—Resident Submission
The Largest Buck I Ever Shot by David Tanner
It was 1987 - my most bittersweet hunting season ever. Back then, Wolf’s Sporting Goods held the Big Buck Contest every year, and it was always wildly popular. You would go in before the hunt opened and register to enter, and then anyone who shot a noteworthy buck could take it in to have them measure it according to Boone & Crockett standards. The top five largest bucks would win huge prizes; first place prize was a brand new Jeep — so it was a big deal! That year, my Dad, brother, and I settled on Provo Peak for our big hunting trip. We had been hiking up around there to scout out places and saw some good size bucks up that way (which was usually the case back then). Well for me, I had a late work shift the night before the hunt, so my Dad and brother planned to hike up to our spot and set up camp. Then I
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Sponsored by Zagg — Outdoor Recreation — Sports would later after work. As luck would have it, my shift ended later than planned. Fearing that I would have to hike to camp in the dark, I left in a hurry, and forgot to stop by Wolf’s to register for the Big Buck Contest. This would turn out to be the only year I didn’t enter. The morning dawned and we all split up. I went to an area where I had a good hunch because I’d seen some does milling about on our scouting trips. Soon enough, some does emerged, and then some small bucks. Suddenly, a big ol’ boy came wandering out and stood broadside only 150 yards away. Just at the sight of him, my heart started pumping. This was it! I was so excited that I had to take several deep, deliberate breaths. Focus. Focus. Boom! He only ran a little ways before dropping straight down. Clean shot. I sat there bewildered.
When I came back, my friend who worked for Wolf’s measured the buck for me. Had I actually entered the Big Buck Contest that year, I would have had the 3rd largest buck in the state! The prize? A brand new 7mm magazine rifle with a 3-9 variable scope on it. Back then, those were worth about $1,000. And I didn’t get it! Of course, that’s the way it goes; the only year I didn’t enter the contest, I shot the 3rd largest buck in the state, and the biggest buck I ever shot.
December 2021
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