If Adams County kept a record book of the largest bucks taken in the county, it would look something like this with Richmond’s deer easily making the list. And I was like, ‘Oh, just the doe.’, About 20 seconds later, a big buck came out of nowhere. He was just following that doe,” Churchill said. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their... This is the heaviest whitetail deer ever killed. Little did Horace know as he struck off that morning that he was about to embark on a whitetail record that would stand for forty-three years. They were just standing there and they looked like they could hear something,” he said. When Kale Churchill was a young boy, he went hunting with his grandfather, but he says those trips afield were largely nature hikes. The biggest bodied deer I’ve ever shot." Two articles of hunter orange clothing are required during deer season by Maine law. I can visually see him in the recesses of my mind, and perhaps this buck will become – the buck of my dreams. Vacations were out of the question, especially to go deer hunting. They filled no tags while pursuing deer and turkeys, but had a fun time anyway. Why Maine Whitetail Deer Are So BIG! – Top non-typical (with crossbow) John Schmucker (2006) –score 295-7/8 Boone & Crockett – Top non-typical (with compound bow) Corey Richmond (2020) –score 224-3/8 Buckmasters And Churchill said he was especially grateful to have been led back into hunting by Lee and St. Louis. Quickly realizing the two deer lying before them were more than they could handle, the couple started back to retrieve help. Keep up the great reading. So, too, were the bear, moose and wild turkey he shot earlier in 2020. Big Woods Tips. Despite having seen a trail cam photo of the deer, Churchill said he wasn’t prepared to see the rack up close. The area is located on the western side of Fletcher Mountain. 04493. Horace R. Hinckley did what no other hunter has been able to match since, by shooting the heaviest whitetail buck on record within the state of Maine. 4) Iowa: Deer population around 400,000. Updated Nov 18, 2020; Posted Nov 18, 2020 . A cloud of doubt now hung because of the unsuspecting discrepancy to the original weight. The Berniers’ goal is to catch up to this behemoth and end his career by the only fitting way we know – a projectile fired from a Bernier-held rifle. We’d had very warm weather and this buck just would … I read his writings with much pleasure for decades while he was with the BDN and later with the Journal. Most adult bucks, however will range from 200 to 300 pounds live weight and will stand 36 to 40" at the shoulder. The deer wasn’t scored until 1955, but once it was, it shot to the top of the typical list, with a net score of 198-2/8—still the largest typical ever killed in New York. ", "I enjoyed reading Ms. AuClair’s article on Mount Katahdin. In fact, Hinckley’s buck places second in all of North America, only to a Minnesota buck shot in 1926 by Carl Lenandor. No sooner had that thought passed when the buck of any hunter’s dream was sneaking directly towards Horace. By the time your eyes light upon November’s column, this buck hunter will have already buried himself deep into the wilderness of Maine. Submit Your Photo Horace R. Hinckley did what no other hunter has been able to match since, by shooting the heaviest whitetail buck on record within the state of Maine. Back in 1966, a young potato farmer downed one of the most famous bucks ever shot in northern Maine. It was three days before a scale large enough to handle a buck of this proportion could be found. When the animal finally reached the freezer plant the next day, it weighed almost 100 pounds less. I love your publication and read it from cover to cover. The tagging station was busy Saturday morning as newly shot deer were coming in back to back on the first day of firearm deer hunting season for Mainers. “I learned later — because they pulled a tooth to get the age of the bull — that he was 4-1/2-years old,” Damon said. by John Holyoke November 10, 2020 This 193-pound deer still had some velvet hanging from its abnormal rack of antlers when Kale Churchill of Orono shot it … No sooner had that thought passed when the buck of any hunter’s dream was sneaking directly towards Horace. 