# Mitch Rompola Deer debate



## jg1418 (Feb 3, 2003)

Any new updates on the controversial and unusual circumstances surrounding Rompola and his questionable buck. I have been searching and nothing comes up other than past reads.......thanks


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## gold3499 (Mar 28, 2009)

Wowza! That was a long time ago. Haven't heard anything about that in many years. Why the interest in digging up an old issue like that?


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

jg1418 said:


> Any new updates on the controversial and unusual circumstances surrounding Rompola and his questionable buck. I have been searching and nothing comes up other than past reads.......thanks


There is really nothing questionable about it.

It is not real......


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## jg1418 (Feb 3, 2003)

Gold3499

Your question of why the interest in digging up an old issue like that?. Because it was a hotly debated topic when the story generated and my purpose/intent in asking for any new updated info on the matter concerning the issue was to see if any new info may sway my opinion on the matter.

In my mind, the incident was a complete hoax from all the info I had read. Just asking if any new material has come forth with....thanks.


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## gold3499 (Mar 28, 2009)

Many years ago I spoke with Craig Calderone (from the whitetail hall of fame near Jackson, mI) about his opinion of the validity of this deer. He told me that he offered a couple thousand $$ to Mitch to have the head x-rayed but Mitch wouldn't do it. So Craig concluded that it was a hoax but no one has x-rayed it yet, I think.


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## nova bowhunter (Jul 17, 2003)

HOAX. is mitch still stealing food stamps?


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## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

Last I remember was Rompola was offered $10,000 for an X-ray and for a closer inspection of the mount....he refused to do it and withdrew his claim as "World Record". Either he didn't need the money or had something to hide.

Here's the entire story.....

http://whitetail.com/rompolagate.html


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## t8ter (Apr 7, 2003)

If the skull had been split.Wouldn't the brow tines be pointing in a differ direction.Say away fro the head.


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## e-manhunt (Sep 14, 2004)

I do believe in Mitch. I do believe in Mitch. I do. I do. I do.


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## gutshooter2010 (Apr 25, 2010)

I Heard The Obama Administration offered Him free welfare checks so he wouldnt have to steal them and also Citizenship so he couldn't be deported and will live free on everyone else's dime so he had went into seclusion . 

He gave Up Deer Hunting for Identity Theft .


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## Thornearcher (Sep 8, 2007)

The biggest debates came from the fact that it was thought Mitch had had the deer brought here from a Missouri Game farm and the reason that he would let anybody touch it was due to the fact of his controversy with the Mich DNR and Commemorative Bucks of Michigan. I also heard that he had issues with the Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett clubs. 

I also heard that he was offered a huge lump sum from Myles Keller not to pursue the World record issue. 

But those were all speculation and rumors. 

If I had shot it, I would have been parading that thing all over town. But thats just me. LOL


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

Maxima slinger said:


> The biggest debates came from the fact that it was thought Mitch had had the deer brought here from a Missouri Game farm and the reason that he would let anybody touch it was due to the fact of his controversy with the Mich DNR and Commemorative Bucks of Michigan. I also heard that he had issues with the Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett clubs.
> 
> I also heard that he was offered a huge lump sum from Myles Keller not to pursue the World record issue.
> 
> ...


I am pretty sure that Myles Keller does not care about Rompola`s fake buck.

Milo Hanson had a problem with Rompola claiming to have the new WR but refusing to offer proof.......just like every other WR entry is required to do.

Yes, Rompola has/had issues with both P&Y and B&C.........and that has nothing to do with the fact that he made his sponsors look really bad with the way he handled the situation. Rompola was offered by at LEAST 2 different people to have the x-ray cost covered, yet he refused to accept the offers. Rompola did at one point state that he did indeed have the rack x-ray`d, but only to prove to himself it was legit? He refused to show those alleged x-ray results to anyone.

It has been so long ago that I cannot remember the exact details, and it is not worth the time to research Rompola`s old stories, but one of his Michigan records was admittedly killed with a field point tipped arrow, and he claimed to have used a certain broadhead on another one of his record book deer.......but the first prototype of that broadhead was not made until 2 years AFTER the deer was killed.

Rompola has issues.........


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## Pickert (Dec 12, 2007)

Yeah I remember this pretty well. Heard a lot about it when it came out and the next couple years then died off. I haven't even thought about that one until now.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

t8ter said:


> If the skull had been split.Wouldn't the brow tines be pointing in a differ direction.Say away fro the head.


The antlers being too far apart isn't an issue of splitting the skull....it's an issue of being completely fake.


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## Thornearcher (Sep 8, 2007)

Big Country said:


> I am pretty sure that Myles Keller does not care about Rompola`s fake buck.
> 
> Milo Hanson had a problem with Rompola claiming to have the new WR but refusing to offer proof.......just like every other WR entry is required to do.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the correction. It was Milo Hansen not Myles Keller. I was thinking of one and typing another. 

The basic thing is is that its all up to the people that shoot them as to whether or not to have them scored and entered. Ive been to Iowa several times and have seen some pretty impressive bucks that the owners just didnt care to have them judged. Any rack that your proud of is a trophy in the eyes of the owner.


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## John-in-VA (Mar 27, 2003)

I'll see Chuck Neese in a couple week's ,I think Mitch was shooting a CSS at the time ,I think that was the bow in the pic .I'll see what Chuck say's if he will even talk about it .


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## Cornfed (Oct 15, 2002)

jg1418 said:


> Any new updates on the controversial and unusual circumstances surrounding Rompola and his questionable buck. I have been searching and nothing comes up other than past reads.......thanks


Rompola signed a binding contract and legal papers issued from Milo Hansens lawyers to never again up this rack or even mention it as long as the Hansen Buck is the Worlds #1. They pretty much made the man put up or shut up and in the agreement, if Rompola tries to profit or advertise his deer in ANY way..... he must submit the antlers for official scoring and x-rays.


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## nomansland (Sep 12, 2008)

Maxima slinger said:


> Thank you for the correction. It was Milo Hansen not Myles Keller. I was thinking of one and typing another.
> 
> The basic thing is is that its all up to the people that shoot them as to whether or not to have them scored and entered. Ive been to Iowa several times and have seen some pretty impressive bucks that the owners just didnt care to have them judged. Any rack that your proud of is a trophy in the eyes of the owner.


The main difference in the people who just "didn't care" to have there's scored is that they didn't come out right away screaming they shot a world record then decide nah I don't want to prove it. It is an obvious fake. I can't believe the Rompola fan's aren't here screaming there stories about him yet.


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## rutnstrut (Sep 16, 2003)

The buck may be real or fake I don't know,what I do know is that Rompola has shot a ton of huge bucks before and since the buck in question. I find it amusing that Milo Hansen is so sue happy of anyone threating his record buck that was run down with a pickup.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

rutnstrut said:


> The buck may be real or fake I don't know,what I do know is that Rompola has shot a ton of huge bucks before and since the buck in question. I find it amusing that Milo Hansen is so sue happy of anyone threating his record buck that was run down with a pickup.


At least it was a real deer. He just wanted the guy to prove it since his record was in question because of Rompola's claims. It's pretty simple. If it really is the record, just let someone x-ray it. If not, then shut your mouth.


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## GusGus30125 (Mar 5, 2009)

Big Country said:


> It has been so long ago that I cannot remember the exact details, and it is not worth the time to research Rompola`s old stories, but one of his Michigan records was admittedly killed with a field point tipped arrow, and he claimed to have used a certain broadhead on another one of his record book deer.......but the first prototype of that broadhead was not made until 2 years AFTER the deer was killed.
> 
> Rompola has issues.........


I was thinking that two of his bucks were said to have what appeared to be rifle wounds. He said that he had mistakingly grabbed a field tipped arrow on both occasions. 

The fact that he would have had no out of pocket expense in proving the legitamicy of his buck, but still wouldnt do it speaks volumes to me.


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## rutnstrut (Sep 16, 2003)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> At least it was a real deer. He just wanted the guy to prove it since his record was in question because of Rompola's claims. It's pretty simple. If it really is the record, just let someone x-ray it. If not, then shut your mouth.


So are you privy to info the rest of us are not,you actually KNOW it's a fake. Does this mean all the other awesome bucks Rompola has shot are fake,I doubt it.


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## Hammer0419 (Nov 21, 2005)

To brimg it so public and not let it be scored doesn't go together. I know I have read of people shooting HUGE bucks had them scored and recorded and had problems with robbery issues at their residents or where ever the buck may have been. If that is the case of not being harassed he should have just shut up??


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## MidFlight (Jun 22, 2009)

gutshooter2010 said:


> i heard the obama administration offered him free welfare checks so he wouldnt have to steal them and also citizenship so he couldn't be deported and will live free on everyone else's dime so he had went into seclusion .
> 
> He gave up deer hunting for identity theft .


now thats funny !!!!


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## ryan-b (Dec 10, 2009)

As to that buck being from a game farm. I peronally know guys who saw it hanging, and they say the deer was real. However that doesnt mean it was a real michigan deer. if you look at his web page you will see deer shot on that farm in missouri with the same type antlers.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

rutnstrut said:


> So are you privy to info the rest of us are not,you actually KNOW it's a fake. Does this mean all the other awesome bucks Rompola has shot are fake,I doubt it.


No, it's just that I can put 2 and 2 together. And I was only speaking about the one deer. What do the others have to do with it?


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## boelrich2 (Sep 27, 2006)

anyone ever see this video before?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELce5YnI2M


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## Mikie Day (Oct 21, 2002)

I think mitch photoshoped his face on my pic..here is a pic of me several years ago


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## airwolf (Jul 28, 2005)

38" spread hmm thats suspiscious right thare
plus all the details about after it was found just dont make sense
i would guess its a fake


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## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

Some of you need to get your facts straight and read the following article....



http://whitetail.com/rompolagate.html


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## dac (Jun 27, 2003)

:deadhorseMust be that slow time of the year.


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## trapper dan (Sep 10, 2007)

dac said:


> :deadhorseMust be that slow time of the year.


It is at least it is hunting oriented. LOL


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## harkybowhunter (Aug 13, 2007)

I have always been puzzled that when so many people were calling him a liar, he didn't do anything to prove them wrong. I don't understand. I wouldn't do that, I wasn't raised that way.


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## TN BOWHUNTER (Jun 22, 2009)

Rembrandt1 said:


> Some of you need to get your facts straight and read the following article....
> 
> 
> 
> http://whitetail.com/rompolagate.html


That article is stupid.I couldnt even finish it.The guy is out to get him no doubt.He said it had to be fake because the arrow was sticking out of the deer and should have shot through it at 58lbs.Thats just crazy.guess all the deer that guys didn't shoot through were fake too.

He also said it was fake because the deer didn't kick the leaves where it was laying so it was fake.Another stupid comment.I have found a lot of deer that didn't kick up leaves where they fell.

I don't know if the deer is fake or not but this guy is not the expert he thinks he is.Some of his article is total bull sh..


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

TN BOWHUNTER said:


> That article is stupid.I couldnt even finish it.The guy is out to get him no doubt.He said it had to be fake because the arrow was sticking out of the deer and should have shot through it at 58lbs.Thats just crazy.guess all the deer that guys didn't shoot through were fake too.
> 
> He also said it was fake because the deer didn't kick the leaves where it was laying so it was fake.Another stupid comment.I have found a lot of deer that didn't kick up leaves where they fell.
> 
> I don't know if the deer is fake or not but this guy is not the expert he thinks he is.Some of his article is total bull sh..


Those were just a couple of the MANY reasons he believed it was a fake. How do you explain the fact that his antlers were mounted 50% farther apart than any of the biggest deer in history? How do you explain the blood coming out of the buck's ear? How do you explain that he won't let anyone prove that it's real? The guy was out to get him because he tried to pull a fast one on hunters everywhere, and we aren't to put up with lying crap like that. You want a world record? Then just let someone x-ray it. It's that simple. He wouldn't let anyone do it, so that pretty much speaks for itself.


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## TN BOWHUNTER (Jun 22, 2009)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> Those were just a couple of the MANY reasons he believed it was a fake. How do you explain the fact that his antlers were mounted 50% farther apart than any of the biggest deer in history? How do you explain the blood coming out of the buck's ear? How do you explain that he won't let anyone prove that it's real? The guy was out to get him because he tried to pull a fast one on hunters everywhere, and we aren't to put up with lying crap like that. You want a world record? Then just let someone x-ray it. It's that simple. He wouldn't let anyone do it, so that pretty much speaks for itself.



That article is just useless.It looses any crediblity with statements like I mentioned.Like I said it very well might be fake but the article is odd at best.imo


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## B3AV3R (Apr 19, 2006)

The people I've talked to that actually know Mitch Rompola all say that he is different and thinks different than the rest of us. They claim that the entire situation became very overwhelming for him very fast and he just wanted to back out of it and be forgotten about. Some people cannot handle the spotlight and he is one of them, so they say.


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## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

There is an updated article to the earlier one....this one goes into more detail.

http://whitetail.com/rompolagate2.html




> From the very beginning Craig Calderone offered $10,000.00 if Rompola would have the antlers x-rayed. The June 1999 issue of Michigan's Woods-N-Water News reported that the Michigan Big Game Hunter's Association has offered an additional $10,000.00 if Rompola will submit to a polygraph test and permit the antlers to be x-rayed and allow DNA testing. That's $20,000.00 on the table if Rompola will take these steps to prove that the antlers are authentic.


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## Liv4Rut (Mar 24, 2006)

All I know is if I ever shoot a world record I am going to pull the same BS as Mitch did. When someone finally offers me enough money to have it x-rayed, I will gladly do it  I think the deer is fake, it just doesn't make sense.........


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

Seriously who gives a darn about him or thatthig he has at his house!!


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## 22jdub (Feb 22, 2006)

Here is his website: http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3 . He has actually shot quite a few bucks that are some of the widest in the state, a couple that look a lot like the one in question. My mind has not been made up either way, but if its a fake, then he's faked more than one because a few of those obviously have the same genetics or have had the same "work" done to them.


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## VA2 (Mar 26, 2007)

Whats the ata on that black bow in most of the pics?


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

So the guy has his own website to show off all of his deer.....but he doesn't like the spotlight? Whatever.


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## B3AV3R (Apr 19, 2006)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> So the guy has his own website to show off all of his deer.....but he doesn't like the spotlight? Whatever.


I agree. It does seem strange. I don't know what to think, really. Since I don't know him I won't pass judgement, though.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

Don Beaver said:


> I agree. It does seem strange. I don't know what to think, really. Since I don't know him I won't pass judgement, though.


That's certainly the best way to go about it. Don't pass any judgement. Okay, I won't pass any judgement on Mitch.....but I will confidently say that his deer is fake. Don't know why or who did it or how they did it.....but it's fake.


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## Daniel Boone (May 31, 2002)

*Agree*



Sneaky Apasum said:


> So the guy has his own website to show off all of his deer.....but he doesn't like the spotlight? Whatever.


He got a million dollar deer but doesnt want to share it with the world. I agree makes total sense to me.
DB


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## B3AV3R (Apr 19, 2006)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> That's certainly the best way to go about it. Don't pass any judgement. Okay, I won't pass any judgement on Mitch.....but I will confidently say that his deer is fake. Don't know why or who did it or how they did it.....but it's fake.


Well, you just go ahead and think it's fake. I'll continue to hope it's real... and that someday I'll shoot an even bigger one.


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

The plastic horns are fake, and so is Mitch R.:thumbs_do


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## Daniel Boone (May 31, 2002)

*Jealous*



Stanley said:


> The plastic horns are fake, and so is Mitch R.:thumbs_do


Just because you cant build horns like that
DB


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

I just wish you guys would refer to him as Rompola and ditch the first name.


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Big Country said:


> I just wish you guys would refer to him as Rompola and ditch the first name.


I did add an R eliminating any confusion.


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Daniel Boone said:


> Just because you cant build horns like that
> DB


I can't fabricate like that for sure.


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## jg1418 (Feb 3, 2003)

I did not know he had a website. Thanks for the update.


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## bummer (Jan 11, 2009)

To put in my 2, 3, or 4 cents... from what I recall of it back then....
I remember it being a huge story then when it made the "hunting" headlines. I recall on a tv show here in MI that a brief video was shown shortly after this deer made headlines showing somewhat "authenticity" in showing this deer walking around in some woodlot somewhere. This video was believed to be shot by Rompola when the rumors were at the time flying around that it was a fake. I also recall him only allowing only certain well known outdoor writers (Eric Sharp and Richard P. Smith) view the deer personally for their story as Rompola was apparently kept to himself and didn't want national exposure by being just a normal guy who claims to have shot a huge buck. It was also noted on here as well that his family owns/owned a farm in Missouri and that is where this buck originated from as rumors flew about this too. Rompola has a few bucks listed in the CBM record book in Michigan and rumors flew around the fact that this deer doesn't match up to looking anywhere like the ones he has listed in the record book even though they were shot in different counties in the same part of the state. A rumor I also had heard a few years ago is that Rompola only hunts with a bow because he was a convicted felon and can not posess a gun to hunt. If this last was true, then why would a so called felon have a weapon (including a bow) and have a picture of the deer with the weapon for all to see (duh)!! I personally haven't given this Rompola deer any thought of as of late as it's been over a decade since it made news and other deer worth noting has been shot and made local headlines like his has without controversies too.


