HuntStand showed the way to a promising northwoods funnel; northern Michigan’s Aaron Buza then set his blind to take advantage of favorable winds and closed the deal.
Team HuntStand is well aware of the many challenges hunters face on public land. Competition can be intense, and it can climb to a whole new level in ultra-popular whitetail states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, the site of our latest HuntStand app success story. Northern Michigan’s Aaron Buza knew he needed a “leg up” on the local competition so he reached for his HuntStand app for help in preparing for his state’s gun season opener. Buza’s reward is a true bruiser of a northwoods buck, and Week 9 honors in the HuntStand Big Buck ALERT contest.
“I shot this monster of a buck on public land during the rifle opener in the state of Michigan!,” Buza said. “He is an 8-point with a 20-inch inside spread and had a live weight over 200 pounds.
“I used the HuntStand app during all of my scouting trips while preparing for the rifle season here in northern Michigan; it most certainly assisted me in the harvesting of this once-in-a-lifetime buck!
“I use the app extensively to scout and prepare for the right weather situation; using the app’s ‘satellite’ views I was able to locate a small valley, with a pinch between two beaver ponds,” Buza recalled. “While scouting in the field, I found the main travel corridors, rubs, scrape lines and the primary bedding area of this monster buck. I was able to mark them all on my app, and create a ‘birdseye’ view of this buck’s habits.
“I chose to set up my blind in the hopes that I would catch the buck traveling to his bedding area, from his nightly feeding/rutting area,” Buza explained. “On the day of the harvest, I had a less-than-favorable north wind but I was fortunate that it was just 1 mph, and I knew, using the app, that it would be switching later in the morning to a favorable light southeast wind. I decided to roll the dice and give it a go. According to HuntStand, I had warmer-than-usual weather but had decent cloud cover and overall ‘huntable’ winds.
“Fortunately the weather did exactly what HuntStand said it would do, and I was able to harvest this buck of a lifetime just after 10 a.m., when the wind had switched in my favor,” Buza said. “I am absolutely thankful for this unbelievable harvest. I feel like the odds were stacked against me but with hard work and determination, I got this done. No high-priced guides, no high-priced land, just me on piece of public land with my rifle and my HuntStand app!
Congratulations, Aaron, on an awesome buck and a hunt memory you will never forget. Thanks to all who have submitted photos and stories to date; successful hunters: Keep them coming!
For his Week Nine win, Buza will be sent a pair of ThermaCELL ProFLEX Heated Insoles, valued at $185. More good news? There are several opportunities left to win a pair of your own.
To enter the HuntStand 2016 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a clear, high-res. digital photo (or two) of your 2016 buck, along with a few sentences detailing your hunt, and how HuntStand played a part. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, and also be sure to include your mailing address and shoe size. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
Team HuntStand will choose one impressive buck to highlight each week on our website, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. If your buck is a weekly winner you’ll score some sweet hunt gear: a pair of Team HuntStand -approved ThermaCELL ProFLEX Heated Insoles. Their state-of-the-art wireless thermal technology with convenient remote operation delivers at least 2,500 hours (about four winters) of heavy use. Simply adjust the temperature utilizing the wireless remote control to the setting of your choice: no heat (standby), medium (100°F), and high (111°F). The result is warm, comfortable, sweat-free feet.
