The trail cam photo on the left was taken in 2014. The same Saskatchewan buck is shown on the right in 2021. Assuming the buck was 2.5 years old in 2014, that means it was 9.5 in 2021!
Avid whitetail hunters dream of pursuing mature whitetails in legendary destinations, and near the top of anyone’s list is Saskatchewan. The province is still home to the no. 1 typical whitetail, which scored 213 5/8 Boone and Crockett Club points, and was killed near Biggar, Saskatchewan, by Milo Hanson in 1992. (Click here to read a short recap of Hanson’s hunt.)
Each fall the internet is loaded with images of monster bucks killed in Saskatchewan, and while these racks do vary in terms of appearance, many of them are heavy and dark. A perfect example of a chocolate-racked bruiser is showcased in the Saskatchewan Outdoorsman YouTube video below.
The hunter is after a buck named BJ that he believes is 9.5 years old — this is not a misprint. Based on trail cam images shown at the end of the video, I think he’s correct. In fact, it’s even possible BJ is 10.5 years old; it all depends on whether you believe BJ as shown in the 2014 trail cam pic (above, left) is 2.5 or 3.5. I agree with the video host that BJ was 2.5 in 2014, which would make him 9.5 during fall 2021. Incredible!
As a blizzard rolls in, the hunter heads into the field hoping to lay eyes on this special buck. Even though he has a long history with BJ through trail cam pics and finding shed antlers, the number of daylight encounters during deer season were rare.
He wrote, “We rattled him in in 2014, and a buddy got a shot at him in 2018. Other than that, we never seen him on the hoof in that many years of hunting the area.” He continued, “Crazy how they can be a complete ghost, though. I got at least one pic a year in daylight; it happened to be the days I was either not sitting or in a different stand.”
Because the video host is pursuing BJ in one of Saskatchewan’s primitive zones (archery, muzzleloader and shotgun only), he’s not required to wear blaze orange. He’s carrying a 12-gauge Savage 212 slug gun, matched with a Bushnell Elite scope and Federal Premium ammo.
When watching gun hunting videos, I often have a difficult time determining shot distance because it all depends on the camera and lens used in the field. Here, the hunter explained in the comments section of his YouTube video that his shot distance was 82 yards. With a solid gun rest on the box blind’s window, the hunter was able to make a pinpoint shot with his Savage 212.
The buck’s rack gross-scored 174, and as you’ll see in the year-by-year trail cam pics, the buck was quite a bit bigger a couple years prior. A few other observations:
- As you watch the video, notice the amount of snow on the buck’s rack. In my opinion, the deer must have been bedded nearby, otherwise the snow would’ve been knocked off.
- The hunter escapes the nasty winter weather by sitting in a heated box blind. I would’ve done the same, but whenever I do so I can’t help but feel like I’m cheating a little bit.
- Box blinds are great for scenarios like the one shown here. With that in mind, know that it’s best to wear hearing protection whenever you shoot a firearm, and this is especially critical when shooting in a confined space such as a box blind. Just a single muzzle blast can damage your hearing. Better safe than sorry.
Enjoy the video!