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## Grizz1219 (Nov 19, 2009)

I don't see any entrance or exit holes on these deer.. Kind of odd... I mean not even cleaning them up hides them that well.... Just a note.. not saying anything else...


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## Thornearcher (Sep 8, 2007)

Mikie Day said:


> I think mitch photoshoped his face on my pic..here is a pic of me several years ago



I dont know that hat looks pretty fake!! I think you photo shopped that one in. The nerve of some people cant even afford to get their own hat!!!:set1_rolf2:


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## tackscall (Jul 26, 2004)

22jdub said:


> Here is his website: http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3 . He has actually shot quite a few bucks that are some of the widest in the state, a couple that look a lot like the one in question. My mind has not been made up either way, but if its a fake, then he's faked more than one because a few of those obviously have the same genetics or have had the same "work" done to them.



I omitted the picture of my world record whitetail from my website too, I didn't want to come across as ostentatious


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## outback1 (Aug 12, 2005)

real or fake I dont know but I do know more people on here talk about Mitch more than Milo that's for sure.


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## mymathewsblewup (Feb 14, 2010)

big country said:


> i just wish you guys would refer to him as rompola and ditch the first name.


lmao!!!


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## Illinois59 (Jan 12, 2009)

I shot a 58 at Augusta National. Of course I have no one to back me up and I wont show anyone my golf swing. I guess you'll just have to believe me. 

Everyone here knows that when you claim a record at something you must back it up with proof according to the rules of the governing body of that activity. He didn't do that. We all know why. 

That's why no one talks about this anymore.


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELce5YnI2M


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

buckmark23 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELce5YnI2M


That rack has more bondo in it than most wrecked car repairs.:thumbs_do


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

And yet he continues to get attention year after year.


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

mn5503 said:


> And yet he continues to get attention year after year.


I'm thinking of putting together a world record rack for next year. I'm using All Purpose Putty to break tradition though.


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

Stanley said:


> I'm thinking of putting together a world record rack for next year. I'm using All Purpose Putty to break tradition though.


Let me know if I can help out.


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## Huff/MO (Dec 9, 2008)

22jdub said:


> Here is his website: http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3 . He has actually shot quite a few bucks that are some of the widest in the state, a couple that look a lot like the one in question. My mind has not been made up either way, but if its a fake, then he's faked more than one because a few of those obviously have the same genetics or have had the same "work" done to them.


I don't know the whole story so I won't pass judgement... but after looking at the website I think one of 2 conclusions is logical;

Either he is so full of crap his eyes are brown

Or the hunting community's skepticism has driven a great hunter into hiding.


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## Spartan Hunter (Jan 9, 2010)

rutnstrut said:


> The buck may be real or fake I don't know,what I do know is that Rompola has shot a ton of huge bucks before and since the buck in question. *I find it amusing that Milo Hansen is so sue happy of anyone threating his record buck that was run down with a pickup*.


Really??? Were you there???


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

i wanted to bring this one back to the top have been following this story for years. Lookin at his website i will give him credit he can kill big bucks, the one thing i am very very skeptical on is on some of those wide monsters they rack is the exact same on both sides to a T, the "world record" the sides are the same everything and i just dont buy that at all. How often do you see big big whitetails with identical racks like that that jsut doesnt add up to me.


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## RxBowhunter (Feb 16, 2005)

mrklean said:


> i wanted to bring this one back to the top have been following this story for years. Lookin at his website i will give him credit he can kill big bucks, the one thing i am very very skeptical on is on some of those wide monsters they rack is the exact same on both sides to a T, the "world record" the sides are the same everything and i just dont buy that at all. How often do you see big big whitetails with identical racks like that that jsut doesnt add up to me.


There's plenty that doesn't add up


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

mrklean said:


> i wanted to bring this one back to the top have been following this story for years. Lookin at his website i will give him credit he can kill big bucks, the one thing i am very very skeptical on is on some of those wide monsters they rack is the exact same on both sides to a T, the "world record" the sides are the same everything and i just dont buy that at all. How often do you see big big whitetails with identical racks like that that jsut doesnt add up to me.


The problem is with this one buck drawing so much criticism and many people are very confident that it is a fake, It draws a lot of attention and question's "all" of his past kills. If the world record buck was a fake i would have to assume that he has done this before. He has several trophy class whitetails from a county that no other person has shot (registered) more then one. He is either really great or really fake. Probablity tells me he is probably a good fake


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## spec (Dec 13, 2005)

Anybody that knows Mitch will tell you he is not like the rest of us.


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## Thatmichhunter (May 19, 2010)

boelrich2 said:


> anyone ever see this video before?
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELce5YnI2M



Personally I have not made up my mind on this deer yet, I would LIKe to beleive it is real just to get the record away from those damn Canadian  (kidding.....kinda) but if you look at the video and stop it at 0:52 the way the antlers come off the skull looks completely different (to me) than they do in the pictures


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

spec said:


> Anybody that knows Mitch will tell you he is not like the rest of us.


Still doesn't tell us anything about the deer.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

If I were Mitch Rompola, no matter how low profile I would want to be I would have allowed the rack to be examined long ago. Even if you supposedly don't want publicity, I can't imagine someone being so lacking in pride and integrity as to let his name and reputation be dragged through the mud for so many years without backing up his claim. It's not a lot to ask and anyone with half a brain would know there would be questions. Big claims are going to require some solid evidence. Pretty clear it's a bogus rack.

I'll bet he wouldn't let anyone examine the other bucks he has that have similar characteristics as the buck in question. They were probably "practice" for the one he trotted out as a "world record"...


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

Really who cares if its real or fake its just school girl deer drama for everyone that wants to play the drama queen!:thumbs_do


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Asking for proof (skepticism) is wise in all situations. It is not "passing judgment." You can be wise as a serpent while also being gentle as a dove.


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> Really who cares if its real or fake its just school girl deer drama for everyone that wants to play the drama queen!:thumbs_do


Yeah. Anybody interested in seeing what was claimed to be a disputed world record buck is a drama queen. 

If ignorance is bliss, you must have a tankload of joy in your heart. :bartstush:


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## gutshooter2010 (Apr 25, 2010)

Mr. Obama...

When are you going to Appoint Mr. Rompola to head up one of your comittee's??


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> Yeah. Anybody interested in seeing what was claimed to be a disputed world record buck is a drama queen.
> 
> If ignorance is bliss, you must have a tankload of joy in your heart. :bartstush:


You must be compleatly in extacy then since this whole thing was settled in court with a gag order thet Mitch gladly sighned . So yes you must be in bliss since there is no more story here and will not be anymore story here until the Current record the Hanson buck is removed from the number one position so yes its all just drama Queen stuff and hear say at this point !

So Keep filling your tank !
young fella


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

spec said:


> Anybody that knows Mitch will tell you he is not like the rest of us.


That's good. I'd hate to think that the rest of us would go to such great lengths to perpetuate a lie.


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> You must be compleatly in extacy then since this whole thing was settled in court with a gag order thet Mitch gladly sighned . So yes you must be in bliss since there is no more story here and will not be anymore story here until the Current record the Hanson buck is removed from the number one position so yes its all just drama Queen stuff and hear say at this point !
> 
> So Keep filling your tank !
> young fella


*You* know the whole story and have *the nerve *to call anybody else drama queen???? I guess it really does take one to know one. I thought only drama queens should be curious?????  

I think there _is_ a story here: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." He signed a gag order because the deer is a hoax. 

I'm betting the deer he shot with the broadhead that didn't exist yet or the deer he shot with a field point (illegal in some states) were probably dispatched with a .22. 

I'm 42, young fella, if you're scoring at home. Been around the block a time or two. As a result, my bulls#it-o-meter is maxed out on tall tale tellers and hoaxers.


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> *You* know the whole story and have *the nerve *to call anybody else drama queen???? I guess it really does take one to know one. I thought only drama queens should be curious?????
> 
> I think there _is_ a story here: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." He signed a gag order because the deer is a hoax.
> 
> ...


The point is that the story was published in every major deer mag and ion every web site just like a play by play anyone could read about it from all the different parties including that wuss Hanson who did not have the sack to just call him out on it and when he did not produce walk away from it he went to court to whine about the claim that this doof in Mi. said he had a buck larger than his which there are hundreds in the books larger than Hanson's .But I digress . This whole thing was open book and to know what transpired all one has to do rather than come and lament on line at a chat forum asking all us AT roobs what is the deal you can find out just like everyone else and read the words from all parties first hand .Not just some guy on here that say they know this one or that one or seen the rack or what ever. 


As far as your slanderous claim this guy shot a deer with a 22 that is BS and you know that because you love the spread of drama and now you just added your what must be quite proud of as a statment that could get you landed in court as slander "Illiegal in all 50 states" . The word "probably" does little to cover up your need to slander this goof ball buck shooter in MI.
See the point . That perpetuates the drama crap when its been settled for well over a decade.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

Shouldernuke! said:


> ....which there are hundreds in the books larger than Hanson's....


Really? In the typical category?


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## Illinois59 (Jan 12, 2009)

It's a dead end. :thumbs_do


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> Really? In the typical category?


No silly you know better than that . LOL But you do make me think and wounder how many are out there haging in some musty barn or garage or basement that would give him a go!!???


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> The point is that the story was published in every major deer mag and ion every web site just like a play by play anyone could read about it from all the different parties including that wuss Hanson who did not have the sack to just call him out on it and when he did not produce walk away from it he went to court to whine about the claim that this doof in Mi. said he had a buck larger than his which there are hundreds in the books larger than Hanson's .But I digress . This whole thing was open book and to know what transpired all one has to do rather than come and lament on line at a chat forum asking all us AT roobs what is the deal you can find out just like everyone else and read the words from all parties first hand .Not just some guy on here that say they know this one or that one or seen the rack or what ever.
> 
> 
> As far as your slanderous claim this guy shot a deer with a 22 that is BS and you know that because you love the spread of drama and now you just added your what must be quite proud of as a statment that could get you landed in court as slander "Illiegal in all 50 states" . The word "probably" does little to cover up your need to slander this goof ball buck shooter in MI.
> See the point . That perpetuates the drama crap when its been settled for well over a decade.



But your continued replies don't perpetuate the drama drap, huh. LOL. 

What makes you think the parties involved are the best source on this issue exactly? You've badmouthed Hanson as sackless for not calling Rumpola out himself. And Rumpola can't talk about it. Hmm. 

I'm not real sorry for slandering a bowhunter who uses field points and broadheads that don't exist to kill deer.  It was a real stretch to assume a guy with questionable truth skills would also be a poacher. 

Just some advice: if us posters get on your nerves, tell the guy holding a gun to your head, making you read these annoying requests for information and conversation, to cut it out. 

As I said earlier, you do love drama or you'd let this drop.


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> But your continued replies don't perpetuate the drama drap, huh. LOL.
> 
> What makes you think the parties involved are the best source on this issue exactly? You've badmouthed Hanson as sackless for not calling Rumpola out himself. And Rumpola can't talk about it. Hmm.
> 
> ...


Typical the Kettle calling the in this case the glass not the pot who bought it thier attention Black over and over and learning nothing in the mean time like you said let it drop. I am going to defend mysself Marine Semper Fi .


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## John316 (Aug 23, 2003)

Stanley said:


> I can't fabricate like that for sure.


Stan...those Iowa racks are so big that you might have to use this to hold the thing together. 

https://www.mightyputtysale.com/?mid=588475&a=55986&s=itv


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## azscorpion (Feb 12, 2010)

*This coming from a guy who believes in Bigfoot?*



Sneaky Apasum said:


> Those were just a couple of the MANY reasons he believed it was a fake. How do you explain the fact that his antlers were mounted 50% farther apart than any of the biggest deer in history? How do you explain the blood coming out of the buck's ear? How do you explain that he won't let anyone prove that it's real? The guy was out to get him because he tried to pull a fast one on hunters everywhere, and we aren't to put up with lying crap like that. You want a world record? Then just let someone x-ray it. It's that simple. He wouldn't let anyone do it, so that pretty much speaks for itself.


I think YOU have zero credibility dude....


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## Lonestar63 (Mar 19, 2007)

azscorpion said:


> I think YOU have zero credibility dude....



Go find one post where he said he believed in Bigfoot.......:darkbeer:


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

azscorpion said:


> I think YOU have zero credibility dude....


LOL! YOU are claiming something that I never said.....and I'm the one with no credibility? Wow. How's that foot taste?

I suppose you believe ole Mitch?


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

Shouldernuke! said:


> No silly you know better than that . LOL But you do make me think and wounder how many are out there haging in some musty barn or garage or basement that would give him a go!!???


I see. Thought you were crazy for a minute.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

I believed the buck was real, I worked with his step son and seen pictures of the deer the next day, well before it was known to the public. I just thought "Yep Mitch shot another big one" and went back to work. Now Im kicking myself for not driving over to his house and seeing it in person. I live 5miles away.

I have been to Mitch's house before this deer, and have seen all his huge bucks, the guy is either the best bowhunter out there or the best poacher. My dad has taken some of his deer to Mitch to have scored and has seen all his deer also.


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## beast (Jan 14, 2003)

If I remember right deer & deer hunting mag. examined the rack but DID NOT XRAY IT, and thought it was legit.they also was going to examine his Bigfoot mount but did because it wasn't Bigfoot & Bigfoot hunting mag.


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> Typical the Kettle calling the in this case the glass not the pot who bought it thier attention Black over and over and learning nothing in the mean time like you said let it drop. I am going to defend mysself Marine Semper Fi .


No, you are the pot and the kettle and the one calling anyone black. We're drama queens for wanting to know the deal. Your words. 

I'll see your "marine semper fi" and raise you a devil-dog, hardcharger.


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## NY.Smasher (Jan 23, 2007)

Shouldernuke! said:


> Really who cares if its real or fake its just school girl deer drama for everyone that wants to play the drama queen!:thumbs_do


Yet you have posted 6 times:zip:


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## IA Monsterbuck (Jul 18, 2006)

Good lord, did that buck get shot or die of blue tongue disease? :mg:


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## IA Monsterbuck (Jul 18, 2006)

I've never seen so many bucks with the width as what he has pictured on his website. Those bucks look like the racks grow straight out of the sides of their heads. That kind of width is pretty rare and I don't believe that it's a genetic thing with a bunch of freakishly wide rack bucks roaming the woods he hunts.


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> The point is that the story was published in every major deer mag and ion every web site just like a play by play anyone could read about it from all the different parties including that wuss Hanson who did not have the sack to just call him out on it and when he did not produce walk away from it he went to court to whine about the claim that this doof in Mi. said he had a buck larger than his which there are hundreds in the books larger than Hanson's


Oh brother................................. stop by Milo's house, have a drink on him and view his deer. Wuss??????? I'd call him a guy that never claimed to be anything than lucky. Unfortunately in our world today, if you were to kill a wr you'd likely not be calling anyone out b/c the successful hunt is going to take a path down a road called business. I'm not saying it's right or wrong just stating what is very likely indeed fact for whoever is the next lucky guy out there. I know a pile of guys want the record in the U.S, I personally don't. Not b/c I think any deer are better but I just hope it goes to a guy that can go on living somewhat normally as Milo hanson has (aside from the enterprise aspect of being a wr holder). I have my doubts anyone in the U.S could be that furtunate.

Bigger bucks in the books don't really mean much, I've seen my biggest right beside a repo of the wr at the taxidermist. To me, mine looked more impressive, doesn't really mean much though, I've not killed a named buck, a wr and don't have people who have never met me nor really know much about me as a person badmouthing me on the internet.

To justify my statement let me say this, Hanson is from Biggar Saskatchewan. So is my mother, she was the only person in the family that moved away. Her brother works alongside Milo as an executive member of the Biggar Wildlife Federation. My wife is also from Biggar. Her father also works alongside Milo in the same organization. He also grew up on the family farm just a few miles from Milo's farm. His brothers both still ranch alongside Milo as neighbors. Milo Hanson is a farmer who likes to get together with friends and family to hunt deer. He got extremely lucky in 1993, nothing more. I have met him, I am not just guessing anything about him or his character.


