“Hunt where the ducks are.” It’s a common-sense slogan that TV spokesmen often use, yet if you’re serious about taking a deer for the record books, then you’ll want to hunt where the “Boone and Crockett” bucks live. (Daniel and Davy, that is….)
The biggest buck I’ve killed (166 2/3 lbs.) came from Alberta in 2000, so I spoke with Ron Nemetchek who outfits that province, asking if the deer quality had declined in the past decade. I was astounded by his answer:
“In 2012, 33% of our hunters took bucks that scored 170 or more,” Nemetchek shared. “But last year was about normal, with 10–15% of hunters taking bucks in that range.” One source quoted the probability of a hunter taking a B&C buck at 1: 1.3 million, so for 10–30% of a camp to score on animals with antlers that large is incredible.
Actually, Nemetchek says that many of the biggest bucks his hunters see are missed, or disappear before a hunter can shoot. John Caracciolo of Duncansville, PA, believes he saw a new world’s record as a buck walked across a small opening at 700 yards. “It was an absolute monster,” he said. Because Nemetchek hunts the boreal forests area of Alberta, whitetail deer often grow to more than 300 lbs. and develop antlers that are massive and sometimes non-typical. I have written about Nemetchek’s clients for nearly 30 years and believe he offers one of the best chances to taking a free-roaming, record-book buck. Contact Nemetchek at (780) 675-1942, or go to northriveroutfitting.com.
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