November 11, 2025 • 35 mins
A wide-racked “city buck” doesn’t get that way by making many mistakes—especially on pressured public land bordered by inaccessible sanctuaries. We sit down with 19-year-old Nova Scotia bowhunter Drew and trace a two-season pursuit that swings from Halloween heartbreak to velvet summer hope, a province-wide woods shutdown, and a string of ten-minute misses that would rattle any hunter’s nerves. What finally turned the tide? Small, deliberate choices: a new entry route, a touch of synthetic buck scent on the boots, and total commitment to a single 17-yard shooting lane.
You’ll hear how the buck first appeared as an eight-pointer with a wide frame, vanished four kilometers during the rut, then re-emerged in velvet with heavy growth and a three-day cycle. Drew breaks down how he stayed legal within HRM’s 200-meter rules, used public land smartly, and navigated constant human traffic—from dog walkers to other bowhunters who had the same deer in daylight. When the moment came, a faint trail-cam glow froze the buck, he backed into a ten-inch window, and Drew threaded an arrow without a pass-through, then trusted a slow, careful blood trail that ended with antlers rising from the alders.
We also dig into why Nova Scotia and New Brunswick can quietly produce world-class whitetails: pockets of low pressure, rugged country, and genetics that explode when a deer survives. Drew shares the exact setup—Hoyt Torrex, HHA single-pin, 350-grain arrows, Rage Hypodermic—and what it taught him about mechanical broadheads, shot discipline, and patience when you may only get one chance. If you hunt urban edges, juggle limited access, or debate passing good bucks for a special one, this story gives you a blueprint and a push to keep going.
Enjoy the hunt? Follow, share with a friend who lives for bow season, and leave a quick review to help more whitetail nuts find the show.
Check us out on Facebook Hunts On Outfitting, or myself Ken Marr. Reach out and Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:59):
I don't think a lot of people know that you might
not think of four big boxes.
And it's confident.
Feel free to share folks withthose that you know.
(01:21):
And great stories.
Or just for instance, you canemail links.com.
Or you can find us on Facebook.
Or feel free to reach out andgreat talking with Facebook.
(01:50):
I mean, uh I saw I came across abuck on Facebook and I saw how
big he is, and I was like,there's no way he just happened
to, you know, be walking in afield.
Oh, there's a deer shooting, andthen realized like, oh wow, I
got a huge buck.
I mean, just looking at thedeer, I was like, this guy's got
some history with him.
He's had to.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah, no.
So uh I um it was actually anarea that you know ever since I
was a kid, you'd kind of driveby and you'd you'd always see
giants, but there's never reallya spot that I considered hunting
just because it's it's prettyurban.
It's in uh I call them a citybuck.
SPEAKER_01 (02:29):
Yep.
So Well Drew, if I could just ifI could just back up just a
little bit before we get intothe story.
I'm excited to get to know thebuck and how you got to know
him, but first, uh can we get toknow you a little?
Where uh where are you livingand and all that?
SPEAKER_00 (02:43):
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Um I'm from uh Cowbay, NovaScotia.
So born and raised.
Um yeah, uh yeah, I spent uhspent a lot of time hunting
around here, and you know, withmy granddad, we're he's from
here, lived here his whole life,so we've uh spent quite a bit of
(03:03):
time in the woods around hereand you know, trying to get some
big ones, but this is definitelymy biggest by a mile.
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Yeah.
Well, do you do you find thatNova Scotia, I mean, people
think of when they think ofCanadian deer hunting, they
think Alberta, they thinkSaskatchewan and stuff.
Do you think Nova Scotia's alittle bit of a sleeper province
in the fact that with the allthe agriculture land and woods
there, I mean, there's some bigbucks.
SPEAKER_00 (03:28):
Oh, no doubt, man.
There's there's big deereverywhere.
It's just sometimes they're hardto find.
And I I've seen today, uh, therewas a I think it was a couple
days ago now, it was a giantkilled up in New Brunswick.
SPEAKER_01 (03:41):
Yeah, giant.
We've got some big ones toohere, yeah, where I'm at New
Brunswick, absolutely.
I mean, the the Atlanticprovinces, one New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, obviously not PEIin in Newfoundland.
I mean, yeah, there's there'sbig deer here.
Uh not maybe not the amount assome of the western provinces,
but definitely the same we havea lot of the same caliber deer
(04:02):
of like just massive.
SPEAKER_00 (04:04):
Yeah, it's just just harder to come by, that's all.
SPEAKER_01 (04:07):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:08):
Um much sweeter.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
Yeah.
So have you been hunting?
I mean, how long have you beenhunting for?
Probably your whole life, I'mguessing.
SPEAKER_00 (04:15):
Uh yeah, I've been hunting since I was twelve,
twelve, thirteen.
That's when I first startedhunting.
I'm 19 now, so I've been at herquite a bit.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
You're only 19, you got a deer like that.
unknown (04:27):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (04:27):
Yes, sir, yeah.
Yeah, no, very fortunate.
But uh yeah, nope.
Just kind of fell into place atthe right time, and yeah, I was
I was able to take them.
SPEAKER_01 (04:39):
Yeah, so all right.
Um, yeah, let's let's gothrough.
Let's go through this massivedeer that you got.
I mean, just that you said youhad some history with them.
When did you kind of first comeacross them?
And sorry, before I cut you off,you're talking too about so a
bit of the area that you huntin.
SPEAKER_00 (04:54):
Yeah, well, I uh again, it was just a just an
area where you'd always seegiant deer.
Like I I've seen deer biggerthan him by a mile in this area.
And wow he uh yeah, so it wasit's it's kind of a tricky spot
because it like I said, it's acity area, so it's there's
(05:15):
really not much access to it, ifthat makes any sense.
So you're kind of looking forchunks of woods around it.
And uh there is public landaround it, so I you know, get
out the the maps on the phoneand just start looking, see, you
know, what looks good, whatlooks huntable, and uh also
trying to stay withinregulations, right?
(05:36):
200 meters from a from a houseor from a road or whatever.
So the only way to hunt thisarea was bow hunt, and that's
something I was kind of I'vebeen getting more into bow
hunting over the last coupleyears anyway, so I was I'm
pretty comfortable with the bow.
But uh yeah, so I went in Ithink it was the start, very
start of last season.
(05:57):
I did a lot of scouting leadingup to it, and uh I just happened
to go in and check out thispiece of property, and uh yeah,
I just walking through, and thetricky part about this land was
I had no experience with it, soI had no clue who was also in
here, who wasn't.
But uh the very first day I drugin some apples, I drug in trail
(06:21):
camera, and all that, and I setit all up, and a lady come
walking through with a hundredand twenty-pound Saint Bernard,
and I was like, Oh god, here wego.
Yeah so that deer that deer camein, hit that, hit them apples
the first night, about threehours after that Saint Bernard
was there, which absolutelyshocked me.
(06:43):
But that was the firstexperience I had with him.
He was uh he was aneight-pointer then, real wide
rack.
He was a nice deer, but yeah, Iuh I hunted him hard that year,
all through uh October, allthrough November, and I got I
was getting photos of him, andit was kind of wishy-washy, like
(07:03):
he kind of showed up randomtimes.
He did daylight some, but it wasreally hard to catch him.
And I think it was it was aroundHalloween when I got I was in
there and he come he camethrough and I heard him coming.
I I had a ground line set up anduh I heard him coming and I was
(07:23):
100% gonna take him.
He was he would have been one ofmy biggest to date.
And uh he popped out and I wasexpecting it the way it sounded,
it sounded like multiple beercoming.
And I had head does, and I I hadabout five different bucks on
camera, and they would all kindof come out together.
So I uh I I didn't prepare likeI should have.
(07:44):
I should have had the ball upready to go, and I seen him pop
his head around a tree, and Iwas like, oh.
And he just locked eyes with me.
And that was that was it.
