We have no information on this photo other than it is one massive pile of whitetails!

The comment on the mass email we received stated, "After 25 years of trophy deer management these folks found out they were losing their lease. They went buck wild..."

This amazing buck came in via e-mail:

Nancy Garrett was hunting in Oregon this past fall when she did something that had never been done before in that state. She downed a tremendous 189 non-typical whitetail, making it the first non-typical to ever be entered into B&C's Records Program from that state. Her trophy was accepted by B&C on January 23, 2008.

Whitetails continue to slowly spread throughout the West. The only western states now not to have a whitetail in the records book are Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California.

We've posted a new survey question on the home page this morning. It pertains to how scent-conscious you are before each hunt. Last week's question on activated-carbon clothing usage saw a near split down the middle.

The question, "Do you use activated-carbon clothing (Scent-Lok, Scent-Blocker, etc.)?" was answered by nearly 700 loyal Stump Sitters. The results:

Yes.	51%
No.	49%

I am curious to see the results from the shower question, but I won't say why just yet...you will have to check back for next week's follow-up question for the answer and analysis.

--Dan Schmidt, Editor, D&DH

When Winter Storm Isabella pounded northeast Wisconsin this past weekend, I felt trapped. We received 7 inches of snow on Thursday, then got pounded with another 10 inches between Saturday and Sunday. However, my predicament was nothing compared to what I witnessed this past weekend.

I first noticed this three-legged deer outside our home around Christmas-time. First appearances warranted assumptions that the buck received a broken back leg during the state's November gun season. Those assumptions might prove false.

The buck appeared otherwise healthy back then; moving around with surprising agility as it browsed from its bedding area to a frost valley filled with aspen, white pine and young-growth hickory. This recent snowstorm, however, killed the yearling buck.

There was nothing I could do to save this deer from its icy death. That haunts me, yet serves as a stark reminder of nature's harsh reality. With 36 inches of snow on the level in the woods, the young buck's fate was sealed well before I snapped the first photo of it browsing tree buds on Saturday.  The second photo shows how difficult it was for the deer to navigate. It would take a step and fall heafirst into the snow...take a step and fall. It was very painful to watch.

Despite browsing heavily throughout the snowstorm, which lasted well over 12 hours, the young buck died shortly thereafter. I will have to wait until spring to learn exactly what killed the deer, but an initial inspection of the kill site makes me believe the deer was hit by a car. The hind leg showed no bullet wounds. There were a few lacerations and some scar tissue near the "kneecap" area.

--Dan Schmidt
D&DH Editor