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. He'd be in the woods every day if could, but as it is, whenever he's able to get off work, he hunts. With an estimated whitetail population of about a quarter million deer, this sleeper state should impress once again in 2015. Thankfully, he was able to harvest his deer before the warm spell. Several without antlers passed the stand, but he was looking for the perfect buck to take home and the one on January 26th was the one. Amanda had made the 10-point her primary target for this rifle season, and she connected during the first hour! Amanda Baker harvested this 10-point buck on the opening morning of Pennsylvania's rifle season on a family-owned property in Elk County, Pa. After being in the stand for roughly 20 minutes, the younger Bennett heard something coming directly at him. After exploring a few of the articles on your blog, I seriously like your way of blogging. We are seeing a lot of hunters practicing quality deer management, Hotton said. Where Are The Biggest Deer In Maryland? "The weather has been so dry that no food plots were planted," Develle says. Not sure if he heard me or saw my movement, but he took off across the creek and stopped on the other side, perfectly broadside, next to a tree that I earlier had ranged at 40 yards. Blanford settled into his blind and scanned his surroundings, which consisted of cedar trees, overgrown fallow fields, scattered oaks, a pond and his food plot. Already committed, though, he figured he would still give it a try because his son had been seeing a lot of deer movement in that area in all different directions. Deer are a favorite big game animal. The scales tipped at 218 pounds and hats were tipped to Wayne when this buck was dropped off at the butcher shop. "Five minutes later," he says, "I see a buck working his way towards a scrape and licking branch 40 yards away. Paul Sears first gained permission to access an Oklahoma property for coyote and varmint hunting. Tres Jackson tagged a great Arkansas buck earlier this month that he didn't even know existed until he laid eyes on it from his blind. Josh Honeycutt. The fossil deposits from the Miocene Epoch can be seen along the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. The buck ran about 30 yards and crashed. Josh Honeycutt. You can unsubscribe at any time. The day brought warm, windy conditions. Maryland Bowhunter Bags Biggest Buck Of His Life On The Last Day Of The While states like Kentucky, Maryland, Montana and Nebraska were first out of the gate, Missouri came on strong when its archery deer season opened in mid-September. This region is relatively sparsely populated, primarily flat, and heavily farmed, or covered with marsh woodlands. Boone and Crockett State Big Game Records The early season harvest decline was attributed to multiple factors, including warm weather during the first part of the archery season . The sika can be hunted in two state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in Dorchester County. "While FaceTiming one of my hunting buddies, he told me to look at the screen. This was when Wayne really got a grasp of the actual size of this beautiful whitetail. Most states have yearly hunting seasons that help keep deer populations in check. Turn the legs and thighs of a freshly killed gobbler into comfort food for a chilly spring night. Gibson says the younger bucks in his area are pushing does around, but the big boys haven't started getting aggressive yet. Urban and suburban areas produce some of the largest bucks. I am going to send this information to him. With a 31-inch spread, many who see this deer will claim it's the biggest deer they've ever seen. On the last day of the season, he saw the deer in range, and bagged the buck with his bow, the largest deer in his career. Best Deer Hunting States in the Northeast - Game & Fish The Wildlife & Heritage Service would like to recognize Bucks Bears Stags as the official record keeper for Maryland trophy deer and bears. Deer Hunting Maryland: Eastern Shore The Best The buck ran out of sight. "I am a very lucky person, and this is what hunting is all about," he said. He hung up his compound bow and began shooting traditional archery exclusively. Due to the good conditions, he fully expected to see lots of movement. Eventually, a doe and fawn walked right under the treestand and ate leaves off a tree branch Schwach had cut the evening before. White-tail deer are the most commonly harvested animals in Maryland, accounting for one-third of all deer taken statewide. The buck immediately approached her stand and stopped at 40 yards, offering a clean, broadside shot. "I passed him a couple of times during the 2020 season hoping he would make a jump," Schwach said. Blake Lassiter's "Opening-Day Dandy" was a nice 170-inch-plus buck taken on Sept. 13 with a muzzleloader. Joey Johnson from. Maryland's Biggest Typical Buck! - North American Whitetail This blog post couldnt be written any better! Hello there! When this giant buck stepped out, Ewen was still messing with his rifle. It is also This was her first archery buck, and she was hunting alongside her hunting mentor, Paul Baker. He reappeared a few moments later and continued toward Jackson. After carefully assessing the situation, the buck jumped the fence and walked toward Sears. I eased my muzzleloader into position while the deer watched me, trained the crosshairs on the big bucks shoulder and flicked off the safety. Stuff like that has helped me tremendously.Thanks, Tony. Jackson decided to try his luck sitting on a hillside hidden by thick, brushy cover. "As soon as I settled in, I notice a big, fresh scrape on the edge of the field in front of me," Rodes said. 