He he knew I was there and hejust kept on walking.
And then I missed him, missedthe opportunity.
He didn't show up um at all.
That was it.
He was gone.
And I ended up finding out thathe was on camera over four
(08:08):
kilometers away at a friend ofmine's stand.
And I was just shocked.
I couldn't believe the amount ofdistance he put behind him
during the run.
And I was just like, well, theregoes my chances at him.
Yeah.
So I I figured he that yeardidn't make it through the
season.
And uh I went in this year,started in started in July,
(08:34):
because I I figured there'd beif it wasn't him, I figured
there'd be another one in there.
And uh, you know, first week itwas kind of slow.
Just they were kind of figuringit out that, you know, come back
through this area.
And uh anyway, I had a photo ofthis buck and I was like, Oh my
lord.
And it was uh he was in velvetand he was just this I just I
(08:58):
had the first photo I got ofhim, he had it was just uh it
was the left side of his rackand it was seven points that I
could count and I was like, ohmy god.
Yeah.
So then the chase started thereand I just kept bringing the
corn back, hoping, hoping.
And then um I think it was itwas August and he was coming
(09:20):
pretty consistent.
I had a spot there where hedisappeared for 20 days, and
that scared me because there's apretty big highway not too far.
And I was just getting startingto get worried, like maybe,
maybe he wandered out when heshouldn't have.
But um he broke that streak andthen they shot the woods down.
(09:40):
And I was absolutely terrified.
SPEAKER_01 (09:44):
So if we could just so there's people from listening
all over.
So just to uh yeah, so the woodsbeing shut down.
So in Nova Scotia this year andNew Brunswick, it got brutal
dry.
I mean, we hadn't had anysignificant rain in what,
probably a month, month and ahalf almost.
Yeah, so the the province thereand here, uh part of it here had
(10:07):
decided to shut down the woods.
No one's allowed in, like nowalking, four-wheeling, nothing.
So yeah, just to give a littlecontext into that.
Um so that must have uh justbeen at home, just kind of going
a little stir crazy where you'rejust wondering like, oh, I'd
like to be out there doingcameras and you know, yeah,
blinds and everything.
(10:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:29):
100%, right?
And I was that was it really.
Like I I I had all my chips inon that deer.
I I have other spots like mygrandfather's got a big chunk of
land in Cow Bay, and my family,we do a lot of hunting on that
land, but uh we haven't had weit's been pretty slow.
There's quite a bit of huntersin the area now, right?
(10:50):
And it's hard to let deer walknow, I guess, to let them get
that big.
But uh so we haven't had muchcoming through there, and I knew
this would be definitely thebest chance I had at getting the
getting a nice one.
So I I had put all my chips inand then yeah, they shut the
woods down, and that was thatwas pretty hard.
(11:12):
Uh you know, it was for a goodcause, so I I got it, but it was
it was tough because I was justyeah, losing losing quite a bit
of sleep over that one.
SPEAKER_02 (11:20):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:22):
But uh eventually they come around there and they
they opened her up just for HRM.
And I was like, well, this isgolden ticket here.
So I got back in and uh as theas it got closer to the season,
typical he he was holding hisvelvet actually for a long time.
(11:42):
He held it up until about threeor four days before the season
opened.
And he started to get just likehe was last year, he'd come
through once every three days,maybe twice in that time span,
but it was usually around athree-day cycle that he would
come through, and I kind of hada feeling that he wasn't living
on the area I was in.
(12:02):
Yep.
But I figured the amount that hewas coming through was probably
the best I was gonna get.
And it drove me nuts.
Like I wanted to go out and domore scouting and try to find
another spot, but I was like, Ihaven't had any people walking
through because it is publicland.
I haven't had any stuff likethat on camera yet, so I'm just
(12:23):
gonna stick it out.
And I uh I finally got in thereopening day, and again, it was
just the battle kept going,right?
Like he he I went through acouple spots there where it was,
you know, it would get longer, aweek maybe, didn't see him, and
now I'm just worried.
Like I had no clue who else washunting in this area.
(12:45):
As far as I could tell, rightaround me, probably a kilometer
radius, there wasn't anybody.
But uh come to find out later,there was the three other guys
that had this deer camera and indaylight.
And yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:00):
So did this just deer be start become, I mean,
the size of him, he might havebeen a little well more well
known than you thought, and I'msure you found that out after.
Was he becoming a bit of a locallegend?
SPEAKER_00 (13:12):
Uh ye he was with the guys that knew about him,
right?
I kept it here pretty quiet.
I never told I never told manypeople about him just because I
don't know, you know, you knowhow people are, right?
But yeah.
They can ruin something prettyquick for you.
So I I kept it pretty quiet.
A couple of my buddies knew andfamily knew, but other than
that, it was pretty hush-hush.
But uh again, every this areaholds deer that are like I I
(13:37):
would consider like world class.
Like I've seen deer with doubledrop times, I've seen deer with
just just the craziest rocks youyou can imagine.
Twin eight points that justgiant.
Like you'd see them at the sametime.
It did not matter.
It yeah, and it's justinaccessible land, just can't
hunt there.
Right.
So anyway, working around that,he he got less less consistent
(14:03):
as the season progressed.
And then I think it was like itwas probably like I had multiple
bucks coming that were nice tohear.
I think they'll have potential,but they just weren't weren't
him, so I I I bit the bullet andpassed quite a few of them.
But uh again, I was juststarting to get more and more
(14:23):
worried, like, is this justgonna turn out to be n the same
thing that happened last year?
He'll disappear before I get acrack at him.
But uh, I think it was September17th.
He uh I was I was in the stand,same as always.
I like to hunt the afternoonsback there.
I just found there was a lotmore action.
(14:43):
But uh I had a young buck comeout.
I've seen this buck probablythree to four times now, and uh
he was in the apples, and theway it was set up, I got one
shooting lane and straight infront of me.
And the furthest I could get is17 yards.
That's that's the best I couldhave gotten.
I would rather like 25-ish, butI just couldn't get it.
(15:04):
So he dropped what he was doingand just started staring past
me.
And at this point, I had not hada deer come from behind me in
this entire two years that I washunting.
Right.
And I thought I heard something,but I didn't want to turn
because he was looking in mydirection.
(15:26):
But he just left the apples,left everything he was doing,
and just started walking on arope behind me.
Walked right past the treestand, and I just turned my head
and I see him coming.
He's just tucked behind adownfall, and I can see the rat
going, and I was just shakingstarted, and I was like, oh my
lord.
So he came out and he he knewsomething was up.
(15:52):
He walked over to the trail Icome in on, he kept going
towards the apples, staying inthe timber on my left side.
Then he button hooked back once.
So now he goes back to where hestarted.
I'm watching him this wholetime, just shaking.
Anyway, he turns around andcomes back, and I was just
thinking, this is it.
I'm gonna get a crack at him.
Yeah.
(16:12):
And he then he just buttonhooked back again before he even
comes into the apples and gone.
Just walked away.
Now I was just rotted.
Like I couldn't believe it.
I was like, that was my chance,and that was it.
That's that's all I'm gettingfor the year.
So I uh I waited till dark,slipped out of there.
And uh yeah, he he was back thatnight, he hit the apples again,
(16:37):
and I I was just rotted.
But uh because I I hadn't seenhim in daylight in weeks at this
point.
Like he's been coming just thatdark or just before light in the
morning.
And uh fast forward a littlebit, I uh I slept in one morning
and I regret that.
He uh he showed up at the 30 allday.
(17:01):
Shooting light, like perfect.
And I was just I could notbelieve it.
I I turned up there, started toslip in, and I missed him by
about 10 minutes.
Oh just close.
He was he was there when I wasthere.
I know he was, but yeah, yeah,he was no good.
He he knew I was coming.
So I I took a night off, I thinkit was Friday night.
