Posted 1:41 pm Sunday, February 05, 2012
Area Deer Hunters Defy Odds In Tough Year To Win Contest
This was one of those deer seasons a lot of Texas hunters hope to forget quickly.
For a few, winners of the Tyler Morning Telegraph's 32nd annual Big Buck Contest, it wasn't that bad.
In a year in which a lot of hunters around the state saw antler quality dip lows not seen in 20 years, just finding a quality buck was considered a win.
As he has done in the past, Tyler's Bill Blomdahl took the biggest buck in this year's contest to win the South Texas Adult Division with a McMullen County 10-point buck scoring 173 3/8.
But it didn't come easy. The hunter had been seeing nothing but smaller deer on his McMullen County deer lease. Another hunter actually saw the deer first, but never got a shot at it. Blomdahl extended his hunt, but never saw the deer until the last minutes of his final hunt.
The buck was a main frame 8-point, with two kickers that added an additional six inches. As a straight 8, the buck scored 167 3/8. It had a 19 1/8 inside spread, a 27 7/8 longest main beam and a longest tine of 12 7/8 inches. The greatest circumference at the base was 5 3/8 inches.
Blomdahl's son-in-law, former Tyler resident Dalton Spivey, was second with an 11-point buck scoring 155. The Katy resident took the buck on the same lease, and like Blomdahl's deer it came late in his hunt.
The buck had an inside spread of 16 3/8 and a longest main beam of 23 4/8. The longest tine measured 10 1/8 inches the greatest circumference measurement was 5 5/8.
For a few, winners of the Tyler Morning Telegraph's 32nd annual Big Buck Contest, it wasn't that bad.
In a year in which a lot of hunters around the state saw antler quality dip lows not seen in 20 years, just finding a quality buck was considered a win.
As he has done in the past, Tyler's Bill Blomdahl took the biggest buck in this year's contest to win the South Texas Adult Division with a McMullen County 10-point buck scoring 173 3/8.
But it didn't come easy. The hunter had been seeing nothing but smaller deer on his McMullen County deer lease. Another hunter actually saw the deer first, but never got a shot at it. Blomdahl extended his hunt, but never saw the deer until the last minutes of his final hunt.
The buck was a main frame 8-point, with two kickers that added an additional six inches. As a straight 8, the buck scored 167 3/8. It had a 19 1/8 inside spread, a 27 7/8 longest main beam and a longest tine of 12 7/8 inches. The greatest circumference at the base was 5 3/8 inches.
Blomdahl's son-in-law, former Tyler resident Dalton Spivey, was second with an 11-point buck scoring 155. The Katy resident took the buck on the same lease, and like Blomdahl's deer it came late in his hunt.
The buck had an inside spread of 16 3/8 and a longest main beam of 23 4/8. The longest tine measured 10 1/8 inches the greatest circumference measurement was 5 5/8.
James Wilson of Flint wins North Texas with 11-point, velvet-horned buck scoring 156 3/8.
James Wilson of Flint wasn't exactly sure what he had when he took a 4 ½-year-old deer on his Henderson County the lease.
The deer was first seen last season, but escaped the hunters. This season the velvet-horned deer was spot on several game cameras before it stepped out in front of Wilson's blind, giving him the North Texas Adult Division's winning buck with an 11-point that scored 156 3/8.
Wilson's buck had an inside spread of 17 7/8 inches and a longest main beam length of 19 7/8 inches. The longest tine measured 9 1/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 8 3/8.
Frankston's George Garvey took with a 12-point Anderson County buck scoring 153 2/8.
Garvey's first glimpse of the buck was a game camera shot in June. Although he hunted throughout the archery season he didn't see it again until December.
The buck had an inside spread of 15 4/8 and a longest main beam length of 24 inches. The longest tine measured 11 2/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 5/8 inches.
The deer was first seen last season, but escaped the hunters. This season the velvet-horned deer was spot on several game cameras before it stepped out in front of Wilson's blind, giving him the North Texas Adult Division's winning buck with an 11-point that scored 156 3/8.
Wilson's buck had an inside spread of 17 7/8 inches and a longest main beam length of 19 7/8 inches. The longest tine measured 9 1/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 8 3/8.
Frankston's George Garvey took with a 12-point Anderson County buck scoring 153 2/8.
Garvey's first glimpse of the buck was a game camera shot in June. Although he hunted throughout the archery season he didn't see it again until December.
The buck had an inside spread of 15 4/8 and a longest main beam length of 24 inches. The longest tine measured 11 2/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 5/8 inches.
Marlo Bitter of Tyler was first in the women's division with 9-point Llano County buck scoring 122 6/8.
On a family hunt at her grandparent's Prairie Mountain Ranch in Llano County, Marlo Bitter of Tyler took a 9-point buck scoring 122 6/8 to win the Women's Division.
After two days of hunting with her daughter, she went to a blind where a good buck had been seen. The buck came in chasing a doe, but stopped long enough to give Bitter a shot.
The buck had a 16 7/8-inch inside spread and a 20 2/8-inch longest main beam. The longest tine measured 7 4/8 inches and the largest base measurement was 3 3/8 inches.
Tyler's Pam Lott was the last entry in the contest, but the 10-point McCulloch County buck scoring 120 3/8 was good enough for second place in the division.
After unsuccessfully find a buck from a blind, Lott's husband, Ron, rattled the deer in. The buck had a 13 1/8-inch inside spread and a longest tine of 9 1/8 inches. The longest main beam measured 19 6/8 inches the best circumference measurement at the base was 3 4/8 inches.
