They waited a few hours before blood trailing and didn't find any blood or the arrow within the first 15 minutes of the search. I immediately had my gun up and the safety off. Joe Lacefield accomplished both simultaneously. The bulk of Hermans core area was located on a large tract of land owned by a farmer who doesnt allow hunting. The problem? Jason Kline has spent much of his life chasing whitetail deer. I never told a soul about him. When bow season rolled around, we seldom got pictures of Sasquatch; and when we did, they were never during daylight. To be so close, and to not be able to pull the trigger, that was difficult to deal with.. Check out these 10 monster bucks that were taken throughout the country. If he had hadnt broken a couple kickers and tines, he would have gone over 200. It takes an equal mixture of intelligence and luck for a buck to reach that age, especially on public land. Available in 180- and 200-grain sizes. All of those four are among the top 15 in the state in their respective category. Geo resource failed to load. I owe a lot of this to him., Read Next: Utah Hunter Arrows Insane Opening Day Mule Deer. Ryan Mattingly spends a lot of time chasing whitetails. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. How Many Whitetail Bucks Do Hunters Kill Across America. On September 15, Blake Keating killed a Kansas buck that would likely dethrone Luke Brewsters whitetail as the biggest in North American history. Deciding on a particular area, he settled into the stand on a 50-acre soybean field surrounded by woods, with a food plot located between the crops and timber. I thank God that I got to experience the hunt with my dad and to celebrate it with my wonderful family. East ky. Strutter said: This buck was killed yesterday in Richmond in front of Krogers. Copyright 2019 WAFF. Buckmasters Whitetail Trophy Records (BTR) scorer Hunter Schmittou measured the beast of a buck and gave Huffman the final tally. All Rights Reserved. Eastons first deer 2021 Posted: 3/19/2022. Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller gets more info from Hawke's Paige Shipe at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. I used that to stay in the bucks blind spot. "I still can't believe that I was blessed enough to harvest this mature buck," Reed continued. In the above video, NWTF's Jason Burckhalter talks about the group's accomplishments and future plans with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Saskatchewan Hunter Finds Target Sheds After Looking for Multiple Days, Iowa Bowhunter Goes Stealth Mode with a Tree Saddle to Bag 194-inch Non-typical, Nebraska Shed Hunter's Wife and Dog Find 6x9 Set One Year After Learning About the Buck, Dr. November 11, 2021 - 3:17 pm. This buck was killed yesterday in Richmond in front of Krogers. Each year the buck packed on more antler growth, but Lacefield couldnt get within range for a shot. Kirkpatrick scrambled to get ready for deer season. But the buck took a full step to the right. During the five-year hunt for the buck, Jacobs father always said that they would take a picture in front of this sign if they killed Sasquatch. Spot and range targets without wasting valuable seconds switching between gear with Luepold's new rangefinder binocular, the BX-4 Range HD. Updated: 8:51 PM EST November 17, 2021 DECATUR COUNTY, Ind. Around 5:30 p.m., he decided to call his friend, Kyle Moore, to see if he wanted to come sit the remainder of the evening with him. I didnt even know how to act. 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. Enter the 2019 season. Jason Kline has spent much of his life chasing whitetail deer. On Sunday, January 24, he eased into the property. He shared the good news with them, and then met them at his house nearby. On Sept. 4, well before daylight, the Arkenaus eased into an elevated Muddy blind positioned on a wood line. There are some giants out there especially the 300" deer at the end of this video. 1:07. "It came out into the soybeans broadside at 20 yards right in front of me," Standard said. He pulled out his phone to try to take a quick video of the deer, but then a squirrel started barking at him. I took my backpack off, got a drink of Coke, and just settled in. Gov. The deer frequented a food plot theyd planted specifically for him, and his movements became very predictable. So while Keatings buck wont be immortalized in North Americas big game books, it will give him a freezer full of red meat and a trophy on the wall hell never forget. Give a Gift It was broadside and slightly quartering away from Settle. - Big Deer Previous Next Kentucky Giant Buck, 226 Inches! We continued to run cameras to prepare for the quota hunt. They state this deer garners more attention than any buck on the premise because it almost looks too big to believe. On our way back to the truck one day, we came across a scrape at the bottom of a really steep drainage. Figuring the deer was around 8 years old in the fall of 2020, Kline had been hunting Herman since he was 4 or 5. For Release: Friday, April 23, 2021. I rarely hunt with a firearm.". Gordon Whittington talks with 13-year-old Troy Metzger about the 2016 hunt that landed the young man a monster non-typical buck on this edition of Big Buck Profile. Then he retrieved his gear from the blind returned home to pick up his 16- and 18-year-old boys, who Settle calls his little tracking dogs. They went back to look for the buck. According to Keating, the 50-point buck was not killed inside of a high fence. "I had never taken a buck with my bow before and was strongly considering taking this shot. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. "I was doing everything I could on short notice with food plots, cameras and cleaning up stands," Kirkpatrick said. He had a few stands throughout the farm. Within 10 seconds we saw Sasquatch running wide open in our direction. Total Harvest Results. It all happened within three minutes. He climbed down to look for blood and his arrow but couldnt find any sign that the buck had been hit. In October, the stud disappeared. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. On Saturday, Dad and Luke hunted together with me and Jason in other trees within the same area. He even started hearing loud music. "It was emotional because this was [my girlfriend's] uncle's old stand. Here are a handful of the best velvet bucks to come out of Kentuckys 2021 bowseason. In this edition of "Big Buck Profile," Gordon Whittington talks with young whitetail hunter Reid Crawford about his trophy buck taken in 2017. Utah Hunter Arrows Insane Opening Day Mule Deer. "You must take the time to do all the preseason scouting," Reed said. Eric Lundgren of Ruger, which now owns Marlin, highlights the features of both rifles with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. He asked where I wanted to hunt, and I told him the same place as yesterday, because I had a good feeling about that spot. Each photo should be accompanied by the county, date, and approximate time of kill. CX Outfitter, 180 gr. I had an incredible year in 2021, from my dad and I taking trophy-class mule deer on a DIY public land hunt in Wyoming, to killing a buck of a lifetime near home. Kline hunts Sandusky County, Ohio, which is located in the northwestern region of the state. It was a wise decision, because soon he noticed deer started moving. 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. We had kept Sasquatch a secret from almost everyone; even our closest friends had no idea we were hunting this buck. We thank God for giving us the perseverance and dedication to always press on no matter how frustrating it got. | Much to his surprise, the deer returned this summer. It had a 20-inch inside spread with 24-inch main beams and gross-scored 170. In January we got one picture of him, nearly two miles from where wed found his previous years sheds. We told them to grab all his sheds off the mantle and meet us in LBL to drag him out. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Carnine) I looked up at Dad and with tears in our eyes we went crazy, and we said a prayer thanking God for this opportunity. Later that night, Lacefield recovered the deerhis biggest ever. Hes killed his fair share of good ones, but theres only ever been one Herman, which is the monster buck he focused on for the past five seasons. LIMESTONE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - In November, a Limestone County man illegally killed a 25-point deer on private property. Guner Womack, a teen out of Oklahoma, arrowed this incredible 88 buck last night while hunting over a wheat field. We finally found the other side in mid-March. I debated. The buck ran about 50 yards and died in the brush. Were not opposed to that hunter shooting that deerwed actually encourage hunters to remove the buck in those situations. Most of those acres are open hardwoods, with many hills, hollows and some crop fields scattered around. "I don't believe I will harvest another one this size," Kirkpatrick said. KENTON CO., Ky. (FOX19) - An illegal killing of a trophy deer in early November has led to a hunter's arrest for wildlife-related charges and drug charges. Harvest Results by Region. Story is that someone cut it;s head off and left before the F&W guys arrived. Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. Moore got there about 5:45 p.m. in knee-high boots, basketball shorts and a camo top. #1 - Wisconsin Wisconsin is the #1 ranked state with 1,822 total entries and six counties in the top 20 U.S. counties with the most records produced. Fortunately for Kirkpatrick, a cold front had recently passed through, spurring deer movement. It was seen last year in the area as well. Aug 20, 2007. The illegal killing of a trophy deer in Northern Kentucky led to the arrest of a hunter, Kentucky officials said. With a 31-inch spread, many who see this deer will claim it's the biggest deer they've ever seen. It was amazing to have this experience with my family; it was a day I will never forget. Officers say a deer this big sends red flags flying. After the mandatory drying period, the rack scored an incredible 312-0/8. Many deer end up bedding on the end of big ridges, which are everywhere, and this makes it difficult to pattern them. The giant buck hit and killed by a vehicle at Fort Campbell, located in western Kentucky, on July 27 was still putting on bone as evidence by these huge antlers covered in velvet. The National Wild Turkey Federation's mission to conserve wild turkey and preserve hunting heritage is still going strong after a half-century. Jason Kline shows off the beast that he hunted for nearly a decade. Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. When hunting season came around, we never got another picture of him. I was able to get a perfect shot within a few seconds.". The next morning, Sept. 4, brought cool weather and light southerly winds. Skis are easily the most efficient way to cover snowy ground on foot in winter. Settle says the. We found one side, and it was a mile and a half from the trail camera picture. About 15 minutes before dark, the deer appeared yet again, walking toward Deckards stand for a third time. This man pleaded guilty to hunting without permission and hunting by aid of bait, which are both class C misdemeanors. In the above video, NWTF's Jason Burckhalter talks about the group's accomplishments and future plans with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. City deer are a different breed. He had never seen an animal quite like this one beforeand neither had the rest of the world. 2022 modern gun Posted: . ), It took me a long time to get over to the deer, he says. That's the second big deer killed in that area, we're they are doing construction across from kroger,. In rare cases, wild whitetails can live for 20 years or more. It ran a ways and crashed into the soybeans. By mid-October, he was gone. LaRue's Ethan Alexander talks about the Siete's features with Game & Fish's Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. However, his obsession and hard work were ultimately what put us on Sasquatch. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. His broadhead zipped through the vitals, and the buck took off. We knew Sasquatch was big, but to have our hands on his rack was a completely different story. There are very few thickets, which makes it challenging to figure out where deer bed. The next time he looked over his shoulder, he spotted the big deer walking toward him. That number includes about 12,000 bowhunters who registered 3,000 deer. He quickly recognized the big typical, and watched as it walked all the way to within 15 yards. Settle steadied the bow. "I never thought in a million years I would shoot a deer that big," said Zach Meadows, who shot the buck with his bow on Nov. 3 in Logan County. Published Sep 15, 2021 6:00 PM EDT. 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. AL man illegally kills record-setting buck. Its a natural corridor. CNN . Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. In December of 2019, it happened while Kline was there. You can scout and hunt hard and not see a deer for days. By Chris Lawrence. He would make a great first buck with my bow.". 10 Amazing Photos of a Buck Shedding Velvet, How to Tag a Velvet Whitetail Buck (and the Best States to Make It Happen). Keith Srakocic AP. The large soybean field was surrounded by hardwoods, and he was hunting on a peninsula of timber that protruded out into the field. By last summer the giant buck had grown an even more impressive rack. Kentucky produces some fine bucks year after year. But almost immediately, skeptical hunters started asking what everyone was thinking: Was it a high fence deer?. Robert Koch, 58, faces multiple charges after he was accused of lying about. My dad had been marking every scrape, rub, trail, shed and trail camera picture using the Hunt Stand app, so he transferred all that info to the topo map to hopefully figure this deer out. Right after he got into the blind, he saw something that stirred [his] curiosity., I was getting situated, he says. June 28th, 2013 | Big Deer Stories, BigDeer | 2 Comments Dustin Finley tells me his dad, Larry, killed this deer in Pendleton Co, KY on 11-11-12; they measured him at 226 7/8. What is the Most Important Factor in Whitetail Nutrition? ELD-X Precision Hunter). Then, the big deer came back out, now concealed by a bunch of weeds. solo hunt on his property, By "It became a yearly tradition for me," he said. Needless to say, LBL is not for the faint of heart. Six weeks before the opener, he fell from a 12-foot ladder stand, and broke or fractured his wrists, ribs, and ankles. The sighting wasnt far from where we had some trail camera pictures of the giant, so we decided this was where we would go for the quota hunt. He decided crossbowhunting was the only option to hunt this giant deer this fall. After seeing those few trail camera pictures of him, we became obsessed with finding Sasquatchs sheds. We began looking for sheds daily again, grid searching the 3000-plus acres. Dad ran to me and we hugged and thanked God again for an unforgettable hunt that we got to experience together. 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From seeing him to when I shot him it was a three-minute thrill ride, Huff told MeatEater. KY.gov. Haynes Shelton discusses what to look for when choosing the magnification range when it comes to the scope on your deer rifle. We got there well before daylight to keep from spooking any deer. It had run about 70 yards from where it was shot before it hit the dirt. It had 5-inch bases and carried between 5 inches and 4. All North American Whitetail subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This was a great accomplishment considering how many other people hunt sheds in LBL. JavaScript is disabled. I stopped a bunch to try to check him out and calm myself down. Published Jan 27, 2021 8:50 PM EST. The genetic potential is there, the nutrition is there, and hunters have been practicing Quality Deer Management. 