The current leader in antler size category in the Buck’s Hardware Big Buck Contest is Mike Quaife of Grand Marais with this buck with an antler spread of 21¾ inches. Currently in the lead for weight is Colton Furlong with a buck weighing in at 224.2 pounds.
Buck’s Hardware in Grand Marais has been a busy place with deer hunters bringing in their deer—bucks only this year—to be registered, weighed and many logged in for the Buck’s Big Buck Contest.
There are three opportunities for deer hunters to win a prize in the contest—for the largest dressed weight, the largest antler spread and in a drawing for half of the money from contest entry fees. The contest started on deer rifle season opener, November 8 and ends on November 23.
Current winner in the weight category is Colton Furlong whose buck weighed in at 224.2 pounds. Owen Anderson was close behind with a 217.8-pound buck.
In the antler spread category Mike Quaife is leader with a rack width of 21.75 inches. Owen Anderson was also second in that category with his buck with an 18.25 inch antler spread.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on November 10, Minnesota hunters had registered 54,000 deer.
Final numbers from the weekend show that the number of deer registered dropped 30,000 from 2013. So far this year, including special hunts and the archery season, hunters have harvested 67,000 deer, down from the 2013 to-date harvest total of 100,000.
“Comparing this year’s harvest to harvests in previous years doesn’t necessarily reflect hunter opportunity or the number of deer on the landscape in 2014,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader. This year’s lower harvest is by design because regulations were implemented to place more deer – particularly does – off limits to increase Minnesota’s deer population.
Congratulations to all the hunters who have bagged a buck. Have a safe season.
Leave a Reply