Other Big Bucks

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week you'll meet several deer hunters who have taken the bucks of their lifetimes while extreme whitetail hunting this year in Manitoba, Canada, with Whitetail Outfitters.

Bill La Francoise from Thompkins Cove, New York, took his biggest buck of a lifetime on his trip to the wilderness of Manitoba with Whitetail Outfitters. "I've hunted with Whitetail Outfitters for 13 years. I've taken two 150 B & C bucks up here. However, the buck I took this year scored 165 points, the biggest buck I'd ever bagged.

"I found a lot of tracks in one area. Although I didn't see any scrapes or rubs, the tracks told me this was a really big buck. On the first morning with the wind blowing hard, I saw a small buck at about 8:15 a.m. The wind finally died down after about two hours. I could hear the buck coming from behind me, making plenty of noise as he came through the willows with his face into the wind. Then I could see the deer moving through the thick brush out of the corner of my eye when he was about 60 yards away. Thirty seconds after I saw the deer, I got off the shot. I'd picked an opening along the line of travel that I knew the big buck would take. When the buck stepped into that opening, I squeezed the trigger. The buck went down.

"After the shot, I had to take a minute or two to catch my breath. I knew I'd bagged a really big buck. However, I didn't realize at the time that it was the biggest buck I'd ever seen. Then as I walked to the deer, I could see his massive horns. The buck which weighed well over 300 pounds, gave me the thrill of a lifetime. I'll tell anyone to come on a hunt like this because you can't find whitetails this size anywhere else in the world. These bucks are just monstrous-sized."

Although La Francoise's hunting buddy Mike Nichols took a nice 9 point, Nichols had bagged larger deer before than this one. "I knew I'd have to leave camp early because my wife was ill. So, instead of waiting until the end of the hunt, I went ahead and took this nice buck. I have taken plenty of bucks bigger than this one while hunting with Whitetail Outfitters."

If you're looking for the deer of a lifetime and an adventure you'll never forget, contact Whitetail Outfitters, owners Doug Grantham and John Nixon, at Box 1052, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada ROC 220; call toll-free (888) 398-3459; email hunt@whitetailoutfitters.ca; or visit the website www.whitetailoutfitters.ca. Whitetail Outfitters' hunting dates and costs for 2001 include: archery -- 10/29 - 11/10, $2200 US; muzzleloader -- 10/29 -- 11/10, $2200 US; rifle -- 11/12 - 11/24, $2400 US. Canadian government licenses and fees cost $125 US for hunting, including archery, muzzleloading and/or rifle.

Tomorrow: More Big Deer