This past weekend the folks at Salkehatchie Farms near Smoaks, South Carolina conducted their fall deer count and Pete Paulatos of Charleston snapped these shots for Anchorpoint.  This high-fence private deer preserve was purchased five years ago by George Fennell and with his son Scott, their 600 acres have some of the largest deer in the state.

The Fennells invite friends for an evening of counting deer, providing everyone with a score sheet.  Does, fawns and bucks are all included, along with number of points for bucks.  I sat this very stand for their count last year and you can read about it here.

For something really cool, check out the buck fight Pete caught on tape. The action kicks in at the 4:20 mark.

For more shots from this year’s deer count, get your fix after the jump.  There’s one particular bruiser you won’t want to miss. Read the rest of this entry »

Another deer season is here so be prepared for the trophy pics to come flowing into your mailbox.  With the time-honored tradition in mind, here’s a particular one from 2006.

With a headline of “412 lbs PA buck”, this rotund buck had to be a photoshop job.  As it turns out, the only part that is incorrect is the Pennsylvania location – it was in Nebraska.  On an Indian reservation.  Reservations across the country consistently generate monsters, from elk to muleys and whitetails.  That they are not subject to state wildlife reporting requirements explains why this one may have gone under the radar.

According to research into the buck completed by Snopes, the hunter was Stan Whitt of Arkansas.  He arrowed the bruiser at 5 yards, nearly straight below his 25′ stand.  He was shooting a 100-grain Simmons broadhead with a Matthews bow.  After a four hour wait he set out to find the downed buck but dark came early.  The next morning a friend helped him find the big buck.

Whitt readily states bloating may have played a role but a wildlife office on the reservation estimated the buck at 412 pounds using a method with a 6% margin of error.  Anyway you count it, that is one heavy trophy.

A good day in Alamakee County, Iowa!

The stories range from an opening day homerun to a bunch of leaseholders who’s access won’t be renewed so they cleaned house.  Whatever the tale, it’s looking like backstraps & bone for everyone.  Wonder what they’d score?