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## cat-fish (Apr 25, 2009)

when ever I shoot a buck or bull I will hold onto the antlers for my pics as most other people will do.

In not one of his pics is this guy holding onto the rack of any of his deer.
like he dosen't want to bump it.

next, look at the trees in the background. there are several pics of deer in the same exact spot just a different weapon.

look for yourself.

http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

cat-fish said:


> when ever I shoot a buck or bull I will hold onto the antlers for my pics as most other people will do.
> 
> In not one of his pics is this guy holding onto the rack of any of his deer.
> like he dosen't want to bump it.
> ...



Im thinking that is his back yard, he lives in a section close to Traverse City that is awesom deer hunting. My guess why he is so secluded is he may be shooting alot of these deer while tresspassing?

Trust me, Im a native from Traverse and he was the talk of the hunting comunity for many many years before the supposed W.R.

Anyway, like I said in my previous post, I never once suspected the deer was fake when I seen the pictures the day after. Mitch was killing record book deer every year before then, and still killing them every after.

I think there would be some pretty good money out there for someone, if they had proof to expose Mitch, how come NOBODY has come foward? And many people seen that deer in person.


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## IA Monsterbuck (Jul 18, 2006)

saskguy said:


> I've not killed a named buck, a wr and don't have people who have never met me nor really know much about me as a person badmouthing me on the internet.


Over 2,100 posts on AT and you've never had anybody badmouthing you yet?


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

If you are from his area are other people killing large deer like that as well? I remember reading at one point that trophy deer in that area are very rare but he kills a trophy every year. Any info on that. Thanks


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

fletchman said:


> Im thinking that is his back yard, he lives in a section close to Traverse City that is awesom deer hunting. My guess why he is so secluded is he may be shooting alot of these deer while tresspassing?
> 
> Trust me, Im a native from Traverse and he was the talk of the hunting comunity for many many years before the supposed W.R.
> 
> ...


I don't think there is any money out there to expose Mitch, he basically exposed himself. Like many on here have said Mitch is a private guy and keeps to himself. Thats cool if that how you want to live but don't come out and make an outlandish claim and then when you are met with skeptic's hide in the shadows. Milo did what he had to do, Mitch and his claim's of the WR were digging into his pockets (nobody wanted to book him at shows if he wasn't going to be the WR holder anymore). I would say (and this is a guess) 80% of the hunting community thinks it's fake. 10 percent are going to stand by Mitch until they hear directly from him that it was a fake, no amount of evidence will prove otherwise and the other 10% probably don't care one way or the other. Here are some facts that we know about Mr Rompola.

He does have a criminal record (may not be the most trustworty guy out there)
His details are a little off on several deer that he has shot, Time traveling broadhead and field points?
From a statistical analysis, the number of trophy class deer that he has taken in northern MI defies probability, not saying that it is impossible but it certainly draws attention.

My opinion- We all know "story tellers" they are fairly easy to meet in hunting circles. They all exhibit some pretty standard characteristics, Fuzzy details that change from time to time. Lack of proff for there stories.

Some have requested drama queens, here is my attempt.

I heard that Rompola is in witness protection after several threats were made against him. He has moved to Southern West Virginia changed his name and word is he has the future WR typical patterned pretty good, if only he can avoid the blood thirsty psychotic poachers on 4 wheelers.


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

mrklean said:


> If you are from his area are other people killing large deer like that as well? I remember reading at one point that trophy deer in that area are very rare but he kills a trophy every year. Any info on that. Thanks


There isn't anyone from that county that has killed (registered in a book) more then 1 deer. Mitch is a statistcal anamoly.


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## e-manhunt (Sep 14, 2004)

I dunno--sort of like Sasquatch I would like to believe its real, but doubt it. In the video the rigor mortis does not appear to have set in, so he must of added the antlers darm quickly and hidden the evidence very effectively. The rest of his mounts are not very good, though. 

On the other hand -- why not let people inspect it? It's not like Rampola is adverse to publicity: He videotaped the darn thing "and never turned off the camera," started giving interviews, and then he has a website --doesn't sound to me like a guy who is very private.

Still, looks like the guy has got some big deer there.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

e-manhunt said:


> Still, looks like the guy has got some big deer there.


And most of them have droopy ears. Hmmmm......

I wonder just how many deer he has faked.


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## RxBowhunter (Feb 16, 2005)

Shouldernuke! said:


> The point is that the story was published in every major deer mag and ion every web site just like a play by play anyone could read about it from all the different parties including that wuss Hanson who did not have the sack to just call him out on it and when he did not produce walk away from it he went to court to whine about the claim that this doof in Mi. said he had a buck larger than his which there are hundreds in the books larger than Hanson's .But I digress . This whole thing was open book and to know what transpired all one has to do rather than come and lament on line at a chat forum asking all us AT roobs what is the deal you can find out just like everyone else and read the words from all parties first hand .Not just some guy on here that say they know this one or that one or seen the rack or what ever.
> 
> 
> As far as your slanderous claim this guy shot a deer with a 22 that is BS and you know that because you love the spread of drama and now you just added your what must be quite proud of as a statment that could get you landed in court as slander "Illiegal in all 50 states" . The word "probably" does little to cover up your need to slander this goof ball buck shooter in MI.
> See the point . That perpetuates the drama crap when its been settled for well over a decade.


So while remembering laws of slander you call Hanson a wuss for not doing it himself? Hmmmmm Maybe he has the sack not to it :wink:


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Brandon324 said:


> I don't think there is any money out there to expose Mitch, he basically exposed himself. Like many on here have said Mitch is a private guy and keeps to himself. Thats cool if that how you want to live but don't come out and make an outlandish claim and then when you are met with skeptic's hide in the shadows. Milo did what he had to do, Mitch and his claim's of the WR were digging into his pockets (nobody wanted to book him at shows if he wasn't going to be the WR holder anymore). I would say (and this is a guess) 80% of the hunting community thinks it's fake. 10 percent are going to stand by Mitch until they hear directly from him that it was a fake, no amount of evidence will prove otherwise and the other 10% probably don't care one way or the other. Here are some facts that we know about Mr Rompola.
> 
> He does have a criminal record (may not be the most trustworty guy out there)
> His details are a little off on several deer that he has shot, Time traveling broadhead and field points?
> ...




It sure seems somebody would have sold him out by now? I have known of him killing big deer for 30+ years and not heard of one wildlife infraction? 

There're Big bucks in Grand Traverse and surrounding counties and how he kills 1-2 every year is still a mystery, I have always wanted to know where he hunts. I do know he has killed a few behind his house about 2 miles from the city limits.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

mrklean said:


> If you are from his area are other people killing large deer like that as well? I remember reading at one point that trophy deer in that area are very rare but he kills a trophy every year. Any info on that. Thanks


I have bowhunted the Traverse area for 30+ years and my biggest is 142"

I dont know how Mitch does it, he must of found a natural bedroom somewhere that high quality deer use season after season.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

fletchman said:


> I have bowhunted here for 30+ years and my biggest is 142"
> 
> I dont know how Mitch does it, he must of found a natural bedroom somewhere that high quality deer use season after season.


Or maybe he found a good sale on a bunch of Bondo?


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> Or maybe he found a good sale on a bunch of Bondo?


Most all of his deer before the W.R. were officially scored?

Where is he getting the big deer "bodies", to stick those fake horns on?


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## CHAMPION2 (May 6, 2004)

Yes the CSS Swapmaster.




John-in-VA said:


> I'll see Chuck Neese in a couple week's ,I think Mitch was shooting a CSS at the time ,I think that was the bow in the pic .I'll see what Chuck say's if he will even talk about it .


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## k4zn4v3 (Jan 17, 2010)

Ten thousand dollars is a heck of a lot of money by anyones standard. If the deer is real then this guy is completly insane for not taking that money, he obviously has something to hide.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

k4zn4v3 said:


> Ten thousand dollars is a heck of a lot of money by anyones standard. If the deer is real then this guy is completly insane for not taking that money, he obviously has something to hide.


I agree, many people up here would love to tie him up, and beat the truth out of him


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> And most of them have droopy ears. Hmmmm......
> 
> I wonder just how many deer he has faked.




Droopy ears means nothing, when a deer hits the 200+ mark many tend to have them when killed, I have seen many deer other than Mitch's with droopy ears.


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## jclaws1 (Mar 13, 2010)

The part i didnt like was he was the guy stating that he shot a world record.He even said that if he lopped 2 of the tines off it would still score more than milos buck.If you want to talk like that then prove it.In my opinion the only proof i need that it was fake is the fact that he wouldnt have it xrayed.milo had his xrayed.

The trees being the same dont mean anything to me.Maybe it is in his back yard.I dont take a camera with me when i get a deer.I take alot of my pictures in front of the same trees also.In my taxidermists driveway.


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

fletchman said:


> Droopy ears means nothing, when a deer hits the 200+ mark many tend to have them when killed, I have seen many deer other than Mitch's with droopy ears.


I agree that the droopy ears mean nothing.

I also agree that Michigan simply has NEVER produced bucks even remotely in the caliber/class of the buck in question. Especially the area where this buck is supposed to have come from.

Rompola claimed to have a WR, but he refused to prove it. He stuck it to his sponsors big time.

He had at least 2 offers to have x-rays of the rack/skull paid for, and he turned those two parties down.......I was one of them.

The deer is fake, as is the hunter.

And Shouldernuke........slander and/or libel has one sure fire defense. The truth. If you tell the truth about someone, there is no slander.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

jclaws1 said:


> The part i didnt like was he was the guy stating that he shot a world record.He even said that if he lopped 2 of the tines off it would still score more than milos buck.If you want to talk like that then prove it.In my opinion the only proof i need that it was fake is the fact that he wouldnt have it xrayed.milo had his xrayed.
> 
> The trees being the same dont mean anything to me.Maybe it is in his back yard.I dont take a camera with me when i get a deer.I take alot of my pictures in front of the same trees also.In my taxidermists driveway.



Im thinking Mitch thought Milo's deer would have been beatin by now, as soon as it is, Mitch can bring his deer out.


One of my theorys is Mitch would have to take a lie detector test to qualify a world record, and if he killed that deer while trespassing it would'nt be good.


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## NY.Smasher (Jan 23, 2007)

30 years of big bucks, and not one smile He looks exactly the same in every photo...Miserable and, dishonest:thumbs_do


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

fletchman said:


> Most all of his deer before the W.R. were officially scored?
> 
> Where is he getting the big deer "bodies", to stick those fake horns on?


Scored.....but X-rayed?

I have no idea. Maybe those deer are real. I don't know. I just have some major doubts.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Big Country said:


> I agree that the droopy ears mean nothing.
> 
> I also agree that Michigan simply has NEVER produced bucks even remotely in the caliber/class of the buck in question. Especially the area where this buck is supposed to have come from.
> 
> ...



Can he have it X-rayed now? I thought he signed a contract saying he cant until Milo's deer gets beat?

I just dont see how he could of pulled it off? Many people had that deer in their hands right after the deer was killed, and many more had the antlers in their hands.

Anyway Im sure alot of people would chip in some money to have that deer X-rayed. Hopefully someday we will know all the facts.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

Who does his taxidermy work?


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

i thought he did most of his own


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## istuffanimals (Jun 29, 2008)

I find it very funny that people believe that bigfoot could be real, but that there is no way Rompala's deer are.:set1_applaud:


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Im not a taxidermist, but it is hard for me to believe that you could surgically attach a 3 foot wide set of antlers to a 200+ lb. deer and be able to pick it up and move it?

Is this possible?


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

fletchman said:


> Im not a taxidermist, but it is hard for me to believe that you could surgically attach a 3 foot wide set of antlers to a 200+ lb. deer and be able to pick it up and move it?
> 
> Is this possible?


very simple...


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

mrklean said:


> i thought he did most of his own


To save money?
Because he likes it?
Or so nobody can see his handy work?


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

istuffanimals said:


> I find it very funny that people believe that bigfoot could be real, but that there is no way Rompala's deer are.:set1_applaud:


That's a good analogy, there. They could both be possible. In fact, I'd say the odds are about the same.


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## NY.Smasher (Jan 23, 2007)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> That's a good analogy, there. They could both be possible. In fact, I'd say the odds are about the same.


:darkbeer::darkbeer::darkbeer:..........:thumbs_up


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## jms375 (Jul 29, 2007)

If I had a WR I would be letting everyone under the sun examine it to prove it was real. I think almost all of us would. With that said. I have a friend that knows Rompola. He even has a bunch of polaroids taken of his different deer. He swears the deer is real and points out that alot of his deer have the same wide skull etc. He said he is just a really strange stubborn guy and dosen't like to be questioned. So when he was, he just got mad and said forget it. To me that makes no sense. I would only want to prove myself right if I was questioned. Maybe the guy is just that different. Bottom line though, unless he steps up and lets it be examined his claims of it being real don't hold water. The only reason I could ever see to not have it verified was if it was a fake.


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## 22jdub (Feb 22, 2006)

brandon1008 said:


> very simple...


Care to elaborate?


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## YooperKenny (Jun 21, 2006)

So many haters here! Don't get me wrong - skepticism is healthy, but when you really listen to what folks who actually have met or know Mitch have to say you come to realize that this guy thinks like a buck and can flat out bowhunt! Set aside the alleged WR and any unsavory personality traits that have nothing to do with hunting prowess, and he's still a consistent big buck killer year after year.

BTW here's the alltime Michigan archery typical record holder:


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

Amazing. A world record and a state record. And all those deer are so wide, so trash free, and so perfectly symetrical. What are the odds? Certainly possible......but certainly the skepticism is quite understandable.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

brandon1008 said:


> very simple...



Simple?? What do you use, gorilla glue and drywall screws?

First you have to find and kill a 264lb. (dressed out deer), cut off its antlers and attach the fake ones in enough time before he is stiff as a board? Look at this video he moves the head. Looks to be a very fresh kill?

He must be a really outstanding surgeon and very fast at it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELce5YnI2M


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Im thinking Mitch thought Milo's deer would have been beatin by now, as soon as it is, Mitch can bring his deer out.


Statistically why would he think that? How many yrs before Hanson was Jordan the record? A bunch more than it has been since 1993, that's a fact,


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## brandon1008 (Oct 24, 2007)

fletchman said:


> Simple?? What do you use, gorilla glue and drywall screws?
> 
> First you have to find and kill a 264lb. (dressed out deer), cut off its antlers and attach the fake ones in enough time before he is stiff as a board? Look at this video he moves the head. Looks to be a very fresh kill?
> 
> ...


have you ever been to a taxidermist? not much to securing a skull plate to a form, should be easier to secure it to bone? at least i would think... 

ever seen a head caped? well.. the 'y' cut would be ALL you need to know to do this.

and besides.... he had much practice, who would try to claim a world record on the 1st deer they faked? my guess is he tried and succeeded a few time before, then thought he could pull of the WR... but he failed.

He had the antlers and fake skull plate ready, all he needed was to kill a big bodied deer, then y cut, attach fake sheds.. and vwala! World Record.

gorilla glue may work, but id personally go with drywall screws... unless i knew a little tiny bit amount whiettail taxidermy.

im sorry you couldnt see this, just stare at the pic... it really looks fake, and my guess is he would have done a better job if not rushing before the deer gotr stiff. just a theory, but well supported theory non the less.

carry on with this stupid argument, its not a WR and thats all that matters.


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

YooperKenny said:


> So many haters here! Don't get me wrong - skepticism is healthy, but when you really listen to what folks who actually have met or know Mitch have to say you come to realize that this guy thinks like a buck and can flat out bowhunt! Set aside the alleged WR and any unsavory personality traits that have nothing to do with hunting prowess, and he's still a consistent big buck killer year after year.
> 
> BTW here's the alltime Michigan archery typical record holder:


Maybe you don't think his personallity traits have anything to do with hunting but to me honesty is a huge part of hunting. As hunters we are constantly faced with ethical decisions. being honest and doing the right thing is a bigger part of hunting to me then killing big bucks.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

saskguy said:


> Statistically why would he think that? How many yrs before Hanson was Jordan the record? A bunch more than it has been since 1993, that's a fact,


True, you are right.

But personally Im surprised it hasn't been broken yet, Canada,Iowa,Wi,Illinois are very capable of breaking that record any year.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

brandon1008 said:


> have you ever been to a taxidermist? not much to securing a skull plate to a form, should be easier to secure it to bone? at least i would think...
> 
> ever seen a head caped? well.. the 'y' cut would be ALL you need to know to do this.
> 
> ...



Been there seen that, I have many bucks mounted.

Not sure you could drag and lift in a truck 264lbs of dead weight?

Any good taxi's wanna chime in?


