Shed Roundup: Day 2
Posted By
Bill Winke
at
3/15/2010 12:00:00 AM
I don't even know the names of all the Prucha kids. Jeff and Mike joined the
Day 2 was a rainy one. The Pruchas came in full force, decked in a train-wreck of improvised rain gear - the young-uns dressed in garbage bags! It looked like a family reunion at the Clampetts. Chad Lathrop and Kurt Schroeder were along to keep the family from fighting - as best I could tell.
fun with their tribe. The group was 11 strong on Saturday. Results: 75 antlers
On the first swipe Saturday morning, they came out with 13, Kurt found 7 of them and, unfortunately, he also found a hit list buck dead. It was a buck we called the "Bridge Buck" a dandy 155+ inch ten pointer. We featured that deer on the "cover" of the Preview Show and also rolled a bunch of footage of him on the Hit List Episode way back in late August. We had an antler from him dating to the 2008 season.
The Bridge Buck had been dead for a long time when Kurt found him, mostly deteriorated. He likely died early in the fall. It is possible he died from fighting or a disease. He sure looked good back in mid-August when we filmed him about 100 yards from where he lay dead. I hate that.
We have certainly learned that these bucks don't live forever. It was the second hit list buck found dead (Scott found the Sawyer Buck back in mid-winter). Between hunters, other bucks, rut-induced stress, hard winters and disease, it is amazing any of them ever make it to five or six years old.
At the end of the rain-soaked day, the guys had rounded up 75 antlers and gone through three sets of clothing! None of the antlers were very big. Kurt found one that would probably be around low 70 inch range, but otherwise a bunch of nondescript, young bucks. In some ways it was disappointing. Though it was cool to see that many antlers in one pile, it sure would have been nice to see some big ones.
None of the bucks we hunted seriously all fall were in the pile. I suspect they are still out there. I will probably take a day off sometime and try to find them. There was no sign of the Great 8, either dead or his antlers. This would be the first year in several that we have not found at least one side off him. I still think he will turn up one way or the other. Again, he was very old and bucks just don't live forever. With the rough winter we had, I fear the worst for that old dude. I should have just closed the deal when I had him at 30 yards back on Halloween. Ah, that is a painful memory. A little salt for the wound.
There was no Day 3 to the shed hunt. Everyone was nursing pneumonia so they headed home early on Sunday. I'll keep you updated on the search for the Great 8 and a couple others from the top of the hit list.
Also, look for the first installment of the shed hunting show a week from today (or thereabouts). Roughly March 22.
Good luck looking for antlers. Now is the time.