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. He drew back, anchored, settled the pin and took the 42-yard shot. Key features include muzzle velocities of 2,215-2,400 fps. Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries law enforcement officers say this is the biggest deer theyve seen all season. GILBERT, W.Va . "I was very excited about opening day," Standard said. Just $1 per month , Jason Kline spent years chasing a giant non-typical buck he had named Herman. Conservation law enforcement officer Sgt. They use the clearing to get back and forth between the ag-fields and the hardwoods., Settle got to work setting up mineral and food plots and installing several permanent stands. "As soon as I made the shot, we heard the thud and the deer took off into the beans," he said. I just kind of put him in the back of my mind. All the congrats to the hunter on taking that buck, but from our record book standpoint, its not an eligible deer, Spring said in an interview with MeatEater. I dropped the phone and steadied my bow. That isnt the area of Ohio thats best known for big deerthe southern third of the state is more often recognized as monster buck countrybut dont tell that to Kline who recently picked up Hermans 233 7/8-inch rack. I wasnt really getting many pictures of him, though, and my only good chance to kill this deer was during the rut, Kline says. With lessons learned from past seasons, Beach was excited when a familiar buck started showing up on his trail camera this summer. I hate to see a great one taken out by a car. Though Settle didnt post the buck on social media, he immediately sent the photos of his trophy to his stepdad. The hunt started off slowly, and Kirkpatrick didn't see a deer for the first several hours on stand. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. The sun came up and we finally saw a deer around 7:00 a.m. Three does passed through, and then I heard Dad say, Big buck, big buck.. Afterward, Reed's father and brother-in-law helped him recover the buck and get it out of the field. He shot nice bucks each of the past three seasons, including a nice 13-pointer last year. Why don't you come out and sit the rest of the hunt with me?". It got real intense from 50 to 12 yards, he says. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation area is about 20 minutes from our hometown of Benton, Kentucky. Currently, I'm filming for Kentucky Afield TV and have been since 2016. I was just elated with joy. Subscriber Services. Casey Reed had photos of one particular buck on his farm from the past three seasons, and this year he hoped to tag the 5 -year-old giant. Give a Gift Another field and drain stretched out behind him. This big buck had historically spent the early and late seasons on the Arkenaus property, and spent the rut elsewhere. In the beginning, the deer was mostly typical, but that changed with time. Sasquatch continued to pass by our trail cameras until he lost his velvet, and then he disappeared. "As I walked to my stand, I used my rangefinder to range my tree at 50, 40, 30, and 20 yards. In fact, the closest game farm is nearly 10 miles away from where he arrowed the whitetail. We finally got a picture of him, and he blew up that year into a 180-inch 15-point. While checking one of the cameras, Dad saw a mature deer cross a saddle. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Hell of a buck. That includes the Missouri Monarch and the Hole in the Horn Buck. I couldnt tell if he was on my side of the property line or the neighbors. "I killed him at five paces," he said, from a portable stand about 25 feet high in a tree. That was, until the 2021 Kentucky deer quota hunt at LBL. That got that bucks attention, recalls Settle. I mean, these guys are so tricky and sneaky.. My dad, Luke, family friend Jason Divita and I covered miles almost every day, and we found one of his sheds in late January. Word got out fast, and we had people calling and wanting to come see the deer. Lacefield slowly drew back. Biggest bucks Ive ever seen were in the middle of Louisville. So, just from knowing the property, I thought that there would be one particular place where a big deer might go to die. A food plot and lots of edge habitat stretched out in front of them. Northwestern Ohio has blocks of fields and woods, Kline says. It was showing up regularly and seemed very huntable. The NWTF is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Give a Gift His elusiveness led to us joking about him even being real, which is where he got the name Sasquatch. CWP collects hunters' voluntary harvest reports, and estimated 84,000 hunters killed 38,000 deer. The buck was spending most of his time on 20 of their 200-plus acres. This amazing story chronicles the life of a giant whitetail deer Don named "Mel" after Mel Johnson's world record typical whitetail deer.