On the afternoon of opening day, Beach climbed into his treestand and settled in for his hunt. Anything raised for the purpose of shooting is not eligible by our standards, and this buck would fall under that category. - Big Deer Previous Next Kentucky Giant Buck, 226 Inches! It may not display this or other websites correctly. LIMESTONE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - In November, a Limestone County man illegally killed a 25-point deer on private property. I was just elated with joy. Of course, since the deer was so visible, everyone in the area knew of him and wanted a crack at the giant. Subscriber Services. Congrats on the once-in-a-lifetime hunt, Blake. He had never seen the buck before that day. note the day it was shot, Nov. 11. 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. None of them fully spooked, but they didnt like what they saw, either. It was so bad that my dad would take his sheds off the mantle and hide them if we had company. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. However, that isnt always the case. If we dont hear about it from the public, then we dont know that theres a case to be made, Gray explained. The buck slowly walked into bow range. He just sat there, admiring the deer and soaking in the conclusion of a multi-year hunt. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Browning Ammunition has two big-game hunting loads new for 2023 that are effective on a wide range of species: the Max Point and Silver Series. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. He even started hearing loud music. 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. I could tell that a lot of deer were running through here, he says, noting that the neighbors also allow him to hunt their adjoining land. Its a thick, secluded creek bottom.. Below, you can see the total number of deer harvested by county and by weapon, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's numbers. Deer: Balancing Expectations for Small Properties, Get to Know Your Neighbors for Better Deer Herd Management, Big Buck Profile: Reid Crawford Kansas Buck, Choosing Correct Magnification for Rifle Scope, Big Buck Profile: Troy Metzger's East Illinois Giant. He just disappeared, Settle says. Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries law enforcement officers say this is the biggest deer theyve seen all season. 'I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,' hunter Neal Kirkpatrick said of the 211-inch [gross] whitetail he killed in late September. | But on Sunday morning it was just me and Dad. The next morning Dad called me broken-hearted; he found the deer, but it wasnt Sasquatch. The new Frontier, available in 8x42 and 10x42, has all the range-finding capabilities a hunter needs. But the left side boasted an Social media is abuzz this morning as deer hunters fawn over what might be the new world record whitetail. ELD Match, and 175 gr. I used that to stay in the bucks blind spot. Upon walking up on the deer, Standard raised the buck's head from the soybeans and immediately realized how big it was. But now that I actually have him at home, its crazy. I was going really slowly. That number includes about 12,000 bowhunters who registered 3,000 deer. After finding the buck, a game warden arrived to check everything out. 3,757 likes. The arrow struck true, and the deer ran for cover. Right after he got into the blind, he saw something that stirred [his] curiosity., I was getting situated, he says. He especially didnt expect it to happen during his first year on a new farm. We got there well before daylight to keep from spooking any deer. "I enjoy being in the great outdoors. 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. Although the story didnt end the way Kline had hoped, at least he found closure, and the 233 7/8-inch rack to remember the buck and all the seasons spent chasing it. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. The massive deer laid dead only 50 yards from the property line. I got a little concerned, Kline says. Were trying to get the full story. I got a phone call that evening from Dad telling me he had just shot Sasquatch! Jacob, his brother and father pose proudly with Sasquatch. After our interview with Settle, we were confident that his story was true. After graduating from college, he worked as a freelance journalist for two years before returning to the F&S team full-time in 2021 as the brands News Editor. They state this deer garners more attention than any buck on the premise because it almost looks too big to believe. 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. Fortunately, Kline has permission to hunt a 7-acre parcel that borders the sanctuary. 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. Some were saying 230 or 240 pts. This fall, Lacefield knew hed have to target and tag the buck quicklyhe was running out of chances. To have a deer that big in gun range, and not be able to shoot? Your honesty about the situation is more impressive than this genetic freak's antlers. I stopped a bunch to try to check him out and calm myself down. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. The property hunted wellreally well. There has been a group of does hanging out across from Kroger for a couple years but I figured they had moved on since all the construction started. We loaded him up and took him to the Golden Pond check-in station. Imagine hunting a buck for four years without ever seeing him in person. The big velvet buck ran a few steps, tangled its antlers in a tree, and collapsed. Key features include muzzle velocities of 2,215-2,400 fps. A couple hours later, he and his father recovered the buck 90 yards from where Mattingly had shot the big velvet buck. Only two racks have ever scored higher, and those were both from deer that were found dead in non-hunting situations. Public Land Results. He had never seen an animal quite like this one beforeand neither had the rest of the world. He was still in early velvet, but I could just tell he had a lot going on under all that fuzz., The deer returned to the mineral plot at different parts of the day for nearly six weeks. November 11, 2021 - 3:17 pm. Officers say a deer this big sends red flags flying. "Don't move. It got real intense from 50 to 12 yards, he says. His second shot struck true. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. When the buck walked through an opening, and the younger Deckard shotand missed. That's crazy! CWP collects hunters' voluntary harvest reports, and estimated 84,000 hunters killed 38,000 deer. Dad always says, Hunt harder, go deeper, stay longer and when you want to quit, youre almost there. LBL does offer a three-day rifle quota hunt in November that you must apply for and draw a permit. Give a Gift It ran a ways and crashed into the soybeans. One of the best messages we received was from a local woman saying she may have found three of Sasquatchs sheds while squirrel hunting. Dad tried grunting to stop him, but he was not stopping. I've seen some biggins in the middle of Frankfort. 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. Kline had years of trail camera photos, and a decent idea of how to kill the buck. I looked up at Dad to see what direction he was pointing, but I couldnt see anything with my eyes or with the scope. The bulk of Hermans core area was located on a large tract of land owned by a farmer who doesnt allow hunting. I worked nearly six years at Mossy Oak Productions filming hunts all over the country. Dr. James Kroll and Haynes Shelton explain why it's important to know your neighbors when operating a smaller deer property. I initially didnt believe it, but she sent me a picture and sure enough they were his. We started receiving messages from people all over the country. He hoped the buck might return in camera photos, but he knew in his gut that wasnt likely to happen. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. | This makes for heavy hunting pressure and many deer become nocturnal at an early age. The rifle has five caliber offerings, two barrel choices and three different riser stocks. Hope that's not the case cause I would like to see some better pics of it. On September 15, Blake Keating killed a Kansas buck that would likely dethrone Luke Brewsters whitetail as the biggest in North American history. Then, on August 28, 2020, weeks before the archery season opened, the buck visited Settles property for the last time in a long while. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Ed Arkenau, his son, and their friend Cole had hundreds of trail camera photos of a particular buck in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Brian Butcher shot a deer with massive antlers, but he won't let that give him a big head. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Carnine). (Settle has a medical exemption to use a crossbow during archery season because of a herniated disk in his neck. The raw score of the behemoth buck is 212 inches. Thats the time Id [historically] get the most pictures of him.. Subscriber Services. Hunting July 28, 2021 1 Five Underrated Areas for Kentucky Public Land Deer Hunting by John Stepp Pennyrile State Forest Size: 14,379 acres Location: Christian & Caldwell Counties Total Harvest 2020: 79 Bucks: 56 Does: 23 Terrain: Moderate to Hard; Most hunting areas consists of hills and ridges From seeing him to when I shot him it was a three-minute thrill ride, Huff told MeatEater. That was four years ago. | 4 pointer killed in butler co while hunting with pappy Posted: 11/26/2022. He continued to get trail camera photos in 2019 and 2020, and even had numerous in-person encounters that were foiled by farmers or trespassers. It had a 20-inch inside spread with 24-inch main beams and gross-scored 170. This winter, he found the bucks rack, By Ruger's popular American bolt-action rifle has been a hit with hunters for years. Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller gets more info from Hawke's Paige Shipe at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. DEC Announces 2020-21 Deer Harvest Estimates Hunters in New York Harvested More than 253,000 Deer in 2020-21 . When the buck reached 35 yards, Mattingly released his arrow. In October, the stud disappeared. The fence is broken down right there, and I couldnt see it from where I was.. At SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. When I saw him on the ground, Ive never really acted like that in my adult life, says Settle. Shortly after, some young bucks walked through. That afternoon, he used HuntStand to check the wind and went back to the same stand, feeling optimistic since the buck had walked through there the previous afternoon. ( Photo: Fort Campbell Fish and Wildlife) We then went to the entrance of LBL to get a picture with the Land Between the Lakes sign and Sasquatch. As of March 1, 289 deer and three elk had been killed from the . Hes so much bigger in person. Taylor knew it to be a great staging area before deer head out to feed in the soybeans. The rifle has five caliber offerings, two barrel choices and three different riser stocks. Nathan Simmons of Browning and Game & Fish's John Taranto take a closer look at both cartridges at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. On September 15, Blake Keating killed a Kansas buck that would likely dethrone Luke Brewster's whitetail as the biggest in North American history. Gentry Roof first deer ever. It takes an equal mixture of intelligence and luck for a buck to reach that age, especially on public land. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Geo resource failed to load. Gordon Whittington heads north to his personal Missouri farm for some crossbow action. Features quick-change barrel system. 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. While Kirkpatrick loves to hunt whitetail deer, and chasing giants is part of that, he never imagined hed wrap his tag around a 5-year-old, 200-plus-inch buck this season. Obviously, he wouldnt be drawing a compound bow for a few months. Moments later, the deer he was after walked into the open and followed the same path as the first buck. The big 10-pointer ran 100 yards and crashed. EDITORS NOTE: When the photos of this deer were first sent to us by the hunter, Derek Settle, our immediate gut check was: This is a high-fence deer. You are using an out of date browser. Marlin is back in the game with the re-introduction of the classic 336 and 1894 lever-action hunting rifles. 0:05. Look below you," Moore told him. "This involves stand location, cellular trail cameras, making sure your hunting clothes are as scent-free as possible, not contaminating the area around your stand and, most importantly, always hunting the wind.". On Sept. 4, well before daylight, the Arkenaus eased into an elevated Muddy blind positioned on a wood line. All thanks to the good Lord above.". A cold front passed through, and Taylor expected deer to be on their feet. At least 74 people in Kentucky have died after a weekend tornado outbreak across eight states flattened homes and businesses in the Midwest and South. He only wanted Sasquatch. Later that night, Lacefield recovered the deerhis biggest ever. The buck ran about 50 yards and died in the brush. He remembers it as a bittersweet moment: Hed finally tagged the buck, but now the hunt was over. When he stood up, he had nothing but his rump facing me. Legendary Whitetails has it on display. Biggest bucks Ive ever seen were in the middle of Louisville. Of the elk harvested, 21,000 were bulls. Moments later, Clark squeezed the trigger on his 7mm Magnum rifle, and the biggest buck taken in North Carolina during the 2021-22 season was on the ground. We are still blown away that we killed Sasquatch. Hoping to hunt the buck on the opener, he decided to set his stand on the edge of some woods that sat high on a little knob. An intensive, four-year pursuit of an elusive buck dubbed "Sasquatch" at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) ended in celebratory tears, hugs, and shared joy between father and son. LBL is also home to a wide variety of recreational activities. I have a video of it after it was hit and it looks to be moving good but there's other pics of it dead but the pics still are blurry. My dad and Jason talked daily about Sasquatch, diving into different topo maps, aerial views and theories of what the deer might do next. Travis Gray says if we dont know about it, we cant investigate it. Warren County, Mississippi Turns out the area around Vicksburg, Mississippi, is more than just an attraction for Civil War history buffs. He even had surgery on his wrist. He went to the point of impact and found bright red, bubbly blood. Mike Clerkin heads to the legendary Buffalo County, Wisconsin, in search of early season whitetail action. The