(17:22):
My family and me went up to therodeo there in uh Nova Scotia.
SPEAKER_02 (17:27):
Okay, yep.
SPEAKER_00 (17:28):
So that was pretty good.
We went up there and sure shit,he was out that night, same as
always.
And uh it kind of started tohappen where that whole week I
was missing him by about 10minutes.
Like I would come in, sit allnight, there'd be four bucks,
five bucks in the apples, andthen I'd flip out and ten
(17:48):
minutes would go by and he'dwalk in.
It was just like he knew me likeclockwork every single time.
Did not matter.
So I was just like, again, morefrustration, like you don't
know, like yeah, he he's on tome, right?
So I I switched up my the Fridayor the Saturday after the rodeo,
(18:09):
I switched it up.
I was like, I'm gonna come in adifferent way.
And I had uh some of thatsynthetic bucks then, yep.
And I sprayed that on my boots,and this is the first time I did
that.
Walked in Yeah, I came in adifferent way.
Okay and I came in a way thatthe deer were traveling more, I
suppose.
And uh yeah, it it was stillgood light, like uh it was
(18:34):
probably about 45 minutes beforedark, and he came cruising, just
the same exact way that I walkedin, he was following that.
And oh, just shaking man again.
I was like, this gotta be thechance, this gotta be it.
unknown (18:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:50):
And uh he he played red, light, green light the
whole way to the apples.
He would walk with two feet andthen just stop.
Look around.
And two feet, stop, look around.
And I was just like getting soantsy.
Uh I drew back on him and itlooked like he was gonna come
and he stopped.
And I I'm stuck in the tree now.
(19:11):
Drawback.
I I I had uh I had my phone setup and I was recording.
And uh I had I think I it wastwo minutes, I was holding draw
and I was like, I can't do it.
So I let off as slow as I could.
And uh he just kept I think mydraw weights around 70.
SPEAKER_01 (19:31):
Oh yeah, that's a that's a bit to hold back, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:34):
Well, I I was shaking so bad, I was like, I
gotta I gotta let it off.
There's no way.
So I uh I dropped it back andthen he he kept creeping up a
bit more.
And finally he got to an areawhere I was thinking like I
could try to float it throughthe trees, but it was just it's
it's kind of a little chunk ofhardwood and it's all softwoods
(19:56):
around me.
But there's a couple hardwoodtrees that are like just close
to my shooting lane, and he wasstanding right behind it, and I
was like, shit, should I floatit?
And I was like, No, he's coming.
So finally he took a step out,and now he's in the shooting
lane, but there's still a fewhardwoods just before you get to
the apples for me to have aclear spot.
So I drew back when he gotbehind the hardwoods, and he's
(20:19):
coming, he's coming, he'scoming, and then my camera
flashed.
And for some reason, he it'snever bothered him before, but
he saw that red glow from mytrail camera, yeah, and he did
not like it.
He just stopped right in histrack and then just started
backing up.
And he backed up.
I was I was like, Well, if Idon't shoot now, I'm not
(20:42):
shooting because he's he was onsomething.
So he took two steps back, andthere was a little opening, and
the opening wasn't more thanprobably 10 inches between these
hardwood trees, and I waited andI he just stepped back and I had
the shoulder and I was like,Well, fuck it.
So I sent it and uh I I hit him.
(21:05):
I hit him.
I didn't know how good I hit himat the time because again, it
was it's low light back therejust because of the timber that
I'm in.
So when I shot, it I knew itmade solid contact, but I could
see the there was definitely nota full pass through.
So I was kind of concerned,like, did I hit him in the
(21:25):
shoulder?
Couldn't really tell at thetime.
And I was more so focused onwatching and listening to see if
I could hear him go down or youknow, just see if he started
staggering, whatever.
And then uh yeah, then theshaking really started, and I
couldn't really believe it thatI I cut one loose on him.
So I, you know, I called Grant'sand I called uh called Ma, let
(21:46):
them know.
And uh yeah, I slipped out ofthere.
I went over and I just checkedto see, you know, in the
immediate area if there was anyblood, and if, you know, if I
clipped him good, but I did notwant to push him just in case.
So I uh I went over and therewas there's a birch tree right
next to where I hit him, and heturned and there was spray.
(22:06):
And I was like, Jesus, there'sno way I got him.
I was like, there's no way.
So I uh I slipped out and uh mytrail kind of connects to I
wouldn't say a walking trail,but it's definitely a trail
people kind of just eat throughthe woods on in there.
So the trail I use to slip intomy stand kind of meets at like a
(22:28):
just an intersection, right?
So I hang a left and go back outand sitting in the truck
waiting.
You know, my my grandfather,good family friend there, and
then uh my little cousin, theyall show up, but an hour goes
by.
So we start we start back inwith the flashlights and uh
yeah, we picked up blood and westarted trailing, and it looked
(22:50):
really good at first, and thenit just kind of got bad.
And I I've never really let deersit.
I've almost always been able tosee them go down in that.
SPEAKER_02 (23:00):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
So I kind of knew.
But uh, yeah, so I was thinking,fuck, did I let them sit too
long and have the blood's dryingup?
Because it's kind of mossybottom back there.
So we we end up just kind ofslow and steady.
We picked blood up here andthere, picked blood back up, and
then it got real good.
And uh we start me and uh thefamily friend there, we were
(23:23):
down pretty near on all fours,just crawling, looking for the
next patch, looking for the nextpatch.
And my granddad's like, holyshit, boys, he's standing behind
us with the flashlight, and hehe seen the fucking one side of
his rack just sticking up out ofthe out of the alders.
You know, it's like, oh my god.
So we all went over and yeah,no, it was definitely the uh it
(23:44):
was definitely the biggest yearof my life and probably ever
will be, but yeah, oh it's it'shuge.
SPEAKER_01 (23:49):
I mean, what a roller coaster.
I like how you took us throughthe whole, you know, all the
hunting, uh, the whole storyreally well.
And um, I mean, yeah, what aroller coaster.
But I mean that's the way it'sgotta be for tier like that.
It it it always seems to go thatway normally.
Sometimes you have flukes whereit's just good luck.
I mean, I I've been a part ofthat, but um, I mean, yeah, you
(24:10):
put in the work and you uhthat's a hell of a deer.
Did you end up getting himscored?
SPEAKER_00 (24:15):
Yes, I did.
So I'm planning on taking him tothe uh show here in March.
I know Boone and Crockett andPope and Young do go there.
But as far as um just get themkind of a rough idea, I took him
to Nunchucks, I think I'm sayingthat right.
It's a hunting store in EastHance, out that way in Nova
(24:39):
Scotia.
So um I took them out there andthey taped them, and I got I
think I got I taped them at homeand I got roughly the same
numbers, but it I wanted to makesure it was 158 and 28 inches,
or four eighths inches, sorry.
And uh his inside spread wastwenty-four and two eighths
inches.
(25:00):
Yeah, no.
Yeah, he's pretty solid deer.
SPEAKER_01 (25:04):
I mean, yeah, you gotta wonder how he was getting
through the woods so well withyou know a big wide rack like
that.
I mean, there's a lot of there'smoves taken that aren't that
wide.
SPEAKER_00 (25:12):
Yeah, no, he was uh he was wide, yeah.
Yeah.
That was and that is the samething last year.
Like, you know, I my first deerI ever got, I got lucky, it was
an 11-pointer.
And he was a beautiful deer,like 195 pounds, dressed, like
nice animal.
SPEAKER_02 (25:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:28):
It was just luck, but this thing was like you
could fit that rack inside ofhis last year.
SPEAKER_02 (25:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:34):
And I was just like, yeah, no.
He's uh he's a special deer,very special.
SPEAKER_01 (25:39):
Oh, absolutely.
So uh just curious when you'retalking, what is your uh your
bow setup?
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Uh I run a Hoyt Torex.
So I run a Hoyt Torex with anHHA site, single pin.
