If Mel Johnson would have killed his record buck today..what.........?

[GRINCH]

Now thats a nice deer.          

[Slasher]

Well if you look at any of the mainstream bowhunting media it is purely marketing and product placement!!! Find an objective review, never... It is like saying watching late night infomercials and saying but they are educational...

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

What kind of bow was this guy shooting?

http://www.pope-young.org/world-records_details.asp?wr=21

[Mint]

The only thing I remember about the Beatty buck was that is was a frontal shot with a compound.

The sad thing about taking a big buck on Long Island is that the first thing you think is that it is poached since there is so much hunting pressure on LI and so much poaching going on. Some big bucks are taken legally but that cloud does hang over everyones head.

[wapiti792]

Now if the question would be what if "I" killed the world record:

1. Shout from the mountaintop that I killed it with traditional gear, fair-chase, and that I am sponsored by my wife's good cookin' and the grace of God. I didn't need some fancy sights or swamp-docky mystical vapor-rub...I needed a good wind, a full belly to sit all day, a bow made by one of the hundred or so GREAT bowyers around, and good fortune.

2. Call the Illinois DNR as soon as I took pics and shared the hunt with my traditional brothers locally. I would want the DNR there to document everything...here's why...

I have killed several great whitetails, including a 170 inch deer 2 years ago. You would not believe how much jealousy and BS surrounded that buck. Everything from "it was poached" to "he was trespassing". I found out quickly that folks patting you on the back sometimes are looking for a soft spot to stick the knife. Good hunters will be a little jealous of your good fortune but will tell you so    Unethical bigots that love the Outhouse channel will try and destroy your reputation as an ethical and good hunter because you did it the right way and they just can't figure out why, after buying all the gizmos and worshipping at the "buy-this" shrine...

[jim ratcliff]

Nope...trad guy kills a monster wouldn't make noise because ...he didn't have a range finder attatched to his 360 fps mechanical arrow launching device...neither was he shooting the expandable razor blade thing they call broadheads...and oh yeah...we don't have 80 yard sight pins either...darn aren't we very unfortunate....NOT!

[buckeye_hunter]

I'm almost positive the Beatty buck was a crossbow.

[Arwin]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
I'm almost positive the Beatty buck was a crossbow.

This was something I thought of when Michigan allowed crossbows.  How many record deer will be entered with a crossbow, but claiming to have shot it with a bow?

In states that allow crossbows during bow season, I would be skeptical of the entries.

I've been seeing shows and ads where guys are shooting deer comfortably at 60yds with a crossbow. Not the average range for most bow hunters.

[Zbone]

Thanx for the added info on Mel Johnson's buck.

Somebody please correct me, but isn't Del Austin's buck still ranked #2 P&Y?...Thanx

The following are some things I collected over the years on Mr. Austin's buck:

Del Austin of Hastings NE, buck shot on October 31, 1962 in Hall County, Nebraska with a 45@28" Sanders recurve and a Bear Razorhead. Current #2 P&Y with net nontypical score of 279-7/-8" P&Y, and 277-3/8" B&C. Had 34 scoreable points and nicknamed "Old Mossy Horns" by another bowhunter Al Dawson who hunted this buck for 5 years, in which the buck was believed to have been 8 years old when arrowed on an island in Nebraska's Platte River.

Buckeye_Hunter – No, the Beatty buck was killed with a compound, scores 294" NT, and ranks #1 P&Y, who do not accept xbow kills.

[tradtusker]

I think its a shame either way that the success has to "measured" be it inches of antler or the bow he chooses to hunt with.

and to the original question, yes i think it would.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I guess the reason I brought up the Beatty buck, was "No one promoted" the bow he was shooting, we don't even know if it was an C or an X.. The only promoting I heard of it was the "Can" call.
So back to the original post.. I doubt much would happen.

FWIW worth Mossy Horn was shot in the county I live in, and I have hunted the farm, for a short time.

Early 60's were the hay days around here for big bucks as most of the areas were just opening up to hunting.

I wish I would have been aware of what was going on back then but was too busy in school and military

[jim ratcliff]

Beaty buck was killed with a mathews...fact is mike beatty had switched from a recurve a year or two before to the mathews...deer couldn't go in pope and young because of the let off on the mathews...jim

[Zbone]

Beatty buck is currently listed #1 P&Y.

[jim ratcliff]

Ok...I'm thinkig of something else...I gota lot of useless stuff stored in my head...thanks...jim

[michigan bill]

i think you have it right jim - more or less.  when he shot it, as i recall, pope didn't recognize the big let-off [80% or so, i really don't know much about compounds] of his bow but it did allow 65% let-off.  if i recall correctly the powers-that-be at P&Y had to change their rules in order to recognize the beatty buck as the new world record.  
bill

[Zbone]

Yeah Jim – You were on the right track...8^) and not meant to talk about wheelie bows, but yeah as michigan bill stated, P&Y didn't/wouldn't accept the Beatty buck at first and didn't accept it until after they changed the 65% let-off rule.

I tend to agree with Bill's assumption they changed the rules in part because of this animal.


Interesting thing though, during that time frame it was panel judged by the state records keeping organization officially as 304 6/8" NT and is listed with that as state record (any weapon), but lost over 10 inches to the P&Y panel judges with an official net NT score of 294". Not sure what B&C accepted, or if was entered.

This thread is the first I'd heard he shot traditional equipment prior.

[fireman_3311]

Interesting topic!!!  It would be fun to see, with all the speed freaks shooting wheels these days!!!  

When it happens, I hope the hunter is shooting an old selfbow and homemade arrahs, and they're dressed in wool plaid!!!!

[sawtoothscream]

IMO it would get a ton more then if shot with a compound. wheel guys respect trad hunters alot and know its more of a challenge to arrow deer instead of being able to take longer shots with sights ect...  cabelas would most likly try and buy the head and hoyt might try and sponsor along with some camo companys and all the hunting gadget companies.

[muley40]

Talking about the Wensel buck, in 1977 Mike Monson from Clear Lake, Iowa killed a non typical that scores 222 3/16 with a Wing Redwing Hunter MA-3 broadhead,Micro-Flite arrow, it was are state record for quite a few years, was also the top buck taken in 77-78 P&Y scoring period, This buck also came from the part of the state that doesn`t have numbers of deer like southern Iowa has.

[bigbadjon]

Using bows with more than 65% let off does net you a "sissy star" next to your record in P&Y to let you know.