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## toddboy23 (Sep 11, 2008)

Haha I burst out laughing when I saw this thread. I mean really????? This guy is a joke, just like this ridiculous 38" spread, floppy eared one-off.


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## 22jdub (Feb 22, 2006)

brandon1008 said:


> have you ever been to a taxidermist? not much to securing a skull plate to a form, should be easier to secure it to bone? at least i would think...
> 
> ever seen a head caped? well.. the 'y' cut would be ALL you need to know to do this.
> 
> ...


Sorry but you're way off here. #1 where'd he get antlers that were that wide to begin with? Its very easy to tell a replica rack from the real thing so the bone has to be real. #2. Attacheing a skull plate to a form is nothing like what it would be like attaching one to a deer skull. This would require precision cuts in the the deers skull, epoxy or bondo or some other strong holding adhesive to keep it in place. #3. It would have to be sewn up tight enough that you didn't have any sag in the skin.

I've seen a lot of taxidermy work close up, I'm not saying this couldnt' be done, but in a matter or 1-2 hours....I highly doubt it. I don't know if its real or not, I just think to say "this would be easy to do" is so far from true. If that were the case, it would happen more often.


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## jms375 (Jul 29, 2007)

When you mount a skull plate on a form you have piece of wood designed to screw to imbedded in the form. If you tried to mount it the same way on a dead deer there would be nothing that solid to screw to. You would have to cut the top of the skull out in order to make it fit. And by no means would a skull plate screwed to something allow to drag a deer around by it. Not saying it can't be done but it wouldn't be anything like putting antlers on a form.


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## jclaws1 (Mar 13, 2010)

i shot this deer in october of 2007 with a film camera.when i went to get it developed i opened the camera and it wasnt rewinded so all my pics were ruined.working for a taxidermist i was thinking if i could peel the hide off the face far enough i could cut the skull plate out of someone elses cape that wasnt any good and put my skull plate and antlers on to get pictures.i did it and i thought it turned out great.since then we have done it for two other people that never found there deer till late and rotten.not one person online has ever noticed what i did.i have pictures of the whole process at home that i took when i did it.


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> No, you are the pot and the kettle and the one calling anyone black. We're drama queens for wanting to know the deal. Your words.
> 
> I'll see your "marine semper fi" and raise you a devil-dog, hardcharger.


And I will go all in on a mount "Mutha F^%$$R" and motivated tan belt and a Ohhh raaahh!


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## YooperKenny (Jun 21, 2006)

Brandon324 said:


> Maybe you don't think his personallity traits have anything to do with hunting but to me honesty is a huge part of hunting. As hunters we are constantly faced with ethical decisions. being honest and doing the right thing is a bigger part of hunting to me then killing big bucks.


Brandon - I agree that ethics is a huge part of hunting; the true test of character and integrity is what you do when you're out in the woods with nobody watching.

All I meant is that a guy can be a huge dickweed, or have strange perversions, or just be your run-of-the-mill everyday a-hole and still be a good hunter with exteme woodsmanship skills. Ever run into any "difficult personalities" who were top notch athletes, neurosurgeons, professors, or whatever? They're separate traits....


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

RxBowhunter said:


> So while remembering laws of slander you call Hanson a wuss for not doing it himself? Hmmmmm Maybe he has the sack not to it :wink:


Nope that was a stated opinion


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## beast (Jan 14, 2003)

I don't know if this deer is fake or real and don't really care,but to base that is a fake on the floppy ears is in error, I have seen many larger bucks (not all)taken and their ears have too been floppy.I would look at pictures of other bucks taken in this area by other hunters and see if there is a similarities.


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## jclaws1 (Mar 13, 2010)

and there is know way i could have put much force against it or it would have popped off easily.


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> So while remembering laws of slander you call Hanson a wuss for not doing it himself? Hmmmmm Maybe he has the sack not to it
> 
> Nope that was a stated opinion


But really a poor analogy Nuke. I could be wrong but I cannot think of any "famous" person who has dealt with something of sort as opposed to letting lawyers take care of it.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

beast said:


> I don't know if this deer is fake or real and don't really care,but to base that is a fake on the floppy ears is in error, I have seen many larger bucks (not all)taken and their ears have too been floppy.I would look at pictures of other bucks taken in this area by other hunters and see if there is a similarities.


First of all, that is just one of many reasons to doubt it.

Second of all, I have seen a few dead deer with floppy ears, but not THAT floppy. They look like there is absolutely nothing hanging on but hide. Most deer don't do that, but most of his do. Again, it's entirely possible, but the odds are pretty staggering.


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

saskguy said:


> But really a poor analogy Nuke. I could be wrong but I cannot think of any "famous" person who has dealt with something of sort as opposed to letting lawyers take care of it.


I know but since he was soooo concerned about whet some guy was saying and rather than calling a lawyer he should of got on a plane and went there when the press was there and looked at it himself instead of paying for a lwyer to threaten the guy into whatever he did . Sporry I beleive in playing the man card by showing up and faceing whoever ands saying "now show me" not the sissy card and whine to a lawyer over nothing more than words!!!! At that point if the moth peice dont show his goods then take thing where ever you feel you must but this guy and deeer would of gone away without the law suit and gag order since he was not haveing it scored anyway.

Just my opinion Milo was and is not a professional anything other than farmer if I am not mistaken by the story .


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## mmtcougar (Feb 22, 2007)

Another important point is the distance between burrs. From a taxidermist stand point there is not much stretch in the forhead skin. To fake a deer whose antlers came out the sides, you would need a cape from a deer whose distance between burrs was close to the same, or you would see a gap between the burrs and the skin. I dont know if this deer is real or not but I havnt noticed a gap showing the pedicle in either the mount or the dead deer.

Also I see no way to attatch another set of antlers to a dead deer secure enough to do any more than pose with it, no draging or moving around by the antlers.


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## bowmeister (Jun 30, 2004)

Innocent until proven guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt"


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

fletchman said:


> Can he have it X-rayed now? He has already claimed to have it x-rayed, but he refused to make the results known.
> 
> 
> I thought he signed a contract saying he cant until Milo's deer gets beat?He did indeed sign a legally binding document that states he either had to prove his WR claim just like any other hunter has to do, or he had to agree to cease claiming he killed the new WR typical, and refrain from entering the animal until the Hanson buck was dethroned. Also, unlike what was mentioned earlier, Rompola did not "gladly" sign anything.
> ...


I doubt we will ever know the truth. Rompola has had many years to reflect on this now, and he knows that he cannot bluff his way into the new WR.

Some of his state records are suspect at best too........

One was admittedly killed with a field point tipped arrow, which is illegal in many states.

Another was claimed by Rompola with a broadhead that was not even invented until 2 years AFTER the deer was killed.

If this was taking place in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Illinois, or Ohio, it could be slightly more believable, but statistics just do not lie.......deer like the one in question simply do not grow in Michigan.

I like to see records broken. I supported the Rompola buck when doubts started arising.

Those doubts soon became overwhelming to the point of absurdity.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

mmtcougar said:


> Another important point is the distance between burrs. From a taxidermist stand point there is not much stretch in the forhead skin. To fake a deer whose antlers came out the sides, you would need a cape from a deer whose distance between burrs was close to the same, or you would see a gap between the burrs and the skin. I dont know if this deer is real or not but I havnt noticed a gap showing the pedicle in either the mount or the dead deer.
> 
> Also I see no way to attatch another set of antlers to a dead deer secure enough to do any more than pose with it, no draging or moving around by the antlers.



Hmmm?

Exactly what I thought,


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Sneaky Apasum said:


> And most of them have droopy ears. Hmmmm......
> 
> I wonder just how many deer he has faked.


Yep. And the blood coming out of the ears isn't any type of evidence of the use of a .22, huh. I'm just slanderous, evidence be hanged.


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## the critter (Feb 15, 2008)

jclaws1 said:


> i shot this deer in october of 2007 with a film camera.when i went to get it developed i opened the camera and it wasnt rewinded so all my pics were ruined.working for a taxidermist i was thinking if i could peel the hide off the face far enough i could cut the skull plate out of someone elses cape that wasnt any good and put my skull plate and antlers on to get pictures.i did it and i thought it turned out great.since then we have done it for two other people that never found there deer till late and rotten.not one person online has ever noticed what i did.i have pictures of the whole process at home that i took when i did it.




Jclaws, Helluvan idea! I worked for a taxidermist and hadn't thought of that yet. I'll keep that in mind the next time something like that happens.


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> And I will go all in on a mount "Mutha F^%$$R" and motivated tan belt and a Ohhh raaahh!


From one former marine to another (even if you are a Hollywood boot camper, LOL), Semper Fi.


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## spec (Dec 13, 2005)

I didn't realize the local markets had a big sale on Haterade. As I posted before, and some of the MI boys can attest, Mitch marches to a different drummer. Most anyone that lives in his neck of the woods would not be surprised by ANYTHING he does(or might do). Those same folks might also give a nod to his ability in the deer woods.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

"His silence has been fuel for the skeptics, furthering the belief of some that Rompola is keeping the big deer a secret because he has something to hide.
Those who know him well, however, staunchly defend Rompola.
"I can't help but use two words for all this - ignorance and jealousy," said Bill Bailey of Honor, who has known Rompola for more than 15 years. Bailey, a conservation officer for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for 18 years, is a decorated marksman and scores deer for a statewide game organization.
After Rompola shot the deer with a bow on Nov. 13, Bailey was among several friends he called to view the deer. Bailey said he took several family members to Rompola's home near the Cherry Capital Airport to see the trophy buck.
"I saw the deer, I saw it closely," Bailey said. "I handled the deer."
Bailey was asked if he had any doubts about the authenticity of the kill.
"Not for a second," he said. "There's no questionable open doors with it. If you're asking me if this was a setup, no."
Rompola's supporters say some of the theories offered by his critics are far more sensational than the story of his hunt. Claims that Rompola somehow attached the huge 12-point rack to the animal are "ridiculous," Bailey said.
"Something like that would be pretty easy to tell," Bailey said.
It's also unlikely that such an animal could be secretly raised in captivity. If money was a motive for such a hoax, Bailey says such a deer would be much more valuable alive than dead.
"If this deer would've been in captivity, the whole world would've known it existed," he said."

http://archives.record-eagle.com/1999/06mitch.htm


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> From one former marine to another (even if you are a Hollywood boot camper, LOL), Semper Fi.


Well that damn rock aint Paris france but hay I guess if that is what they want to call it Ok.

This is the next gen my oldest is now a heart breaker and life taker .

Sorry back for the hijack back to topic.


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## G3's (Jan 23, 2008)

mrklean said:


> If you are from his area are other people killing large deer like that as well? I remember reading at one point that trophy deer in that area are very rare but he kills a trophy every year. Any info on that. Thanks


I have lived in the Traverse City area for my entire life, I have had long drawn out conversations with Mitch and I can honestly say the man really knows whitetails inside and out, his log books and trophy room and sheds are astonishing. I will not vouch for the validity of the W.R deer...I did not see it. I do know he has shot many deer over the years that exceed anything most will ever see in this area. He does get a bit of celeb status from farmers and such around here and gets invited to some of the better properties available to hunt. That helps for sure. We do grow big bucks here the real problem is that 90% of them are killed at 1 1/2 yrs old and never get a chance to get big. If they get some age on them..we can grow them into the B&C class bucks....I personally think that the people that bash the validity of this deer are saying things about non-typical this or that and the fact that it is unlike any other deer out there...remember you are talking about a one in a hundred million animal when you are talking a world record whitetail..there are bound to be oddities on an animal of that caliber. No bashing anyone from my side of the fence...just a prayer that I never come under the scrutiny like he has...particularly from people who have no idea who I am.


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## tackscall (Jul 26, 2004)

G3's said:


> I have lived in the Traverse City area for my entire life, I have had long drawn out conversations with Mitch and I can honestly say the man really knows whitetails inside and out, his log books and trophy room and sheds are astonishing. I will not vouch for the validity of the W.R deer...I did not see it. I do know he has shot many deer over the years that exceed anything most will ever see in this area. He does get a bit of celeb status from farmers and such around here and gets invited to some of the better properties available to hunt. That helps for sure. We do grow big bucks here the real problem is that 90% of them are killed at 1 1/2 yrs old and never get a chance to get big. If they get some age on them..we can grow them into the B&C class bucks....I personally think that the people that bash the validity of this deer are saying things about non-typical this or that and the fact that it is unlike any other deer out there...remember you are talking about a one in a hundred million animal when you are talking a world record whitetail..there are bound to be oddities on an animal of that caliber. No bashing anyone from my side of the fence...just a prayer that I never come under the scrutiny like he has...particularly from people who have no idea who I am.



If you came under that kind of scrutiny you'd simply produce the deer and let it be x-ray'd. He came forward and claimed the WR, bringing all this on himself


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Shouldernuke! said:


> Well that damn rock aint Paris france but hay I guess if that is what they want to call it Ok.
> 
> This is the next gen my oldest is now a heart breaker and life taker .
> 
> Sorry back for the hijack back to topic.


You should be very, very proud. Hats off to father and son!


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## mr.nock (May 26, 2010)

*phony for life*

mitch should have all his state records taken away.he is phony and a cheater,if not why wouldnt he prove us all wrong........ because he cant


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

mr.nock said:


> mitch should have all his state records taken away.he is phony and a cheater,if not why wouldnt he prove us all wrong........ because he cant



Mitch doesn't care what you or I or anyone thinks.

Dozens of big bucks, zero wildlife violations.


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## jclaws1 (Mar 13, 2010)

fletchman said:


> Mitch doesn't care what you or I or anyone thinks.
> 
> Dozens of big bucks, zero wildlife violations.



if he dont care then why would he come up with a video right after he shot it.or why would he tell people he shot a world record.
or why say it would still be a world record even if he knocked two tines off.
and why is there a picture of him holding two trophys for his state record.
that doesnt look like someone that dont care,or he would not have had all his deer scored.the trophy picture says it all.he was worried about fame or he wouldnt have done it.

But you keep sticking up for him.


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## Counting Coup (May 20, 2010)

In all my life, I have never known or come across an individual that would not bathe in self-contentment when rubbing proof into the face of a disbeliever. Therefore, I will error on the side of common sense and experience, and continue to be a disbeliever; until the proof is rubbed into my face.

I have Faith in only one.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

fletchman said:


> Mitch doesn't care what you or I or anyone thinks.
> 
> Dozens of big bucks, zero wildlife violations.


Zero wildlife violations. Any non-wildlife violations?


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I know but since he was soooo concerned about whet some guy was saying and rather than calling a lawyer he should of got on a plane and went there when the press was there and looked at it himself instead of paying for a lwyer to threaten the guy into whatever he did . Sporry I beleive in playing the man card by showing up and faceing whoever ands saying "now show me" not the sissy card and whine to a lawyer over nothing more than words!!!! At that point if the moth peice dont show his goods then take thing where ever you feel you must but this guy and deeer would of gone away without the law suit and gag order since he was not haveing it scored anyway.
> 
> Just my opinion Milo was and is not a professional anything other than farmer if I am not mistaken by the story .


I don't think you have to be a professional anything to go buy a resident deer tag and kill the biggest net typical whitetail in history in accordance with B&C scoring. I also suspect that as a world record holder the entire Hanson buck enterprise or corporation or whatever it has become would have handled the entire situation as any organization would do. After all I suspect any organization that was built around an individual, such as Lone Wolf stands or PSE archery would have dealt in a situation in the same manner, with legal experts, as opposed to the head of the company jumping on a plane and flying to down to have a face off with whoever stole their treestand or bow idea. Again, I'm not saying it is a good thing that a deer becomes a trademarked enterprise, but they do. It's ridiculous to believe a company would handle such a situation in any manner other than what was done.

Rompola brought the entire situation on himself, no two ways about it. The hiding from the spotlight claim contradicts so many of his actions.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Rompola brought the entire situation on himself, no two ways about it. The hiding from the spotlight claim contradicts so many of his actions.


Whether it's real or not, this is very true. He did this. You can't blame the current record holder for defending his title. Mitch made a claim. It is his responsibility to back it up.....and a claim that big deserves some major backing. The thing is....it took no effort on his part to prove it. Certainly less effort than he put into creating the whole ordeal. So why start something that you have no intentions of finishing? People say that he is different. I'll agree with that. Anyone that takes the effort he did to get the ball rolling, only to pull the plug when things get going good......that's certainly different. 

So, in the end, we have a guy showing off all of his big deer except for one. We have a guy that brought the world's attention upon himself.....only to back out once he was called out. We have a spotlight hoe avoiding the spotlight. We have a lot of unanswered questions. Yeah....that's certainly different....if that's what you want to call it.


