Two bucks were killed by physically-challenged crossbow . The hunt, even though it involved several obstacles, with other people on the property and coyotes interfering, was as textbook as it could have been. Over much of the state, the Department has continued its efforts to reduce deer populations which, when successful, would also result in reduced fall deer harvest numbers. It never showed itself during shooting hours and Haynie had all but given up on the buck because it hadnt been seen in a couple years. "We do everything together. The 45-yard, quartering-away shot struck true. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet The lesson learned is a simple one: Expect and prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes you see a deer that wide and the tips dont tend to bend back in, but he actually had a little bit of turnback toward the middle, he said. Although there were certainly bigger bucks killed in other parts of the state, Masoner believed it was quite large for this part of West Virginia and unique. When West Virginia biologists examined the buck, they suggested the deer's age to be between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 . He knew he was on a time clock with this giant, because Willie only visited the sanctuary for a short period of time before heading back to his home territory. The buck was killed on public land in McDowell County, which is along the boundary of Virginia's Tazewell County. The bucks hopped the fence and entered the public parcel. After shooting four does, it was time for Develle to punch a buck tag. John Feazell's 22-point Virginia mountain monster crushed the state record for non-typicals by nearly 24 inches! John Wallace has dedicated his career to conservation. Sutphin mentally kicked himself for not hunting that morning. As it turns out, Wilderness Whitetails specializes in abnormally-large whitetail deer and antlers, as proven by the game farm's trophy gallery and this montage from their YouTube channel published years ago. Each year, the buck has been a main-frame 10-point. Browning's Rafę Nielsen shares details on the new X-Bolt Pro LR McMillan hunting rifle with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. I cant even begin to imagine how this buck managed to walk through the woods with a rack this wide. Wayne and his brothers joined together over the deer, shared some hugs and backslaps, took a few photos and proceeded to drag the deer up to the trucks. But the buck paused on his own, presenting a perfect broadside shot. Instead of hiking in far from the parking lot, he hunted within about 75 yards of his truck; his logic being other hunters would be spread out further into the woods and pressuring deer. In 2018, deer hunter Luke Brewster killed the biggest whitetail deer of all time. Shaking uncontrollably after letting her arrow fly, Edmonds managed to tap out a text message to her husband, who was hunting with their oldest daughter at the time and has taught Jessica about deer hunting for the past decade. When he returned Willie had disappeared. "I put my scope on it to see if it was a doe or buck, and all I saw was antlers.". Instead of heading deep into the woods, he hunted a more-open area near the edge of a field and high-traffic road. Then another buck comes out into the field. As Wayne's brothers headed to the rear of the property, Wayne made his way into his son's stand for the evening hunt. The buck's 11-point rack had a 17-inch spread . To give the deer some time, he went and recovered the 8-point before returning to the piebald 10-point. Estimated Weight On Hoof: 540-Lbs. Virginia whitetails set out to prove our state can produce giant whitetails join 80,000+ hunters View Edgar County Hunting Properties. The picture first surfaced on the internet in 2009, with various descriptions stating it weighed between 400-500 pounds. After he got off of her, I shot him, but he went right back to chasing the doe. The buck casually followed the doe's trail, and Smith dropped it with his muzzleloader when it closed to within 45 yards. The buck was moving with his nose to the ground, oddly enough back-tracking the very same trail the doe had taken on her escape. Subscriber Services. "Brandon Butler. His spot was deep in a hollow flanked by steep hardwood ridges on each side. The buck dropped immediately as Haynie quickly reloaded and walked cautiously toward the buck, prepared to shoot again if need be. "I never thought I would have an opportunity at a buck of this quality, but having it was genuinely a life-changing experience. At 6:05 a.m., just minutes after legal shooting light, the big deer stepped into view. "He was at least 3 1/2 years old then. This buck was harvested out of Kansas & scored 211"..Westin McCauley is a 12 year old outdoorsmen . ", Plunkett's buck came out into an open bean field in pursuit of a hot doe. Then he started wobbling and going in a circle, and I knew I got him. Features quick-change barrel system. The shot was perfect, and he went down within 50 yards. This was her first archery buck, and she was hunting alongside her hunting mentor, Paul Baker. About a half-hour before sunset, he decided to rattle. Haynie was born and raised in Richmond County, Virginia. ''I didn't know what I had until I walked over to it. Gibson says the younger bucks in his area are pushing does around, but the big boys haven't started getting aggressive yet. I mean, we are a high-fence operation, I