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Brewster Buck got bigger??!!
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We’ve all seen ground shrinkage at some point but — you ever heard of a scored deer get BIGGER as it goes through the process?? Especially one that’s already HUGE??!
Lol okay — NA Whitetail has the lowdown:
> At a panel-confirmed 327 7/8 net inches of score, the monster IL non-typical Luke Brewster shot with his compound bow last fall is now officially the world’s biggest buck in the long history of free-range whitetail hunting.
> On Jan 5 Luke’s trophy had been officially measured by Tim Walmsley at 320 5/8 net, but the P&Y panel found another 7 2/8 inches of length in the rack’s massive array of abnormal points.
> Luke’s buck now will rank #3 all time in B&C, whose records include trophies taken not just by hunting but also found dead.
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13-yr-old gets a 190-class velvet giant!
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How ’bout that! Whitetail DNA tells how ND’s Jace L arrowed this beauty IN FULL VELVET!! Guys go their whole lives without sticking a 190 OR a velvet buck, and Jace got both with one deer — props! Here’s the hunt in his own words:
> The first time I knew of this buck was 3 years ago. We had 2 pictures of this beautiful buck. It was only my 2nd year hunting and I was hoping to get him.
> We kept hunting the rest of the season and never got him. I ended up shooting a 140″ buck about a mile away. [Tough settling for that lol!]
Next season:
> I looked up and I saw a big-bodied deer at the same branch as last year. I said, “Dad, look!” He looked at the deer and said it was him. I couldn’t believe it.
> He took a few steps out from under the branch and I told my dad I wanted to take the shot. It was further than I typically shoot, but I had been practicing a lot, was shooting really accurately and knew I could do it. [Love it!]
> We followed the blood for about 50 yards before my dad spotted him. I looked up and he was lying there dead. I ran over and looked at him. He looked HUGE compared to the pictures. He was in velvet and in perfect condition.
A family friend scored the buck at 194 3/8 — simply amazing. Way to go Jace!
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Guy froze trophy buck for a year, then tried to check it in.
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Well, guess that didn’t work. Here’s the IN buck, all 20 non-typical points and 200 inches of it:
Some of the story (from here):
> Mark Gill, 56, harvested [that buck] during the 2016 season after he had already taken a buck earlier in the season, the DNR says.
> Gill froze the buck until the 2017 season, and then checked it in with the state to make it appear that he killed the buck during the 2017 season, Haywood said.
> As part of a plea agreement…Gill’s hunting license will be suspended for 2 years, he will serve 100 hours of community service, serve 540 days of probation and pay $741 in fines.
The state also confiscated that sweet mount….
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Will wolves change deer hunting in WA?
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We realize that every state doesn’t have wolves, but it’s interesting — wonder what else could change whitetail behavior. Here’s some details, from this post:
> Whitetail deer are more comfortable running from wolves [than mulies] and sometimes moved to even flatter ground, where they could better see wolves coming from all directions.
> All of this could, over time, have an effect on the plants deer graze on. Whitetail deer could concentrate their grazing in the flat areas.
> …when wolves are present, mule deer will move to higher elevations and steeper slopes to avoid the predators.
And for hunters:
> Deer movements could also mean hunters have to change their tactics…. “Maybe those old hunting spots aren’t going to be as good anymore….”
> For whitetail deer, researchers found they might move closer to roads. That would make hunting opportunities for whitetail deer more abundant.
Apparently wolves can turn people into these kind of hunters too? (Baltimore Sun shot)
#nutcase
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Don’t freak out over CWD.
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With all the talk about zombies and CWD being transferred to humans, Realtree.com put up a helpful post to keep everyone rational:
> Should people allow CWD to scare them away from deer hunting? Absolutely not. Should those same people ignore CWD and carelessly handle CWD-positive deer? No again. The right answer — continue to enjoy deer hunting but handle carcasses with care.
Which means:
> “The CWD Alliance recommends wearing rubber gloves when field dressing deer and minimizing the use of a bone saw to cut through the brain or spinal cord (backbone). Bone out the meat. Minimize contact with and do not consume brain or spinal cord tissues, eyes, spleen or lymph nodes. Always wash hands thoroughly….”
> So far…there isn’t any firm data that shows a human has (or can) contract CWD from cervids (deer, elk, etc.).
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Gear of the Week
If you’re not familiar with Christensen rifles, maybe you should be. They’re American-made and check all the boxes of what a dependable tack-driver should be. Here’s what Outside Magazine said about ’em — and that’s not a place you typically see gun reviews:
> You get a carbon-fiber barrel attached to a machined-from-billet stainless steel action, which is connected to a carbon composite stock with Invar pillars. There’s also an adjustable trigger, a radial muzzle brake, and a Limbsaver recoil pad. Any one of those features would typically be affixed to a rifle with a much higher price tag [the Ridgeline is $1,995].
> Christensen has a background in manufacturing composites for the aerospace and medical industries…precise tolerances and consistent quality….
> The company developed the first carbon-fiber rifle barrel in the mid 1990s…. That material actually wraps around a very thin stainless steel inner barrel, adding strength and shedding heat. So you get a very burly barrel for the weight of a very light one.
> Carbon doesn’t retain heat in the same way steel does, so this barrel seems to cool faster than a traditional one.
> Invar is an aerospace alloy that has virtually no heat deformation, so the barrel’s relationship to the stock remains consistent regardless of temperature.
> Chambered in this extremely powerful caliber [.300 Win Mag], the Ridgeline makes a very loud noise, but produces very little felt recoil. That was the first surprise when I initially took the rifle to the range to sight it in. The second was that with it, I was shooting sub-1-inch from the very first shots.
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Tip of the Week
Why you want to scout in the SPRING.
Besides having fun:
> If you place your stands in the spring, the deer will not be spooked during the season. They will have gotten used to the stand being there. If you wait until a week before the season to put up your stand, the deer will note that things are different, and this unusual “thing” is now present. This may very well spook them. [From biggamelogic.com] > …it is the best time to clear shooting lanes. It’s no big secret that passing deer quickly notice even a small change to the area, not to mention the possibility it could spook a trophy buck. Removing limbs months in advance will provide plenty of time for the area to calm down, and allow it to look normal by the time the hunting begins. [From havalon.com] > Deer…trails are easy to see in the spring, and look like well-worn highways. Yet as soon as the leaves pop out and grasses grow, the trails practically disappear. So get out there as soon as practically possible, You can learn a ton about deer and moose movement by following and mapping out trails. The trails will often be located between main feeding and bedding areas. Trails that intersect can also be good places to set up tree stands or ground blinds. [From northernontario.travel]
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What’s the DB and who does it??
The Deer Blaster is a year-round weekly roundup of the best, worst and funniest stuff in deer hunting — put together by a couple diehard deer nuts. Let us know what we can do better and thanks for readin’!
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Sign up another deer nut!
If you’re forwarding the Deer Blaster to other deer crackheads, tx much — or you can email us the addys and we’ll take care of it! We’ll never send spam, sell the list or anything else crazy….
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