Awesome Trophy Buck on Display at Bass Pro
Kay and I once attended a writer’s conference that remains in my bank of memories. However as we left Ruston for our trek to the conference I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. Our last stop before heading for Springfield, MO to attend the 40th annual meeting of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association was at one of our local burger joints. I drove away fuming at the sloppy service; the rudeness and indifference of the server; the fouled up orders, vowing from this point on to steer clear of that particular franchise.
Once we got to Springfield, my yearning for a breakfast sandwich got the best of me and I reluctantly pulled up to a drive-through of the same franchise as the one back home that had raised my hackles. To my surprise and delight, the servers were friendly – downright cheerful – and our orders were filled promptly and correctly. After nearly a week in Springfield, I learned that this is the way most folks are up there. We came away from every store; every hotel; every eatery with good feelings that these folks know how to treat customers and seemed to genuinely appreciate our business.
You can probably guess which stop in this Missouri town captivated my attention the most. Springfield is home to the original Bass Pro Shop and to an outdoorsman, it’s like turning a kid loose in a candy store. While the friendly sales folks there made the shopping fun, I stumbled upon a display in the store that left me dumb-struck.
Springfield’s Bass Pro Shop is headquarters for the traveling display of the most awesome buck mounts ever assembled anywhere. It’s the King of Bucks display and fortunately, the collection of most of the country’s most astounding trophy buck mounts just happened to be “in house” that week.
Bass Pro’s King of Bucks display includes 200 of the world’s greatest whitetail bucks. Among the trophies are three of the current world records, 24 state and provincial records, 30 typical racks scoring above 230 and 53 non-typical that scored above 230. I also saw 10 of the top 13 Pope and Young (archery harvest) non-typical racks. These are not replicas; they’re the real thing and they’re awesome.
Two racks in particular caught my attention because of their popularity among deer hunters the world over. One was the “Hole in the Horn” buck that was collected in Ohio way back in 1940. This buck is generally considered the most famous whitetail in the world with a Boone and Crockett score of an astounding 328 2/8. It consists of 45 points and the main feature is a mysterious hole in one of the palmated drop-tines, a hole that was first thought to have been caused by a .22 bullet. However, George Winters, a witness who helped untangle the dead buck from a chain length fence next to a railroad track recalls seeing a piece wire from the fence that had pierced the porous tip of the antler.
Another buck that captivated me was taken in Louisiana in 1958 by Sammy “Peanut” Walker near Grosse Tete in south Louisiana. This buck’s bizarre array of headgear is indescribable. In fact, the mass of bone with no main beams, weighing more than 10 pounds, has never been officially measured simply because it defies all the rules for antler measuring.
Walker had put out standers and released his hounds when the buck bounded out past him. One load of buckshot dropped the monster buck in his tracks. Walker discovered the antlers were still covered in velvet, which meant the buck never dropped his antlers in late winter but kept adding on to the unbelievable array of mass.
The next time you have the chance to travel to Springfield, be sure and go see the King of Bucks display at Bass Pro. When the display makes its way to one of Louisiana’s Bass Pro Shops, don’t miss seeing it. To help your day get off on the right foot, though, I suggest you eat breakfast at home before heading out.
FISHING REPORT
CANEY LAKE – Crappie fishing has been good with some slabs caught fishing shiners or jigs around the deeper tops. Bass are best fishing topwater lures and buzz baits early around the grass lines. Later, best fishing has been on secondary points on soft plastics and crank baits. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU – No report. Spraying to kill moss. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing is best flipping soft plastics along the wind rows and tree lines. Early mornings, topwater lures are working. Some nice sized crappie are hitting shiners and jigs around deep brush along the flats. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – The river is still low. Very few are trying the fish so reports this week are spotty. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – The lake is down 5 feet with drawdown continued another 20 days. Crappie are just starting to bunch up and upcoming cold weather should put them in bunches. Some are caught along the stump lines on shiners and jigs. Bass fishing has been best fishing the points with soft plastics or crank baits. Bream are slow; catfishing good off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been good with some slabs caught fishing shiners or jigs around the deep tops. With the water cooling down, bass will be best fishing the docks with Carolina rigs, square bill crank baits and Shaky Heads. Bream are slow. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Crappie have improved around the boat slips. Catfishing is good. Bass are slightly improved. For information, contact the marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is on a slow fall and fishing has been slow this week. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.