Show Us Your Deer 2022

Aaron Michaels

He took this 6 pt on Nov. 26th, around 7:30 am while hunting with his dad in Lilly, PA.

Annika Martin

This unique 6 pt was taken on the family farm in Snyder County.

Austin Wray

First Deer Alert!

Only took one shot at 155 yards to down this doe on the first evening of PA rifle season. He was hunting with his dad, grandfather, uncle and older brother.

Alex

Austin B. This is his first buck.

2022 “SHOW US YOUR DEER” winner announced

Starting in 2021, The Sentinel changed the “Big Buck” contest and no longer required hunters to bring their deer to The Sentinel for a photo and measurements to be taken. As last year, all hunters were invited to submit photos of a deer they harvested and a random drawing would be done of all entries. This year, The Sentinel received 48 photo submissions for the deer contest.

The winner from this year’s drawing was Brian Weaver of Lewistown. Brian took his deer in Huntingdon County. As the winner, he will receive a $150 gift certificate from Dan Pierce Outdoor Shop, 842 W. 4th Street, Lewistown. We appreciated everyone’s submitted photos and hope you enjoy seeing them in this edition as well as online at https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/deer/

On The Cover:

Our cover photos (L-R, top to bottom) are of Logan Beaulieu of Lewistown, Caleb Yoder of Belleville, and Scott Bitting of Lewistown.

Logan took her 9-point buck in Mifflin County on opening day at 8:45 a.m. Caleb Yoder 14, of Belleville, bagged his 10-point in Huntingdon County. Lewistown resident Scott Bitting took his monster buck in Mifflin County.

MEN’S

Caleb Yoder

14 years old, of Belleville. He bagged this 10 pt in Huntingdon County.

Corby Woodring

Shot on Oct. 18th in Centre County. This buck is an 11pt with a 17.5” inside spread. This was his largest bow kill in PA to date.

Corey Wray

He shot this 7pt in archery season at 38 yards in Mifflin County. Corey was hunting with his sons, Dylan and Austin.

Craig Sipe

He shot this 10pt in Mifflin County. 19” outside spread, 17” inside spread. “I have been waiting my entire life for the opportunity to harvest a buck like this.”

Dylan Zellers

9 pt killed near Pittsburgh, PA.

Dylan Wray

8 pt with an 18” outside spread.

It only took one shot on opening morning of PA rifle season.

He was hunting with his dad, grandfather, uncle and little brother.

Don Bender Jr.

Shot this 10 pt buck on Monday, Nov. 28th at 10:30. “My first 10 pt since I started hunting years ago.” This buck has an outside spread of 14.5”.

Frankie

Pannizzo

This is a 8 pt. Mifflin County, PA.

Hadyn Crum

Fred Griffith 10 pt with an 18.5” spread. First day of the season within 20 minutes of daybreak.

Hailey

Kepner

This is a 9 pt. Juniata County, PA. Jackson Flood 15 years old. 10 pt deer, shot with compound bow in the last week of archery season. T he deer had a heavy rack with 16” inside spread.

This is a 7 pt. Mifflin County, PA.

Jason Wise

Mifflin County.

This deer is a 14 pt with a 18 1/2” spread. Shot at 7:57 am the first day, with my son Dyson. Our first buck!

Rush

Kelsey Morrison

Forrest County, 9 pts. This is Kelsey’s 14th deer shot since she started hunting.

Jeff Oberdick

9 pt was taken at 7:55 am on 11/26 in Mifflin County on Jacks Mountain. It has a 5” round base and a 18” inside spread.

This is her first deer! This 4 pt was taken on her grandfather’s property while hunting with her dad in Snyder County on Nov. 2, 2022.

Sierra Berger

Jesse

Josephine Boyd

Heimbaugh

Lefevre

Levi Bilger (left)

7 pt, shot at 8am with his dad Bryan Bilger (right) behind their home in Ferguson Valley on Jack’s Mountain.