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## CHAMPION2 (May 6, 2004)

One thing is for certain he has killed some big deer, and obviously knows how to archery hunt big whitetail deer in an area not known for big deer in general. I can only guess that most of them were killed legitimate and by fair chase. Its to bad his credibility is in question because of this deer, personal issues, and other legal troubles. I can only believe that this deer was a hoax.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

jclaws1 said:


> if he dont care then why would he come up with a video right after he shot it.or why would he tell people he shot a world record.
> or why say it would still be a world record even if he knocked two tines off.
> and why is there a picture of him holding two trophys for his state record.
> that doesnt look like someone that dont care,or he would not have had all his deer scored.the trophy picture says it all.he was worried about fame or he wouldnt have done it.
> ...



Don't get me wrong Im NOT sticking up for him, Im very disappointed in him. He is basically my neighbor, I wanted him to have the record.

I believe the deer is real, the attaching fake antlers to a 264lb. deer doesn't add up for me. Also importing it in from another State is laughable.

But I also believe there is something fishy about the kill,

Did he kill the deer with a gun?
Did he shoot it under a light in his backyard?
Did he shoot it while trespassing?

See these are some of the questions he would have to answer under a lie detector test. So is he hiding something?

If I would have killed that deer legally, I would have been first in line to take that test, note it would have been about a week later after I SOBERED up

When Milo's deer gets beat, I believe the truth about the Rompola buck will finally come out, atleast that is what many here in Traverse are hopeing for.


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*I've followed this story with interest for years*

The first thing I want to point out is that I always give a man the benifit of the doubt. I realize Mitch has taken many record class deer but there definitly is many things that makes one suspicious about the deer in question. Things that I questioned from the get go revolved around pictures of the buck. Just looking at the rack it is a true freek of nature in more ways than one. The left and right side of the rack are mirror images of the other. A suggestion could be made that they came from the same mold. It is possible to have very similar antlers side to side but I've never seen one exactly the same. I have been around literally thousands of deer after the harvest and know what happens to the ears after the skull plate has been removed and the buck that Mitch is holding in the pictures appears to have had the skull plate removed ( the ears are drooping ). This happens when you cut the muscles around the skull plate to remove it. Mitch also photo'd the deer with an intent to exagerate the deers size. Has anyone noticed how long those arrows appear to be?? They look like they are 36" long! Mitch also refused to have a simple X ray done. I can see someone being antisocial but he obviously is hiding something. He does seek recognition because he showed the deer to the world as well as many others he has taken. I think this whole thing could have started out as a prank by a guy that loves to hunt and the whitetail community when ballistic with the story. Before Mitch knew it the story was out of control. Is it possible that this deer is real? I would have to recognize that it was possible but not likely based upon the facts presented. However, it is possible there is a bigfoot somewhere but just not very likely. I'd like for Mitch to come clean and tell us the whole story regardless if he gets sand in his face or proves us disbelievers/doubters wrong. If the deer is real it's not about Mitch, it about seeking recognition for the deer. The buck deserves to be recognized forever for the incredible rack he grew. If Mitch was pulling a prank and it got out of control he should just come clean and let the healing begin. I don't know Mitch but I know many trophy hunters. They are generally a reclusive type that keeps to themselves. I have a theory that many of them have a mental illness called Bi Polar which makes them go to extremes ups to lows. During these extreme ups ( manic episodes ) some poor decisions can be made. If Bi polar people channel thier energy they can become very successful but are always at a risk for making an occassional bad decision. If someone knows Mitch personally, does he talk and excessive amount when your around him? Does he seem down in the dumps at other times and reclusive? This may very well be the case but then again this is coming from a guy that doesn't know Mitch personally ( just a wild guess to justify the behavior).


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## GSLAM95 (Oct 31, 2004)

Big Country said:


> I am pretty sure that Myles Keller does not care about Rompola`s fake buck.
> 
> Milo Hanson had a problem with Rompola claiming to have the new WR but refusing to offer proof.......just like every other WR entry is required to do.
> 
> ...


There it is in a nut shell folks! :nod:


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## Brandon324 (Oct 12, 2007)

spec said:


> I didn't realize the local markets had a big sale on Haterade. As I posted before, and some of the MI boys can attest, Mitch marches to a different drummer. *Most anyone that lives in his neck of the woods would not be surprised by ANYTHING he does(or might do). *Those same folks might also give a nod to his ability in the deer woods.


Like create an ellaborte hoax of a WR deer?


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## Greyhound (Oct 3, 2005)

The real question is where is the rack NOW? Regardless of how long ago this kill happened or was fabricated, it can still be proven or disproven by an x-ray of the antlers.


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> As I posted before, and some of the MI boys can attest, Mitch marches to a different drummer. Most anyone that lives in his neck of the woods would not be surprised by ANYTHING he does(or might do)


How many whitetail hunters in N.A? How many of them would not claim the wr typical whitetail regardless of the drummer they march to? Outside of Rompola I'd guess that answer to be 0.

Weird he so proudly claimed his lesser records.


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## Sneaky Apasum (Jul 11, 2006)

I could see someone not wanting the attention. I could see someone killing a record deer, and just putting it in their house without claiming the record.

But when you tell the whole world, "Look at me! Look what I did!" Well, that kind of takes that trait out of the equation.


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## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

If he really did perv on a lady at work (looking up her skirt with a mirror attached to an object), then I'm truly sorry I wasted time out of my life to care about his sorry deer.


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## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Dean Bower said:


> The first thing I want to point out is that I always give a man the benifit of the doubt. I realize Mitch has taken many record class deer but there definitly is many things that makes one suspicious about the deer in question. Things that I questioned from the get go revolved around pictures of the buck. Just looking at the rack it is a true freek of nature in more ways than one. The left and right side of the rack are mirror images of the other. A suggestion could be made that they came from the same mold. It is possible to have very similar antlers side to side but I've never seen one exactly the same. I have been around literally thousands of deer after the harvest and know what happens to the ears after the skull plate has been removed and the buck that Mitch is holding in the pictures appears to have had the skull plate removed ( the ears are drooping ). This happens when you cut the muscles around the skull plate to remove it. Mitch also photo'd the deer with an intent to exagerate the deers size. Has anyone noticed how long those arrows appear to be?? They look like they are 36" long! Mitch also refused to have a simple X ray done. I can see someone being antisocial but he obviously is hiding something. He does seek recognition because he showed the deer to the world as well as many others he has taken. I think this whole thing could have started out as a prank by a guy that loves to hunt and the whitetail community when ballistic with the story. Before Mitch knew it the story was out of control. Is it possible that this deer is real? I would have to recognize that it was possible but not likely based upon the facts presented. However, it is possible there is a bigfoot somewhere but just not very likely. I'd like for Mitch to come clean and tell us the whole story regardless if he gets sand in his face or proves us disbelievers/doubters wrong. If the deer is real it's not about Mitch, it about seeking recognition for the deer. The buck deserves to be recognized forever for the incredible rack he grew. If Mitch was pulling a prank and it got out of control he should just come clean and let the healing begin. I don't know Mitch but I know many trophy hunters. They are generally a reclusive type that keeps to themselves. I have a theory that many of them have a mental illness called Bi Polar which makes them go to extremes ups to lows. During these extreme ups ( manic episodes ) some poor decisions can be made. If Bi polar people channel thier energy they can become very successful but are always at a risk for making an occassional bad decision. If someone knows Mitch personally, does he talk and excessive amount when your around him? Does he seem down in the dumps at other times and reclusive? This may very well be the case but then again this is coming from a guy that doesn't know Mitch personally ( just a wild guess to justify the behavior).


Wasn't one of the guys pushing the recognition of the deer, trying to market some synthetic scents he was making.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Greyhound said:


> The real question is where is the rack NOW? Regardless of how long ago this kill happened or was fabricated, it can still be proven or disproven by an x-ray of the antlers.


Milo says no.

Im thinkin Mitch sold his soul?


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

LiteSpeed1 said:


> Wasn't one of the guys pushing the recognition of the deer, trying to market some synthetic scents he was making.




He went to prison.


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

Don Beaver said:


> The people I've talked to that actually know Mitch Rompola all say that he is different and thinks different than the rest of us. They claim that the entire situation became very overwhelming for him very fast and he just wanted to back out of it and be forgotten about. Some people cannot handle the spotlight and he is one of them, so they say.


This is the real truth, my step dad is from the same area as mitch, and remembers him when they were younger, and he has anti social tendecies, he gets REALLY nervous in groups or just around people in general. I believe that the deer is real, no one has came up with a compelling argument as to it being fake other than playing on the fact that a guy with a clinically bad anti social disorder wont jump through everyones hoops, all the other reasons come from people who have a lot to LOSE is mitch isnt discredited (milo hanson, and the guy who wrote that article). Not everyone is wired the same way, mitch is a reserved nervous individual, many of us are not. Just my .02


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

The deer is real,

264lb's with attached 3' antlers


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## Greyhound (Oct 3, 2005)

ACooper1983 said:


> This is the real truth, my step dad is from the same area as mitch, and remembers him when they were younger, and he has anti social tendecies, he gets REALLY nervous in groups or just around people in general. I believe that the deer is real, no one has came up with a compelling argument as to it being fake other than playing on the fact that a guy with a clinically bad anti social disorder wont jump through everyones hoops, all the other reasons come from people who have a lot to LOSE is mitch isnt discredited (milo hanson, and the guy who wrote that article). Not everyone is wired the same way, mitch is a reserved nervous individual, many of us are not. Just my .02




If he's that anti-social, why did he create a website for the world to see his claimed accomplishments (excluding the WR deer which he can't legally do)? It seems he stops by from time to time to post on that website...which is not consistant with the actions of a true anti-social person.


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## Greyhound (Oct 3, 2005)

fletchman said:


> Milo says no.
> 
> Im thinkin Mitch sold his soul?


Milo can't stop him from x-raying the rack. He just can't promote the x-ray and/or claim the deer is a world record regardless of the outcome of said x-ray.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Greyhound said:


> Milo can't stop him from x-raying the rack. He just can't promote the x-ray and/or claim the deer is a world record regardless of the outcome of said x-ray.



Really? Wouldn't that screw up Milo's marketing, 

Who has the real facts?


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Greyhound said:


> If he's that anti-social, why did he create a website for the world to see his claimed accomplishments (excluding the WR deer which he can't legally do)? It seems he stops by from time to time to post on that website...which is not consistant with the actions of a true anti-social person.



Do you know that is him posting?

Or who's site it is?


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

Greyhound said:


> If he's that anti-social, why did he create a website for the world to see his claimed accomplishments (excluding the WR deer which he can't legally do)? It seems he stops by from time to time to post on that website...which is not consistant with the actions of a true anti-social person.


what is this website and are you sure that he created it ?


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## mn5503 (Feb 21, 2006)

And the saga continues...


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

There are waaaay more problems with Mitchs story surrounding this buck than can be explained away by simply stating that he has an anti-social attitude.


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

Todd1700 said:


> There are waaaay more problems with Mitchs story surrounding this buck than can be explained away by simply stating that he has an anti-social attitude.


Like ??? i see you talking but i dont see you providing any info....


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

1. Fact: Only a handful of people supposedly saw the intact deer. All were friends of Mitch. (Yes even the Game Warden.) I have heard some of their names mentioned but not a single one has stated that they closely examined the back of the deers head. In fact I have only seen a quote from one of these alleged witnesses and it was of a very general nature. 

2.Fact: No one was allowed to see the bare skull cap after it was removed from the deer. It had been wrapped or encased in some type of bonding material before anyone got a look at it. 

3.Fact: Mitch showed a photo of this deer when it was supposedly still alive to people in Michigan. It was a photo of the deer lying down with snow all around it. Problem? It hadn't snowed in the area he says he killed this deer that year. So the photo would have had to have been taken the previous year. Setting aside the "EXTREME" improbability of slipping up and photographing a buck of this size in his bed, the other problem was that the deers rack in the photo was identical to the rack of the deer when it was supposedly killed the following year. No deer, especially when you are talking about a rack of this size, grows the same exact rack two years in a row. 

4.Fact: The Milo Hanson agreement. Mitch signed a legal document renouncing all claim to calling or entering this deer for official recognition as a world record. This defies all logic for an honest man with nothing to hide. The only possible explanation of how this agreement benefits Mitch and his associates is that it prevented a certain lawsuit from Milo's Lawyers in which the rack would have surely been seized by the court for examination and testing. If it's legit then why would that be something to fear? 

5.Fact: Mitch has entered other bucks in CBM but for some reason decides not to enter the biggest one he's ever killed with them. Why? Well here's some food for thought. It is not illegal to manufacture a fake rack. Its not illegal to display it, sell photos of it or even use it to endorse products as long as the sponcers and custumers are not directly lied to about its validity. However it is illegal to try and enter a fake rack into CBM, P&Y or B&C. Now ask yourself, "which of the above things have Mitch and his associates done and which have they not done?" 

6.Fact: Mitch told reporters in Michigan that he had the rack x-rayed but refused to say where or show anyone the x-ray. Again, why would he do this? To prove to himself and only himself that the deer was real? Wouldn't he know that answer already? LOL!

7.Fact: No lawsuits filed. Several widely distributed hunting magazines have ran articles that flat out called this rack a fake. As yet not a single one has been sued over these stories. This is especially telling when you consider the fact that if this rack was real it would be a slam dunk easy win for Mitch and his lawyer. 

8.Fact: Mitch was offered 10,000 dollars to have this rack x-rayed and the results made public by one of his harshest critics. He has steadfastly refused. 

9.Fact: Mitch nor any of his friends have ver disputed the following story by Jim Dean a man that is not one of Mitches enemies and has no axe to grind. QUOTE"My favorite story about Mitch is how he came over one day and asked me to score a deer for him. He admired one of the heads on my wall and asked about it, so I told him. It takes 30, 40 minutes to score a rack, so I went into a lot of detail about how I came to kill that one. "A few months later, I was just amazed when I got a copy of Buckfax in the mail" -- the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan's monthly magazine. "There's my story about how I shot my deer, but now it was Mitch's story about his deer.") 

10.Fact: Some on here have chastised others for bringing up Mitchs criminal record and even listed some youthful brushes with the law they had themselves but I mention the following for three reasons. One, it stands to reason that a man that has been dishonest before might be again. Two, one of his arrests was a lot more serious than some youthful DUI or petty vandalism charge. Three, one of his arrests was in 1994 and can't be dismissed as a youthful indiscretion. In 1981 Mitch was arrested for stealing 20,000 dollars worth of food stamps while working as a postal employee. If not for the intervention of Roger Smith, the U.S. postmaster in Webberville, who wrote a letter to the judge asking for him to be lenient Mitch would have probably gone off for quite a while. In 1994 Mitch was arrested at a mall while using a camera mounted on his boot to take photos up womens skirts. He was convicted on the illegal evesdropping and got 90 days, serving a month of it before being allowed to enter a work release program. 

11.Fact: Roger Smith (the same guy who used his pull to keep Mitch out of prison over the 20,000 dollars worth of food stamps) said the following about him. Quote"The first deer he killed at our camp (near Iron Mountain), he tried to shoot at 55 yards and hit it in the rear leg," Smith said. "It ran away, and the only reason we found it was that the arrow cut the femoral artery and it bled to death. He hunted with us for five years, and the biggest deer we ever saw him kill was a 5-pointer. Smith said hunters at the camp "finally told him that we didn't want him coming up anymore.") Now this is from a man that could hardly be called an enemy. 

12.Fact: The statistical probability of killing the number of P&Y caliber bucks Mitch has supposedly killed in this one area was calculated by an expert hired statistician an found to be a virtual impossibility. There are people who have killed large numbers of P&Y whitetails with a bow but all of them either hunt land that produce large quantities of big bucks or hunt in multiple states. Jim Dean who used to score bucks for Mitch summed it up this way. "We have so many hunters here that very few deer live long enough to develop real trophy antlers." "Other very good hunters have one, two, maybe three record bucks from Michigan. Mitch has, what, 20? But he never had a decent picture or a witness on any of the deer I measured for him." 

13. Fact: the following comment has never been disputed by Mitch or any of his pals. ("In 15 years of hunting with us, I can't remember him getting one buck," Ashley said. "Then he starts hunting on his own, and suddenly he's killing a big buck every year."(John Ashley, a former golf shop owner from Traverse City)


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

That enough or you want me to keep piling it on.


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

And here is a good article by a reporter from Michigan.

Rompola's buck stops here, under agreement 

Hanson threatens suit, doubts rack is genuine January 13, 2000 

CANADIAN farmer Milo Hanson tried to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why Traverse City hunter Mitch Rompola signed a legal agreement that he no longer would claim to have killed the world-record whitetail deer. 