Winners in the adult divisions received a Remington .270-caliber rifle from contest sponsors Lynch's Food Store, Mac's Gun Shop and Noonday Gun Trader, along with a mount of their deer from Still Life Taxidermy.
Second places winners were award gift certificates provided by Army-Navy Store of Tyler and East Texas Seed.
After two days of hunting with her daughter, she went to a blind where a good buck had been seen. The buck came in chasing a doe, but stopped long enough to give Bitter a shot.
The buck had a 16 7/8-inch inside spread and a 20 2/8-inch longest main beam. The longest tine measured 7 4/8 inches and the largest base measurement was 3 3/8 inches.
Tyler's Pam Lott was the last entry in the contest, but the 10-point McCulloch County buck scoring 120 3/8 was good enough for second place in the division.
After unsuccessfully find a buck from a blind, Lott's husband, Ron, rattled the deer in. The buck had a 13 1/8-inch inside spread and a longest tine of 9 1/8 inches. The longest main beam measured 19 6/8 inches the best circumference measurement at the base was 3 4/8 inches.
Winners in the adult divisions received a Remington .270-caliber rifle from contest sponsors Lynch's Food Store, Mac's Gun Shop and Noonday Gun Trader, along with a mount of their deer from Still Life Taxidermy.
Second places winners were award gift certificates provided by Army-Navy Store of Tyler and East Texas Seed.
Hunter Low, Flint, shot 10-point Dimmitt County buck scoring 139 5/8 to win South Texas Youth.
Hunter Low, 10, Flint, was the big winner in the youth categories, winning the South Texas Youth Division with a 10-point Dimmit County buck scoring 139 5/8.
Hunting with his dad, Rodney, Low took the buck late in the season during the rut. With deer not coming to corn, they opted to ride the lease when they found the buck.
The 5 ½-year-old buck had an inside spread measurement of 19 5/8 and a longest main beam of 22 5/8. The longest tine measured 8 5/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 3/8 inches.
Sydney Morris, 10, Flint, had already taken two bucks on the Dimmit County ranch when she shot a 8-pointer scoring 128 5/8 to earn second in the South Texas Youth Division.
The buck had a longest main beam length of 21 inches and a largest inside spread of 17 2/8 inches. The longest tine was 10 3/8 inches and the largest mass circumference was 4.
There was no third-place entry.
The closest competition was in the North Texas Youth Division where the top three places were separated by just three inches.
Hunting with his dad, Rodney, Low took the buck late in the season during the rut. With deer not coming to corn, they opted to ride the lease when they found the buck.
The 5 ½-year-old buck had an inside spread measurement of 19 5/8 and a longest main beam of 22 5/8. The longest tine measured 8 5/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 3/8 inches.
Sydney Morris, 10, Flint, had already taken two bucks on the Dimmit County ranch when she shot a 8-pointer scoring 128 5/8 to earn second in the South Texas Youth Division.
The buck had a longest main beam length of 21 inches and a largest inside spread of 17 2/8 inches. The longest tine was 10 3/8 inches and the largest mass circumference was 4.
There was no third-place entry.
The closest competition was in the North Texas Youth Division where the top three places were separated by just three inches.
Bullard's Mason Barker won North Texas Youth with Smith County 8-point scoring 138 6/8.
Mason Barker, 9, Bullard, won the division with an 8-point Smith County buck scoring 138 6/8. Rylan Thedford, 12, Tyler, was second with an 8-point McCulloch County buck scoring 138 5/8. Tyler's Andrew Bergfeld, 10, ended up in third with a 10-point San Saba County buck that scored. 135 6/8.
Barker was hunting with his father, Craig, when he took his first buck with a 75-yard shot using a .224TTH.
The 4 ½-year-old buck had an 18 3/8-inch inside spread and a longest main beam of 24 inches. The longest tine measured 11 inches and the largest base circumference measurement was 4 7/8 inches.
Thedford's buck was actually the second he entered this season. The first was bumped from the standings.
His late-season, second-place buck had an inside spread of 17 4/8 inches and a longest main beam of 22 3/8 inches. The longest tine measured 12 4/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 1/8 inches.
Hunting with the rifle his grandmother, Susan, won as the Big Buck Contest's first winner, Bergfeld's 5 ½-year-old buck had an inside spread of 14 6/8 inches and a longest main beam length of 21 inches. Its longest tine was 9 1/8 inches and the largest circumference at the bass was 4 2/8 inches.
Winners in the youth divisions received a mount of their winning deer. Second- and third-place finishers were awarded gift certificates.
Barker was hunting with his father, Craig, when he took his first buck with a 75-yard shot using a .224TTH.
The 4 ½-year-old buck had an 18 3/8-inch inside spread and a longest main beam of 24 inches. The longest tine measured 11 inches and the largest base circumference measurement was 4 7/8 inches.
Thedford's buck was actually the second he entered this season. The first was bumped from the standings.
His late-season, second-place buck had an inside spread of 17 4/8 inches and a longest main beam of 22 3/8 inches. The longest tine measured 12 4/8 inches and the largest circumference at the base was 4 1/8 inches.
Hunting with the rifle his grandmother, Susan, won as the Big Buck Contest's first winner, Bergfeld's 5 ½-year-old buck had an inside spread of 14 6/8 inches and a longest main beam length of 21 inches. Its longest tine was 9 1/8 inches and the largest circumference at the bass was 4 2/8 inches.
Winners in the youth divisions received a mount of their winning deer. Second- and third-place finishers were awarded gift certificates.