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 buck's curiosity kept it in place long enough for Ewen to get the gun working. It's the biggest deer I've ever been up and close to. 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. Maryland Reports Strong 2022 Early Deer Season Results The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that hunters harvested 20,220 deer during the early portion of the 2022 archery and muzzleloader seasons. Schwach put the arrow where it needed to go, and the buck ran about 80 yards and tipped over. Wayne says the property they hunt is not known for big deer, but he surely feels blessed to have had such an encounter with a deer like this one. This small, brown deer lives in quiet marshes and forested wetlands on Marylands lower Eastern Shore. When it got to within 150 yards, Rotarius calmed his nerves as best he could and squeezed off the shot, dropping the deer. Rudden gave the buck an hour before climbing down and finding it roughly 60 yards away. As he got within 20 yards, I saw the ear tag and knew it was game on.". 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. Needless to say, the big deer left in a hurry. The bucks non-typical score of 268 1/8 was the highest ever recorded on the Eastern Seaboard. The buck started feeding in the same food plot and making his way toward Edmonds, but turned and went around her through some patches of thicker cover that didn't allow for a shot. The early season rebound was largely attributed to improved weather for hunting and increased hunter effort when compared to the . At 67 years old, and having been hunting since the age of 14, Wayne says he has never had the shakes like he experienced after shooting this buck. Max Mongrello's awesome 13-point Iowa whitetail taken on Nov. 26 scored 170 7/8 inches. In each of the other three categories, Eastern Shore bucks rank in second place. He did just that on Nov. 26 in Iowa County when he arrowed a 13-point giant that scored 170 7/8 inches. Dustin Prievo. The harvest was a 17% decrease from last year's official harvest of 19,616 deer for the same period. Gatlin saw the buck last year and had gotten photos of the deer on trail cameras this season at night. Ive been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform. BIG DEER TV Helps Maryland Bowhunter Shoot Biggest Buck "I remember looking up and seeing a dark shadow moving," Jackson says. Unfortunately, he quickly realized he'd forgotten his call in the truck. Hundred of Realtree exclusive tasty wild game recipes. Within 10 minutes, the first buck passed through, trailed by Barrera's now target buck. The deer walked directly toward a white oak tree that had been dropping acorns all evening. "Hunting with a trad bow is all about the satisfaction of the challenge," he says. This is due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss and changes in the environment. It then proceeded to walk straight toward Bittick and his buddy, directly behind the 9-pointer. "We watched two small bucks fighting. When Clement Henry released zebra deer on James Island in the early 1900s, Maryland became the first state in the country to do so. "I've killed Pope and Young bucks, but this one just meant more," Develle says. "I sweated the entire walk through the chest-high soybeans and continued to sweat in the stand until the sun got behind a tree," Bittick said. The hunt started with several bucks walking through, ranging from in age from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 years old. In September of 2010, Maryland bowhunter Luke Muldoon shot a double drop-tine monster that we had on the blog. Instead of heading deep into the woods, he hunted a more-open area near the edge of a field and high-traffic road. The Drury Buck Mark Drury with his camerman and his giant Iowa whitetail. Primitive Deer Hunt Days allow hunters to take up to three antlerless deer. So what opportunities are available on the Eastern Shore for the traveling hunter? Type Maryland deer hunting into any search engine on the Internet, and youll come up with a number of websites that will link you to those services. Getting to see or harvest a deer is a plus." He is an amazing deer and the biggest of my life.". "I never thought I would have an opportunity at a buck of this quality, but having it was genuinely a life-changing experience. The Frederick County deer harvest increased this year, rising to 7,354, followed by Carroll County with 5,896 and Baltimore County with 5,559. "I thought I had missed my chance. When hunting coyotes, use extreme caution and avoid coming into contact with them. "I decided to leave my muzzleloader in the box stand because I had no intentions of shooting another deer," says Ball. Keep comments on topic. Top 10 Big Buck Stories from the 2021 Deer Season Mark Drury Arrows a Monster 216-Inch Iowa Whitetail While states like Kentucky, Maryland, Montana and Nebraska were first out of the gate, Missouri came on strong when its archery deer season opened in mid-September. They state this deer garners more attention than any buck on the premise because it almost looks too big to believe. The younger deer pushed the 9-pointer to within 40 yards of their treestand. Blanford immediately texted his friend, Kevin, who was hunting nearby. The deer began to walk away and Wayne prayed for him to change directions. In any weapon season, no more than one antlerless deer may be taken without the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. 