Logan Beaulieu

Mifflin County, 9 pt, 8:45 am Opening Day

Lisa Hubler

Mifflin CountyGranville Township 11/28/22 0810. 8 pt. 19.5 spread. 120 yard shot. It has been 26 years since I got my last buck, which was only a 4pt! This was more special because my daughter, Taryn, was with me.

Malachi Angney

Malachi’s 1st buck. 11 point. Got this one behind our house in Bannerville, Snyder County.

Megan Benner

Megan Benner of Port Royal shot this 7 point buck on Sunday, November 27 at 4:45 pm in Thompsontown using a Browning Hells Canyon 300 Winchester Magnum 300. In the picture with her are her husband Jared Benner and her son Colton Benner.

Noah Clinger

Noah was hunting in Mifflin County when he got this nice 5 point buck. He loves hunting and makes me so proud that he has this intrest. Hunting is not a popular sport for teens it takes patience and stamina to brave the weather waiting on a shot. Good job Noah.

Owen Seigler

Owen took his first buck, a 7-point with a 22” spread in the PA archery season on October 28th. “I want to hunt with the bow and get a buck for a mount” was Owen’s goal. After a few attempts in the early archery season Owen was lucky enough to down this buck of a lifetime.

Nathan Weltmer

8 point buck Hunting with his grandfather, John Czerniakowski in Centre County.

Parker LeFevre

Mifflin CountyFirst time hunting. He got a doe in archery season with a bow. 10/15/22 at 9:45 am

Juniata County, 5 point. Using a 264 magnum in the 1st week of rifle season.

Robert Ewalt

Scott Bitting

How to field dress wild game properly and safely

Fishing and hunting are popular outdoor activities. Many outdoor enthusiasts engage in angling or hunting so they

can have trophies to put up on their walls. Others rely on hunting and fishing for supplemental food sources. Game animals will have to

be cleaned and processed properly whether they’re headed to the dinner table or to the taxidermist. Pathogen contamination is one of the biggest risks when field dressing an animal. As with any animal, game can contain harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and strains of E. coli. Other animals, such as wild hogs, can infect people with a flu-like illness called brucellosis, which can be caught through contact with blood, fluid or tissue of an infected hog. Deer, elk and moose also may have chronic wasting disease, or CWD. Although there is no evidence that links CWD to human illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises caution.

Proper field dressing techniques and game transport can help reduce the risk of pathogenic contamination. Here are some tips for getting started, courtesy of Penn State and the CDC.

• Wear safety gear. When handling any game animals, protect yourself with rubber gloves. This

will prevent the blood and fluids from the game animal from getting on your skin. Eye protection is also advised when handling carcasses.

• Work quickly. The elapsed time from when the animal is downed until it is processed can affect the safety and the quality of the meat if it will be consumed, according to Martin Bucknavage, food safety e xtension associate in the Penn State Department of Food Science. Field dress as soon as possible to ensure rapid loss of the animal’s body heat, to prevent surface bacteria from growing and to preserve the quality of the meat. Eviscerate the animal to help the carcass dissipate heat and remove the internal organs, where spoilage tends to occur more quickly.

• Watch out for internal organs. Avoid cutting into internal organs, especially the intestines, where the largest amount of bad bacteria tend to reside.

• Chill the carcass. Deterioration will occur more quickly in temperatures greater than 40 F. There-

fore, insert plastic bags of ice or snow into the body cavity of the animal to keep the carcass chilled. Move the carcass into a cooler or refrigerator as soon as possible after field dress.

• Choose tools wisely. Use clean, sharp knives when field dressing and butchering to make it easier to cut through and process the carcass. Use clean water, premoistened wipes or alcohol wipes to clean the knife frequently between cuts to prevent bacterial contamination.

• Hang game by hind legs. Hang the animal by its hind legs with its head down when aging or butchering. This prevents brain and spinal fluids from contacting the meat.

Most importantly during field dress, if any of the internal organs smell or look offensive, or if there is oddly colored discharge, do not consume the meat. Hunters and anglers are advised to learn more about field dress techniques to hone their skills. Speak with local fish and game officials about nearby courses.