want to be clear about that, but this is a real buck. The brute roughscored 171 6/8 inches. He wasn't disappointed. His friend Ashley sat with him that evening to video the hunt and possibly shoot a doe if the opportunity arose. Check out Cochrans full report on the big buck here! Numerous people I know had pictures of him. This buck was one of the first to show up on camera in the summer of 2021. Yes, it is a legitimate buck. Among the accomplishments includes the recently concluded Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt initiative, which in 10 years conserved or enhanced 5.3 million acres of critical wildlife habitat, recruited 1.5 million new or lapsed hunters, and opened new access to 750,000 acres for hunting and recreation. "The wind shifted, so l left. David Pepper, a former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, says Brown's "secret sauce" is his willingness to take his made-in-America, union-strong messaging to places outside the cities. Haynie was watching the woods behind her and caught a glimpse of movement. Franz Buck 261 7/8"https://youtu.be/mg7Z4juaGo2. Deer Management in Virginia; 2007 Deer Facts; About Deer Antlers; Black Bears in Virginia; Wild Turkey Management; 2007 Turkey Facts; State Contest Winners. In essence, of the near three-quarters of a million . The deer, killed by Jim Smith of Front Royal, was the largest deer killed in North America in 1992. It was the biggest buck Masoner had ever killed and he even admitted it was the widest spread on a set of antlers hed ever seen on any deer with his own eyes. ELD Match, and 175 gr. Wallace sent the image to Haynie who was also on stand hunting on property. Virginia And this is how he got a chance at his trophy. The mature buck slowly made his way upthe dry creek bed in the timber until stepping out into a small clearing. The original post dates back several years and states the buck weighed 430 pounds and was shot in Hartford, Michigan. He would do a lot of growing by the time the 2017 season rolled around. The biggest gun-killed typical, which measured 1702/8, was killed Dec. 1 in Fayette County by Jeffrey Bragg. It may not have come from a natural, fenceless, free-range type of deer hunting, but it sure is giant. The hunt was finally over. Just after 2:30 p.m, they headed in. Jackson decided to try his luck sitting on a hillside hidden by thick, brushy cover. Rudden gave the buck an hour before climbing down and finding it roughly 60 yards away. I never thought we had any deer like that anywhere around us.''. (Steve Blackburn) CHARLESTON, WV (WCHS/WVAH) With just a couple of days left to go in the buck firearm season in West Virginia, hunters have killed more than . Regarding the harvest of a piebald deer December 11, 2019 On December 3, 2019, my 17-year-old son was hunting alone on our vacant property on Spring Hill Mountain in West Virginia during a legal hunting season when he shot and harvested a piebald deer. After running off trespassers who were fishing ponds they weren't supposed to, he settled into his hunting spot located next to the ponds, which were in a cattle field full of native grasses. The property is also in close proximity to Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park. Trapped eagle in Pocahontas County saved by a string of concerned individuals. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Staying undetected by deer while hunting in a ground blind takes a few easy steps. Nevertheless, his record stands as the biggest typical whitetail in history. EXPLORE OTHER MEDIA 360 PROPERTIES FOR OUTDOORS ENTHUSIASTS. Neither hunter had imagined such a deer existed on the property. Brandon Butler. He had traveled only 20 yards before he saw the buck lying on the ground. It broke the 50-year record held by the #2 Spot! He said there was no one in the hunting group that had history with this deer either. There is no official weight listed for the deer, but it looks heavy. In Virginia, the total length of adult bear skulls was found to average 262 to 317 mm (10.3 to 12.5 in). Smith took the deer back to his cabin, where a fellow hunter counted the 35 points. This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! Non-Typical: 312 inches. ", Hayden credits the first good cold snap for the action he experienced. 2022-2023 Deer Kill Summary. "Hard work pays offnever give up," Jackson says. All kinds of thoughts entered Peters mind at this point, but most were of disappointment and discouragement that Willie had again escaped. Opening Day Success in Pennsylvania . More specifically, bowhunting.". During 2015, Willie was only seen on trail cameras, and in 2016 there were no sightings or pictures. The top Virginia buck in Boone and Crockett is a 38-point Buckingham County trophy killed in 1986 by James Shumaker of New Canton. Shed hunting isn't easy, but can offer unique opportunities. Another pair of does showed up around 30 minutes later. One camera showed a photo of a big 8-pointer, probably pushing 150 inches, as well as the big buck, who at this time was a 14-pointer with a split G2 and one split brow! A big nine-point buck, killed in Kansas, earned Ashford resident Andrew Lowe the $50,000 first prize in the inaugural Bone Collector North American Whitetail Championship. He left his stand to help her with the field dressing and recovery, then returned to his spot. Does it at least make you want to grab your hunting gear and head out in the field? Don't miss a