"I don't know why he would sign that agreement unless the deer is a fake," Hanson, the real record-holder, said Wednesday. "I know I would never have signed something like that. If it was me, I'd have just sent my $25 in to Boone & Crockett, had the deer entered in the books, and been done with it." 

By signing the agreement, Rompola staved off a threatened lawsuit by Hanson and his partner, Arkansas businessman John Butler, who say their earnings from Hanson's record buck have been compromised by Rompola's unsubstantiated claims. 

It was Nov. 13, 1998, when Rompola killed in Grand Traverse County what he later said was a deer that scored 216 5/8 on the Boone & Crockett scale, three inches bigger than the Boone & Crockett-record whitetail Hanson killed in Saskatchewan five years earlier. 

A reporter for Rompola's hometown paper, the Traverse City Record Eagle, and I were the first to report it a few days later, and when hunters around the country learned of the claim through those newspapers' Internet web sites, the explosion of interest was incredible. 

And therein lies the real root of Rompola's problem: He just never realized how big this thing was going to be. 

Rompola dumbfounded the hunting world by announcing that he was angry at B&C and wasn't going to enter the deer in the books. During the ensuing months, he also claimed that four scorers flew into the state to measure the deer secretly, then dropped that claim and had it scored by three Michigan measurers, who said it indeed surpassed Hanson's record. 

But they only saw the rack mounted, and Rompola refused to allow it to be X-rayed, although by then several experts were saying it was a fake, cobbled together from bits of other racks or plastic resins. And Rompola still didn't submit to Boone & Crockett. 

He continued to make bizarre and contradictory statements and refused to talk to reporters. But while he suddenly announced that he never claimed it was a world record (a statement that wasn't true), he still said it outscored Hanson's deer by three inches, and the photo of "the Rompola Buck" was being used to sell everything from bows to deer scents. 

Hanson wasn't going to do anything about Rompola's claims until the next B&C panel scoring in 2001, when the top deer from the previous three years will be measured and officially accepted as records. 

"I thought he might be waiting until the panel score, and then was going to come forward and say, 'Here's the world record,' so I was going to kind of wait and see," Hanson said. 

But Hanson's beautiful whitetail mount earns a fair amount of money for him and Butler through outdoors shows, reproductions, caps and the like. Butler became upset when Rompola's claims started to affect them financially. 

"Some shows were kind of reluctant to book us," Hanson said. "They said they figured the Rompola buck would be coming down the road pretty soon. And we had just come out with nice prints of our deer, and here they were selling pictures of Rompola's buck." 

So Butler, a no-nonsense guy, got a lawyer and called Rompola's bluff. And Rompola folded. 

The agreement says Rompola won't claim his deer is a world record and won't try to enter it with B&C unless somebody kills one bigger than Hanson's. That last bit is legal language required, because in that case, Hanson's deer wouldn't be the record and he wouldn't have anything to complain about. 

The agreement may have staved off a suit but otherwise won't make life much easier for Rompola. 

Craig Calderone, owner of the Whitetail Hall of Fame Museum in Grass Lake and a longtime Rompola doubter and critic, said: "What do you say about something like this? Of course it says the antlers are a fake. And the bigger question is, what does this say about all those other record deer he claims to have killed over the years?" 

Publicity about the world record already had caused people to analyze Rompola's claims to have killed anywhere from 12 to 21 record-book deer (he entered only a dozen but says he killed nine more) over a 20-year period in a part of northern Michigan where no one else has killed more than one (and where deer that score 150 are big). 

A mathematical analysis of those claims by a statistician found them to be incredibly implausible. 

And when I looked at Rompola's claims to have killed his first deer with a bow at age 9 (and with a field point) and to have killed the Missouri record non-typical with a bow at 14, they looked very shaky. In one instance, he claimed to have used a broadhead that wasn't sold until a couple of years later. 

Oh, there still will be a few people who will claim Rompola is simply a martyr to never-identified powerful "interests," or that he's just an independent good ol' boy who wouldn't bow to the powers-that-be. 

And there also are people who believe the U.S. Air Force has the bodies of little green men from Mars stashed in a hanger somewhere in the desert, and that the world was going to end Jan. 1, 2000. But when I looked this morning, we were all still around. 

ERIC SHARP can be reached at [email protected]


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## ACooper1983 (Jun 10, 2005)

95% of the things you've just wrote are hearsay and conjecture, again, you have nothing, go back to your hole troll. Your obviously on the hate mitch bandwagon.


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

You are either being intentionally obtuse or are incapable of logistical reasoning. I'll let you say which.


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

Ever seen some of the other pictures of bucks he supposedly killed. Notice any similarities in the horns? Not only does he consistently kill gigantic bucks in a place that few others do but "MIRACULOUSLY" they all have "Exactly" the same type of horns too. Man what are the odds?????


http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/7.jpg

http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/10.jpg

http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/19.jpg

http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/22.jpg


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## tlaw (Dec 24, 2008)

People keep bringing up the bucks on his site and the way those bucks have the same antler configuration. Looking at those pics, there are a number of them that look photo shopped to me. There is certainly something goofy with the pictures and it looks like someone changed the way the antlers are sitting on the deer's head so they look like the big deer.


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*Easy to tell?*



fletchman said:


> "His silence has been fuel for the skeptics, furthering the belief of some that Rompola is keeping the big deer a secret because he has something to hide.
> Those who know him well, however, staunchly defend Rompola.
> "I can't help but use two words for all this - ignorance and jealousy," said Bill Bailey of Honor, who has known Rompola for more than 15 years. Bailey, a conservation officer for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for 18 years, is a decorated marksman and scores deer for a statewide game organization.
> After Rompola shot the deer with a bow on Nov. 13, Bailey was among several friends he called to view the deer. Bailey said he took several family members to Rompola's home near the Cherry Capital Airport to see the trophy buck.
> ...


You may want to look at J Claws thread changing antlers. Keep in mind Rompala has a good taxidermist friend?? Nothing incriminating but could play a role???


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Has John Ashley ever killed a deer?


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Hey Todd,

Where is Mitch gettin those 200+lb. deer bodies to attach those fake antlers on?

And you do have to admit he is pretty good at it


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

fletchman said:


> Hey Todd,
> 
> Where is Mitch gettin those 200+lb. deer bodies to attach those fake antlers on?
> 
> And you do have to admit he is pretty good at it


200lb. plus deer bodies are a dime a dozen in the midwest. I have killed a pile of midwest bucks in my time, and exactly one of them weighed less than 200 lbs.

I know that some folks want to believe in miracles, but detach yourself emotionally from the issue and look at the evidence. There is absolutely zero chance that Rompola`s deer is real. There is a much better than average chance that several of Rompola`s deer are not legitimate.

At the very least, several of his other bucks were not killed in the way he has described them.


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## fletchman (Mar 29, 2005)

Big Country said:


> 200lb. plus deer bodies are a dime a dozen in the midwest. I have killed a pile of midwest bucks in my time, and exactly one of them weighed less than 200 lbs.
> 
> I know that some folks want to believe in miracles, but detach yourself emotionally from the issue and look at the evidence. There is absolutely zero chance that Rompola`s deer is real. There is a much better than average chance that several of Rompola`s deer are not legitimate.
> 
> At the very least, several of his other bucks were not killed in the way he has described them.



Well, I have killed over a hundred deer in NW lower Mi. and only one dressed over 200lbs

But I have killed 3 bucks in Iowa and 7 bucks in Il. that were all 200+lbs.


So is Mitch importing these deer?


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## Big Country (Apr 25, 2003)

fletchman said:


> Well, I have killed over a hundred deer in NW lower Mi. and only one dressed over 200lbs
> 
> But I have killed 3 bucks in Iowa and 7 bucks in Il. that were all 200+lbs.
> 
> ...


You just pretty much smashed your own defense of Rompola........

Deer in his area do not get that big......in body or antler.

What Rompola has claimed to have done makes Mike Weaver and Myles Keller look like pikers in the whitetail world.


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## poorman (Dec 6, 2006)

I am no expert....Not even close. But I can say that I highly doubt that deer is legit. Here is how I look at it.........

Your sitting at home with a single lottery ticket in your hand watching the guy on T.V. draw the numbers. You are in disbelief as he draws the final number and you realize that you have the winning ticket. You call all your friends and a couple of TV and radio stations to let them know of a local that has hit it big. Several weeks go by of everyone patting yo on the back and telling you how lucky you are. Then out of the blue you decide that your not going to collect the money. :mg:

I doubt that this deer is real (or at least the antlers). I cant believe for one second that anyone would just decide not to go pick up the "money"!!


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*I looked at the phot's of Mitch's other deer and*

There are some real low quality enhancements there. The one rack appears to be manmade and what's with that deers' black tongue. Check out around the antlers there appears to be misalignment of the skull plate with the cape. The antler pedicles aren't even visible???


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## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Does Mitch still have an active website?


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Poor Mitch R :thumbs_do


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

all of those deer have the droopy right ear as well


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## Lefty18 (Nov 16, 2009)

I think I'll go shoot a WR Whitetail this year so he can have his X-Ray'd.


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Poor Mitch R :thumbs_do


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## tackscall (Jul 26, 2004)

Lefty18 said:


> I think I'll go shoot a WR Whitetail this year so he can have his X-Ray'd.


Would you do that for us? Get this whole thing behind us


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## Lefty18 (Nov 16, 2009)

tackscall said:


> Would you do that for us? Get this whole thing behind us


I've got one in a pen in the back yard I've been growing for a few years now. 

I bet he'll be about 240 or so when it's all said and done. 

But don't tell anybody I've penned him up and am feeding him everything imaginable.


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## gun870guy (Jun 26, 2009)

jg1418 said:


> Any new updates on the controversial and unusual circumstances surrounding Rompola and his questionable buck. I have been searching and nothing comes up other than past reads.......thanks


This is why trophy hunting sucks, people feel they need to pull crap like this to be accepted besides just hunting within yourself and enjoying your time outdoors.


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

> Hey Todd,
> 
> Where is Mitch gettin those 200+lb. deer bodies to attach those fake antlers on?





> Well, I have killed over a hundred deer in NW lower Mi. and only one dressed over 200lbs


Good question. If your track record is any indicator then he must not be getting them from Michigan. LOL!


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## Todd1700 (Dec 22, 2002)

> You just pretty much smashed your own defense of Rompola........
> 
> Deer in his area do not get that big......in body or antler.
> 
> What Rompola has claimed to have done makes Mike Weaver and Myles Keller look like pikers in the whitetail world.


Quoted for truth!!!


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## weld8 (May 30, 2007)

All the deer in his pictures just don't look right to me. C'mon Mitch grab that buck by the antlers , hold his head up and smile :teeth: unless maybe you're worried about them coming loose.


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## Scottebay (Nov 8, 2007)

Also the fact that this was taken in the Traverse City area (lots of people) and no one else saw this buck while it was alive. When Milo Hansens buck was taken, there were many people that had seen this buck. Just sayin....


Sneaky Apasum said:


> Those were just a couple of the MANY reasons he believed it was a fake. How do you explain the fact that his antlers were mounted 50% farther apart than any of the biggest deer in history? How do you explain the blood coming out of the buck's ear? How do you explain that he won't let anyone prove that it's real? The guy was out to get him because he tried to pull a fast one on hunters everywhere, and we aren't to put up with lying crap like that. You want a world record? Then just let someone x-ray it. It's that simple. He wouldn't let anyone do it, so that pretty much speaks for itself.


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## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

The guy made some good observations but these (your list) were not among them.
I agree that (it seems too) that this guy had an agenda

not saying I dont think it is fake...I do.
BUT...I wouldn't say it's fake unless I could see it first hand.

Anyone can be wrong and anyone can do things that others dont understand or see as practical.
In that sense...I dont know whats real for sure...so I'll just say that I expect that it is fake.



TN BOWHUNTER said:


> That article is stupid.I couldnt even finish it.The guy is out to get him no doubt.He said it had to be fake because the arrow was sticking out of the deer and should have shot through it at 58lbs.Thats just crazy.guess all the deer that guys didn't shoot through were fake too.
> 
> He also said it was fake because the deer didn't kick the leaves where it was laying so it was fake.Another stupid comment.I have found a lot of deer that didn't kick up leaves where they fell.
> 
> I don't know if the deer is fake or not but this guy is not the expert he thinks he is.Some of his article is total bull sh..


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## Scottebay (Nov 8, 2007)

It was not my response. I just added my thought. Most record bucks taken have been spotted by someone prior to the hunter taking them. If this was real, there was probably 2-4 years that this was a large rack and someone would have noticed it. No one had seen this buck prior to him taking it. 


tiny52 said:


> The guy made some good observations but these you list were not among them.
> I agree that (it seems too) that this guy had an agenda
> 
> not saying I dont think it is fake...I do.
> ...


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## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Ok I live under a rock,what was Mitch trying to achieve I'm not familiar with the story,I remember seeing the pics never heard the story


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## Scottebay (Nov 8, 2007)

Go to: http://whitetail.com/rompolagate.html


palmatedbuck04 said:


> Ok I live under a rock,what was Mitch trying to achieve I'm not familiar with the story,I remember seeing the pics never heard the story


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## S.F. steve (Mar 1, 2010)

i have the august-99 issue of deer and deer hunting in my hands. on the front cover it says: is it real? we say yes! charles alsheimer writes a small article about the buck and it's titled: "spotlights glare turned this event into a circus". he says when he first saw pictures of the buck he contacted friends with the north american deer farmers association and they all said no way or they would have heard about it. the deer's semen would have been worth $2000 a straw and he would have been worth at least$750,000 a live. there is also a picture of the buck in the back of a pick up and it appears the deer's ears are drooping then, the day after the kill. the scorer's all say it's legit. alsheimer goes on to say that it does'nt look like rompola will enter the buck in b+c and the deer is ineligible for p+y because is bow had a 75% let off. the article goes on to say he might enter it in michigans state book. i don't think rompola fooled the countries leading expert on whitetail deer. it also says in another article that rompola had scrape lines started in the spring so i would say he's a dedicated hunter. i have to agree with the people who know a lot more about it then i do. it also says that rompola was a bit of a recluse and he stated he had no use for the b+c club. one of the scorer's also said the buck's brow tines had lost 3 or 4 inches from rubbing or fighting. i think a great buck was shot by a man who was reclusive and who didn't give a damn what anybody thought. i have heard that bow hunters are a ornery bunch who aren't wrapped too tight. i might add the scorer's saw the skull plate.


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## farmer rick (Feb 25, 2011)

No arguments about Milo Hanson's deer. We need more hunters like him. Says he was just in right place at right time. He gave the credit to the deer for growing the record rack.


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## d3ue3ce (Jul 2, 2009)

Scottebay said:


> Also the fact that this was taken in the Traverse City area (lots of people) and no one else saw this buck while it was alive. When Milo Hansens buck was taken, there were many people that had seen this buck. Just sayin....


Not saying anything as far as Mitch's buck, as I dont kn0ow the truth(as no one does but him), but as far as bucks of that size and caliber coming from the Traverse city area, it happens often . . I know of a few hunters who take huge bucks year after year in the TC and surrounding areas( Im from there, so are they). . I unfortunantly dont get to hunt the land they do, but I tell you one thing. You will not see any of their bucks in a magazine, or paper. . Plenty of room on the wall for them to enjoy them, and not have people trying to invade the whole area every fall!


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## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

S.F. steve said:


> i have the august-99 issue of deer and deer hunting in my hands. on the front cover it says: is it real? we say yes! charles alsheimer writes a small article about the buck and it's titled: "spotlights glare turned this event into a circus".
> 
> i have heard that bow hunters are a ornery bunch who aren't wrapped too tight. i might add the scorer's saw the skull plate.


Thanks for taking the time to write this all out.

Hmmmm....


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## farmer rick (Feb 25, 2011)

Experts can be fooled. World record B&C pronghorn was record for years until someone asked for it to be x-ray extra horn was spliced in with nails. If i remember that buck was faked back in the fifties. Noway you can tell if its a fake unless you x-ray it.


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## K&K (Aug 10, 2010)

d3ue3ce said:


> Not saying anything as far as Mitch's buck, as I dont kn0ow the truth(as no one does but him), but as far as bucks of that size and caliber coming from the Traverse city area, it happens often . . I know of a few hunters who take huge bucks year after year in the TC and surrounding areas( Im from there, so are they). . I unfortunantly dont get to hunt the land they do, but I tell you one thing. You will not see any of their bucks in a magazine, or paper. . Plenty of room on the wall for them to enjoy them, and not have people trying to invade the whole area every fall!


Never a buck of that calibur..... the odd 160's-180's But nothing like that


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## La Wildman (Mar 9, 2010)

Keep them guessing Mitch!!!!!!


