Spend enough time in the deer woods and you’ll experience your share of surprises. Missouri’s Andrew Brubacker experienced a very nice one this fall, when a trail cam check in October revealed a stunning newcomer buck. The massive-racked giant took his breath away. For sending in a HuntStand success story and photos of a MO “buck of a lifetime,” Brubacker is our final, Week 10 winner of the HuntStand 2022 Big Buck ALERT contest. The win scores Brubacker a sweet hunt pack from ALPS OutdoorZ: the versatile Trail Blazer (see below). The weekly win also makes Brubacker eligible for a chance at our Grand Prize: A ground blind/chair combo from Browning/ALPS OutdoorZ and two premium Burris hunting optics with a total value of $1,278!
Stay Tuned for our Grand Prize Winner!
“My daughters and I haven’t had been able to close the deal so far this fall in archery season, but we have been passing does since mid October,” Brubacker wrote. “We first got pictures of this buck towards the end of October, and my wife began calling him ‘Gnarly.’ I had him at 40 yards on Nov. 6th, chasing a doe, but couldn’t get a shot. A few days later I pulled a trail camera card and Gnarly was on it.
“Our gun season started Nov 12th. So we carried the gun, and saw quite a few deer, but never pulled the trigger. For Nov. 17th HuntStand was forecasting a tough wind for most of my stands. HuntStand, the only app I’ve used for the past seven years, said it would be blowing 15 mph, with a wind chill hovering around 18 degrees. So I decided to hunt from the ground, and walk into a spot where my scent would hopefully nudge the deer around. My goal was to be able to see them work along a nearby ridge.
“I finally got to a spot that I felt offered a good view. At about 4:45 p.m. I had a doe come out and feed on the little bit of grass available. But every so often she would look back up the ridge. Finally, another doe came trotting over; then I saw movement behind her. Checking with my binos, it was Gnarly!
“I couldn’t get a shot because of a small tree covering his vitals. So I decided it was now or never, and slowly moved to my left. In an instant, he locked on to me—then slowly turned away as I took one more step sideways. At this point he was quartering hard away, and looking back at me. I settled the crosshairs of my Savage 110 .30-06 on his opposite front leg and pulled the trigger. He bolted and ran up the ridge, pausing for a split second, as I fired a second shot. I felt good on both shots, but didn’t see him go down.
“I backed out and went back to the house, then texted a friend, who had just shot a doe. He asked if I would wait 45 minutes until he was able to come by. It was a long hour later when my friend, my daughter and I started the recovery. It took us a minute to find blood, but the trail didn’t go far, maybe 50 yards. There he lay. He is a buck of a lifetime, and I am forever grateful for all the sacrifices my wife and family have made over the last few months so I could chase this monster.”
10 Weekly Winners!
This fall Team HuntStand has chosen 10 weekly winners that we began sharing with the extensive HuntStand community Sept. 23; EACH weekly winner will receive the versatile Trail Blazer hunt pack (valued at $119.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above). The Trail Blazer offers 2,500 cubic inches of space and is loaded with features. Included are an expandable pocket that can securely hold your compound bow or gun, a hydration pocket and port, and multiple gear pockets. In addition, it offers a large main compartment, mesh pockets and a handy front lashing system. You’ll also find a blaze orange rain cover.
Our Largest-Ever Grand Prize Package!
All 10 weekly winners will now enter a drawing for a chance at an incredible Grand Prize Package with a total value of $1,278. The package includes the Browning Eclipse Blind ($299.99) and Huntsman Chair ($199.99) (see image above). In addition, it includes TWO premium hunting optics from Burris: A Burris Signature HD 10×42 binocular valued at $539, and a Burris Fullfield IV 2.5‑10×42 riflescope valued at $239 (see images below).
Team HuntStand would like to thank all who submitted entries for our 2022 Big Buck ALERT contest. There were many outstanding entries, and some very tough decisions. But this contest is truly a labor of love. We never tire of learning when (and how) you score while using HuntStand! Stay tuned for the Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Big Buck ALERT Contest!