Um, yeah, I I think I'm running350 grain arrows.
And I run uh I think I shot themwith rage hypodermic rod heads.
SPEAKER_01 (26:03):
Okay, yeah, I I use those ones.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:05):
Yeah.
No, that listen, them things areif you ever are iffy about
mechanicals, I'm telling you,like I I used to run a fixed
blade and I can't say I'll evergo back.
Uh I know there's you know,there's obviously the risk of
you know something going wrong,but your bow could also explode
when you pull back.
(26:26):
You never know.
That's a good way to put it.
You gotta chance it, but themthings like the hole that went
in it, because I I never evengot a complete passer.
It it never the arrow neverpunctured the other side.
SPEAKER_01 (26:38):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (26:39):
So yeah, it w it was really strange how that happened
because it we I mean it was 17yards, like it wasn't a fast
shot, and it the hole that I putin him on one side was I'm gonna
say it was three inches, justthe way it hit him.
Yeah, like it must have cut morehigh than what the actual
broadheads were.
They're two inch cut, and Ithink they were 100 grain.
(27:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, probably, yeah.
Yeah, no, it yeah.
Just worked out.
Yeah, that's all I can say.
SPEAKER_01 (27:08):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, those rage ones, uh, even though
they are mechanical, they aredesigned that I mean it it's
gotta be quite a uh fluke forthem to not open just the way
they're designed.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (27:20):
Yeah, yeah.
No, they're they're quality.
I I've only shot rage as far asmechanical goes, so I haven't
really explored other, but uh,I'm not changing it.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:32):
Yeah, exactly.
Um so I mean what what's nextfor you now?
Like uh you're not gonna try totop that area or oh well I got
nothing to top it with.
SPEAKER_00 (27:42):
Um I got I got a few other spots.
Um I'm I got out of that areathat I was in.
Um like I said, there was otherhunters in there probably within
three kilometers of me.
But you know, same thing.
They were hunting chunks aroundthe piece.
And um one guy actually messagedme on Facebook the night that I
(28:07):
made the post, and he uh he saidyou beat me to him, and he sent
me a photo of him, and I wasjust like, damn.
Yeah, I I got pretty lucky.
I got pretty lucky.
SPEAKER_01 (28:16):
Yeah.
I mean, well, you you did youluck, but you also, you know,
you put your time in and stuffand we're scouting and
everything.
And I mean, yeah, it just allcame together.
But I mean, at 19 to get a deerlike that, that's uh yeah,
that's impressive.
And it the fact that you got italso with a bow, not not a
crossbow, but a compound bow,you know, that's that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
Yeah, no, it was definitely pretty special.
I uh I put a lot of time in withit.
I I try to get as accurate as Ican.
I mean, I I I just don't want tomake a bad shot, I guess.
I know it happens to every bowhunter at some point, and I've
missed before.
So I like I've grazed them, likejust looked like somebody
(28:56):
exploded a bag of uh a pillow inthe in the field.
It's just white fur.
Like, yeah, you know, I ithappens to everybody, but uh I
definitely knew if I was gonnaget a crack out of him, it was
probably gonna be one, so I hadto be had to be shared.
Yeah.
But yeah, you know, I I ain'tgot much now.
My little cousin there.
He uh he just took up hunting,so we're uh we're really trying
(29:19):
to get him get him a buck here.
So I've been I've been on thatwith him for the last probably
three weeks, steady.
He's been giving up as much timeas he can to come.
So yeah, we're waiting on a it'sa smaller eight pointer, but
it's uh it's big body deer.
So you get to crack at them.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
Do you think I mean the deer there y you said that
they grow so big 'cause it is abit harder to access and stuff,
but I mean, uh there must besome good minerals in the there,
like what they're eating andthings like that to grow the
bodies in the racks that theydo.
Good genetics.
SPEAKER_00 (29:54):
Yeah, like I I don't I don't know about many other
places.
Like I I don't we don't have acamp or nothing like that, so we
don't go hunting really far.
We pretty much are just withinHRM.
unknown (30:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:08):
So we're hunting, which is Televised Regional
Municipality in Nova Scotia.
Um but we're pretty we're prettymuch confined to this area.
So the deer around here atleast, like it's tricky because
if you get a a spot like whereI'm from in Cal Bay, there's so
much hunting pressure now that Ifind that deer don't have a
(30:29):
chance to get that big.
Yeah.
If that makes it it's just likethere's not many people that are
gonna let deer walk, I guess.
So it doesn't matter if it's aspike corner or if they get
lucky and they see a 12-pointer,it's hitting the dirt, right?
So it's it's kind of hard.
If you get a nice deer oncamera, you you just never know
what's gonna happen.
But the area I was in, thegenetics in there are absolutely
(30:51):
insane.
Like just world class, I wouldsay.
But they have the opportunity toget that dig because there's no
hunting.
So it's just kind of hope thatthey come come outside of this
area.
But uh, yeah, no.
I I think as far as the provinceis considered in New Brunswick
(31:14):
too, like my grandfather, he'sfrom uh Maramachi.
SPEAKER_02 (31:18):
Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
And he shot a 150, 150 inch deer in in Maramachi,
and that was the deer dressed250 pounds.
Wow.
Yeah, they huge.
Yeah, they had uh a biologistcome down from the Dan Arctic.
My granddad never seen somethinglike that.
So that was that was a prettybig one.
And like same thing, right?
(31:39):
It's just rugged country.
It's yeah, there's most of theones that we hunt, if the if
they're any size to them,they're they're pretty tucked
away.
They don't they don't come outthey don't come out to play too
much anywhere other than wherethey're safe.
Yeah.
And they know that.
So it it's just kind of hopethat they make a mistake,
really.
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
Yeah, and dude, did you happen to did anyone tell
you how old they thought thedeer your deer was, like with
through the teeth?
Did anyone roughly age it?
SPEAKER_00 (32:09):
So I went again at Nunchuck's there, the hunting
store.
Yep.
They uh they do tax derby too.
So the lady there that does allthe tax derby work, she was
actually there and she came overand was talking about the deer,
and I had his head still intactwhen they scored him.
So she was feeling his teeth andthat and having a look at him.
(32:30):
But uh she roughly aged him atabout three and a half.
Really?
Yeah, yeah.
Wow.
Yeah, young.
That's that's the first thingBuddy said, like after he got
done scoring it, and said, Man,like obviously you can't, like,
I would never in a million yearsconsider letting that deer walk.
But he said, if you did, man,like he could have been 180 next
(32:52):
year.
Like you just never know.
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
Wow, you think he was out they thought he was that
young, eh?
Wow, because that's yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:59):
His teeth were not that warm.
Yeah, they really weren't.
Like, I I've had I took um wellmy first deer, 11 pointer, he he
was a big deer, like he was asolid deer.
And uh I we took that jawboneinto the DNR office, and they uh
they the lady there, shecompared it on the wall and she
(33:20):
said that's two and a half.
And I couldn't believe it.
Like my grandfather said thatain't right.
He said he said that's notthere's no way.
And uh then another one comeout, game board and come out and
he said the same thing.
That's 100%, yeah.
But it just goes to show, like,I I've I don't even think I've
ever seen a six-year-old deer ifthat's the case, because like
(33:40):
they're just so hard to come by,I find.
Yeah.
At least in this area of theprovince.
And I'm not sure, I'm not toosure what New Brunswick's like
as far as that goes, but we wedo get some older ones, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:50):
They they seem to be, I mean, it's quite spread
out in spots.
And um, yeah, that we do getsome older ones here and there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (33:58):
Yeah, same.
Like there there is some, andyou can kind of just tell by the
you know, the color of the hideand that, but yeah, it it is I
I've never had a crack at onethat big, and yeah.
That's all, just just lucky.
That's that's all I can say.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
Yeah, well, I mean, lucky and and you put some work
in.