story! "To kill an old warrior that never daylighted, that always seemed to stay out of harm's waythat was priceless. Nick Gatlin recently hung his tag on a great Tennessee whitetail. Then, around 8:10 a.m., Rudden noticed this buck coming across a creek, but thought it was a different deer he had been after. Once the deer breached 30 yards, Jackson settled his crosshair and squeezed off the shot. And I love opening weekend of firearms season because it's the one weekend of the year where you can see so many people who love the same thing you do. It scored 232-4/8 non-typical. LaRue's Ethan Alexander talks about the Siete's features with Game & Fish's Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. "I tried to let out a 'meh' to get him to stop, but I was shaking so bad, I couldn't get it to come out." NON-HUNTERS ATTEMPT DEER CALLS IN HILARIOUS VIDEO. With stories from East River South Dakota, Siouxland, South Dakota, Lincoln County (S.D. Then my buck showed up, and we knew he was big. Just me, my thoughts, and the big man upstairs. He sat on an old fallen log and watched a doe move by. The buck stepped out into a cut cornfield at 7:20 a.m. Amanda promptly shouldered her rifle and placed a perfect shot that dropped the buck in his tracks. Only when Ivan McLaughlin started counting antler points did he realize he might have killed a record-breaking buck. Bucktober 211 4/8"https://youtu.be/Tp7mL4bAzDsAll rights to. At SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. "If I stopped grunting, he would turn and go back toward the doe. The buck's antlers totaled 1964/8 inches on the Boone and Crockett Club's measuring system. The buck ran about 30 yards and crashed. Marion, Iowa. The barometric pressure was up and the wind was perfect for the area I wanted to hunt. However, he hadn't laid his eyes on the buck this year. Another cool twist is John's cousin, Ernie Wallace, owns and operates Central Flyway Taxidermy. The new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge from Hornady is available in three loads (160 gr. She's going to do a European mount of the skull herself. Unbeknownst to him, the wild animal held a beloved status in the immediate area. The open area bordered a large block of timber, and he expected the deer to enter the field and pass through within range. "I am still on cloud nine with this buck," Sears said. Over the two weeks Sutphin hunted only when the wind was right, never back to back and never from the same stand. Great-uncle Kevin and Adam were only in the blind 10 minutes before two does appeared in the cut cornfield they were hunting. In mid-November, Alan Hunt encountered a buck in-person for the first time since previously only seeing him on a single trail-cam image in 2018. Average Price Per Acre of Raw Land: $4,314 Like most hardworking Midwesterners, Thomas Garries does not have nearly enough time off in the fall. "I'm thankful to God for the blessing of letting me harvest this awesome animal in a heavily hunted area. 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MECHANICSVILLE Its weathered, dark-brown rack is both majestic and massive, with 35 points branching out in every direction. Posted by Kathi Hawkins onFriday, November 29, 2013. A buck he shot in Wyoming County was scored by three official scorers Wednesday and came out at 191 2/8 inches, McDaniel said. Joshua recalled his fathers advice over the years: stay calm, take a deep breath and move ultra-slowly. | The 2021-22 deer season is a wrap, and some big whitetails fell between the opening and closing bells. A 430-pound buck is enormous, so even a bit short of that qualifies as a giant deer. Bennett said he started hunting the small, 20-acre property where the buck was shot 7 years ago, when his father Scott obtained the landowner's permission. I was fortunate enough to bag him, said Masoner. As the pair ate lunch they decided to move to a different location in the same zone several miles away and hunt an area where they had seen quality deer sign back in 2016. After being in the stand for roughly 20 minutes, the younger Bennett heard something coming directly at him. ''I told her I had the biggest deer I'd ever killed,'' Smith said. Scott opted to hunt across the street from the property while Stephen made his way up the beaten tote road roughly a quarter of a mile to his stand. His family owns several hundred acres scattered across the Northern Neck region, but one particular 30-acre plot has always been open to extended family and friends and is hunted often. Hunting for shed antlers can be like searching for a needle in a hay stack, but experienced searchers have ways to narrow down the search. This buck was seen over the past several years on trail cameras, and Amanda and her family havehad a long history with the deer. Around 3:30 p.m. Joshua came upon a spot that had some well-worn deer crossings and he decided to sit for a while. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. No one had been there since January. Score: 155 inches. He did say, however, that scrapes and rubs are abundant in his area, and young bucks are visibly sparring frequently. He thinks the chasing is going to begin in earnest this week or next. The does then turned their attention to the surrounding timber, and Edmonds got her first glance at the buck she had been after. Franz finally killed the deer on an Oct . Learn more in the video above, with Remington's Joel Hodgdon and Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. A hunter in St. Louis County, Missouri, found the B&C world record in 1981. This year's total included 90,242 antlered bucks, 1,113 bucks that had shed their antlers, 11,921 button bucks, and 81,692 does . TenPoint Crossbows Named Best in Archery in Kinseys Dealers Choice Awards, #48: THE BEST TIME TO HUNT BIG BUCKS with Josh Honeycutt | Deer Talk Now Podcast. Sutphin was awestruck for a moment but then quickly fetched his old .50-caliber Knight muzzleloader that he had fortunately sighted in just a week before. The W.A. It wasn't until he noticed that the rack was sticking two feet above the ground that he realized this was the deer he'd had on camera the night before. I ran across the photo of the wide buck on a hunting site, checked another couple of sites and then hit a comment thread on an archery forum. After the 60-day drying period, Norm Parchewsky, Robert Allemand, and Allan Holtvogt, all Boone and Crockett official measurers, scored the buck at 213-1/8 in a ceremony attended by more than 400 people. The buck had a home range of about 40 acres, which he stuck to pretty tightly, and Rodes had him on camera regularly. The measurements were eyepopping. When the smoke cleared the legendary Halifax County buck lay motionless. They were in the woods prior to daylight. Alvey arrived quickly after Joshuas shot. "In 2017, the Mississippi State University Deer Lab asked us to participate in the buck movement study, along with neighbors with property in the Big Black River corridor in Canton, Miss.," Develle says. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. He took a moment to say a prayer and count his blessings, with the warm feeling that his late grandpa was there to share the moment with him as well. Texas. At 7:05 a.m., he watched the buck enter one of his food plots about 90 yards away from his stand and start chasing a doe. Hornady's Seth Swerczek goes in depth about the new cartridge with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Wallace got to his stand and began studying the images. In 2017, the common thread among Virginias top-end non-typical bucks was the unexpected. One huge buck fell to a public-land hunter who had never seen or heard of the deer prior to his hunt. Browning's Rafę Nielsen shares details on the new X-Bolt Pro LR McMillan hunting rifle with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Ruger's popular American bolt-action rifle has been a hit with hunters for years. Alvey waited on the outskirts in case the buck jumped up as Joshua headed into the brush. Year after year Virginias deer hunters harvest some incredible whitetails that are the envy of sportsmen across the continent. Give a Gift ''I just picked up the rifle and tried to find a spot through the thick stuff,'' Smith said. "Hunting with a trad bow is all about the satisfaction of the challenge," he says. Both father and son prefer to use public land because it allows them the freedom to do things their own way. ELD-X Precision Hunter). Settling in around 2 p.m. Haynie used his deer call to perform a sequence of doe bleats followed by some quick buck grunts. Josh Honeycutt. So, to have him now taking my children outdoors, it really means the world to me.". The morning hunt didnt produce. The charges cover violations in October 2014 when Joe Franz was hunting "Palmer," a deer believed to be the biggest whitetail buck ever bagged on video. "The deer were hungry, and I knew they would be coming to acorns.". Key features include muzzle velocities of 2,215-2,400 fps. Sears drew back, settled the pin and took the broadside shot. According to Masoner, it was no ordinary buck for this part of the state. This is the heaviest whitetail deer ever killed. New New New. He put his head down, grabbed a few bites of corn and kept moving. A 430-pound buck is enormous, so even a bit short of that qualifies as a giant deer. 1. He'd be in the woods every day if could, but as it is, whenever he's able to get off work, he hunts. 2 spot in Virginia's all-time records. Michael Ball has been hunting his Ashe County family farm for 22 years, but never in a million years could he have expected what occurred on Nov. 5. The whitetails rack seemed out of place in central West Virginia which made him easily distinguishable from other deer in the area. Unfortunately, he quickly realized he'd forgotten his call in the truck. Josh Honeycutt. Willies official B&C score is 190 3/8, with an inside spread was nearly 20 inches. Ive hunted this piece of property for years and Ive never seen him and its not like he got that wide over the course of one year. Jackson decided to give the deer some time, but as he walked back to his truck, he noticed a white object just off the trail. Brandon Butler. Get tips from Steve Bartylla in this Hunt em Big. Dustin Prievo. Gatlin decided that if he saw the buck, he would take advantage of the encounter. "It is more than just something to do," he continued. "I could hear him running a doe and grunting across the cornfield before shooting light. When the news broke last fall that Clifton Forge's John Feazell had killed a new Virginia state-record non-typical buck with a Pope & Young score of 221 2/8, whitetail . This buck just kind of showed up. Getting to see or harvest a deer is a plus." This 8 1/2-year-old buck killed by Mississippi hunter Justin Develle on Oct. 22, was ear-tagged in 2018 by the Mississippi State University Deer Lab as part of a buck .