I got this from a buddy in Rapid City. Story Below:
This is Ryan Hatch, I just wanted to tell you about the big buck shot this weekend by Alan Hamberlin.
Long and short of the tale is the buck was nicknamed oodini by Tory Brock. For the last two years the buck has escaped many hunters due to thick pinion and junipers and the vast country in which he roamed.
We have several trail camera photos from 2007 and 2008, and both Tory and I have spent a fair amount of time looking for Hoodini and his sheds with very little success.
This season a trail camera photo in eairly July showed us that the buck was still alive and even bigger than before. I would have guessed a 230 to 240 type of buck. Once again Hoodini pulled his magic and disappeared for over 40 days.
The governers tags started on the 15th and we had planned to scour the country to refind, or locate Hoodini when just like that he came to water again allowing a second view, and at a month later the growth was staggering. Tory and I both thought the buck would gross score 285 inches with 12 points on both sides. Well, as it turns out we were wrong, in a good way wrong.
The buck hit the water a second time three days later and the rest is history. We knew at that moment it was now or never as I don’t know if the buck would ever surface again. Some hot hunting, a ton of excitement, a couple of huge lucky breaks, and Alan Hamberlin ancored what is the largest buck to come for the Arizona Strip, EVER!
Hoodini is a buck like I thought I would never see in my lifetime. 41 Inches wide, 15 by 16, and gross scores 322, yes322! The frame is 31 inches wide and a whopping 234 gross on the main frame alone. The mass was 26.5 and 25.
I just read a post on MM and thought it would be best to aware you of the facts on how and where on the buck. This buck, like many in the past was harvested due to unselfish friends working together to accomplish a goal, and to each of them I say thanks for the fun adventure.
Like I had said above, Tory and I had worked on this buck for three years and I had also spent time looking for Hoodini with Clay Bundy as well. David Virostko and I was both able to make the hunt along with Alan’s brother and nephew big Jim and little Jim. Clay Bundy and his son in law Trevor hunt were guiding Alan and I was trying to film the fun.
I can tell you this will not be like Sampson’s story due to the fact this buck was a cagey old buck and the deer to my knowledge had never been videoed until the 30 seconds before the harvest. Trevor made a once in a lifetime spot and Alan made one of the greatest shots I have seen under intense pressure. 300 yards with little more that the monster bucks neck in view, and a makeshift cedar tree rest.
Great friends+good timing+ a perfect shot= 321 inches.
Hoodini mave have pulled his last act, but I can say the history books will will share his accounts for a long time. He is an awesome looking deer, I promise I will have one of our guys place photo’s Monday for sure. Their all out hunting again today.
Ryan Hatch