Um yeah, what what an incredibledeer.
Uh, you know, Drew, I can'tthank you enough for coming on
the podcast.
And like I said, when I as soonas I saw that deer, I was like,
I've got to reach out to him andand find out the story on that
because that's that's prettyneat.
So I'm really glad you're ableto come on and share your story.
SPEAKER_00 (34:32):
Listen, thanks a lot for having me.
I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (34:36):
Anytime, and uh I got a feeling I'll be talking to
you again about uh some moredeer because from the stands of
it you've learned and and uhwhere you're at.
So I I don't think this is yourlast big buck by any means.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
Hopefully, I got a I got one on camera back in that
same spot, but uh I decided hewas gonna get the pass this
year.
And uh hopefully next year he'llcome back with something bigger.
So we'll see then.
SPEAKER_02 (34:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:58):
All right, I'll be talking to you.
Yes, sir.
Take care.
Thanks again.
I don't think a lot of people know that you might
not think of four big boxes.
And it's confident.
Feel free to share folks withthose that you know.
(01:21):
And great stories.
Or just for instance, you canemail links.com.
Or you can find us on Facebook.
Or feel free to reach out andgreat talking with Facebook.
(01:50):
I mean, uh I saw I came across abuck on Facebook and I saw how
big he is, and I was like,there's no way he just happened
to, you know, be walking in afield.
Oh, there's a deer shooting, andthen realized like, oh wow, I
got a huge buck.
I mean, just looking at thedeer, I was like, this guy's got
some history with him.
He's had to.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah, no.
So uh I um it was actually anarea that you know ever since I
was a kid, you'd kind of driveby and you'd you'd always see
giants, but there's never reallya spot that I considered hunting
just because it's it's prettyurban.
It's in uh I call them a citybuck.
SPEAKER_01 (02:29):
Yep.
So Well Drew, if I could just ifI could just back up just a
little bit before we get intothe story.
I'm excited to get to know thebuck and how you got to know
him, but first, uh can we get toknow you a little?
Where uh where are you livingand and all that?
SPEAKER_00 (02:43):
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Um I'm from uh Cowbay, NovaScotia.
So born and raised.
Um yeah, uh yeah, I spent uhspent a lot of time hunting
around here, and you know, withmy granddad, we're he's from
here, lived here his whole life,so we've uh spent quite a bit of
(03:03):
time in the woods around hereand you know, trying to get some
big ones, but this is definitelymy biggest by a mile.
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Yeah.
Well, do you do you find thatNova Scotia, I mean, people
think of when they think ofCanadian deer hunting, they
think Alberta, they thinkSaskatchewan and stuff.
Do you think Nova Scotia's alittle bit of a sleeper province
in the fact that with the allthe agriculture land and woods
there, I mean, there's some bigbucks.
SPEAKER_00 (03:28):
Oh, no doubt, man.
There's there's big deereverywhere.
It's just sometimes they're hardto find.
And I I've seen today, uh, therewas a I think it was a couple
days ago now, it was a giantkilled up in New Brunswick.
SPEAKER_01 (03:41):
Yeah, giant.
We've got some big ones toohere, yeah, where I'm at New
Brunswick, absolutely.
I mean, the the Atlanticprovinces, one New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, obviously not PEIin in Newfoundland.
I mean, yeah, there's there'sbig deer here.
Uh not maybe not the amount assome of the western provinces,
but definitely the same we havea lot of the same caliber deer
(04:02):
of like just massive.
SPEAKER_00 (04:04):
Yeah, it's just just harder to come by, that's all.
SPEAKER_01 (04:07):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:08):
Um much sweeter.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
Yeah.
So have you been hunting?
I mean, how long have you beenhunting for?
Probably your whole life, I'mguessing.
SPEAKER_00 (04:15):
Uh yeah, I've been hunting since I was twelve,
twelve, thirteen.
That's when I first startedhunting.
I'm 19 now, so I've been at herquite a bit.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
You're only 19, you got a deer like that.
unknown (04:27):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (04:27):
Yes, sir, yeah.
Yeah, no, very fortunate.
But uh yeah, nope.
Just kind of fell into place atthe right time, and yeah, I was
I was able to take them.
SPEAKER_01 (04:39):
Yeah, so all right.
Um, yeah, let's let's gothrough.
Let's go through this massivedeer that you got.
I mean, just that you said youhad some history with them.
When did you kind of first comeacross them?
And sorry, before I cut you off,you're talking too about so a
bit of the area that you huntin.
SPEAKER_00 (04:54):
Yeah, well, I uh again, it was just a just an
area where you'd always seegiant deer.
Like I I've seen deer biggerthan him by a mile in this area.
And wow he uh yeah, so it wasit's it's kind of a tricky spot
because it like I said, it's acity area, so it's there's
(05:15):
really not much access to it, ifthat makes any sense.
So you're kind of looking forchunks of woods around it.
And uh there is public landaround it, so I you know, get
out the the maps on the phoneand just start looking, see, you
know, what looks good, whatlooks huntable, and uh also
trying to stay withinregulations, right?
(05:36):
200 meters from a from a houseor from a road or whatever.
So the only way to hunt thisarea was bow hunt, and that's
something I was kind of I'vebeen getting more into bow
hunting over the last coupleyears anyway, so I was I'm
pretty comfortable with the bow.
But uh yeah, so I went in Ithink it was the start, very
start of last season.
(05:57):
I did a lot of scouting leadingup to it, and uh I just happened
to go in and check out thispiece of property, and uh yeah,
I just walking through, and thetricky part about this land was
I had no experience with it, soI had no clue who was also in
here, who wasn't.
But uh the very first day I drugin some apples, I drug in trail
(06:21):
camera, and all that, and I setit all up, and a lady come
walking through with a hundredand twenty-pound Saint Bernard,
and I was like, Oh god, here wego.
Yeah so that deer that deer camein, hit that, hit them apples
the first night, about threehours after that Saint Bernard
was there, which absolutelyshocked me.
(06:43):
But that was the firstexperience I had with him.
He was uh he was aneight-pointer then, real wide
rack.
He was a nice deer, but yeah, Iuh I hunted him hard that year,
all through uh October, allthrough November, and I got I
was getting photos of him, andit was kind of wishy-washy, like
(07:03):
he kind of showed up randomtimes.
He did daylight some, but it wasreally hard to catch him.
And I think it was it was aroundHalloween when I got I was in
there and he come he camethrough and I heard him coming.
I I had a ground line set up anduh I heard him coming and I was
(07:23):
100% gonna take him.
He was he would have been one ofmy biggest to date.
And uh he popped out and I wasexpecting it the way it sounded,
it sounded like multiple beercoming.
And I had head does, and I I hadabout five different bucks on
camera, and they would all kindof come out together.
So I uh I I didn't prepare likeI should have.
(07:44):
I should have had the ball upready to go, and I seen him pop
his head around a tree, and Iwas like, oh.
And he just locked eyes with me.
And that was that was it.
He he knew I was there and hejust kept on walking.
And then I missed him, missedthe opportunity.
He didn't show up um at all.
That was it.
He was gone.
And I ended up finding out thathe was on camera over four
(08:08):
kilometers away at a friend ofmine's stand.
And I was just shocked.
I couldn't believe the amount ofdistance he put behind him
during the run.
And I was just like, well, theregoes my chances at him.
Yeah.
So I I figured he that yeardidn't make it through the
season.
And uh I went in this year,started in started in July,
(08:34):
because I I figured there'd beif it wasn't him, I figured
there'd be another one in there.
And uh, you know, first week itwas kind of slow.
Just they were kind of figuringit out that, you know, come back
through this area.
And uh anyway, I had a photo ofthis buck and I was like, Oh my
lord.
And it was uh he was in velvetand he was just this I just I
(08:58):
had the first photo I got ofhim, he had it was just uh it
was the left side of his rackand it was seven points that I
could count and I was like, ohmy god.
