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New World Record: Compound, Perfect, Velvet

New World Record: Compound, Perfect, Velvet

By Mike Handley

For Don Erickson, hearing is believing.

Prior to North Dakota’s 2017 bow opener, Don’s understanding of deerspeak was simple: Bucks grunt, and does and fawns bleat. But the well-fed doe he and a nearly 180-inch 8-pointer heard on Sept. 1 uttered more grunt than bleat.

Whatever she said, the buck took note.

The Jamestown, N.D., bowhunter first saw the giant 4x4 in mid-October 2016. He collected about 15 nighttime photographs of it from the same trail camera.

“We played cat and mouse that whole year,” he said.

Don didn’t see the deer again until the following August. He was running three cams on a mile-square section, at opposite corners and in the middle near a cattail slough. This time, there were daylight photos in the mix.

In order to have a choice of stands, Don acquired and set up two round hay bale blinds manufactured by a company in Fargo.

He placed them about ¾ mile apart. He even thought to leave coats in the blinds so any deer passing through might become acclimated to his smell.

On opening day of archery season, he went out alone. When he was almost ready to call it quits late that evening, a doe and fawn began feeding in front of him. They eventually left, but the doe returned by herself to grab a few more bites.

“When she left again, she grunted a couple of times – sort of a burrpp, burrpp. And when she did, this buck stood up in the slough about 80 yards away. It’s a picture I’ll never forget,” he said.

The buck came to within 12 yards, walking sideways the last few steps as if posturing for a couple of smaller bucks that had also popped up and were approaching. Seems the urge to establish a pecking order was strong, even though its rack was still in velvet.

When the 8-pointer turned its head to look back toward the slough, Don drew his $100 PSE bow – he’d bought it from a buddy who won it from Ducks Unlimited – and let an arrow fly.

Its BTR score is 179 3/8 inches, a world record among compound bow-harvested Perfects in velvet. The rack’s P2s measure 14 and 14 6/8 inches, the P3s register 12 6/8 and 11 2/8, and the bases are a measurable 6 4/8 and 6 inches.

— Read Recent Blog! Long Odds: Jake Steven | October 27, 2017 | Kansas

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