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## d3ue3ce (Jul 2, 2009)

K&K said:


> Never a buck of that calibur..... the odd 160's-180's But nothing like that




No obviously no world records. Not saying that. . Bucks over 180 arent impossible for the area of Michigan though. .


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## PoppaPump (Feb 15, 2010)

How do you lose 3-4 inches of the brow tine from rubbing?


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## Live4Rut (Jul 14, 2004)

Came across this read while looking for pics of the faked pronghorn someone else mentioned.... pretty good points about the mysterious Rompola deer:

http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/trophybucks/naw_aa203rumors/


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

rutnstrut said:


> The buck may be real or fake I don't know,what I do know is that Rompola has shot a ton of huge bucks before and since the buck in question. I find it amusing that Milo Hansen is so sue happy of anyone threating his record buck that was run down with a pickup.




maybe some of those big bucks he shot should be checked out. 

Clearly a fake, I mean I would have it x-rayed if it was real, why not ?


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## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

*The author speaking of the picture taken before the supposed kill....
*
A year or so later I was at a hunting show, looking at a photo album in the booth of the manufacturer who'd originally told me about Mitch's pursuit of the deer. As I flipped through the pages, I came to an 8x10 color print that showed the buck from the front - bedded in the snow - this time with much of his body visible!

I asked the guy when that photo had been shot. He said in December 1997: roughly 11 months before Mitch claimed to have shot the deer.




Now this was really getting interesting. If the photo was of a live deer, it couldn't have been taken any later than early 1998 because of the snow. At the time of the reported kill (Nov. 13, 1998,) it hadn't snowed in that area all fall. Problem was, it looked to me that the rack on the live deer was a carbon copy of the one on the buck Mitch posed with in late 1998.




I feel safe in claiming that the rack on no whitetail buck is exactly the same two years in a row. But standing there, looking at that shot of the bedded deer, I satisfied myself that his rack and the one in the "kill" shot were indistinguishable. How could that be, unless the same rack had been moved from deer body to deer body for photo purposes?




If I'm right - and trust me, I looked over that photo pretty hard - I submit that this is as compelling an argument as any against Mitch's claims. Forget for a moment that it might be hard to slip up on a wild 216-inch typical in his bed and snap a photo of him. I'm told Mitch is a highly skilled woodsman, so for all I know, he was able to do just that. What I can't reconcile is that "1997" rack looking just like the one the deer grew the next year.




If Mitch did on two occasions slip into camera range of the biggest typical in history - both times while bow season was open, but without being able to actually kill the deer - I'm betting he snapped the shutter more than once each time. If that's the case, the photos I want to see are the ones that haven't been made available: those portraying the deer in motion. While the static photos I've seen could have been faked with ease, that wouldn't be true of even a blurry shot of the deer doing something.


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

gotta love reading up no mitch


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## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

I think it is very possible the buck is real. Rompola is not 100% all there, and he may have just gotten sick off all the things people said to him and pulled the plug on the whole thing. There are too many things that point to the buck being real including video before the kill and after the kill, etc. He doesn't give a rip about the money and he would not want the fame at all. The guys just wants to hunt big deer.

We will probably never know for sure. I hope that the buck has not been destroyed, if it is real, so that someday the truth will come to light.


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## K&K (Aug 10, 2010)

This thread is waisting bandwith........The "Buck" is not real!!!!!


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## adudeuknow (Oct 27, 2008)

for everyone here that is completely 100% positive it is fake, what would your reaction be should he one day decide to have it x rayed and it was determined to be real and a new world record? 

i have my doubts but i like the idea of it being real so i just go with that. lol


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Fake.


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## K&K (Aug 10, 2010)

Stanley said:


> Fake.


I agree Stan.... And as far as your sig.... "If it looks like crap, smells like crap, tastes like crap, lies like crap; it’s more than likely a Rompola buck"


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## mrklean (May 26, 2009)

adudeuknow said:


> for everyone here that is completely 100% positive it is fake, what would your reaction be should he one day decide to have it x rayed and it was determined to be real and a new world record?
> 
> i have my doubts but i like the idea of it being real so i just go with that. lol


if that happens i will write him an apology letter and personally hand it to him, since we all know the deer is 100% fake and he will still never get it x-rayed even if milo's buck is beaten by someone else


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## adudeuknow (Oct 27, 2008)

it's hard to figure out the kind of person he is for real....a liar or a loner? 

i know if i was him and it was real, there would be no greater pleasure in the world than to shut everyone's mouth. 

a lot of things are instantly expected of a person who shoots a deer like that....appearances all over the country, sponsorships, commercials(maybe), etc...


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## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

I really would like to believe that it is real. Cant explain why I feel that way, but I guess the idea of some rouge, recluse hunter arrowing big buck after big buck in unlikely areas is kinda like a bow-hunters fairy tale. I'm pulling for it to show up, be x-rayed, and be proven real- although not holding my breath. 

On a side note, thinking about this again prompted me to watch the recovery video again and it is tough to imagine a buck like that being recovered blood free. Also, he walks up to the deer head on- opposite of most that I find. Once again, I'm pulling for it to be real but my faith is wavering... hard.


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## S.F. steve (Mar 1, 2010)

S.F. steve said:


> i have the august-99 issue of deer and deer hunting in my hands. on the front cover it says: is it real? we say yes! charles alsheimer writes a small article about the buck and it's titled: "spotlights glare turned this event into a circus". he says when he first saw pictures of the buck he contacted friends with the north american deer farmers association and they all said no way or they would have heard about it. the deer's semen would have been worth $2000 a straw and he would have been worth at least$750,000 a live. there is also a picture of the buck in the back of a pick up and it appears the deer's ears are drooping then, the day after the kill. the scorer's all say it's legit. alsheimer goes on to say that it does'nt look like rompola will enter the buck in b+c and the deer is ineligible for p+y because is bow had a 75% let off. the article goes on to say he might enter it in michigans state book. i don't think rompola fooled the countries leading expert on whitetail deer. it also says in another article that rompola had scrape lines started in the spring so i would say he's a dedicated hunter. i have to agree with the people who know a lot more about it then i do. it also says that rompola was a bit of a recluse and he stated he had no use for the b+c club. one of the scorer's also said the buck's brow tines had lost 3 or 4 inches from rubbing or fighting. i think a great buck was shot by a man who was reclusive and who didn't give a damn what anybody thought. i have heard that bow hunters are a ornery bunch who aren't wrapped too tight. i might add the scorer's saw the skull plate.


 after re-reading all of the posts i now have serious doubts. the pictures of his other bucks really makes you wonder. i've heard of blue tongue but black tongue? the whole story does not add up worth a damn. he is so reclusive he doesn't care to make a dollar off of a world record? you hire a lawyer or a public relations person to handle the marketing of the deer. at the same time here are some direct quotes from the scorer's: gary berger, retired electrician,certified scorer for p+y, b+c, longhunters society and commemorative bucks of michigan. " the rack was very impressive the first time i saw it" Berger said. "i saw the skull plate and how the antlers attached to the skull plate. i've seen a lot of skull plates and a lot of horns attached to skull plates. everything looked real to me and i know some michigan DNR people have seen it. a lot of people saw it after he killed it. many died-in-the-wool hunters saw it. i felt it. i inspected it. it's real." lee holbrook and al brown were the other 2 scorers, the cbm set up the scoring session. brown said that he and rompola had been talking about the buck for 3 years before he killed it. this is why i said i thought the buck was real, but at the same time those funky pictures make you wonder. 1 thing i have to add is that the commemorative book of michigan set up the scoring session. but all 3 scorer's were friends of rompola.there was only 4 1/8 inches of deductions. the scorer's go on about how careful they were scoring it , the only problem being how the main beams rolled back. that was the only judgement area. this part of the article's slant is "did his buddies inflate the score for rompola". the buck was basically easy to score. as you look back at this situation the fact that his buddies scored the buck does cast doubt on it being legit. all he needed was a xray to prove it was a legit buck and he didn't do it. nobody knows for sure.


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## Back 40 Tree Rat (May 28, 2006)

S.F. steve said:


> after re-reading all of the posts i now have serious doubts. the pictures of his other bucks really makes you wonder. i've heard of blue tongue but black tongue? the whole story does not add up worth a damn. he is so reclusive he doesn't care to make a dollar off of a world record? you hire a lawyer or a public relations person to handle the marketing of the deer. at the same time here are some direct quotes from the scorer's: gary berger, retired electrician,certified scorer for p+y, b+c, longhunters society and commemorative bucks of michigan. " the rack was very impressive the first time i saw it" Berger said. "i saw the skull plate and how the antlers attached to the skull plate. i've seen a lot of skull plates and a lot of horns attached to skull plates. everything looked real to me and i know some michigan DNR people have seen it. a lot of people saw it after he killed it. many died-in-the-wool hunters saw it. i felt it. i inspected it. it's real." lee holbrook and al brown were the other 2 scorers, the cbm set up the scoring session. brown said that he and rompola had been talking about the buck for 3 years before he killed it. this is why i said i thought the buck was real, but at the same time those funky pictures make you wonder.


Not saying the deer is real one way or another but the black tongue is from good old Michigan swamp mud! I have drug a bunch of deer through this type of mud & if the tongues are hanging out they will be black. Just Saying.


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

he should have it x-rayed, would solve it all.


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

IA Monsterbuck said:


> Good lord, did that buck get shot or die of blue tongue disease? :mg:


 deer thats been dead for awhile, antlers transplanted, look at the loose hair, looks like slippage to me, hair around base, top of head, looks funny to me ? antlers appear almost chalky ? contrasted to color of photo ??


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

fletchman said:


> The deer is real,
> 
> 264lb's with attached 3' antlers


I agree, the deer is real, the antlers are probably real antlers patched together LOL


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

fletchman said:


> "His silence has been fuel for the skeptics, furthering the belief of some that Rompola is keeping the big deer a secret because he has something to hide.
> Those who know him well, however, staunchly defend Rompola.
> "I can't help but use two words for all this - ignorance and jealousy," said Bill Bailey of Honor, who has known Rompola for more than 15 years. Bailey, a conservation officer for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for 18 years, is a decorated marksman and scores deer for a statewide game organization.
> After Rompola shot the deer with a bow on Nov. 13, Bailey was among several friends he called to view the deer. Bailey said he took several family members to Rompola's home near the Cherry Capital Airport to see the trophy buck.
> ...


then what is the problem with having it x-rayed, looked at, inspected ???? 

I mean if it is real and Hanson is bullying him, then I'd for sure put it to rest and have it x-rayed and dethrone Hanson , then shove my boot up everyones arse. thats the problem I have with it all. 

Doesn't make one difference to me if its real or not, just seems SO easy to resolve. 

And then I have to say, another reason this antler craze is hurting our sport


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## DougU (Jan 15, 2010)

I can't believe I read a thread about a 13 year old hoax


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## Travis Shaw (Feb 28, 2011)

I dont know foresure just like everyone else. I do know the part of michigan that he supposedly shot this deer at is not at all known for big animals let alone anything like that


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Wow lots of interesting posts.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

Nothing better to do than troll AT on a Friday morning LetThemGrow? Seems rather pathetic.


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## woodmaster0462 (Jun 28, 2016)

Not sure why all the jealous hunters dont believe Mitch. I found pics of the buck when it was alive. If the pics are on the net it has to be true


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## Corinth Hunter (May 6, 2009)

Didn’t this happen before we had fake news?


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## bigrackHack (Jun 11, 2004)

M.Magis said:


> Nothing better to do than troll AT on a Friday morning LetThemGrow? Seems rather pathetic.


Don't hate. Congratulate.


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## PutnamCountyHunter (Aug 22, 2011)

I've always told my kids - you can't offend an honest person. Why does Mitch get so defensive? Because he has something to hide! He should welcome an x-ray or whatever to prove the rack's authenticity. I say FAKE!!


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## TheRiverBottom (Nov 12, 2013)

The ghost of Christmas past. LOL.


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## stikbow208 (Dec 15, 2013)

7 1/2 year old thread lol. Mitch pretty much dropped off after getting busted for upskirt videos. I haven't heard anything about him in years.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

M.Magis said:


> Nothing better to do than troll AT on a Friday morning LetThemGrow? Seems rather pathetic.


I had forgotten all the details around this, and was enjoying the read. Not sure why you stopped by, but seems the Christmas spirit didn't find your heart?


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## Spurlucky (Aug 7, 2011)

Holy old thread/debate Batman!

But like the grassy knoll we will never know until the people involved either spill their guts, or the deer is fully examined. I kind of enjoy the whole real or fake debate. Huge, but goofy looking deer.


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## Inn.Outdoorsman (Feb 4, 2016)

LOL at a 7 year old thread. And LOL'ier because its about a deer from almost 20 years ago.


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## trial153 (Nov 27, 2011)

Necroposting


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## Flatwoodshunter (Feb 3, 2013)

The Rompola Buck 6 years latter.....http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/DeerTaxiArticles/04/i/046A4BA1E8.html


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## pa.hunter (Jan 3, 2008)

https://youtu.be/tcow9i7KrIg :greenwithenvy:


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## pa.hunter (Jan 3, 2008)

https://youtu.be/UkhoZhQS_Z0:wink:


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## pa.hunter (Jan 3, 2008)

this guy's a phenomenal poacher or phenomenal hunter .


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## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Uncle Mitch,if u guys only knew...


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

the buck is real, you guys just suck at bowhunting. 

ROMPOLA FOR LIFE....


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

One of the most-forgotten sources in the Rompola Buck story was that of another man who saw the buck: Bill Bailey of Honor, Mich. At that time, Bailey was an 18-year veteran conservation officer with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. In the Dec. 6, 1998, issue of the _Traverse City Record-Eagle_ newspaper, Bailey told staff writer Bill O’Brien that he took several family members to see the Rompola Buck.
“I saw the deer, I saw it closely” Bailey told O’Brien. “I handled the deer.” He added that there were “no questionable open doors with it.”
Bailey also discounted rumors that Rompola somehow attached the rack to the animal.
“Ridiculous,” he said. “Something like that would be pretty easy to tell.”


None of you bums handled the buck..... everyone who has vouches for it..... yall a bunch of haters who shoot scrub bucks over a corn pile


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> the buck is real, you guys just suck at bowhunting.
> 
> ROMPOLA FOR LIFE....


Poster boy for newbies...


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## pinwheeled (Apr 27, 2008)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> One of the most-forgotten sources in the Rompola Buck story was that of another man who saw the buck: Bill Bailey of Honor, Mich. At that time, Bailey was an 18-year veteran conservation officer with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. In the Dec. 6, 1998, issue of the _Traverse City Record-Eagle_ newspaper, Bailey told staff writer Bill O’Brien that he took several family members to see the Rompola Buck.
> “I saw the deer, I saw it closely” Bailey told O’Brien. “I handled the deer.” He added that there were “no questionable open doors with it.”
> Bailey also discounted rumors that Rompola somehow attached the rack to the animal.
> “Ridiculous,” he said. “Something like that would be pretty easy to tell.”
> ...


Coming out firing on all cylinders right off the bat on a 11 year old thread on a beyond historical topic. 
Corn pile fed deer taste so good. Way better then a corn field fed deer. They don't have to work so hard for it less lactic acid in their muscles.


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## jace (Jul 16, 2005)

Jimmy wall hanger is biden


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## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> yall a bunch of haters who shoot scrub bucks over a corn pile


Beautifully said my friend!


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

ROMPOLA FOR LIFE WHO CARES OF HE STOLE WELFARE CHEQUES

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk


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## BucksNBulls (Jul 3, 2019)

Did this not happen? This if from 2019

ROMPOLA buck is finally official! After the expiration of Milo Hanson’s cease and desist letter in January Mitch Rompola has resurfaced and will enter his buck with B&C reclaiming the world record once again. Congratulations Michigan. The buck grossed 220 6/8” finally netting an impressive 216 5/8”. The buck will be on display at the Dundee MI Cabelas next weekend with all pictures, documents and horn x-rays for the non believers.


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## LampaStamp (Sep 6, 2020)

I knew Mitch was a good mb hunter. Its common human psych for non achievers to try and knock the achievers off of the totem pole.


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## CAPTJJ (Dec 24, 2007)

BucksNBulls said:


> Did this not happen? This if from 2019
> 
> ROMPOLA buck is finally official! After the expiration of Milo Hanson’s cease and desist letter in January Mitch Rompola has resurfaced and will enter his buck with B&C reclaiming the world record once again. Congratulations Michigan. The buck grossed 220 6/8” finally netting an impressive 216 5/8”. The buck will be on display at the Dundee MI Cabelas next weekend with all pictures, documents and horn x-rays for the non believers.