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. The fawn was very vocal, and he captured great video of it bleating. Standing corn sprawled out in the distance. The Top 40 Typical and Nontypical Whitetails of All Time And a few little bucks were on her, too. John Wallace has dedicated his career to conservation. Before long, they arrived and joined Jessica in tracking the buck. Bittick told his friend to get ready for a shot on the 9-pointer and turned to look at the smoke coming off his ThermaCell to gauge the wind direction. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. The buck walked around it, slurping up acorns, and finally turned and walked into the food plot. Dustin Prievo. Quality Guide Services Available The proud father shares three children, Adam (13), Wade (12) and Claire (8) with his wife, Jamie. "My partner would have shot him, but he was on the wrong side of the fence. 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 green score is 147 4/8 inches. When he turned back around, to his surprise, Split G3 stood 50 yards away. He began investigating the sound through his binocular and saw what appeared to be a nice rack moving through the brush. That afternoon, the rain cleared out and a cold front pushed in. Since then, several big whitetails have fallen, including these three bucks taken by Philip Blanford, Alex Bittick and Clint Schwach. Two of the biggest deer recorded in Walton County were killed over the last two years - a 178 non typical killed in 2014 and a 163 killed in 2013. Maryland Monster Bow Buck, 194 5/8! - Big Deer As it turned out, Gibson had at least three years of history with the buck. Thats why they grow so big.. With about 15 minutes of legal light left, he saw the big buck milling on the field edge. Please visit my website as well and let me know your opinion. Then, at about 3:20 p.m., a double-drop-tine buck walked right down the same trail as the does had earlier in the afternoon. In Maryland, sika deer are a rare chance to hunt a non-native deer. 449 S 12th St.Tampa, Florida 33602United States, How To Get A Hunting License In Wisconsin, Early Season Deer Hunting: Tips On Where To Hunt, Designing Lanyards for Corporate Events: Dos and Donts, Unlock The Benefits Of Stabilized Binoculars: Discover Why You May Need Them And Which Ones Are Best For You. No discussion of illegal activity. Alexis Moore of Brockway, Pa., harvested this mature 8-point late last week. Millman saidSussex County, the southernmost Delaware county, is the state's deer hunting hotspot, with 8,622 harvested in 2021. Schwach hoped to catch the buck on its way to feed for the evening. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. What could be better than a deep-fried nugget? Brandon Butler. It is the biggest buck I have killed to date, and to get it with the bow makes it more special. "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. "He came out following a group of four or five does. Blanford first spotted this 6- to 7 -year-old buck in July while brush-hogging a spot for a new food plot. It was a big whitetail doe and two smaller whitetails. The buck then lowered his head and moved to the only opening Wayne had for a shot. But the buck paused on his own, presenting a perfect broadside shot. To give the deer some time, he went and recovered the 8-point before returning to the piebald 10-point. Master the subtle nuances of the sidearm cast for increased accuracy. (Photo courtesy of Max Mongrello). Around 3:45 p.m., Barrera was in his stand, and before he could nock an arrow, a couple of does came walking in, and passed through the area. While we reserve the right to remove or modify comments at our sole discretion, the Sportsman's Guide does not bear any responsibility for user comments. He was following her into a wooded draw when Plunkett shot him with a .280 Ackley rifle she built. I must have grunted at him 15 times before he finally committed. John Wallace's children all have lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for Missouri, the state the family recently left to return to Wallace's hometown to be close to family. Here's the best part. Personal defense in the hunting woods could involve taking down a charging bear. The wind was blowing upwards of 22 mph when Illinois hunter Fernando Barrera, 20, got off work at 3 p.m. on Oct. 13, and headed to pick up his dad to hunt a public parcel near Kankakee. On Oct. 22, with the wind out of the southeast, warm temperatures and overcast skies, Develle contemplated the right move. Because of their proximity to the legendary waterfowl hunting in the Chesapeake Bay region, sikas attract flocks of geese. Because only two antlered deer can be taken during the hunting season, its a simple game to take big bucks. There