#61 Top 100 Santa Rosa Island Mule Deer Bucks JEFF BRASHER
#61 JEFF BRASHER
The Brasher Family became great friends with us over the years. Jeff's brother Rob was highlighted at #90, his dad Jay came in at #98, and Jeff and Rob's brother-in-law is yet to come. What a great family. Their close friend Steve Fullmer originally brought Jay out. Steve began hunting with us in the early '90s. He is yet to show up in the Top 100 as well. Shooting a mule deer buck on the west end of Santa Rosa Island on Pocket Field is one of the unique experiences in all of North America. These bucks had learned to use the rugged coastline as prime habitat while affording plenty of hiding spots to disappear into. There would be days when you saw 20-30 bucks out there, and then the next day you might see 3 or 4. Where could these bucks go? If I remember right, Jeff had shot this buck pretty good, but it refused to go down, so I instructed him to shoot him again. He hit him high on the shoulder, the bullet went through the buck's body, and it ended up splashing in the Pacific Ocean. That's something that doesn't happen every day! Guiding on these bucks when they are shedding velvet can be a bit tricky. Is that velvet hanging, or it that a drop tine? More often or not, we all grew accostomed to thinking most of those hanging things were stripped velvet. Then every once in awhile, he realize that that thing isn't moving in the wind or as the buck is running. That's a drop tine! Out on the Pocket, these bucks would maintain their velvet longer since there really is no brush to rub it off on. We've had a few bucks harvested out there that were hard horned, but still had dried velvet completely covering their antlers.
