The Rompola Buck

[dalton916]

Imma need to see some pics of the pages with his story on it...

 

[sureshot]

The story has 2 possibilities:
1. He got fed up with monetized big buck craziness and the irrational treatment he got and simply walked away with his record deer to keep for himself only and to leave everyone questioning his deer and the entire antler for money industry.

2. He was completely part of the antler for money craziness and faked the deer.

I'm hoping for number 1.

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[will4554]

I also think he was the better hunter (between him and Hansen).

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Hansen killed his deer on a drive. Still a giant, but he didn't exactly beat that deer. I couldn't care less about how someone else hunts or harvests a deer, but unless you killed it with a bow it doesn't really interest me.

 

[will4554]

I saw a thread a few years back of a buck with similar characteristics. The hunter said he was Mitch's nephew and that the buck was from Grand Traverse. They're probably just faking the racks all these years later. We should start a free Rompola campaign. Like free Britney, but better because it's about deer lol. The best chance of getting the truth is for his estate to do something with later on. It's been enough time now that if he wanted to come forward he would have.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Does anyone know generally where he was hunting? I used to live over by Peegeo's and hunted in the VASA trail area for a number of years.

 

[MattMan81]

I think it's real. I think the guy just loves hunting. He said those other ones are scored. I don't think he wanted to make hunting a job. Becoming a hunting celeberty puts pressure on you to perform. Kill more big bucks. Would take the fun out of it. IMO.

 

[deertrout]

There was a book published in 93 or 94 called bowhunting's whitetail masters or something like that. There is a chapter where the author interviewed rompola on his tactics. Mind you this was published 5 years before he shot this buck. The guy was basically using- and mastered- beast tactics 15 or 20 years before beast tactics was even thought of. The dude is an amazing hunter and its a shame he went into hiding cause I'm sure there is a lot we could learn from him.

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[Nutterbuster]

I've never paid much attention to the Rompola buck, but I enjoyed the video of the interview with him. Thanks!

 

[Jay_Disarray]

I've never paid much attention to the Rompola buck, but I enjoyed the video of the interview with him. Thanks!

granted i dont know much about this controversy around his buck, i tend to believe him. that video i posted of the interview with him is one of the reasons. anyone who can bring home that much antler must be doing something right, and who am i to say his buck is fake. the guy obviously is a much better hunter than i will probably ever be

 

[Topdog]

granted i dont know much about this controversy around his buck, i tend to believe him. that video i posted of the interview with him is one of the reasons. anyone who can bring home that much antler must be doing something right, and who am i to say his buck is fake. the guy obviously is a much better hunter than i will probably ever be

Never say never my friend, your hunting career is a journey that is never over until you say it is, anybody here could end up being a big shot hunter, one difference though is most of us would end up with alcohol poisoning if we ever shoot a buck over 200”, not hide for 20 years LOL !

 

[dalton916]

I’ve seen this from both angles and both are ugly and disgusting. I know a guy that had a well deserved reputation for not giving a damn about anything game law related that killed a monster deer and killed it legitimately. I know for a fact it was killed legally, but I can count on one hand the folks that believe him.

On the other side I know a guy that’s a deacon in the church and an all around fine man that poached the hell out of a gigantic buck. I know for a fact it killed out of season, but I can count on my other hand the number of folks that know this deer was poached.

The first guy, the one who did it right, won’t even talk about his buck.

The second guy, the poacher, won’t hesitate to tell you about his buck.

Me? I’m disgusted by both situations.

FWIW, I believe the Rompola buck is legit.

 

[Topdog]

This is my opinion, that buck was real, how he got it or where, I think would be almost impossible to validate at this point, his reputation as a killer lends me to believe it’s legit, too many people with solid reputations seen that buck shortly after it was killed for it be a complete fake in my opinion, imagine the speed and perfection it would take to mount a fake rack or any rack for that matter to a freshly killed deer and be good enough to fool several people just a few hours later, I don’t think it’s possible, that would take some serious skill and probably help. I know taxidermists can do amazing things but they are also taking their time and working with a bench and under a controlled setting, maybe I am wrong but it just seems impossible to me to perform something like that in a hurry and good enough to fool people instantly.... Hansen’s lawsuit can be taken several different ways, on one hand why would Rompola ever sign off on a such a deal, maybe Rompola got paid or maybe he just plain had enough. On the other hand Hansen’s lawsuit somewhat gives Rompolas buck credence I mean lawyers are not cheap and litigation just plain sucks, if it was common knowledge that buck was fake and they knew it, Hansen’s resources could have been spent better elsewhere then chasing that guy around in court, once again maybe I am wrong but it just seems to me that Hansen felt it could be real also. It’s definitely interesting stuff to those with inquiring minds like myself.

