Viking Weather
Want to Book A Hunt? Have Questions?
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Want to Book A Hunt? Have Questions?
Give Us A Call!!
Viking Weather
Email: info@dsguiding.com
Dean Cumming
After signing up with Dean Cummings of D&S Guiding and learning the particulars of the hunt, we knew we had to prepare ourselves for shooting accurately at all distances. Dean emphasized that a lot of bucks were being missed because of poor preparation. We were all excited about going, and whenever we would meet to sight in guns, the discussion was about big bucks in Alberta. Three of us were using 300 Winchester Magnums, while Lyle used a 300 H & H Winchester. The cartridges were custom loads with 180-grain Nosler partition, chronographed at 3200 fps. While target shooting, we sighted in initially at a 100-yard target, eventually working to 600 yards, shooting water filled milk jugs. To prepare myself for long distance shooting, I shot more than 200 rounds during the six months before the hunt.
Summer passed by quickly, and before I knew it we were on the plane heading for Edmonton, Alberta. Upon arrival at the airport, D&S Guiding Service was there to pick us up and take us to camp for the next day's hunt. I didn't get much sleep that night, anticipating the hunt.
The next morning the hunters with their guides went off in different directions, looking for the whitetail and mule deer that dreams are made of. My guide for the hunt was Shawn. Three hours into the hunt Shawn spotted a mule deer buck and the chase began, trying to get close enough for a shot. I was able to get a couple of shots off, but I don't think I was quite prepared for fast paced shooting so early in the hunt. After missing the mule deer, we drove around and spotted a few more smaller bucks but nothing big enough to match what was already hanging on the wall at home. That first night in camp was filled with talk of trophies that were too far away or just plain missed, except for Lyle, who shot a nice 11-point, non-typical buck.
Early in the morning on the second day Shawn and I were walking through a field. Coming over a hill, we spotted a whitetail buck and doe 100 yards away. By the time I was able to get a good look at the buck, he had disappeared into the bush, never to be seen again. That night back at camp, talk was of a nice 10-pointer and two other whitetails that were taken that day.
Walter Steele of Belleville, Wisconsin, travelled to Alberta, Canada, to try his luck on a trophy whitetail. While hunting with Dean Cummings of D&S Guiding, his dream buck showed up. Walter's buck ended up grossing 186 and netting 172 2/8 typical points.
After the drive was finished, we all gathered around the trucks and found out from Lyle that a big whitetail had gone into a small bush 200 yards from where we were standing. Dean took me around to the other side of the bush, where I kneeled beside a hay bale and waited for the drivers to start going through the bush. At the same time, Lyle and Lloyd and two other hunters approached the sides of the bush in case the buck decided to go out either side.
"There's a buck coming out," yelled the drivers when they were about half-way through the bush.
I had never anticipated seeing a buck of this magnitude running towards me. He was by far the biggest one I had ever seen in all my years of hunting. As I watched him run out of the bush, I realized this was why I came to Alberta.
When I fired the first shot, I knew I had missed, but the second shot made him hunch up and it looked as if he shifted gears and started running faster. As he ran 100 yards into the next bush, I was in disbelief that he had not fallen or even stumbled. I actually thought I might have missed him altogether.
Dean came running up to me, asking if I had hit the buck. I honestly told him I wasn't sure. I then ran with him to the other side of the bush where we had watched the buck disappear. We spotted blood right away and hoped for the best. Upon entering the second bush they had seen where the buck had laid down in a pool of blood. When the drivers entered the bush, the buck decided to go out the side. As it headed across the field, 200 yards towards the next bush, several shots were fired without success, One of the guides on the blood trail ran into the bush where the deer had entered and flushed him from his bed. The final shot was made and the buck only ran 20 yards and died.
As the guides and hunters were dragging the buck to the vehicle, we were all amazed at the size of the 10-point, 300 pound buck. The antlers were Boone and Crockett greenscored at 186 gross points.
As a young hunter in Wisconsin, I always dreamed of a whitetail with a nice set of antlers. The Wisconsin racks never quite matched my dreams, but this hunt in Alberta has allowed my dreams to become reality.
After living and hunting in Wisconsin for many years and never getting a record buck, discussions with friends turned my attention to Canada for monster whitetails. We contacted Dean Cummings of D&S Guiding of Alberta.
We were informed there were only four openings remaining in the southern camp for the ten-day hunt from November 16 to 26.
As the third morning began, I never would have guessed what fate had in store for me. The morning hunt went by without seeing much, and Dean had told everyone to meet back at camp at noon. He was planning to do some drives. After everyone returned to camp, Dean talked to the guides about where to take drivers and standers.
The first drive produced some small mule deer bucks and does. The second drive was a long one. Dean told the standers it would take one and a half hours from start to finish. After an hour of standing, a mule deer buck and three does came running across the field towards me. As they came closer, they turned and ran broadside across the field. I shot and killed a 5x5 mule deer buck. By that time the drivers were in sight and no other deer came through.
A happy Wisconsin hunter kneels beside his Boone and Crockett whitetail. Many deer hunters hunt a lifetime and never take a megasized buck. Walter Steele did what many of us dream about on his first trip to Canada.
