silver dollars and arms raised up imitating a huge rack!

Chadd had found him! One small problem, he was still standing and very much alive. I could see clearly that

my shot was terrible and back from where it should have been. Later, I found a branch that I nicked and deflected my arrow. None of that mattered now, it was time to finish the job We all crouched down and watched him as he tried to climb a small berm ahead of us. I needed to get another arrow in him to finish the job.

The buck had laid down now. I took my time and crept up to about 30 yards. I put another arrow in him.

This time I found the vitals. I made the decision that I needed to end his suffering as quickly as possible.

I moved around the deer and got in position to take another shot. After about six hours of looking, and three miles of walking, he was finally down, and I could finally celebrate.

George Moore officially scored the buck at 245 2/8”.

He has speculated that had the buck not had 3 broken tines that it potentially would have netted over 250” and would have been the state record.

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CAPTAIN HOOK

By Ben McKean

The first time that I ever laid eyes on this buck was beginning of bow season, in October. We had several sightings of the buck throughout the season, which encouraged me to keep trying for him.

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Once February came around, my thoughts were still of Captain Hook, and how I was going to change the outcome for the next season. I knew that I had to learn as much as I could about his habits and the areas he called home. We covered a lot of ground, walking and looking for sheds and I was lucky enough to find his right side!

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In fact, I had many encounters that resulted in me

He was angling just slightly away from me when I

getting close, and almost close enough for a shot

took the shot. My nerves got the best of me and I shot

with my bow, but things just never seemed to go

way to high. I ended hitting the g3 in his left side and

our way!

the blade got stuck in the g3! After that, he vanished

Every single time, without fail, he would get away one way or another. He was a smart buck and knew exactly

completely and we never saw him until the second season of shotgun rolled around in northern Illinois.

how to stay safe. In the end, the season came to a

The last day of that hunt, in December is when he

close and ‘Captain Hook’, as we had come to call him,

made his last walk out of the timber, 120 yards from

eluded us many times that year! Once February came

where I was sitting. I couldn’t believe he came back

around, my thoughts were still of Captain Hook, and

and I wasn’t letting him go again. I placed aim and took

how I was going to change the outcome for the next

the first shot at 120 yards and hit him solidly. He ran

season. I knew that I had to learn as much as I could

about 100 yards before falling over in a thicket!

about his habits and the areas he called home. We covered a lot of ground, walking and looking for sheds and I was lucky enough to find his right side! Despite hours, and then days of searching, neither me, nor any one of my buddies were ever able to come across the other side. That was the last sign of the buck until the start of bow season.

At that point I still could not believe I was lucky enough to get a chance at him with my bow, let alone have him come back during gun season and get a second opportunity at him. Once we finally finished the 60-day dry period, Boone and Crocket official scorer Arnie Crum scored him at 197 2/8” gross and 182 2/8” net. The tallest tine being the G2 on the left

The new season was exciting, and we had way more

beam came out to be 16 3/8, with the other tines not

close encounters with Captain Hook while bow

being too far behind it! He is a dream buck in every

hunting. We saw him every day for a week straight

way, and I am blessed to be able to look at him every

until finally he came within 35 yards of me in October!

year and think about the second chance he gave me.

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THE BACHELOR BUCK FROM THE PRAIRIES

By Trevor Simmons

It was August 30th and my good buddy Jason Tailby and I were loaded up and the truck was headed south to an area we have had success in the past.

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Several deer started to move out from small clumps of brush, but nothing that we were too interested in just yet. It wasn’t until the final minutes of light, when Jason spotted a group of six bachelor bucks coming out of a bluff of trees over a mile away, and instantly said, “GOT EM, that’s the one we’re going after!”

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It was August 30th and my good buddy Jason Tailby and I were loaded up and the truck was headed south to an area we have had success in the past. The long drive gave us lots of time to revise a plan of attack for the next four or five days.

We arrived at our destination later that night. With a plan in place, we knew the area we were going to focus on in the morning, with hopes of finding a good mule deer buck to pursue when the season opened in just a few short days.