2) Oklahoma: Deer population around 500,000. Thanks very much. Hopefully, an oversized set of tracks will be laid out before me yearning to be followed. “That was the last time he hunted — until this year. That would be a shade over 300 on the hoof, and that is a very, very big deer. Why January is the Best Month for Deer Scouting January 26, 2021 10 Tips for Training a Squirrel Dog January 19, 2021 When a LifeLine Saved a Life January 15, 2021 The Benelli Super Black Eagle: One of History's Great Duck Guns January 10, 2021 Three Giant Bucks in One Incredible Season December 29, 2020 More by John Holyoke. It was a a 17-yard shot. One such buck in Maine’s rich deer-hunting history met and surpassed even the wildest dreams of a 59-year-old hunter back in 1955. The deer weighed 193 pounds, field dressed, and had a rack that had either nine or 11 points, depending on whether the two front tines, which curl down toward the ground, are counted. Then, the doe and fawn returned. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Philip’s wife had shot a spike horn, and during the dragging process to get her buck out, a big 200-pound plus ten pointer materialized. The hunt started as many Maine northwoods deer hunts often do—a long drive, a light rain falling on the roof of the camp which turns to snow overnight. “They have been really kind and generous teachers and I’ve learned a lot from them, they’ve encouraged me, supported me and really made this year possible for me.”. The buck was a familiar one — Lee had captured a trail camera photo of it on Oct. 28, and Churchill, Lee and St. Louis had taken to calling it “Big Buck.” When Big Buck arrived, it was not interested in Churchill at all. After the 60-day drying period, the (Canadian) moose rack was measured by Boone & Crockett scorer Harvey Libby of Gorham, Maine. The velvet nourishes the antlers, but the deer typically scrapes it off before November’s hunting season arrives. In fact, the massive deer still is the highest-scoring typical in … Each fall, the annual gathering of the red coats brings on a renewed enthusiasm and expectation. • A whitetail’s home range is about 1 square mile. At the end of this two track, the Hinckleys made their way up through a winter beech valley encompassed on both sides by rising mountainous terrain. It didn’t take long for him to have some company near his stand. Nathan Bieber, the deer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, looked at a photo of the deer and offered his thoughts on antler growth, velvet and what could have caused the downturned tines. Its message is correct and clear to those who hunt, have grown up with guns in our homes, know our laws, and respect our heritage. “When I walked up to that deer, I was like, ‘Oh, my god,’ and I just kind of was in shock,” he said. Whitetailed Doe (Firearms): 185 lbs., field dressed, Luke Arsenault, Lisbon Falls, ME, 11/1/92, Seboomook Township. Instead of easing the burden, Ralph only added to it with the third Hinckley buck. While talking it over, a jeep approached. Box 195, That year of hunting culminated on Friday — the day before his 23rd birthday — when he bagged a buck with a monstrous rack while hunting in Milford. Subscribe to Maine's premier hunting, fishing & outdoor magazine. Approaching the kill site with Ralph to help in the dragging chores, a six pointer was jumped and taken by Horace’s brother with one quick shot. The story should end here once Horace’s mammoth buck was laboriously hauled out, but it doesn’t. There are very few areas in the world that contain more 200 pound-plus bucks per square mile than the North Woods of Maine… For more hunting stories, be sure to subscribe to our deer hunting magazine, The Northwoods Sporting Journal. “So I was just watching them very closely. John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. “That’s my biggest yet. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I got the Big Buck.’ I would have been happy to get a little spikehorn.”. His passing leaves a void in many of our lives, both personally and professionally. MassWildlife biologists estimate that there are over 100,000 deer statewide. December 13, 2020 | From Rack Reports . Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Walmart violated law when it refused to give Skowhegan worker a set schedule, lawsuit says, Bangor’s new Korean restaurant will showcase local dad's home cooking, 7 pandemic changes in Maine that are likely to stick around, Plan to fund work at former Maine Air Force bases gets OK, Maine regulator says grid faces 'very difficult transition' with shift to renewables, Deer gives coyote the slip in this trail camera video, 130 more coronavirus cases have been reported across Maine, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. One such buck in Maine’s rich deer-hunting history met and surpassed even the wildest dreams of a 59-year-old hunter back in 1955. The 21-point buck is believed to be one of the three biggest bucks shot in the entire Northeast region, which includes 11 states, and will definitely find a spot high in the record book. Due to the length of hanging time and the amount of trimming Horace had to perform since shooting his now famous deer, it was determined that shrinkage could easily have diminished the weight of the buck. The trade-off being the deer population in the Northwoods is lower. Churchill said he could hear a neighbor doing some outdoor work, and could hear a dog barking. He was chasing her like full speed and he was all riled up,” Churchill said. It was calculated that Hinckley’s buck had an approximate live weight of 488 pounds. Due to the lack of fresh deer sign, they stopped to ponder their next move. 5 of the Biggest Bucks Ever Taken in the Northeast. The score is 217. “I tried to get my gun up, and I was just kind of rushing and was just in utter shock. Damon shot the moose with a Remington 30-06 pump-action rifle. They hunted deer out of enjoyment and to lay up sweet tasting venison for the coming winter. November in Maine can be very cold (20F or colder). Hams said he believes the biggest deer he’s ever checked in his state weighed in about 250 pounds field dressed. The deer struggled to its feet, but Whitey's second shot was true, hitting the deer in the neck and putting him down to stay. The Hinckleys hunted when they could, and because of expected rain on the first Saturday of deer season, they jumped at the opportunity to hunt. Once this great buck was hoisted up in front of several witnesses, including state sealer of weights, Forrest Brown, the giant deer pulled the scales to a whopping 355 pounds. They stuck around for a while, then left. To access past copies of the Northwoods Sporting Journal in digital format at no charge, click here. This is my very first deer hunting video so I hope you like it! Put down a huge swamp buck. By Associated Press , Wire Service Content Nov. 14, 2020 By Associated Press , … I don't know what it was about his column, but I couldn't wait to read it every month. There were two … “The antlers, I was just blown away. At about 6:15 a.m., a doe and a fawn walked into view. The quiet is God-like. Churchill said his 1-year-old daughter, Winona, seemed very impressed by the buck: “She saw the deer that morning, she pointed at it and started barking like a dog,” he said. Before long, the buck turned broadside, giving Churchill the opportunity he needed. Twenty minutes after taking his position, Horace heard a twig snap, spotted a buck and fired. Midwestern states like Iowa and Kansas are well known for growing giant whitetails, but many of the most massive bucks of all-time actually come from the big woods of the Northeast “This buck has a couple of unusual things going on with it. He undoubtedly will rival the state record in regards to weight. Thanks for doing such an outstanding article about Tom, what he was all about, and his influence. Philip made the shot count, and thus gave the Hinckley family five bucks in the space of one hunting morning. They didn’t have to wait long before the action started. It broke the 50-year record held by the … Not entirely sure what the cause is, but this could be hormone-related or could be the result of the unusual downturned beam tips making it more difficult to rub and peel off,” Bieber said. Call us for details about each season, and early opportunities for bow hunting. The dry, peeling velvet is a little unusual but looks pretty cool. Claire Flood’s First Deer Is a 210-Inch Kentucky Monster. I look forward every month to the Sporting Journal. A massive buck stepped into the sights of Hinckley’s 30:06 and, with one shot, was to become a Maine state record that remains a record to this day — 65 years later! It only required one shot from his .30-06 to put this monster down for the count. 