Yeah.
So then the chase started thereand I just kept bringing the
corn back, hoping, hoping.
And then um I think it was itwas August and he was coming
(09:20):
pretty consistent.
I had a spot there where hedisappeared for 20 days, and
that scared me because there's apretty big highway not too far.
And I was just getting startingto get worried, like maybe,
maybe he wandered out when heshouldn't have.
But um he broke that streak andthen they shot the woods down.
(09:40):
And I was absolutely terrified.
SPEAKER_01 (09:44):
So if we could just so there's people from listening
all over.
So just to uh yeah, so the woodsbeing shut down.
So in Nova Scotia this year andNew Brunswick, it got brutal
dry.
I mean, we hadn't had anysignificant rain in what,
probably a month, month and ahalf almost.
Yeah, so the the province thereand here, uh part of it here had
(10:07):
decided to shut down the woods.
No one's allowed in, like nowalking, four-wheeling, nothing.
So yeah, just to give a littlecontext into that.
Um so that must have uh justbeen at home, just kind of going
a little stir crazy where you'rejust wondering like, oh, I'd
like to be out there doingcameras and you know, yeah,
blinds and everything.
(10:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:29):
100%, right?
And I was that was it really.
Like I I I had all my chips inon that deer.
I I have other spots like mygrandfather's got a big chunk of
land in Cow Bay, and my family,we do a lot of hunting on that
land, but uh we haven't had weit's been pretty slow.
There's quite a bit of huntersin the area now, right?
(10:50):
And it's hard to let deer walknow, I guess, to let them get
that big.
But uh so we haven't had muchcoming through there, and I knew
this would be definitely thebest chance I had at getting the
getting a nice one.
So I I had put all my chips inand then yeah, they shut the
woods down, and that was thatwas pretty hard.
(11:12):
Uh you know, it was for a goodcause, so I I got it, but it was
it was tough because I was justyeah, losing losing quite a bit
of sleep over that one.
SPEAKER_02 (11:20):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:22):
But uh eventually they come around there and they
they opened her up just for HRM.
And I was like, well, this isgolden ticket here.
So I got back in and uh as theas it got closer to the season,
typical he he was holding hisvelvet actually for a long time.
(11:42):
He held it up until about threeor four days before the season
opened.
And he started to get just likehe was last year, he'd come
through once every three days,maybe twice in that time span,
but it was usually around athree-day cycle that he would
come through, and I kind of hada feeling that he wasn't living
on the area I was in.
(12:02):
Yep.
But I figured the amount that hewas coming through was probably
the best I was gonna get.
And it drove me nuts.
Like I wanted to go out and domore scouting and try to find
another spot, but I was like, Ihaven't had any people walking
through because it is publicland.
I haven't had any stuff likethat on camera yet, so I'm just
(12:23):
gonna stick it out.
And I uh I finally got in thereopening day, and again, it was
just the battle kept going,right?
Like he he I went through acouple spots there where it was,
you know, it would get longer, aweek maybe, didn't see him, and
now I'm just worried.
Like I had no clue who else washunting in this area.
(12:45):
As far as I could tell, rightaround me, probably a kilometer
radius, there wasn't anybody.
But uh come to find out later,there was the three other guys
that had this deer camera and indaylight.
And yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:00):
So did this just deer be start become, I mean,
the size of him, he might havebeen a little well more well
known than you thought, and I'msure you found that out after.
Was he becoming a bit of a locallegend?
SPEAKER_00 (13:12):
Uh ye he was with the guys that knew about him,
right?
I kept it here pretty quiet.
I never told I never told manypeople about him just because I
don't know, you know, you knowhow people are, right?
But yeah.
They can ruin something prettyquick for you.
So I I kept it pretty quiet.
A couple of my buddies knew andfamily knew, but other than
that, it was pretty hush-hush.
But uh again, every this areaholds deer that are like I I
(13:37):
would consider like world class.
Like I've seen deer with doubledrop times, I've seen deer with
just just the craziest rocks youyou can imagine.
Twin eight points that justgiant.
Like you'd see them at the sametime.
It did not matter.
It yeah, and it's justinaccessible land, just can't
hunt there.
Right.
So anyway, working around that,he he got less less consistent
(14:03):
as the season progressed.
And then I think it was like itwas probably like I had multiple
bucks coming that were nice tohear.
I think they'll have potential,but they just weren't weren't
him, so I I I bit the bullet andpassed quite a few of them.
But uh again, I was juststarting to get more and more
(14:23):
worried, like, is this justgonna turn out to be n the same
thing that happened last year?
He'll disappear before I get acrack at him.
But uh, I think it was September17th.
He uh I was I was in the stand,same as always.
I like to hunt the afternoonsback there.
I just found there was a lotmore action.
(14:43):
But uh I had a young buck comeout.
I've seen this buck probablythree to four times now, and uh
he was in the apples, and theway it was set up, I got one
shooting lane and straight infront of me.
And the furthest I could get is17 yards.
That's that's the best I couldhave gotten.
I would rather like 25-ish, butI just couldn't get it.
(15:04):
So he dropped what he was doingand just started staring past
me.
And at this point, I had not hada deer come from behind me in
this entire two years that I washunting.
Right.
And I thought I heard something,but I didn't want to turn
because he was looking in mydirection.
(15:26):
But he just left the apples,left everything he was doing,
and just started walking on arope behind me.
Walked right past the treestand, and I just turned my head
and I see him coming.
He's just tucked behind adownfall, and I can see the rat
going, and I was just shakingstarted, and I was like, oh my
lord.
So he came out and he he knewsomething was up.
(15:52):
He walked over to the trail Icome in on, he kept going
towards the apples, staying inthe timber on my left side.
Then he button hooked back once.
So now he goes back to where hestarted.
I'm watching him this wholetime, just shaking.
Anyway, he turns around andcomes back, and I was just
thinking, this is it.
I'm gonna get a crack at him.
Yeah.
(16:12):
And he then he just buttonhooked back again before he even
comes into the apples and gone.
Just walked away.
Now I was just rotted.
Like I couldn't believe it.
I was like, that was my chance,and that was it.
That's that's all I'm gettingfor the year.
So I uh I waited till dark,slipped out of there.
And uh yeah, he he was back thatnight, he hit the apples again,
(16:37):
and I I was just rotted.
But uh because I I hadn't seenhim in daylight in weeks at this
point.
Like he's been coming just thatdark or just before light in the
morning.
And uh fast forward a littlebit, I uh I slept in one morning
and I regret that.
He uh he showed up at the 30 allday.
(17:01):
Shooting light, like perfect.
And I was just I could notbelieve it.
I I turned up there, started toslip in, and I missed him by
about 10 minutes.
Oh just close.
He was he was there when I wasthere.
I know he was, but yeah, yeah,he was no good.
He he knew I was coming.
So I I took a night off, I thinkit was Friday night.
(17:22):
My family and me went up to therodeo there in uh Nova Scotia.
SPEAKER_02 (17:27):
Okay, yep.
SPEAKER_00 (17:28):
So that was pretty good.
We went up there and sure shit,he was out that night, same as
always.
And uh it kind of started tohappen where that whole week I
was missing him by about 10minutes.
Like I would come in, sit allnight, there'd be four bucks,
five bucks in the apples, andthen I'd flip out and ten
(17:48):
minutes would go by and he'dwalk in.
It was just like he knew me likeclockwork every single time.
Did not matter.
So I was just like, again, morefrustration, like you don't
know, like yeah, he he's on tome, right?
So I I switched up my the Fridayor the Saturday after the rodeo,
(18:09):
I switched it up.
I was like, I'm gonna come in adifferent way.
And I had uh some of thatsynthetic bucks then, yep.
And I sprayed that on my boots,and this is the first time I did
that.
Walked in Yeah, I came in adifferent way.
