The Keystone State ranks #2 in the nation in hunting licenses sold, and a vast majority of the people who buy them are deer hunters. Still, Pennsylvania isn't known for producing whopper bucks.
Yes, there is plenty of habitat, and even a good mix of agriculture, so it might be the high number of hunters that keeps the state from appearing in the record books more often. That's likely considering the Game Commission instituted statewide antler restrictions more than 20 years ago. While overall buck quality has gone up quite a bit, true giants are still rare.
That's what makes this week's spotlight buck so special. Not only is it from Pennsylvania, but it also was taken before laws existed to protect young bucks. That it was felled in December during a man-drive is even more perplexing.
James Field might've been surprised at the size of the buck he shot in 1989, but he wasn't surprised to get a shot. A gut feeling told him there was a deer in the goldenrod field his group was considering, a feeling strong enough that he skipped lunch to take part in the push.
Given the size of the rack and the number of points (18), it's understandable if James and his friends put off lunch a little longer to stand and stare at the giant yielded by their collective effort.
You can read the rest of the story of Pennsylvania's 12th biggest buck ever in the Summer issue of Rack.
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