5) South Dakota: Deer population around 300,000 Minnesota deer and hunting facts • Adult female white-tailed deer weigh about 145 pounds, and males weigh about 170 pounds. ", "I feel the article on page 18 of the April issue, “Recipes of Violence” by Matt Dunlap, needs to be published nationwide. Based on 2015 deer populations estimates from North American Whitetail Magazine, here are the worse deer states to live: 1) Georgia: Deer population around 1.2 million. By now, the events thus far would have been more excitement than any hunting family could have expected in several lifetimes, but there was more good news. The heaviest deer that’s ever been shot on our place. Maine’s firearm deer season runs for 4 weeks, typically beginning the first Monday in November. Something within (a gut feeling most successful hunters have learned to trust) told him there was more action to come. Though Massachusetts is the 3rd most densely populated state in the country, it is a state where quality deer can be found anywhere. “As for those downturned beam tips, my guess is genetics or an antler injury while in velvet,” Bieber said. For unexplainable reasons even to Horace, he never moved or made a sound. Carl’s buck topped the scales at 402 pounds dressed. “Pedicel injuries and leg injuries can impact antler growth as well, but those types of injuries tend to be one-sided and quite a bit more noticeable than this.”. Churchill shot twice, and the buck went down. Explore michigan’s outdoors Photos and stories from Michigan hunters BUCKPOLE BY COUNTY Select a county to view buck pole photos. 2020 moon phases: Full October 31…last quarter November 8…new (dark) November 15…first quarter November 22…full November 30 I’m a moon fanatic. Over the last 30 years I’ve spent more than 1,000 days in deer stands across North America during the magic month of November, during every imaginable moon phase, during all the waxing and waning days. ", "So disappointed that Mr. Hanrahan is leaving the Journal. If you've ever driven in the rural areas of the Midwest, Illinois included, you … Once reaching the desired location, the elder Hinckleys hunted an old tote road for the first hour. • Last year, 31% of Minnesota-licensed firearm hunters successfully harvested a deer. Claire Flood first started hunting with her dad two years ago at age 13. "I mean it's crazy," Josh Clark, from Iuka, told The Clarion Ledger. Had an epic day deer hunting in minnesota for rifle season! Illinois Roadkill Buck. [buckpole-state-menu] View More Uploads Upload Your Photo To The Pole You can easily add your own buck pole photos and stories to our website for others to see and share! To you who think a buck of Hinckley’s status is a thing of the past, and a record that may never be broken, I need only to remind you of Mark Maguire and his 70 homeruns. It’s an unbelievably beautiful environment. “Without my father-in-law and grandfather-in-law, I wouldn’t have had nearly the year I’ve had and may not have gotten back into hunting,” Churchill said. By 9 a.m. they had each taken a stand a few yards apart, in what appeared to be a great spot. Maine’s biggest fall hunting seasons are entering their final two weeks of the year. Hunters win and hunters loose. Facebook Share. From the beginning, she was determined to take a mature buck as her first deer. • The biggest white-tailed deer recorded in Minnesota was a 500-pound buck. Whitetailed Buck (Crossbow): 249 lbs., field dressed, 18 points, Mr. Jody Pierce, Kennebunk, ME, 10/7/2021, Kennebunk, Certified by Maine Warden Service. Phone: (207) 287-8000 Fax: (207) 287-8094 or (207) 287-6395 TTY: Maine Relay 711 Email … ME For unexplainable reasons even to Horace, he never moved or made a sound. He said a couple things might have contributed to the odd shape of the antlers. Review the recent white-tailed deer harvest data before heading out to hunt. And what a hunting year it has been for Churchill.”. In Maine, that’s the big game “grand slam,” and relatively few hunters bag all four species in the same calendar year. A Mississippi man's kill may be the largest deer to be harvested on public land in the state. Our client hunted this deer for 11 days. Trophy hunting as we view it today had no bearing on the Hinckley mindset. Within hours word had spread that a hunter had killed an incredible buck. Real in your face bowhunts with multiple encounters and multiple kills. A buck that has reached this age class will be more likely to weigh 200+ pounds compared to younger bucks. After attaining maturity at age five, our bucks can reach record live weights of nearly 400 lbs. Because of the constant influx of inquisitive viewers, Horace was unable to butcher his buck. Limiting the number in that club: In order to shoot a moose in Maine, you’ve got to win a permit through a state-run lottery. The Northwoods Sporting Journal is the largest hunting & fishing magazine in the Northeast. The events surrounding the taking of this enormous animal are Horace’s own words, excerpted from the August 1969 issue of Outdoor Life. Churchill said he went to Milford on Friday to hunt on land owned by his grandfather-in-law, Steven St. Louis. Posted by Buck