Rompola Buck Update

[Plebe]

He did, however it came to light that he had numerous game law violations including using an artificial light with a weapon in his vehicle on at least two occasions.
After this came to light CBM deliberated and decided it would be best to remove his buck(s) from the records to maintain its integrity.
Caldrone was incensed and felt that Mitch was responsible for removing his buck from the record books since removing Calderon's questionable buck reinstated Mitch's buck back to the top spot.
Calderon in an attempt to try to damage Mitch, started the rumor that Mitch's buck was fake and things snowballed from there.
Again, every eyewitness that saw, handled, inspected or scored Mitch's buck verifies the buck was legit. All of the negative comments have come from those who fell for the rumor started by Calderon. Why Mitch chose not to push back, I don't know.

OL has it a bit different:

One of the people who started rumors about the Rompola Buck being fake is Craig Calderone from Jackson, Michigan. It’s important to know that Calderone may have had an axe to grind. In the fall of 1986, Calderone killed a 14-point typical with a bow in Jackson County that scored more than the top deer for that category at the time. The current record holder in the category was Rompola, with the buck he bagged the year before.

Not long after Calderone’s buck was entered in state records, a ticket and violation surfaced, which Craig had received years earlier for spotlighting deer. According to CBM bylaws, the Calderone Buck was suspended for three years. It could have been re-entered after that time, but Craig chose not to go through the entry process again. That deer is listed in B&C Records with a score of 193 2⁄8.

Rompola was the previous record holder and a CBM official at the time this all went down. Calderone blamed Rompola for his rack being dropped from state records. But Rompola had nothing to do with the decision about the Calderone Buck. He even excluded himself from deliberations due to potential conflict of interest.

Mitch Rompola Buck: The True Backstory on Why the Deer Was Never Entered as a World Record

The Mitch Rompola buck is one of the most controversial whitetails of all time. Here's why it was never entered in the record books.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[ricky racer]

Didn't he offer 10K to Mitch just to have it X rayed? Regardless of the results.

I believe that is true but if Mitch wasn't interested in the big money that would come his way with a world record, why would he be moved to satisfy a known game violator like Calderone, the very guy that did his best to turn the public against Mitch??

 

[ricky racer]

OL has it a bit different:

One of the people who started rumors about the Rompola Buck being fake is Craig Calderone from Jackson, Michigan. It’s important to know that Calderone may have had an axe to grind. In the fall of 1986, Calderone killed a 14-point typical with a bow in Jackson County that scored more than the top deer for that category at the time. The current record holder in the category was Rompola, with the buck he bagged the year before.

Not long after Calderone’s buck was entered in state records, a ticket and violation surfaced, which Craig had received years earlier for spotlighting deer. According to CBM bylaws, the Calderone Buck was suspended for three years. It could have been re-entered after that time, but Craig chose not to go through the entry process again. That deer is listed in B&C Records with a score of 193 2⁄8.

Rompola was the previous record holder and a CBM official at the time this all went down. Calderone blamed Rompola for his rack being dropped from state records. But Rompola had nothing to do with the decision about the Calderone Buck. He even excluded himself from deliberations due to potential conflict of interest.

Mitch Rompola Buck: The True Backstory on Why the Deer Was Never Entered as a World Record

The Mitch Rompola buck is one of the most controversial whitetails of all time. Here's why it was never entered in the record books.

www.outdoorlife.com

I'd say that aligns perfectly with my post. What did I miss??

 

[Plebe]

I'd say that aligns perfectly with my post. What did I miss??

I asked why he didn’t re-enter the buck after the three year waiting period.

You responded he did.

The article says he didn’t.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

Pics please.

It was in the link @MattMan81 posted in post #287. Filter the county and you'll find it.

 

[GeoFish]

I believe that is true but if Mitch wasn't interested in the big money that would come his way with a world record, why would he be moved to satisfy a known game violator like Calderone, the very guy that did his best to turn the public against Mitch??

If someone accused me of doing something like this, I would do whatever necessary to clear my name. Regardless of the money involved.

 

[Plebe]

It was in the link @MattMan81 posted in post #287. Filter the county and you'll find it.

 

[ricky racer]

I asked why he didn’t re-enter the buck after the three year waiting period.

You responded he did.

The article says he didn’t.

I never made any mention of Calderone re-entering or not re-entering his buck in the record book. If he chose not to re-enter it then if we apply the same reasoning that we do to Mitch's buck, it must be fake, right??

 

[ricky racer]

If someone accused me of doing something like this, I would do whatever necessary to clear my name. Regardless of the money involved.

Yep, you and me both, however Mitch chose not to for reasons only known to him. But that doesn't make him guilty...

 

[Plebe]

It was in the link @MattMan81 posted in post #287. Filter the county and you'll find it.

Not a giant, but the droopy ears, lol.

If you want to see how weird things can get with antler pedicles, look into farm raised bucks.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

I have seen literally 100's of photos of dead big bucks with the ears drooping. That "Evidence" has no bearing on Mitch's buck at all imo.

 

[Plebe]

I never made any mention of Calderone re-entering or not re-entering his buck in the record book. If he chose not to re-enter it then if we apply the same reasoning that we do to Mitch's buck, it must be fake, right??

You did. But it’s neither here nor there.

I don’t claim to know what Caldorone’s rationale was, nor Mitch’s.

People keep trying to apply their own logic to all this. Could it work out everything lines up, sure. But it’s not logical to expect everyone to think and do as one thinks they should, imo.

