[h=1]Runaway deer from area game farm meet their fate in rural Vergas; as shocked hunters unknowingly bag escapees–for trophies of a lifetime[/h]
Three Vergas area deer hunters shot specimens of a lifetime the first weekend of deer season.
Three animals, all weighing more than 200 pounds each–and antler points by the dozens–were shot by three flabbergasted hunters.
They don’t grow deer like that around these parts–except in an enclosed fence, with a feeding bin and a water trough–at a game farm.
And that’s what these deer were–“escapees” from the nearby Mike Summers Game Ranch, a 50 acre operation in rural Vergas.
The prison escape “couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” said Summers: The Friday night before the Saturday, Nov. 4 deer hunting opener.
These big deer, on the run from their incarceration, were big, big targets for wide-eyed hunters.
The six escaped after coyotes managed to dig their way into the enclosed area–causing such a violent commotion that the deer managed to push the gate open, according to Summers, who usually averages about 75 deer on his 50 acre game farm.
“It was a real opening day surprise for the hunters,” said Summers. “These were nice, mature bucks.”
Stunned was Casey Lyden’s reaction when the immense buck chased a doe toward his deer stand shortly after sun-up.
“Oh…My…God…,” a shocked Lyden said to himself as he took aim Lyden hunts on about 160 acres owned by his father, Ken, in Hobart Township, northeast of Vergas.
He took one shot, and then a second after the deer ran about 100 feet. The deer fell.
When he went to inspect the animal, he saw a tag on its ear. Its antler rack tallied 29 points; and it was pushing 250 pounds in weight.
Wanting to do the right thing, Lyden decided he had better call the Department of Natural Resources when he saw the tag. At the time, he wasn’t sure what the implications were with an unusually tagged deer.
“I really wasn’t sure what to do with it,” said Lyden. “I didn’t even know there was a game farm around there, it was a surprise to me.”
The episode also came as something of a surprise to DNR conservation officer Chris Vinton.
“I don’t think the DNR had ever experienced something like this either,” said Lyden, with three trophy bucks–all on the lam from a game farm–were bagged within basically a few miles.
The other two lucky hunters were Jeff and Greg Ratz, hunting in the same general area. One of the Ratz boys would have had a 32 point buck–but part of the antler was broken off, so it came in at 23 point, noted Lyden.
“I had heard through the grapevine that some other hunters got the game farm deer,” said Lyden, who searched them out.
Basically, the DNR concluded that the deer were “fair game” if they were out on deer hunting opener.
“It’s a weird story…what are the odds that the deer would escape the night before deer hunting opener…and the odds of one running past my deer stand are pretty wild,” said Lyden, 31, who has been hunting “as long as I can remember.”
He plans to mount the deer, and the Ratz boys are reportedly also planning to take their specimens to the taxidermist.
As far as Lyden is concerned, it is a legitimate mount– “It was in the wild; it was chasing a doe,” he said.
In fact, the DNR even allowed Lyden to use his deer tag again–since the buck was an escaped game farm animal and, officially, not on the DNR’s native deer “roster.”
Lyden is, however, restricted from entering the buck into a deer contest or the record books–since it was not, technically, a “wild” deer.
Summers managed to get three of the six escaped deer back. But as for the three that wandered to their doom, Summers acknowledged that the animals were “fair game” to the unknowing hunters. Summers has raised deer for about 25 years, for re-sale, and also for hides and for urine to hunters for scent marking.
Hunts for the disabled is a special mission of the Summers ranch, and he usually hosts about six special hunts a year to give the disabled and handicapped an opportunity to hunt.
A final note on the story:
In the hours leading up to the 2017 Minnesota deer hunting opener, there was a song and a melody running through Casey Lyden’s head–constantly. It was one of those goofy, novelty, seasonal tunes like “Second Week of Deer Camp,” or “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
The recording: “30 Point Buck.”
