Some smart scouting. Regular use of the HuntStand app. Put them together and you have the recipe for eye-popping public-land success.
Ohio’s George Hamrick is just 25 years old, but as of Nov. 1, he’s already fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams: Arrowing a mature, recordbook-class whitetail buck. The recipe for success? A combination of diligent scouting and regular use of the HuntStand app. For submitting the story and images of his amazing 2019 Ohio public-land 11-point, Hamrick is the latest weekly winner in the HuntStand Big Buck Alert contest. The win earns him a sweet pack combination from ALPS OutdoorZ: The Bino Harness X with Vital X (see below). The weekly win also makes Hamrick eligible for our Grand Prize drawing (more on that below). We’re still looking for four more weekly winners so enter today!
Here’s is Hamrick’s exciting HuntStand success story in his own words:
“This is a buck killed Nov. 1 on public land in Ohio, with my Mathews Z3 compound,” Hamrick began. “I had hunted October 30th and 31st with only one buck sighting, but knew that November 1st would be a good day due to checking the weather on my HuntStand app. Rain was moving out that night, with a 15-degree temperature drop, and a 5 mph wind coming out of the southwest/west for the morning hunt.
“That morning I snuck into a thicket to a spot I had scouted two years ago, but had never hunted. I decided to set up on the ground in thick brush, due to not having a good tree for my treestand. At 7:50 a.m. I thought I could hear a deer walking, but wasn’t sure until I heard a deep grunt coming from a nearby flat area. I knew it had to be a mature deer from the tone of the grunt. Soon I saw a tree shaking from the buck making a rub, and eventually saw antler tines at 30 yards.
“I knew the buck was a shooter, but from my position in the thicket, I wasn’t exactly sure how big he was,” Hamrick continued. “He took his time coming in, and grunted four or five more times within 30 yards. I drew back at my first chance, and after 45 seconds, the buck eventually stepped into my shooting lane at 12 yards.
“The shot was a pass-through, and the buck went about 125 yards before expiring. He’s a buck that I had never seen, and the only buck that delivered no ground shrinkage during my hunting career. My mouth dropped after walking up to the buck, a deer that I had told my father was a 9 point that was pushing 130 inches. After a rough score the 11 point will end up grossing in the mid 150s, and is my biggest buck to date. He’s the type of buck that I have dreamed about since I was a kid; he will be tough to beat for years to come.”
To enter the HuntStand 2019 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to five) of your 2019 buck bagged after Aug. 31 (Entries accepted NOW THROUGH NOV. 29) along with a brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part. 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, as well as the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and also be sure to include 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 BOTH the Bino Harness X (valued at $49.99) AND Vital X rangefinder pocket (valued at $19.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above).
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 Contender X pack (valued at $199.99; image above). Pack specialist ALPS is calling this new feature-packed design the ultimate whitetail day pack; the coolness of the Contender X begins with its innovative self-standing L-shape frame, which allows you to set your pack on any flat surface. The unique U-shaped zipper provides extra-large, flip-down top access to the main compartment—ideal for easy gear access while hanging in your stand or sitting on the ground, without losing precious pack contents. You’ll also find Elimishield Scent Control Technology to help eliminate scent, and a Drop Down pocket to carry gun or bow securely.
Good luck out there this fall from all of us here at Team HuntStand and let us know when (and how) you score!
