Photo by Bill Wehrle C-T
MissouriWhitetails.com
Photo by Bill Wehrle C-T
"The Scott Fowler Buck"
From the Chillicothe
Constitution-Tribune
Article by "Bill Wehrle" C-T Outdoor Editor
"Deer taken at Poosey CA Sept. 18th"
It's not officially measured yet, but it looks certain that a buck deer taken by Florida archer Scott Fowler at the Poosey Conservation Area on September 18 will become the largest typical whitetail ever recorded in Livingston County.
The big buck is definitely the earliest legal buck of this size ever for Missouri, whose archery season opened on September 15 this year for the first time. The archery deer opening date had been October 1 for many years.
Fowler, despite residing in Pensacola, Florida, is not a newcomer to hunting at Poosey. He's been coming here every year since 1996 when he was working as a union electrician on the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City and used his spare time scouting out a place to bow-hunt.
He's been coming to Poosey regularly on scouting trips and to hunt ever since. This huge buck is the fifth buck he's taken here in that length of time and four of the previous deer also were large enough to qualify for the national Pope and Young record book.
Dennis Ritter, Livingston County conservation agent, who checked in the buck for Scott, stated it's by far the largest deer taken at Poosey in at least 15 years he's been agent here. Fowler said it's the biggest-racked deer he's taken in 30 year of archery hunting.
In 1999, Fowler met Aaron McNabb of Independence, in a Poosey parking lot while both were hunting there and they've been hunting buddies here ever since. McNabb owns 10 acres of ground near Poosey and Fowler parks a travel trailer there for their use on scouting and hunting trips.
During these trips, Fowler became well-acquainted with this particular deer, having picked up both sheds with exact same rack configuration in that area in 1999 when they measured about 140 inches, seeing the deer in 2001 with a 160 inch rack, and videotaping it on July 5 and July 7 this year with a much larger set of antlers. Fowler estimates the deer was 6 1/2 years old at the time it fell to a well-placed arrow.
Fowler has been archery hunting since age 11 and took a deer with his bow the first year he ever hunted. He comes from a bow-hunting family, and his mother was a Women's National Champion in 3d bow shooting and is in the Archery Hall of Fame. In his 30 years of hunting, he's killed several large bucks, but nothing to match this Poosey buck.
How big is this deer?
It hasn't been officially measured yet but with it's more than 25 inch inside spread, 12 inch G2's and other tines to match, and a 5-inch antler circumference almost out to the end of the beam, it will likely tape out in the 185-190 range, and possible could even exceed 190 inches of antler.
According to Dale Ream, Jr. of Unionville, who now keeps the records for the Missouri Show-Me Big Buck record book, it should be in the top two or three archery deer ever taken in Missouri and could be the biggest ever. The present No. 1 archery deer measures 191-4/8 inches and was taken in St. Louis county in 1999, with No. 2 at 191, No. 3 at 188 4/8 and No. 4 at 181-5/8.
This deer is definitely as good or better than some of those record bucks. According to Ream, if it measures at 189 it would rank No. 8 in the world!
It's quite a big bigger than the largest Livingston County typical whitetail presently recorded in the Show-Me Big Buck record book, 171 1/8 deer taken by Dick West with a rifle in 1986. The West buck, until now, has been by far the largest typical deer recorded for this county.
One of the disadvantages of hunting a public area like Poosey is that vehicles, including ATV's are prohibited except on marked roads, and big deer have a habit of being located pretty far from most roads.
This monster was no exception, and with an estimated field-dressed with of 230 pounds, getting him out was quite a chore, Fowler shot the deer just before sunset that Saturday night and, like most archery taken deer, it didn't fall where it was hit.
Scott didn't follow it immediately, but got McNabb and a couple of lights before taking up the trail. The buck was hard hit and left plenty of blood sign, but still took 3 hours to locate. It was a long, hard haul out there for the hunters, but with help of deer buggy that Scott retrieved from the parking lot, they finally got him out and iced down. Scott said he pulled so hard on the deer that every muscle he had, even in his toes, ached that night.
The deer's 5x5 rack is not only supper tall and massive, it is extremely symmetrical, very important in scoring for the record books. It appears to have less than 3 inches of deduction, and will easily qualify for not only Missouri Big Bucks, but also for Pope and Young national records for archery-taken deer and Boone and Crockett's national record book for deer taken by any means.
It's an awfully big deer, by far the largest typical whitetail ever recorded in Livingston County, gun or bow, and quite possibly in the top two or three archery deer ever taken in Missouri.
It's hard to believe such a deer could elude the many hunters who pursue deer at public area like Poosey for more than six years. Fowler's dedication to bow-hunting and many hours spent scouting and preparing despite the distance from his home, were rewarded with probably the deer of his life.
Scott Fowler of Florida may have taken a new #1 Missouri record archery buck September 18th, 2004 while hunting at Poosey Conservation Area in Livingston County. Unofficial green scoring of the buck topped 195. The state record for archery is 191 4/8 which was taken in St Louis County in 1999. It will surely surpass the old Livingston County record of 171 1/8 held by Dick West. His buck was harvested in 1986 with a rifle.
Green Score Information: These are not official measurements but, will give you the awesome nature of this buck. 25 1/2" Inside Spread, 8" and 6 1/2" G1's, 12 1/2" G2's with 5" Diameters or H1's.
No matter how you measure this buck it is one for the record books. This is an animal that whitetail dreams are made of and what brings a lot of folks to the Missouri area for whitetail hunting.