was little movement at the outset of the hunt, with only a couple button bucks making their way under his stand. Hunting in the Chestertown, Maryland, area is popular, and it is considered one of the best in the East. 2023 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. Sika deer are not the same type of deer as white-tail deer, which are native to Maryland. Jack Hennessy. Any kind of help would be really appreciated! I backed out and came back an hour later with my 15 year old son and tracked him. "Without them, I would not have gotten a chance at this quality of a deer," he says. I thought it was the raccoons because they had run out behind me. Big Buck Profile: Maryland Giant - bowhunting.com Hunting season in Southern Maryland is one of the best in the Mid-Atlantic. The page you are looking September 9th, 2013 | Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science | 9 Comments Danny shot the beautiful buck his wife had named "Spike" last Friday. Legal shooting light was still almost an hour away as 26-year-old Maryland farmer Kevin Miller crossed the 15-acre frost-covered alfalfa field en route to his Kent County stand on Nov. 30, 2002. "To kill an old warrior that never daylighted, that always seemed to stay out of harm's waythat was priceless. Brandon Butler. The deer is an estimated 5.5-year-old and rough scores 194 inches. The harvest was a 24% increase from last year's official harvest of 16,314 deer for the same period. Dustin Prievo. RJ watched him stand in one place for a few minutes and believed he saw him tip over. Date: Nov. 5, 2022. Once the deer breached 30 yards, Jackson settled his crosshair and squeezed off the shot. However, he had never laid eyes on this bruiser buck until the day he shot it. Hi Mike: I shot this deer in Calvert County, Maryland one evening last October. The following morning, Rudden was on stand as day broke. ", For Gatlin, it is his best Tennessee buck, his first 10-point and first piebald. My elbows, knees and belly were soaked by the time Id crawled 30 yards out into the soggy, winter-wheat field to the crest of a small rise that allowed me to look downhill to the woods edge. The mature buck slowly made his way upthe dry creek bed in the timber until stepping out into a small clearing. Here's a look at big bucks tagged during the 2022 deer-hunting season, as told in our weekly Regional Rut Update reports this season. They found it within 100 yards of where it was shot. He immediately called his son and thanked him for the suggestion and opportunity to sit in his stand. The timing couldnt have been better. At first, I thought it was a white barrel at the bottom of this hollow he was in. ", Plunkett's buck came out into an open bean field in pursuit of a hot doe. His restraint paid off, as the deer grew even bigger this spring and summer. "I knew it was a big-bodied deer," he says. "Uncle Kevin told me he could see five deer out of his window," Adam says. Everytime we go out, we can get our hopes up that the deer crunching the leaves behind the stand we're in is one we have only seen in our dreams until now. About a half-hour before sunset, he decided to rattle. Hunter Safety & Education Requirement . Join Thomas Allen and son Tommy on an Iowa turkey hunt that resulted in big toms for both hunters. This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! Babe Winkleman Good Fishing / Outdoor Secrets, Bryan Oliver Quick Hits, Videos, Memes. "Operation Impact 22 takes disabled veterans on the hunt of a lifetime," Mongrello says. Bowhunter Shoots the Same Maryland Monster Buck in 2019 and 2020 By Darron McDougal November 3, 2020 John Earhart III made a non-lethal hit on a giant Maryland buck in 2019. Daniel Calloway tagged a phenomenal 5 -year-old buck this season. I don't want to say it was easy, but it feels extremely good to get the job done early after hours in the field filming, running cameras, checking weather apps, watching movement and game-planning. When this brute entered one of those lanes at 35 yards, Hayden drilled him. His preparation had paid off. These deer live the good life, said Ken Schrader, owner of Schraders Hunting, which is one of the oldest guiding operations on the Eastern Shore. "Fishing is competitive. Deer moved out of the back seat on the Eastern Shore and into the drivers chair in 1995. In that time, hes tagged four nice Kansas bucks, with the most recent being a main-frame 9-pointer with two additional scoreable points. Since Wade had a football tournament out of town, John enlisted his outdoor mentor, his uncle Kevin Krimm, to take Adam out for Ohio's youth firearms season. Tony Zerkle, Fairfield County Wildlife Officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the county has a good supply of trophy bucks, owing to the large amount of food and cover the. Bittick and his friend drew their bows and settled their pins, and Bittick stopped both bucks with a quiet bleat. It is a good idea to be at least 500 yards away from any road, bridge, or causeway. It is illegal to intentionally kill or wound a deer unless it is a reasonable attempt to retrieve and use it. The buck took another five steps, dropped down into a creek bed and disappeared completely. Very few deer hunters have harvested a wild, free-ranging whitetail wearing an ear tag, but that's exactly what Mississippi