“I was singing that song all afternoon on Friday,” said Lyden. “The next day, I shoot a 29-pointer!”
https://pelicanrapidspress.com/2017...apees-trophies-lifetime/#sthash.32yo4CyW.dpbs
Three Vergas area deer hunters shot specimens of a lifetime the first weekend of deer season.
Three animals, all weighing more than 200 pounds each–and antler points by the dozens–were shot by three flabbergasted hunters.
They don’t grow deer like that around these parts–except in an enclosed fence, with a feeding bin and a water trough–at a game farm.
And that’s what these deer were–“escapees” from the nearby Mike Summers Game Ranch, a 50 acre operation in rural Vergas.
The prison escape “couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” said Summers: The Friday night before the Saturday, Nov. 4 deer hunting opener.
These big deer, on the run from their incarceration, were big, big targets for wide-eyed hunters.
The six escaped after coyotes managed to dig their way into the enclosed area–causing such a violent commotion that the deer managed to push the gate open, according to Summers, who usually averages about 75 deer on his 50 acre game farm.
“It was a real opening day surprise for the hunters,” said Summers. “These were nice, mature bucks.”
Stunned was Casey Lyden’s reaction when the immense buck chased a doe toward his deer stand shortly after sun-up.
“Oh…My…God…,” a shocked Lyden said to himself as he took aim Lyden hunts on about 160 acres owned by his father, Ken, in Hobart Township, northeast of Vergas.
He took one shot, and then a second after the deer ran about 100 feet. The deer fell.
When he went to inspect the animal, he saw a tag on its ear. Its antler rack tallied 29 points; and it was pushing 250 pounds in weight.
Wanting to do the right thing, Lyden decided he had better call the Department of Natural Resources when he saw the tag. At the time, he wasn’t sure what the implications were with an unusually tagged deer.
“I really wasn’t sure what to do with it,” said Lyden. “I didn’t even know there was a game farm around there, it was a surprise to me.”
The episode also came as something of a surprise to DNR conservation officer Chris Vinton.
“I don’t think the DNR had ever experienced something like this either,” said Lyden, with three trophy bucks–all on the lam from a game farm–were bagged within basically a few miles.
The other two lucky hunters were Jeff and Greg Ratz, hunting in the same general area. One of the Ratz boys would have had a 32 point buck–but part of the antler was broken off, so it came in at 23 point, noted Lyden.
“I had heard through the grapevine that some other hunters got the game farm deer,” said Lyden, who searched them out.
Basically, the DNR concluded that the deer were “fair game” if they were out on deer hunting opener.
“It’s a weird story…what are the odds that the deer would escape the night before deer hunting opener…and the odds of one running past my deer stand are pretty wild,” said Lyden, 31, who has been hunting “as long as I can remember.”
He plans to mount the deer, and the Ratz boys are reportedly also planning to take their specimens to the taxidermist.
As far as Lyden is concerned, it is a legitimate mount– “It was in the wild; it was chasing a doe,” he said.
In fact, the DNR even allowed Lyden to use his deer tag again–since the buck was an escaped game farm animal and, officially, not on the DNR’s native deer “roster.”
Lyden is, however, restricted from entering the buck into a deer contest or the record books–since it was not, technically, a “wild” deer.
Summers managed to get three of the six escaped deer back. But as for the three that wandered to their doom, Summers acknowledged that the animals were “fair game” to the unknowing hunters. Summers has raised deer for about 25 years, for re-sale, and also for hides and for urine to hunters for scent marking.
Hunts for the disabled is a special mission of the Summers ranch, and he usually hosts about six special hunts a year to give the disabled and handicapped an opportunity to hunt.
A final note on the story:
In the hours leading up to the 2017 Minnesota deer hunting opener, there was a song and a melody running through Casey Lyden’s head–constantly. It was one of those goofy, novelty, seasonal tunes like “Second Week of Deer Camp,” or “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
The recording: “30 Point Buck.”
“I was singing that song all afternoon on Friday,” said Lyden. “The next day, I shoot a 29-pointer!”
https://pelicanrapidspress.com/2017...apees-trophies-lifetime/#sthash.32yo4CyW.dpbs