buck was bedded down. "My heart started pounding," Reed said. Skis are easily the most efficient way to cover snowy ground on foot in winter. Settle, 41, grew up in the Bluegrass State and is a long-time local of Henderson County. I never told a soul about him. This was a great accomplishment considering how many other people hunt sheds in LBL. Word got out fast, and we had people calling and wanting to come see the deer. Kirkpatrick immediately called his friends: Chase Geary, who shot a 167 4/8-inch deer earlier in the season; Nick Huff, who's shot plenty of mature deer; and Jake Peveler, someone who knew the land well. The internet celebrity, who is a member of Officials say that increasing the moose harvest is Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. 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. Buy License; Hunt; Wildlife; Fish; Boat; Education; Law . East ky. Strutter said: This buck was killed yesterday in Richmond in front of Krogers. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Then he started pulling those long legs out from under him to stand up. Im sad that he died and wasnt killed by someone, but I am glad to have him., Read Next: An Elevated Shed Hunting Experience. I thank God that I got to experience the hunt with my dad and to celebrate it with my wonderful family. In the video above, Leopold's Shawn Skipper highlights the features of the exciting new optics with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. That's the second big deer killed in that area, we're they are doing construction across from kroger,. We hunted the area every chance we could, trying not to bump him. When hunting season came around, we never got another picture of him. All Rights Reserved. Oklahoma's bow hunters have killed some big bucks already this young archery season, but perhaps the most impressive so far has been Johnny Maxwell's 28-point whitetail from Stephens County. Wish someone had some better pics. But to put something like that in our record books would skew the data.. If he had hadnt broken a couple kickers and tines, he would have gone over 200. This big buck had historically spent the early and late seasons on the Arkenaus property, and spent the rut elsewhere. Ultimately, Jacob scored with a rifle during a quota hunt in November. Kansas bowhunter Brian Butcher couldnt believe his eyes when a monster whitetail snuck into sight in the eastern part of the state on October 10, 2019. He says it was one of the most intense moments of his life. Dad ran to me and we hugged and thanked God again for an unforgettable hunt that we got to experience together. A total of 159,962 deer were harvested. His window was narrow, too: Shortly after shedding its velvet, the buck always departed Lacefields hunting grounds. Enter the 2019 season. My dad, Luke, family friend Jason Divita and I covered miles almost every day, and we found one of his sheds in late January. We spent a lot of time out in the woods together growing up. How Many Whitetail Bucks Do Hunters Kill Across America. 1 Pope and Young Bucks Before They Were Beat, Illinois Hunter Sprints to Close the Distance On 21-point Bedded Buck, How to Find Big Buck Sanctuaries in the Spring. In this edition of "From The Stand," Pat Hogan explains the importance of being aware of proper clearance when using your bow or crossbow out in the field. So, with Herman missing in action for numerous days, Kline transitioned his attention the other buck. We looked for his sheds and never found those either. Harvest Comparison by Year. I looked around a little bit and something caught my eye. But once in the area, he found the buck within minutes. Ken Vitale with Buck Knives chats with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller about two new hunting knives for 2023the purpose-built Alpha and PakLite series. However, when Keating found a small hole in the bucks left ear, the illusion of this being a free-range deer started to disappear. What is the most dangerous animal in Kentucky? Land Between the Lakes (LBL) is a 170,000-acre peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, with 110,000 of those acres being in Kentucky. Hunting season started and we still received random pictures of him, but we never had an actual sighting. I was so mad about last year, Kline says. Tag already filled; Kline couldnt help but wonder what had happened to Herman. I felt like my dad was with me like an angel on my shoulder, he says. His rack was just the icing on the cakeitll never happen again to me.. He taught me all the rights and wrongs, dos and donts, and how to be safe in the field, Settle says. I couldn't control myself.". Which begs the question: Why arent more bird hunters using them? Logan Beach arrowed this 162-inch giant in Logan County, Kentucky. By mid-October he was gone again, so we started scouting the area with cameras trying to find him. The timber dropped off into a drainage about 60 yards away.