New Hampshire’s Brett Joy is obsessed with chasing big whitetails in velvet. To prove it he’s traveled several times to Alberta to make it happen, and he did just that this fall, and how. For sending in photos and story of a true monster of an Alberta whitetail bagged Sept. 5 with help from HuntStand, Joy, 35, is the Week 6 winner in the 2021 HuntStand Big Buck ALERT contest. The win earns Joy a sweet hunt pack from ALPS OutdoorZ: the versatile Covert pack (see below). The weekly win also makes Joy eligible for our Grand Prize drawing in November (more on that below).
We’re still looking for four more weekly winners so enter today!
“We knew this buck from our Alberta hunt last year, and Justin Ewanchuk of Albertabound Adventures again started getting photos of him, this past July,” Joy wrote. “After seeing the large jump in antler size he’d made, we knew he would be one of our top targets for my September hunt.
“Our number-one stand sat in a poplar tree tucked into some spruce trees, on the end of a little peninsula jutting into a hay field. The deer would filter out of the bush into little secluded ‘coves’ of the hayfield, on either side of the wooded peninsula. Because of the nature of the deer in the area, we knew that this buck wouldn’t be around every day. The mature bucks in the area seem to be on three- to seven-day cycles; they’re in a particular area for a few days at a time, before they cycle to another area.
“We knew the trick would be to put in our time in one particular area, waiting for him to come through, while at the same time managing our wind and impact on that area. The buck favored one particular back corner of the farm, where he could feed in two small, secluded back “coves” of the bigger hayfield. We knew that when he cycled into the area that was the small area where he would spend his time.
“On Sept. 5th HuntStand forecasted that we would again get the westerly winds we needed to get back into our number-one stand. The temps were a bit above average, but we weren’t particularly concerned because we were tight to this buck’s favored area and the velvet giant was still on his summer pattern. The wide buck moved early from the cover that evening; he was the first deer we saw and was already within 40 yards when we spotted him. He cautiously fed toward us; he took 15 minutes to move about 15 yards, where he finally gave me a 29-yard broadside shot. I took my time and sent my arrow through both of his lungs. He made it just inside the bush before we heard him crash.
“Huntstand was critical in this hunt because every move counted. We hunted from three different stands, and each one was dictated by the wind using the HuntStand HuntZone feature. This really helped to illustrate the impact our scent would have on the deer activity from each stand, with different wind scenarios. We observed the buck move past our number-one stand location on two different occasions, but the HuntZone feature let us know that, had we hunted that stand in those instances, the buck would have busted us and the gig would have been up. The HuntZone feature kept us out of our number-one stand location when the wind didn’t work, and put us right back into it when it did, and as a result we were able to hunt undetected until everything was perfect and the velvet giant worked into bow range.”
To enter the HuntStand 2021 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to five) of your 2021 buck bagged after Aug. 20 (Entries accepted NOW THROUGH NOV. 24). Be sure to include the following:
A. A brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part.
B. Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place.
C. Include the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded.
D. Also include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
Team HuntStand will choose 10 weekly winners that we will share with the extensive HuntStand community; EACH weekly winner will receive the versatile Covert Pack (valued at $59.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above). This unique compact design will take you from deer season to waterfowling and everything in between. It’s ideal for hunters who want to pack light but still carry essential gear. For cold-weather comfort, deploy the pack in front of your torso, and utilize the integrated hand warmer channel between the belt and main compartment. You’ll also find a clear smartphone pocket on the main compartment lid that offers safe storage of your mobile device.
In addition, at the end of the 10 weeks, all weekly winners will be placed in a drawing for our Grand Prize: an ALPS OutdoorZ Impulse Pack (valued at $199.99; image above). This ultra-quiet design won’t betray your presence when your next trophy is closing in, thanks to ALPS’ new Deadquiet fabric; it features outer fleece with a polyester backing and incorporates a membrane between the two fabrics to help keep out moisture. The zipper-less main compartment allows you to access items quietly and easily; a series of magnets and an aluminum hook secures the top lid when needed. Ideal for ground blinds or treestands, the flat-bottom structure allows the pack to stand up independently. Included are an ambidextrous quiver holder, two deep side pockets, a drop-down pocket to carry your gun or bow, a two-piece adjustable waist belt with pockets, and a hydration pocket with two side ports.
Good luck out there this fall from all of us here at Team HuntStand, and let us know when (and how) you score with HuntStand!
