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Why a Maine Hunter Keeps Staring at His Phone

Why a Maine Hunter Keeps Staring at His Phone

By Mike Handley

Gene Doughty spent a lot of money in 2017.

The fork lift technician had no choice but to buy a new freezer after landing a giant tuna and shooting a moose. And before the year was out, he added venison to his larder.

He was lucky on many counts that year, particularly with regard to the moose permit. Thousands of people apply, but very few get one. Gene’s name has been drawn four times.

He capped off the incredible season on a snowy Nov. 14.

“I decided not to go out until after 9 a.m., to wait until it stopped snowing,” he told Lisa Price, who’s writing the story for Rack magazine.

“On the way in, I came across only three sets of tracks,” he continued. “When I got to the stand, I don’t know what made me do it, but I just immediately turned around, went back to my truck, and drove to another area.”

He wound up going to a spot his late father, Arthur Eugene Doughty, preferred.

While walking in, Gene saw a couple of does sail over a ridge. A monstrous, dark-antlered buck soon followed.

The deer was at 130 yards when Gene squeezed the trigger. The .30-06 handload broke its neck.

“Normally, I would’ve just gone to my stand, but I didn’t,” Gene said. “I just felt like I wanted to go to the other side of the mountain where my dad had always hunted. When I shot that buck, it was not far from where my dad had always sat on his rock.

“Thinking about it still gives me chills,” he added.

Field-dressed, the buck tipped the scales at 213 pounds. Its BTR score is 187 6/8 inches.

“I love having a picture of this deer on my phone,” Gene said. “I probably look at it about 50 times a day, and it still just blows my mind.”

— Read Recent Blog! One Less Legend: Hunter: Dan Aquino | The deer tallies 223 1/8 inches on the BTR scale.

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