Manager October 30, 2019 July 31, 2020 Leave a comment on Big Bucks Shot in 2019 Big Bucks Lurking in 2019 Opening weekend of the Texas 2019-20 General “Gun” Season is just days away and it’s time to get pumped about white-tailed deer hunting . Maine is home to one of the largest of the 30 recognized subspecies of white-tailed deer. As groups of hunters find their way to their traditional hunting camps, talk of big deer abounds. Not finding his son at the vehicle, they drove to his brother Ralph’s house a short distance away. West Enfield, Send it to jholyoke@bangordailynews.com. ", Website Content Copyright © 2021 Northwoods Sporting Journal, P.O. “I’ve actually found shed antlers before that had some velvet still peeling. Ken Kwasniewski, of Elma, N.Y. shot this huge, 18-point buck with his bow on Nov. 3 in Elma in Erie County. It was focused on finding a mate. I had also enjoyed the mountain and knife-edge trail twice when I was in my late 40s - early 50s. To add to his dilemma, the sheer weight of his buck after six days of hanging collapsed the barn roof. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The anticipation of meeting up with the buck of your dreams fuels the desire as you encroach upon his domain. By the time I got him in my sights, he had already crossed the entire clear cut, and he was only about 20 feet away from me.”. My expectation is to be hunting the giant buck that eluded us last fall. Several measurements were then taken which included: neck girth – 28 inches, body girth behind forelegs – 47 inches, greatest girth – 56 inches, and a total length from antler tip to rear hoof of 9 1/2 feet. 3) Colorado: Deer population around 25,000. Unfortunately, and not without much difficulty, it took Horace over a year to have his buck validated as the heaviest ever recorded in the state. Her first … I certainly would not want you to think I had any first hand knowledge, seeing as I was nothing more than a mere twinkle in Pop’s eye when this momentous occasion occurred. "Your February article on Tom Hennessy was bittersweet. This article is well written by one with the wisdom many of us sportsmen possess. Do you have a deer-hunting tale to share with BDN readers? For five minutes every month, he eased my mind and took me into the Maine Woods. The deer was his first. Back in 1980, we realized that we were taking many more large bucks than anyone else, and our success was equaling that of Maine’s “good old days”. Fortunately for him, he completely missed. The antlers also still had some of the “velvet” still attached. John Annett. As astounding a morning as it was, there would be much more excitement to come before darkness fell on this day. I heard some rustling, and I got all ready, and my heart was racing and out came a big doe. Something within (a gut feeling most successful hunters have learned to trust) told him there was more action to come. The driver was the foreman of a local logging operation who offered to take them to the end of a remote, almost undriveable road where he had seen lots of fresh sign two days prior. Horace, his wife Olive, their son Philip and his wife Madeline traveled 60 miles from their Augusta home to hunt Northwest Bingham. Nature’s full of weird.”. Northern Maine has some of the most extraordinary trophy whitetail deer hunting in the United States. That combined with the genetic tendency for bucks to be larger in the north puts the odds in your favor (Age + Big Deer Genetics = Big Maine Buck). Within five minutes his wife’s rifle echoed, only to be followed by her excited voice yelling for Horace to come see her nice buck. Days off for a lumber worker came only on holidays and during inclement weather. I, for one, know that a buck of that caliber not only exists, but I am also in hopes of dethroning the reigning king with the taking of him. And my scope was all fogged up. The Big One. “He was paying no attention to me. In our decades of hunting Maine’s woods, our hunters and guides have seen some incredible deer, including some of the largest bucks in state. ... the DEC’s big game unit leader and Mike Wasilco, the DEC’s Region 8 wildlife manager. Deer bow hunting is here. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. Though many researchers and … His father-in-law, Richard Lee, lives just across the road. Once the two men had finished getting the six pointer and Olive’s big buck out, they jubilantly spotted Philip making his way toward them. This year, just 3,135 hunters received those permits.

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