State of mind arguments need a lot more than the logical person test when it comes to fanatics.

 

[1simplemann]

I believe that is true but if Mitch wasn't interested in the big money that would come his way with a world record, why would he be moved to satisfy a known game violator like Calderone, the very guy that did his best to turn the public against Mitch??

I have no idea. I just wanted to know if it was a fact that MR turned down 10K to clear his own name. Most people would.

That whole situation is a pretty unusual. It's hard telling what the actual facts were then. Sounds like 2 guys were slinging mud at each other and seeing what stuck. Big bucks will make people say and do stupid stuff. I seen it 1st hand.

You said that Calderone started a rumor and that he's a known game violator. MR didn't need Calderone to turn the public against him. He did it to himself. He's got 2 pretty serious convictions that for a lot of people would cause them to question his character. Or do I have those facts wrong?

 

[1simplemann]

If someone accused me of doing something like this, I would do whatever necessary to clear my name. Regardless of the money involved.

I would pay to clear my name.

 

[ricky racer]

View attachment 83352

You did. But it’s neither here nor there.

I don’t claim to know what Caldorone’s rationale was, nor Mitch’s.

People keep trying to apply their own logic to all this. Could it work out everything lines up, sure. But it’s not logical to expect everyone to think and do as one thinks they should, imo.

State of mind arguments need a lot more than the logical person test when it comes to fanatics.

Oops! My bad. I misread that as "why isn't Calderone listed in the record book?" I remember it being removed but was don't remember it could be reinstated after 3 years. Sorry about that!

 

[ricky racer]

I have no idea. I just wanted to know if it was a fact that MR turned down 10K to clear his own name. Most people would.

That whole situation is a pretty unusual. It's hard telling what the actual facts were then. Sounds like 2 guys were slinging mud at each other and seeing what stuck. Big bucks will make people say and do stupid stuff. I seen it 1st hand.

You said that Calderone started a rumor and that he's a known game violator. MR didn't need Calderone to turn the public against him. He did it to himself. He's got 2 pretty serious convictions that for a lot of people would cause them to question his character. Or do I have those facts wrong?

I agree, most people would but long before that offer was made by Calderone, Mitch turned down a whole lot more money by choosing to not enter the buck in the book.


Yes, Mitch has had a few missteps but nothing related to game law violations.

 

[1simplemann]

View attachment 83339

Heck of a buck! Congrats Brittany if you read this.

The Droopy ears are not unusual. See how they come off the head at the same height? I've seen this lot's of times. MR's are at different height's. Not usual. Can't say that I've seen that before.

Totally different brow tines than MR's buck. Wide? yes. However The bases of the brows originate above the eyes. Just like every typical buck I've ever seen w/ brow tines. The base of the brow tines on MR's buck are so far outside of his eyes that I can't honestly that I've ever seen that on a typical WT either. If someone has a pic of deer w/ brows like that please post them.

 

[Plebe]

Heck of a buck! Congrats Brittany if you read this.

The Droopy ears are not unusual. See how they come off the head at the same height? I've seen this lot's of times. MR's are at different height's. Not usual. Can't say that I've seen that before.

Totally different brow tines than MR's buck. Wide? yes. However The bases of the brows originate above the eyes. Just like every typical buck I've ever seen w/ brow tines. The base of the brow tines on MR's buck are so far outside of his eyes that I can't honestly that I've ever seen that on a typical WT either. If someone has a pic of deer w/ brows like that please post them.

Maybe something like this?

 

[DroptineKrazy]

Heck of a buck! Congrats Brittany if you read this.

The Droopy ears are not unusual. See how they come off the head at the same height? I've seen this lot's of times. MR's are at different height's. Not usual. Can't say that I've seen that before.

Totally different brow tines than MR's buck. Wide? yes. However The bases of the brows originate above the eyes. Just like every typical buck I've ever seen w/ brow tines. The base of the brow tines on MR's buck are so far outside of his eyes that I can't honestly that I've ever seen that on a typical WT either. If someone has a pic of deer w/ brows like that please post them.

I don't get what your saying about the brows. Sometimes I can be pretty thick skulled lol. We've all seen bucks with no brows at all and brows coming off the main beam in various places.

 

[1simplemann]

I agree, most people would but long before that offer was made by Calderone, Mitch turned down a whole lot more money by choosing to not enter the buck in the book.


Yes, Mitch has had a few missteps but nothing related to game law violations.

Where do you draw the line between Game law violations and life's general morals? The fact that Calderone has a game law violation doesn't make his buck not legit. It does put a cloud over it though. I guess only he knows the truth. The same is true for MR. The FACT that a guy that is willing to defraud the USPS and be a Peeping Tom says a lot about his character regardless if it's the woods or out of the woods. It's not that far of a stretch to think that a guy that was willing to commit those 2 crimes would be willing to try to pull a hoax in the woods. Those 2 offenses don't mean that it's for sure that the buck is not legit but they for sure do make me question his MR's character. Maybe you can dismiss his "missteps" but I can't. Again only he knows the truth. However he did have the opportunity the clear his name and chose not to do it. In my book, that says a lot. I would have PAID 10K to clear my name.

You bring up the money he turned down. IMO It never was about the money. It was about recognition. These guys crave it. It's like crack cocaine. Gotta have it. He just underestimated how much scrutiny this would bring. MR couldn't do it because he knew he was going to get caught if it was X Ray'd so he took his ball, went home and hoped we would all forget.