Okay and I came in a way thatthe deer were traveling more, I
suppose.
And uh yeah, it it was stillgood light, like uh it was
(18:34):
probably about 45 minutes beforedark, and he came cruising, just
the same exact way that I walkedin, he was following that.
And oh, just shaking man again.
I was like, this gotta be thechance, this gotta be it.
unknown (18:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:50):
And uh he he played red, light, green light the
whole way to the apples.
He would walk with two feet andthen just stop.
Look around.
And two feet, stop, look around.
And I was just like getting soantsy.
Uh I drew back on him and itlooked like he was gonna come
and he stopped.
And I I'm stuck in the tree now.
(19:11):
Drawback.
I I I had uh I had my phone setup and I was recording.
And uh I had I think I it wastwo minutes, I was holding draw
and I was like, I can't do it.
So I let off as slow as I could.
And uh he just kept I think mydraw weights around 70.
SPEAKER_01 (19:31):
Oh yeah, that's a that's a bit to hold back, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:34):
Well, I I was shaking so bad, I was like, I
gotta I gotta let it off.
There's no way.
So I uh I dropped it back andthen he he kept creeping up a
bit more.
And finally he got to an areawhere I was thinking like I
could try to float it throughthe trees, but it was just it's
it's kind of a little chunk ofhardwood and it's all softwoods
(19:56):
around me.
But there's a couple hardwoodtrees that are like just close
to my shooting lane, and he wasstanding right behind it, and I
was like, shit, should I floatit?
And I was like, No, he's coming.
So finally he took a step out,and now he's in the shooting
lane, but there's still a fewhardwoods just before you get to
the apples for me to have aclear spot.
So I drew back when he gotbehind the hardwoods, and he's
(20:19):
coming, he's coming, he'scoming, and then my camera
flashed.
And for some reason, he it'snever bothered him before, but
he saw that red glow from mytrail camera, yeah, and he did
not like it.
He just stopped right in histrack and then just started
backing up.
And he backed up.
I was I was like, Well, if Idon't shoot now, I'm not
(20:42):
shooting because he's he was onsomething.
So he took two steps back, andthere was a little opening, and
the opening wasn't more thanprobably 10 inches between these
hardwood trees, and I waited andI he just stepped back and I had
the shoulder and I was like,Well, fuck it.
So I sent it and uh I I hit him.
(21:05):
I hit him.
I didn't know how good I hit himat the time because again, it
was it's low light back therejust because of the timber that
I'm in.
So when I shot, it I knew itmade solid contact, but I could
see the there was definitely nota full pass through.
So I was kind of concerned,like, did I hit him in the
(21:25):
shoulder?
Couldn't really tell at thetime.
And I was more so focused onwatching and listening to see if
I could hear him go down or youknow, just see if he started
staggering, whatever.
And then uh yeah, then theshaking really started, and I
couldn't really believe it thatI I cut one loose on him.
So I, you know, I called Grant'sand I called uh called Ma, let
(21:46):
them know.
And uh yeah, I slipped out ofthere.
I went over and I just checkedto see, you know, in the
immediate area if there was anyblood, and if, you know, if I
clipped him good, but I did notwant to push him just in case.
So I uh I went over and therewas there's a birch tree right
next to where I hit him, and heturned and there was spray.
(22:06):
And I was like, Jesus, there'sno way I got him.
I was like, there's no way.
So I uh I slipped out and uh mytrail kind of connects to I
wouldn't say a walking trail,but it's definitely a trail
people kind of just eat throughthe woods on in there.
So the trail I use to slip intomy stand kind of meets at like a
(22:28):
just an intersection, right?
So I hang a left and go back outand sitting in the truck
waiting.
You know, my my grandfather,good family friend there, and
then uh my little cousin, theyall show up, but an hour goes
by.
So we start we start back inwith the flashlights and uh
yeah, we picked up blood and westarted trailing, and it looked
(22:50):
really good at first, and thenit just kind of got bad.
And I I've never really let deersit.
I've almost always been able tosee them go down in that.
SPEAKER_02 (23:00):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
So I kind of knew.
But uh, yeah, so I was thinking,fuck, did I let them sit too
long and have the blood's dryingup?
Because it's kind of mossybottom back there.
So we we end up just kind ofslow and steady.
We picked blood up here andthere, picked blood back up, and
then it got real good.
And uh we start me and uh thefamily friend there, we were
(23:23):
down pretty near on all fours,just crawling, looking for the
next patch, looking for the nextpatch.
And my granddad's like, holyshit, boys, he's standing behind
us with the flashlight, and hehe seen the fucking one side of
his rack just sticking up out ofthe out of the alders.
You know, it's like, oh my god.
So we all went over and yeah,no, it was definitely the uh it
(23:44):
was definitely the biggest yearof my life and probably ever
will be, but yeah, oh it's it'shuge.
SPEAKER_01 (23:49):
I mean, what a roller coaster.
I like how you took us throughthe whole, you know, all the
hunting, uh, the whole storyreally well.
And um, I mean, yeah, what aroller coaster.
But I mean that's the way it'sgotta be for tier like that.
It it it always seems to go thatway normally.
Sometimes you have flukes whereit's just good luck.
I mean, I I've been a part ofthat, but um, I mean, yeah, you
(24:10):
put in the work and you uhthat's a hell of a deer.
Did you end up getting himscored?
SPEAKER_00 (24:15):
Yes, I did.
So I'm planning on taking him tothe uh show here in March.
I know Boone and Crockett andPope and Young do go there.
But as far as um just get themkind of a rough idea, I took him
to Nunchucks, I think I'm sayingthat right.
It's a hunting store in EastHance, out that way in Nova
(24:39):
Scotia.
So um I took them out there andthey taped them, and I got I
think I got I taped them at homeand I got roughly the same
numbers, but it I wanted to makesure it was 158 and 28 inches,
or four eighths inches, sorry.
And uh his inside spread wastwenty-four and two eighths
inches.
(25:00):
Yeah, no.
Yeah, he's pretty solid deer.
SPEAKER_01 (25:04):
I mean, yeah, you gotta wonder how he was getting
through the woods so well withyou know a big wide rack like
that.
I mean, there's a lot of there'smoves taken that aren't that
wide.
SPEAKER_00 (25:12):
Yeah, no, he was uh he was wide, yeah.
Yeah.
That was and that is the samething last year.
Like, you know, I my first deerI ever got, I got lucky, it was
an 11-pointer.
And he was a beautiful deer,like 195 pounds, dressed, like
nice animal.
SPEAKER_02 (25:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:28):
It was just luck, but this thing was like you
could fit that rack inside ofhis last year.
SPEAKER_02 (25:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:34):
And I was just like, yeah, no.
He's uh he's a special deer,very special.
SPEAKER_01 (25:39):
Oh, absolutely.
So uh just curious when you'retalking, what is your uh your
bow setup?
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Uh I run a Hoyt Torex.
So I run a Hoyt Torex with anHHA site, single pin.
Um, yeah, I I think I'm running350 grain arrows.
And I run uh I think I shot themwith rage hypodermic rod heads.
SPEAKER_01 (26:03):
Okay, yeah, I I use those ones.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:05):
Yeah.
No, that listen, them things areif you ever are iffy about
mechanicals, I'm telling you,like I I used to run a fixed
blade and I can't say I'll evergo back.
Uh I know there's you know,there's obviously the risk of
you know something going wrong,but your bow could also explode
when you pull back.
(26:26):
You never know.
That's a good way to put it.
You gotta chance it, but themthings like the hole that went
in it, because I I never evengot a complete passer.
It it never the arrow neverpunctured the other side.
SPEAKER_01 (26:38):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (26:39):
So yeah, it w it was really strange how that happened
because it we I mean it was 17yards, like it wasn't a fast
shot, and it the hole that I putin him on one side was I'm gonna
say it was three inches, justthe way it hit him.
