Several trophy bucks hanging together all summer long. When the ‘Boy’s Club’ continues into hunting season, a magical hunt unfolds.
Wow. If you’ve been watching your email inbox and other social media outlets lately you know the fall of 2019 is shaping up to be a stellar year for trophy bucks most everywhere. However, few can compete with Michigan’s Doug ODell, the most recent weekly winner in the HuntStand Big Buck Alert contest. If Odell’s name is familiar you might recall he was the Week 7 winner of our 2019 Big Buck Hit List pre-season trail camera photo contest, but he also claims a weekly BBA win after bow-bagging not just one, but TWO of the massive bucks that were on his preseason hit list. Incredible.
ODell’s weekly win earns him a sweet pack combination from ALPS OutdoorZ: The Bino Harness X with Vital X (see below). The weekly win also makes Odell eligible for our Grand Prize drawing (more on that below). We’re still looking for six more weekly winners so enter today!
Here is ODell’s amazing hunt story in his own words:
“Hello from your Michigan follower who was the Week 7 Big Buck Hit List contest winner [see a few of the winning images above and below]; I wanted to follow up and pass along my unbelievable hunting story.
“On Oct. 13th about 3 p.m., one of my hunting buddies called to ask where I was going to be hunting that evening. I told him my plans and he instantly told me that I needed to hunt a different farm, and sit in a stand we’d dubbed the ‘Fatal Funnel Corner.’ He advised me that HuntStand was showing the winds were right, and movement of the deer was still predictable.
‘You need to get in that stand tonight,’ he said.
“Luckily I agreed with him, and headed out to our corner spot. I was running a little late because on my hike in, I ran into a 4-pt. buck that slowed me down. I knew I could not push this buck to the west, because that is where the deer that I would be hunting would be coming from. The 4-pt. eventually walked back into the corn, and started walking west. I kept pace with him and he then walked back out of the corn and was facing north. I kept walking slowly toward him hoping that he would spook to the north, and he did just that, bounding away into the woods. At this point I knew I had to kick it into high gear to get in the stand, with deer already on their feet.
“I got into my stand and settled about 5:25 p.m. As I was nocking an arrow on my string I heard something behind me to the west. I looked and saw two squirrels chasing each other; as I was placing my bow on my bow hook I then heard another noise from about the same location, and turned to see an 8-pt. buck walking toward me. As I was checking him out through my binoculars I caught more movement behind the non-shooter 8-pt. and saw a much larger buck we call Curly, which is on our hit list. I then caught more movement behind Curly, and, unbelievably, glimpsed our top-two hit-listers: trophy bucks we call ‘Big 10’ and ‘Kicker 12.’ The 8-pt. was leading the way and he took all of the bucks north of me, just north of the brush row we had built this summer. At this point all of the bucks were out of range, and I’m trying to calm my nerves.
“Then suddenly the 8-pt. turned south and began walking straight at me, toward one of my shooting lanes. On he came and the rest of them were following; I couldn’t believe my eyes. Just then I made the decision to let the 8-pt., Big 10 and Curly walk past me, in order to shoot the Kicker 12 buck.
“Soon the 8-pt. was in my shooting lane with the Big 10 right behind him. Big 10 then pushed the 8-pt. to the east and out of my shooting lane, and began urinating on his back hocks right in my shooting lane. I couldn’t believe I was passing that shot. I kept telling myself to stay calm, then Curly sees what the Big 10 is doing and runs up and pushes him to the east as well. I could feel the tension between all four of the bucks; it was getting to the point in the season where they start breaking up and it was happening.
“After Curly pushed the Big 10 to the east, I could see Kicker 12 following, headed toward my lane. Curly then began heading northeast of me, and the Big 10 and 8-pt. were not looking my way, so I drew my bow. As I did Kicker 12 stopped just short of my shooting lane. I stayed at full draw, and he finally took two more steps into my lane, smelling where the Big 10 had stood. As I released I saw the Wasp Havalon HV-tipped, Easton Axis arrow hit right where I was aiming, and watched as Kicker 12 bolted. I watched as the big deer went down in the brush about 75 yards north of me, with Curly standing near him.
“In all the commotion the 8-pt and Big 10 had moved off to the south, near the corn at the edge of the woods. They stopped and started looking in the direction of the fallen Kicker 12, and Curly. Unbelievably, the 8-pt suddenly turned back north toward me, with the Big 10 following, and now my attention was on the Big 10. I told myself not to draw my bow until both the 8 and 10 were looking away, and as I did they both looked away. I drew my Bowtech yet again and let another arrow fly. Again I could hear the arrow hit; the Big 10 went about 20 yards and piled up. I could not believe what had just happened.
“I watched to make sure both bucks were not getting up again, then pulled my phone out to text my buddy. I sent the text at 5:50 p.m. that I had two monsters down. These were the same two bucks that were on my trail cams all summer, the deer I had entered in the Big Buck Hit List contest. It was, and still is, unbelievable. My buddy and I green-scored the bucks out at 151 0/8 for Kicker 12, and 148 1/8 for the Big 10. This will be a season that I never forget!”
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!
