MANITOULIN—And the winner is!

We had a total of five entries in this year’s Tom’s Big Buck Roundup contest, which was way down from last year’s total of 16. I don’t know if it was due to it being a tough season for hunters this year, or due to not publicizing this year’s contest enough, but the numbers certainly didn’t match the past years’ total entries.

But first off, I would like to thank all those hunters who took the time to submit photos and provide information on their entry for the contest. Thank you, if it wasn’t for the photo entries you submitted there wouldn’t be a contest.

Secondly, no matter how many entries we receive, choosing two prize winners is never easy.

Of the five entries we received this year, one was what would definitely be called a monster buck. 

We received an email from Brent Sloss who explained, “Ken Sloss (of Spring Bay) harvested this 21-point non-typical buck on November 17 after 4:35 pm at about 200 yards on his property in Long Bay. The buck weighed 208 pounds field dressed.”

Nathan McPhee sent two emails, noting that his daughter Grace and son Griffen both shot their first ever deer during the bow and deer gun hunt, respectively. “Our daughter Grace McPhee just took her first ever whitetail deer on Saturday, October 11. It was a six point buck. She took it with a crossbow while hunting with her mom (Laura McPhee) on their first deer hunt of the year, near Evansville. Grace just turned 12 in July and immediately went for her hunter safety course and Canadian Firearms safety course. Grace’s six pointer weighed in at 165 pounds.”

Then on November 21, Mr. McPhee reported, “My son Griffen McPhee just shot his first ever deer. He recently turned 12 years old. He and his twin sister did their hunting and firearms courses right away. He wanted you to know. A nice buck and a perfect 60 yard shot. He is very excited. It was taken in (Wildlife Management Unit) 43b near Evansville. It weighed 161 pounds.”

Kyle Patry, who lives in Providence Bay, explained in an email to The Expositor on November 19 that he had harvested a deer on Monday November 17. The deer, taken during the rifle hunt, was a big nine pointer that weighed around 190-200 pounds and was harvested in Assiginack Township.

In an email on November 18, Scott Van Every wrote, “Justin Hildreth of Beamsville shot this nice buck on Tuesday morning in Meldrum Bay. Justin hunts with the Van Every Hunt Club. The deer weighed 155 pounds after field dressing. It had eight points; if you go by a point is anything you could put a ring on. It was 50 years ago this year, that the Van Every Hunt Club started.”

So, the first-place prize of a $100 gift certificate from Williamson’s Up Top Sports Shop goes to Ken Sloss. There is a two-way tie for the second place prize of a $50 gift certificate to Griffen and Grace McPhee.