Morning came early as we had a restless sleep anticipating what was to come. We set out bright and early to start scouting the prairies and contacting local land owners to lock down as much permission as possible for the following morning. With such dry weather conditions and high fire hazards, lots of the land owners were denying access. Knowing we only had a few days to get the job done, we started to scramble. We assured the landowners we would stay on the roads with our vehicle and then set out on foot once we reached areas we thought would hold some deer. Fortunately, some graciously granted us permission and we were on our way.

Mid-day rolled around with little sightings, we decided to go for a drive to explore some new area further to the east of where we would normally concentrate.

With temperatures reaching 30 above and being so dry we knew water was going to be key factor to this hunt. We studied our maps and used satellite maps to our advantage and found a few small lakes and ponds in the area. We contacted a few more land owners, assuring them we were nothing but foot access and luckily, we were again granted permission on some promising looking terrain.

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With the sun starting to drop, we found ourselves sitting on a high vantage point, glassing every nook and cranny. Several deer started to move out from small clumps of brush, but nothing that we were too interested in just yet. It wasn’t until the final minutes of light, when Jason spotted a group of six bachelor bucks coming out of a bluff of trees over a mile away, and instantly said, “GOT EM, that’s the one we’re

going after!” I quickly set the spotting scope up and tried to get a good look at him before he disappeared into the dark which was now nearly upon us. I only got to look at him for a split second and knew he was the one I had my heart set on. With it now being too dark to glass any longer, we picked up our gear and headed back to camp for a long sleepless night filled with excitement for the both of us. We had previously discussed it and it would be my turn first up to bat, as Jason was able to fold a tag on a beautiful buck the year prior, as I leaned over his shoulder to get a range for him.

“As the morning went on, our excitement of seeing the big buck from the night before started to fade” 4:00am, opening morning, and we were loaded up and headed back to set up at our vantage point before first light. As the sun started to rise, we started to pick out deer in the distance, none of which were the group of bachelors we had put to bed the night before. As the morning went on, our excitement of seeing the big buck from the night before started to fade. Spending most of the day glassing the area and picking every bluff of trees apart, we couldn’t seem to lay eyes on him anywhere. It was like the entire group of bucks had just disappeared. That evening we both agreed to set up along the fence line we watched them feed down the previous night, with hopes that he had just moved off the field before sun rise, giving us the slip. With our fingers crossed and anticipation high, we settled in a tall patch of weeds, waiting for the group of bucks to do as they had the night before with only one thing different. This time we would be in position for a great opportunity if they did just that.

With the mosquitoes being more than overwhelming, minutes felt like hours, being swarmed by the blood suckers which seemed to find any bare skin. We

miles east of where we had seen them. We decided we were going to park and go hike around, as by this time it was mid-day, thirty degrees Celsius and dead calm, a hunter’s nightmare if you know what I mean.

We stripped off our morning gear, loaded up the packs with some water and headed out. Little did we know, we weren’t going to make it very far before the very unexpected happened.

continued to sit tight with a slight breeze in our face, only to notice a couple of other likeminded hunters sitting on the same vantage point we were on when we first spotted the group of bucks the evening before.

Knowing we weren’t the only ones out after this deer, the pressure was now on.

As the evening progressed, we unfortunately did not lay eyes on the buck we were after. However, we did lay our eyes on another one that caught our attention.

We named this deer skyscraper. He appeared to be an ancient old buck with only three points on either side and well past his prime. We both agreed that he would be plan B on the hitlist, if we did not locate the other group of bucks that held the buck of my dreams.

Once again at 4:00am, the alarm sounded. We decided to try an area close to camp where Jason was successful the year before. We glassed for several hours finding nothing but some younger bucks and several does. We hiked back to the truck and started to drive aimlessly. Both being fairly quiet for the last few minutes of the drive, Jason looked at me and said, “I can’t get that buck out of my head”. I chuckled and said, “That makes two of us!” It didn’t take long, and the truck was pointed in the direction in which we had seen the giant buck only a couple days before.