deer hunter Justin Develle did on Oct. 22. Not being completely sure, however, RJ left the woods and returned several hours later with his kids to find the buck lying right where he last saw him. Each year, the buck has been a main-frame 10-point. This year, Develle finally crossed paths with it. His initial thought was the buck was probably a shooter, but he was hesitant because they had no trail-camera photos and no observations of this deer. "I hunt with my two best friends at one of their family farms," Develle says. "We do everything together. News, promotions and latest products delivered to you in your inbox. Typical: 194 inches Non-Typical: 248 7/8 inches New York Taken in 1939, Roosevelt Luckey's Alleghany County typical is the 30th largest of all time. This buck was seen over the past several years on trail cameras, and Amanda and her family havehad a long history with the deer. The buck showed up on camera just once in the summer. There are an estimated 220,000 deer in Maryland. Five Under-the-Radar Trophy Whitetail Counties 2020 Bow Bucks: Archers share photos of their trophy deer from this At 195 6/8 inches of total antler and 191 3/8 inches net score, the Daniel Blanchette buck becomes the New Hampshire archery record non-typical whitetail. The brute roughscored 171 6/8 inches. All Rights Reserved. Location: Ashe County, N.C. A Minnesota buck shot by John A. Breen. At 5:10, Barrera saw a big buck crossing the road, followed by an even bigger buck. No one had been there since January. Some people in Maryland were upset when the sika deer arrived in the state in the early 1900s. Hunting is something we live for down here. Twice, she won the Missouri Outdoor Communicator's Buck Rogers Memorial Scholarship. Kevin Miller's 194-inch typical state record was shot near an alfalfa field in this region a little over a decade ago, and many other great whitetails have been harvested there as well. Its a great thing to hunt in Maryland because there are so many options. His spot is between an alfalfa field and a standing cornfield. Jason Rudden had never laid eyes on this buck until his trail camera captured three images of it on the night of Nov. 13. Studs are . However, deer are creatures of habit, so once youve found a spot where theyre likely to be, you can increase your chances of success by returning to that spot at the same time each day. As the sun started to set, the winds died down and some nearby cows started bellowing. Since then, several big whitetails have fallen, including these three bucks taken by Philip Blanford, Alex Bittick and Clint Schwach. If you want to bag a deer in Maryland, youll need to do your homework. Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry . Personal defense in the hunting woods could involve taking down a charging bear. Read the full story here. "I thought to myself many times that was not going to be the night.". Courtesy of onX Hunt, here are the eight states in the USA with the highest deer density: Mississippi: 38 deer per square mile Pennsylvania: 34 deer per square mile Wisconsin: 33 deer per square mile Michigan: 31 deer per square mile Indiana: 28 deer per square mile Alabama: 25 deer per square mile South Carolina: 24 deer per square mile Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities. This state allows two buck antlerless harvests, but only with a liberal harvest limit. The state also has a long hunting season, from September to January, which gives hunters plenty of time to bag a deer. He chased a doe, then he had to chase all the bucks away because they were trying to steal his doe. Give a Gift Both does seemed anxious, however, and with the wind and ATV noises, Jessica feared her hunt was going to be a bust. He thinks the chasing is going to begin in earnest this week or next. He took off and ran about 100 yards through the woods before he crashed. The Land of Giants: Where the Biggest Bucks Were Killed in the Last He almost had an opportunity to arrow it on opening day, but a miscommunication between him and the farm manager led to an incident where Wide Open was walking toward Schwach just as the farmer was driving up the hill. Youll also need a hunting license, which you can obtain from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Biggest Whitetail Bucks of 2021 | Outdoor Life Once within range I stopped him with a grunt call.". Furthermore, it is difficult to pattern and scout Sika deer. This gave him bulletproof access to a stand he had hung the day before among rolling pastures, wooded draws and a big creek bottom. Then, in October, he moved back into the area and was there until the end. Stats: 2 bucks, including a 10-point piebald. I kind of leaned up and looked out and saw it was a deer. The day brought warm, windy conditions. Now she works in the outdoor industry as the Hunt/Fish Community Manager for Sawyer. John A. Breen. 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. On Nov. 17, after lunch, he climbed into an elevated blind along the edge of a cut cotton field. Subscriber Services. With a little planning and patience, youre sure to have a successful deer hunting trip in Maryland. "I am still on cloud nine with this buck," Sears said. What could be better than a deep-fried nugget? Buck Score: 15-pointer (180-plus inches) Date of Harvest: November 21, 2022.