#4 JEFF MEYERL Top 100 Santa Rosa Island Mule Deer Bucks
#4 JEFF MEYERL Top 100 Santa Rosa Island Mule Deer Bucks
This monster was the Island record from this date in 1999 until 2006. This buck has so much mass that it looks unnatural. Jeff can not even come close to wrapping his hands around the antlers above the eyeguards. I think this buck had over 50" in mass measurements. This buck of Jeff's is also the top scoring buck that is hard horned. The three remaining bucks are all in the velvet. This fact makes Tim Kelley the guide keep abit of his swagger about guiding on the biggest buck on SRI.
The most amazing part of this story is that the other client that was paired with Jeff actually passed on this buck!!! Unbelievable. Yes, this other client (we won't mention his name here) was first up on mule deer, but refused to shoot a buck the first evening of the hunt. So, they left this buck alone for that first evening as the other man was up for hunting. The next morning when Jeff was up, wanted to go back and look for this buck. Good decision on Jeff's part. Most times you can never go back and expect to find a particular animal on a 55,000 acre ranch, but Tim did a great job and got Jeff on this buck. This buck is also one of only two bucks of the Top 100 that were shot before the beginning of the new millennium (Tom {Place #45 was the other, shot in 1998). Therefore it could be argued that it took us approximately 20 years to fully realize our management potential with these Kaibab mule deer on Santa Rosa Island. We started the hunting program in 1979, but it wasn't until a couple decades later when we really started shooting huge bucks. Management practicies work, but it can take lots of time. Perserverence and dedication to the overarching goal is key.
Congrats, Jeff you shot a trophy of a lifetime with MUM on Santa Rosa Island! We see Jeff every year at the Safari Club Show. He is always smiling-- think that smile is still on his face from this hunt 16 years ago!