We drove an old road into an abandoned well site two

We were only a mere two hundred yards from the truck as we glanced up a hill to see the buck we were after and another mature buck standing there, 300 yards away, watching us walk in. We had jumped them out of their beds. We knew we were in trouble!

Standing there, as still as could be, the two bucks didn’t waste any time turning around and hopping over the brushy hill side. Jason and I took off running to get to the top of the hill to see where they were headed with hopes we could watch them bed down once again.

Once we crested the top of the hill it was fairly brushy, and the bucks were nowhere to be seen. We stood there glassing for several minutes before we spotted them half a mile out. We took cover and watched them disappear into the only bluff of trees in what seemed the entire prairies of Alberta.

“It didn’t take long before the smaller of the two stood up and started to feed away from us” Jason and I decided to let the two bucks get comfortable in the small bluff before we headed out with hopes of getting up close and personal with them.

Standing there in disbelief of what just happened we discussed our next move, knowing this could be our only chance at him! Circling way around to get out of sight and get the wind in our favor, we inched our way closer. We were well on our way when we spooked a few sharptail grouse that flew right over the bluff of trees the bucks were bedded in. My heart almost pounded out of my chest with the thought of the flock

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spooking the bucks once again but luckily the bucks ignored natures warning.

Not knowing what was about to happen, we took a knee and figured we better just hold up and let the bucks calm in case the birds had set off some alarms.

Our next few steps would put us peaking over a hill, trying to pick them out in the trees. With eyes straining, it took a few minutes but then Jason leaned over and said, “I got em, I can see the tip of his right antler!” We knew we had to find both bucks before we took a chance moving any closer. It didn’t take long before the smaller of the two stood up and started to feed away from us. Knowing where both bucks were, we decided to make our move. With not much wind to cover any noise we were making, we inched our way closer and closer into bow range. We reached fiftyeight yards. Knowing this was as close as we could get, without the buck detecting us, we held tight.

With absolutely no cover, we stayed low and close to the ground, anticipating a long wait for the buck to stand up.

It wasn’t ten minutes in to the wait, when I felt the wind swirl and hit me in the back of the neck. I hooked my release knowing this was about to happen real fast! I no sooner had my release hooked when I saw the buck snap his head up and jump right out of his bed. Standing there broadside I drew my bow back, anchored for the shot and slowly squeezed it off.

I watched my rage broad head sail and disappear into the side of the buck! He took off on a dead run, but I could see where the blood was coming out.

Unfortunately, I had pulled the shot a bit and the shot was far back. He ran 200 yards to the top of a hill where I could see him starting to wobble before he crested the top. I said to Jason, “We did it! We got him!

He’s going down right there!”

We worked our way over to where I had shot the buck and got on the blood trail. Waiting for quite a while, we slowly followed the blood to where we had last seen him, expecting him to just be laying over the hill dead. But to our surprise he was bedded a hundred yards down the hill with his head up looking around.

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Jason and I both dropped and took cover again. After a few minutes of watching the buck we decided to slip in for another shot. We slowly crept our way down the hill and managed to inch ourselves in to 40 yards.

The buck stood up again, knowing something was up. I drew back once again and settled my pin on the buck’s vitals, as he was quartering away. I released the arrow and this time my shot was true! We watched the big boy run down to the nearest bluff of trees 80 yards away and pile up in his final resting place.

Walking up to this buck is when I realized how big he really was! I picked his head up in pure disbelief

of what just happened. Jason and I just sat there and admired this truly magnificent buck for quite some time. We looked him over from every angle and this buck just seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Still in disbelief, we made work of caping him out and loading our packs up heavy with the head and meat for the hike back to the truck! This will be a hunt I will not soon forget, it was truly a hunt of a lifetime. Next season cannot come soon enough, as I look forward to chasing these giant prairie bucks again alongside with my good buddy Jay.

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