Yeah, like it must have cut morehigh than what the actual
broadheads were.
They're two inch cut, and Ithink they were 100 grain.
(27:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, probably, yeah.
Yeah, no, it yeah.
Just worked out.
Yeah, that's all I can say.
SPEAKER_01 (27:08):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, those rage ones, uh, even though
they are mechanical, they aredesigned that I mean it it's
gotta be quite a uh fluke forthem to not open just the way
they're designed.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (27:20):
Yeah, yeah.
No, they're they're quality.
I I've only shot rage as far asmechanical goes, so I haven't
really explored other, but uh,I'm not changing it.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:32):
Yeah, exactly.
Um so I mean what what's nextfor you now?
Like uh you're not gonna try totop that area or oh well I got
nothing to top it with.
SPEAKER_00 (27:42):
Um I got I got a few other spots.
Um I'm I got out of that areathat I was in.
Um like I said, there was otherhunters in there probably within
three kilometers of me.
But you know, same thing.
They were hunting chunks aroundthe piece.
And um one guy actually messagedme on Facebook the night that I
(28:07):
made the post, and he uh he saidyou beat me to him, and he sent
me a photo of him, and I wasjust like, damn.
Yeah, I I got pretty lucky.
I got pretty lucky.
SPEAKER_01 (28:16):
Yeah.
I mean, well, you you did youluck, but you also, you know,
you put your time in and stuffand we're scouting and
everything.
And I mean, yeah, it just allcame together.
But I mean, at 19 to get a deerlike that, that's uh yeah,
that's impressive.
And it the fact that you got italso with a bow, not not a
crossbow, but a compound bow,you know, that's that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
Yeah, no, it was definitely pretty special.
I uh I put a lot of time in withit.
I I try to get as accurate as Ican.
I mean, I I I just don't want tomake a bad shot, I guess.
I know it happens to every bowhunter at some point, and I've
missed before.
So I like I've grazed them, likejust looked like somebody
(28:56):
exploded a bag of uh a pillow inthe in the field.
It's just white fur.
Like, yeah, you know, I ithappens to everybody, but uh I
definitely knew if I was gonnaget a crack out of him, it was
probably gonna be one, so I hadto be had to be shared.
Yeah.
But yeah, you know, I I ain'tgot much now.
My little cousin there.
He uh he just took up hunting,so we're uh we're really trying
(29:19):
to get him get him a buck here.
So I've been I've been on thatwith him for the last probably
three weeks, steady.
He's been giving up as much timeas he can to come.
So yeah, we're waiting on a it'sa smaller eight pointer, but
it's uh it's big body deer.
So you get to crack at them.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
Do you think I mean the deer there y you said that
they grow so big 'cause it is abit harder to access and stuff,
but I mean, uh there must besome good minerals in the there,
like what they're eating andthings like that to grow the
bodies in the racks that theydo.
Good genetics.
SPEAKER_00 (29:54):
Yeah, like I I don't I don't know about many other
places.
Like I I don't we don't have acamp or nothing like that, so we
don't go hunting really far.
We pretty much are just withinHRM.
unknown (30:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:08):
So we're hunting, which is Televised Regional
Municipality in Nova Scotia.
Um but we're pretty we're prettymuch confined to this area.
So the deer around here atleast, like it's tricky because
if you get a a spot like whereI'm from in Cal Bay, there's so
much hunting pressure now that Ifind that deer don't have a
(30:29):
chance to get that big.
Yeah.
If that makes it it's just likethere's not many people that are
gonna let deer walk, I guess.
So it doesn't matter if it's aspike corner or if they get
lucky and they see a 12-pointer,it's hitting the dirt, right?
So it's it's kind of hard.
If you get a nice deer oncamera, you you just never know
what's gonna happen.
But the area I was in, thegenetics in there are absolutely
(30:51):
insane.
Like just world class, I wouldsay.
But they have the opportunity toget that dig because there's no
hunting.
So it's just kind of hope thatthey come come outside of this
area.
But uh, yeah, no.
I I think as far as the provinceis considered in New Brunswick
(31:14):
too, like my grandfather, he'sfrom uh Maramachi.
SPEAKER_02 (31:18):
Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
And he shot a 150, 150 inch deer in in Maramachi,
and that was the deer dressed250 pounds.
Wow.
Yeah, they huge.
Yeah, they had uh a biologistcome down from the Dan Arctic.
My granddad never seen somethinglike that.
So that was that was a prettybig one.
And like same thing, right?
(31:39):
It's just rugged country.
It's yeah, there's most of theones that we hunt, if the if
they're any size to them,they're they're pretty tucked
away.
They don't they don't come outthey don't come out to play too
much anywhere other than wherethey're safe.
Yeah.
And they know that.
So it it's just kind of hopethat they make a mistake,
really.
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
Yeah, and dude, did you happen to did anyone tell
you how old they thought thedeer your deer was, like with
through the teeth?
Did anyone roughly age it?
SPEAKER_00 (32:09):
So I went again at Nunchuck's there, the hunting
store.
Yep.
They uh they do tax derby too.
So the lady there that does allthe tax derby work, she was
actually there and she came overand was talking about the deer,
and I had his head still intactwhen they scored him.
So she was feeling his teeth andthat and having a look at him.
(32:30):
But uh she roughly aged him atabout three and a half.
Really?
Yeah, yeah.
Wow.
Yeah, young.
That's that's the first thingBuddy said, like after he got
done scoring it, and said, Man,like obviously you can't, like,
I would never in a million yearsconsider letting that deer walk.
But he said, if you did, man,like he could have been 180 next
(32:52):
year.
Like you just never know.
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
Wow, you think he was out they thought he was that
young, eh?
Wow, because that's yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:59):
His teeth were not that warm.
Yeah, they really weren't.
Like, I I've had I took um wellmy first deer, 11 pointer, he he
was a big deer, like he was asolid deer.
And uh I we took that jawboneinto the DNR office, and they uh
they the lady there, shecompared it on the wall and she
(33:20):
said that's two and a half.
And I couldn't believe it.
Like my grandfather said thatain't right.
He said he said that's notthere's no way.
And uh then another one comeout, game board and come out and
he said the same thing.
That's 100%, yeah.
But it just goes to show, like,I I've I don't even think I've
ever seen a six-year-old deer ifthat's the case, because like
(33:40):
they're just so hard to come by,I find.
Yeah.
At least in this area of theprovince.
And I'm not sure, I'm not toosure what New Brunswick's like
as far as that goes, but we wedo get some older ones, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:50):
They they seem to be, I mean, it's quite spread
out in spots.
And um, yeah, that we do getsome older ones here and there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (33:58):
Yeah, same.
Like there there is some, andyou can kind of just tell by the
you know, the color of the hideand that, but yeah, it it is I
I've never had a crack at onethat big, and yeah.
That's all, just just lucky.
That's that's all I can say.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
Yeah, well, I mean, lucky and and you put some work
in.
Um yeah, what what an incredibledeer.
Uh, you know, Drew, I can'tthank you enough for coming on
the podcast.
And like I said, when I as soonas I saw that deer, I was like,
I've got to reach out to him andand find out the story on that
because that's that's prettyneat.
So I'm really glad you're ableto come on and share your story.
SPEAKER_00 (34:32):
Listen, thanks a lot for having me.
I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (34:36):
Anytime, and uh I got a feeling I'll be talking to
you again about uh some moredeer because from the stands of
it you've learned and and uhwhere you're at.
So I I don't think this is yourlast big buck by any means.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
Hopefully, I got a I got one on camera back in that
same spot, but uh I decided hewas gonna get the pass this
year.
And uh hopefully next year he'llcome back with something bigger.
So we'll see then.
SPEAKER_02 (34:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:58):
All right, I'll be talking to you.
Yes, sir.
Take care.
Thanks again.
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