 

[arrow30]

i believe this buck is as real as they come.
and if it was fake, they would have proof and it would have been public for all to know, and they would not miss a chance to show the world and there is NO PROOF.
and if it was taken illegally it would have been confiscated immediately !
from what i have read- there were plenty who seen and handled the deer and rack. (rack measurers)
and the guy was an unusual dude, (weird). and had some bad dealings with the big buck scoring clubs, and i think that has a lot to do with this story.
i dont believe it would be allowed in the books anyways, since it was taken with a compound with a high letoff. (more than 65%) thats what i think it is, it may have changed in recent years.
the hansen buck was killed on deer drive witch really isnt hunting in my opinion. the guy shot the deer like 3 times all bad hits.
and hansen already had big money backing him from product manufacturers, and they didnt want to loose there money maker.

i dont blame the guy for walking away!

 

[dalton916]

The Hanson buck “deer drive” started when someone, I believe it was a school bus driver, saw the deer cross the road or in a field and told them about the deer where it went.

 

[Topdog]

i believe this buck is as real as they come.
and if it was fake, they would have proof and it would have been public for all to know, and they would not miss a chance to show the world and there is NO PROOF.
and if it was taken illegally it would have been confiscated immediately !
from what i have read- there were plenty who seen and handled the deer and rack. (rack measurers)
and the guy was an unusual dude, (weird). and had some bad dealings with the big buck scoring clubs, and i think that has a lot to do with this story.
i dont believe it would be allowed in the books anyways, since it was taken with a compound with a high letoff. (more than 65%) thats what i think it is, it may have changed in recent years.
the hansen buck was killed on deer drive witch really isnt hunting in my opinion. the guy shot the deer like 3 times all bad hits.
and hansen already had big money backing him from product manufacturers, and they didnt want to loose there money maker.

i dont blame the guy for walking away!

You are correct it wouldn’t make pope and young with that let off but Boone and Crocket good to go I believe.

 

[Plebe]

The Hanson buck “deer drive” started when someone, I believe it was a school bus driver, saw the deer cross the road or in a field and told them about the deer where it went.

Ha!

I don't poo poo deer drives. There is some tradition there as well as community. In fact, while it's a shame hunting opportunities in Europe are so limited, game drives there are really well orchestrated and reverent.

But, I can't respect ol' Hanson if he isn't helping that cheese wheeler with some financial augmentation.

 

[Dewey]

Few of random pics I found. Looks like wide racked bucks are the norm where he hunts.

 

[woodsdog2]

There was a book published in 93 or 94 called bowhunting's whitetail masters or something like that. There is a chapter where the author interviewed rompola on his tactics. Mind you this was published 5 years before he shot this buck. The guy was basically using- and mastered- beast tactics 15 or 20 years before beast tactics was even thought of. The dude is an amazing hunter and its a shame he went into hiding cause I'm sure there is a lot we could learn from him.

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Yep! And I have an original copy. The author is/was Dan Bertalan who was the same author of the Woods and Water expose of the Rompola buck posted earlier on this thread. Here are some of Mr. Rompola's biggest deer taken long before this story. I bought this book when it first came out in 1992 and besides Mitch Rompola's tactics and techniques, it covers other great whitetail hunters of that great era.... Barry and Gene Wensel, Roger Rothaar, Quincy Hale, John Kolometz, Bob Fratzke, John Hale... this is a pedigree of bowhunters with skill sets that still rival the best of us today. Remember these guys didn't have trail cameras, OnX Hunt, and youtube. In reading the chapter over again, you can tell Rompola is no "fly by night." Some guys call him weird and strange..... I think he was born 150 years too late. You can tell he loved bowhunting big whitetails and took the time to learn and develop his craft to be a consistent big buck hunter. He is/was just hardcore and personally, I really want to believe his story is legit. It seemed like he really loved bowhunting big bucks too much for it to be anything else. We all know why we go out there.... for the hope... that's what drives us. He wanted to retain the dignity of a big buck hunter's hope.

 

[woodsdog2]

I'm not committed either way. I don't have much to offer other than musings, and frankly I don't think @BackSpasm's prophecy of the final chapter being broken on saddlehunter.com is likely (though we can hope).

BUT, if this is NLP's version of Ned Divine, well, what the hell, "To Ned!"

Quite a story.

We can always hope!!

 

[AttackMode]

Few of random pics I found. Looks like wide racked bucks are the norm where he hunts. View attachment 45942View attachment 45943View attachment 45944View attachment 45945

Having killed my fair share of deer the thing that strikes me the most about these photos is the lack of blood, no visible entry/exit wounds. I can't recall any that I've killed that ended up that clean. Maybe he does a good job getting them cleaned up for the pic...idk not saying anything more or less.