Did not happen, was an April Fools joke.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

Whether or not he's the greatest hunter in the world,he still appears to be a somewhat unsavory fella.It's almost as bad as Pa's current state record.The guy wounded it,found the carcass three months later and they still counted it lol.Maybe Mitch should have had it scored in Pa.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

dougell said:


> It's almost as bad as Pa's current state record.The guy wounded it,found the carcass three months later and they still counted it


I cringed when I heard about that a few months back. 

He "found" it while hunting during firearms season if I remember correctly, "claimed" he shot it during archery season and lost it, and the Game Commission just said "Okey dokey, good enough for us". 😬🙄


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

That pretty much sums it up.Sadly,a true state record was taken this with a recurve on state forest land this year but the deadhead still had it beat by a couple inches.


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## AntlerInsane83 (Jun 28, 2016)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> ROMPOLA FOR LIFE WHO CARES OF HE STOLE WELFARE CHEQUES
> 
> Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk


What the hell is a cheque?


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## 168p&y (Nov 12, 2019)

Pyme said:


> I cringed when I heard about that a few months back.
> 
> He "found" it while hunting during firearms season if I remember correctly, "claimed" he shot it during archery season and lost it, and the Game Commission just said "Okey dokey, good enough for us". 😬🙄


More to it then that. Pretty sure he contacted local warden and let him know he crippled one and was still looking. If I remember guy looked and kept looking and gave updates to warden. I thought that's what I read.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

168p&y said:


> More to it then that. Pretty sure he contacted local warden and let him know he crippled one and was still looking. If I remember guy looked and kept looking and gave updates to warden. I thought that's what I read.


Even with that, it's a thin connection, to find a rotted carcass months later, and claim it as a legitimate archery kill and state record.

At that point, it is a "pick up".


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## 168p&y (Nov 12, 2019)

Did he release the arrow that killed it? It's a thin line I agree. I had something similar happen got hammered with a huge storm that lasted 2 days couple hours after I shot a good one. It's a horrible feeling but it happens. I feel if you released the arrow it's yours put your tag on it and your done. I know p&y have different guide lines so his deer won't be eligible.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

168p&y said:


> Did he release the arrow that killed it? It's a thin line I agree. I had something similar happen got hammered with a huge storm that lasted 2 days couple hours after I shot a good one. It's a horrible feeling but it happens. I feel if you released the arrow it's yours put your tag on it and your done. I know p&y have different guide lines so his deer won't be eligible.


No on knows.Did coyotes find it and finish it off?Did a rifle hunter also hit it?The bottom line is he failed to recover it so it was a complete failure.


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## rmscustom (Mar 7, 2011)

The problem is is what’s the cut off for recovery? A day? A week? A month? Edible meat? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Unofficial New Pa State Record.... 190"


And people complain there's no big bucks in pa. Lol I've seen more big buck threads from Michigan and Pennsylvania than other state this year lol PA is a very, very diverse state when it comes to hunting. Thats why you get so many opinions. We are seeing some better deer everywhere.




www.archerytalk.com


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

rmscustom said:


> The problem is is what’s the cut off for recovery? A day? A week? A month? Edible meat?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I would say edible meat.If you fail to find the deer before it spoils,you failed,period.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

I hit a nice buck a touch back this past season.The deer ran 75 yards or so,stopped for about 30 seconds and walked away.I knew it wasn't a double lung shot and I also knew that the best course of action was to come back in the morning.My son and I found the deer at daybreak within 50 yards of where I last saw him but he was completely devoured by coyotes.I tagged the deer.Cut the head off and considered it a complete failure.That deer would have been fine had the coyotes not got to it first but it still suffered all night.Again,a complete failure.


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## 168p&y (Nov 12, 2019)

LetThemGrow said:


> Unofficial New Pa State Record.... 190"
> 
> 
> And people complain there's no big bucks in pa. Lol I've seen more big buck threads from Michigan and Pennsylvania than other state this year lol PA is a very, very diverse state when it comes to hunting. Thats why you get so many opinions. We are seeing some better deer everywhere.
> ...


Different deer I believe.


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## 168p&y (Nov 12, 2019)

dougell said:


> I hit a nice buck a touch back this past season.The deer ran 75 yards or so,stopped for about 30 seconds and walked away.I knew it wasn't a double lung shot and I also knew that the best course of action was to come back in the morning.My son and I found the deer at daybreak within 50 yards of where I last saw him but he was completely devoured by coyotes.I tagged the deer.Cut the head off and considered it a complete failure.That deer would have been fine had the coyotes not got to it first but it still suffered all night.Again,a complete failure.


Some times nature wins it sucks. I lost one to yotes a few years ago they were right in front of us on trail they pushed that deer into a pond that was never there before found him when water went down a couple days later.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

It's part of the game.We live in an area where we can get a lot of DMAP tags so we get to shoot a lot of deer.It doesn't happen very often but occasionally we make bad shots.Backing out is the only thing you can do and sometimes the coyotes win.Coyotes have to eat and I honestly don't mind losing one to them.In theory,they probably would have just killed a deer anyway.What bothers me more is the thought of that deer suffering.Any time that happens,I don't consider it a win or a successful hunt.Whether I salvaged the meat or not,I failed that animal.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

168p&y said:


> Different deer I believe.


Bummer...I thought I had saved the earlier thread about it. My bad.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

I think that one was a crossbow kill but I could be mistaken.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> One of the most-forgotten sources in the Rompola Buck story was that of another man who saw the buck: Bill Bailey of Honor, Mich. At that time, Bailey was an 18-year veteran conservation officer with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. In the Dec. 6, 1998, issue of the _Traverse City Record-Eagle_ newspaper, Bailey told staff writer Bill O’Brien that he took several family members to see the Rompola Buck.
> “I saw the deer, I saw it closely” Bailey told O’Brien. “I handled the deer.” He added that there were “no questionable open doors with it.”
> Bailey also discounted rumors that Rompola somehow attached the rack to the animal.
> “Ridiculous,” he said. “Something like that would be pretty easy to tell.”
> ...


So you handled it?


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

Billie said:


> So you handled it?


Thanks for getting us back on track brother. No, but everyone who did said it was legit. I doubt everyoen is lying on Mitch's behalf.



ROMPOLA FOR LIFE!!!!!!!


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## jboyce23 (Aug 15, 2015)

Sounds like he’s a good hunter and master at trolling. Killed a buck 13 years ago that’s not even in the books and still has everyone arguing about it. If I ever kill a world record doing the same thing.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> Thanks for getting us back on track brother. No, but everyone who did said it was legit. I doubt everyoen is lying on Mitch's behalf.
> 
> 
> 
> ROMPOLA FOR LIFE!!!!!!!


Your welcome. As one of those “shooters of scrubs over corn piles”, as you call us, I’ll stick to facts I actually know, instead of third hand word of mouth stories. And I too doubt everyone is lying on mitch’s behalf. If they were, there wouldn’t be questions. But hey...”ROMPOLA FOR LIFE” seems to be important for you, so you go!


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

ROMPOLA FOR LIFE

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## rmscustom (Mar 7, 2011)

There’s a podcast doing a multi episode deep dive on this....
Sounds like Mitch could possibly give a interview at the end. 
I’m like 50/50 on it. Some of the eye witnesses and pics posted might be swaying me towards real. Nobody that’s actually seen it wants to say it fake. 


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## Oldloggy (Nov 8, 2020)

I've never replied to anything on rompola buck. The deer doesnt look right to me. But that's me. I hope the deer is legit


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> ROMPOLA FOR LIFE
> 
> Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk


Ban this guy for life....


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

rmscustom said:


> There’s a podcast doing a multi episode deep dive on this....
> Sounds like Mitch could possibly give a interview at the end.
> I’m like 50/50 on it. Some of the eye witnesses and pics posted might be swaying me towards real. Nobody that’s actually seen it wants to say it fake.
> 
> ...


What's the name of the podcast? 

I got to listen to it. 

I just think Mitch does not give a rats ass about the fame and wants to be a recluse. 

After he dies the buck will get xrayed and it will be proven its legit 

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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

Found it









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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> Found it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Mike Avery might be the biggest hack in the entire outdoor industry. Literally nothing he says has one ounce of credibility to me.


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## PutnamCountyHunter (Aug 22, 2011)

This whole debate is very simple... If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to hide... 

Just like the Democrats and the election audits, Rompola should DEMAND x-rays or any other method to PROVE his buck is legit and clear his good name. Period! 

Put everything out there for the world to see. If it's real, it's real. If not, you try to hide.


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Mitch didn’t need his cack stroked but jealous Nancy’s guys is a GOAT makes guys like infalt and Higgins look like rooks


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

It's also really odd that a part of Michigan where even 150" are SUPER rare all of a sudden produces the biggest typical that ever was killed? I know genetic freaks are always possible, but it just doesn't smell right. As a lifelong MI resident I wanted to believe this so bad when it came out, but the more I looked into it and factored everything in the more it just doesn't add up.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> What's the name of the podcast?
> 
> I got to listen to it.
> 
> ...


Mitch was hawking that big deer to scent companies for sponsorships and money a year before he ever “killed” it. So your premise about him not wanting the fame is flawed by his own actions. 
The rack can’t be X-rayed because he reported it was destroyed in a tragic fire. Completely.


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## Thwapman (Apr 2, 2012)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> Found it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If he can ever get him on the show, that’d be in the podcast episode hall of fame.


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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

Hey....watch this. I'm going to dredge up an 11 year old thread on the Rompola deer debacle and get folks on AT to start arguing about it again. Are they the most gullible bunch ever assembled on the internet....or what??? Sasquatch next?


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Alaska at heart said:


> Hey....watch this. I'm going to dredge up an 11 year old thread on the Rompola deer debacle and get folks on AT to start arguing about it again. Are they the most gullible bunch ever assembled on the internet....or what??? Sasquatch next?


It was raised from the dead this past December, with a hit every few weeks, so it still here, and is a valid discussion. And I don’t think the gullibility label applies to everyone that participates..


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Thwapman said:


> If he can ever get him on the show, that’d be in the podcast episode hall of fame.


Did he actually get Mitch to talk?


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## Thwapman (Apr 2, 2012)

Billie said:


> Did he actually get Mitch to talk?


No but I think he’s trying.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> After he dies the buck will get xrayed and it will be proven its legit


Hard to do when Rompola claimed it was destroyed in a fire.

For such a Rompola fanboy, you need to try and keep up a little bit better.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Pyme said:


> Hard to do when Rompola claimed it was destroyed in a fire.
> 
> For such a Rompola fanboy, you need to try and keep up a little bit better.


COMPLETELY destroyed. Nothing left at all....curious to anyone that ever helped clean up a house fire site...


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Billie said:


> COMPLETELY destroyed. Nothing left at all....curious to anyone that ever helped clean up a house fire site...


Or dealt with cremation. 

What you receive back is the ground up remains of the bones that wouldn't burn, in a controlled environment meant to burn away as much bodily material as possible. 

Yet these antlers (bones), managed to completely disintegrate and disappear in a common house fire? 🙄


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## greathunter87 (Feb 10, 2021)

Lol here we go again on my own lmao

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## Post.Malone (Feb 18, 2019)

Are we sure it burned or is that just an internet rumor?


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## Tsimmerson (Sep 10, 2015)

Bondo melted off in the fire and it turned into a 160 that he got off the family’s high fence operation in Missouri. I happen to know the officer that has arrested him three times. “Rompo” as they call him spilled the beans about the deer to him in the back of the cop car. True story.


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

Why would a guy, with his reported experience in taxidermy and measuring racks, cut down the skull plate to just a tiny sliver (esp on a potential WR) and then encase it in bondo within a few days after the kill? Why would a guy who entered tons of other bucks into the record book balk at entering his biggest buck? Simple, the buck was as fake as heck


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Post.Malone said:


> Are we sure it burned or is that just an internet rumor?


“Reported” to have burned up completely, by mitches son...I’m sure it’s in this thread if you dig back a few years...


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Just another collection of have nots hating on the haves in this thread. As old as mankind itself.


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

conservewild said:


> Just another collection of have nots hating on the haves in this thread. As old as mankind itself.


Yep. Those of us that _have_ integrity, and Mitch Rompola 🤣


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Dreamer said:


> Yep. Those of us that _have_ integrity, and Mitch Rompola 🤣


Zing!! 😎


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## Buckhorn70 (Dec 5, 2004)

MY OPINION......

Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
Rack lays out funny in my opinion
Supposed bondo on skull plate
Buck was un-characteristically larger than the other big bucks historically killed in this area
Not stepping up and proving nay sayers wrong with an X-ray or other method of verification
Had a some illegal welfare scam, not sure of details. So he would break rules for money. 

Rampola had previously entered other bucks he killed into record books. He did interviews etc. So to say he was not looking ”atttention” with the bucks he killed.... would not be an accurate statement in my opinion, his previous history suggested otherwise. I think he seeked “attention/fame or money” from his supposed hunting prowless and big buck kills.

He kills a supposed world record...... gets asked to prove its legitimate. He refuses and all of the sudden wants no attention because he is just a good ol’ boy hunting for self satisfaction. If the deer is for his self satisfaction why claim it as a world record in the beginning. He should of just killed it..... put the antlers or mount in his house and went about his normal business. He didn’t do this until he was asked to prove the buck is legitimate.

Until he steps up and proves the buck is a legitimate record. It is not real or altered in my opinion. I’m also not sure some of his other bucks might not be altered Judging from pics.


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## Red Eye 81 (Feb 4, 2006)

Buckhorn70 said:


> MY OPINION......
> 
> Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
> Rack lays out funny in my opinion
> ...


Couldn't have said it better.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Buckhorn70 said:


> MY OPINION......
> 
> Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
> Rack lays out funny in my opinion
> ...


That's a pretty thorough wrap-up right there.


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

Buckhorn70 said:


> MY OPINION......
> 
> Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
> Rack lays out funny in my opinion
> ...



Nope, too much logic. We are all just jealous haters!

But seriously, you wrapped up how I feel about it perfectly. And I'll say it again, I believed it at first and wanted to really badly, but if you truly look at it logically there's no way to not at least have serious doubts.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

conservewild said:


> Just another collection of have nots hating on the haves in this thread. As old as mankind itself.


Mitch? Is that you?


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

Buckhorn70 said:


> MY OPINION......
> 
> Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
> Rack lays out funny in my opinion
> ...


Spot on. That bit about him breaking rules...add to that getting fired from the USPS for mail fraud, a criminal conviction for videoing up women’s and girls dresses...he’s a criminal. while it doesn’t mean he didn’t kill a big deer, it proves he would lie about killing a big deer.


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

Pyme said:


> Hard to do when Rompola claimed it was destroyed in a fire.
> 
> For such a Rompola fanboy, you need to try and keep up a little bit better.


IT WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES AND BE A WR PHENIX AND BUCK

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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

Buckhorn70 said:


> MY OPINION......
> 
> Kill pics look weird with droopy ears
> Rack lays out funny in my opinion
> ...


Legitimate thoughts. 

As for the ears there are plenty of bucks that have droopy ears after being shot. 

Did you happen to listen to the podcast?



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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> IT WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES AND BE A WR PHENIX AND BUCK


Now you're just a troll (not that you weren't before), and not worthy of further responses.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

Droopy ears certainly don’t mean foul play. However a drastically misplaced earbutt certainly does IMO.
I’ve done taxidermy work for 15 years and have handled literally hundreds of deer. 
The top of a deers earbutt protrudes from the head of the deer basically right at the base of the antler. 
Even in pictures of drooping ears the location of which the ear protrudes from the deer head does not change. 
I attached a picture of a deer that clearly has broken ear cartilage causing it to droop drastically. However the point of protrusion is still right at the base of the antler. 
On the Rompola buck it is correct on the deer‘s left ear but on the deer‘s right ear it is protruding approximately 3 inches below the deers antler base. This means that it would be protruding from the deers neck, not his head and certainly nowhere near his ear canal. 
This to me raises serious concerns that the earbutt has been severed which would be necessary to remove the skull cap......


















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## Buckhorn70 (Dec 5, 2004)

Latty said:


> Droopy ears certainly don’t mean foul play. However a drastically misplaced earbutt certainly does IMO.
> I’ve done taxidermy work for 15 years and have handled literally hundreds of deer.
> The top of a deers earbutt protrudes from the head of the deer basically right at the base of the antler.
> Even in pictures of drooping ears the location of which the ear protrudes from the deer head does not change.
> ...


Good observation And I see what you are talking about. The Rampola rack also come out of the skull and pretty much grew horizontal to the ground for several inches....no upward growth or swoop in the beams until a good 10” out of the skull. Awkward whitetail antler growth pattern.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

I also think that the distance between the anther burrs (skull width) is a telltale sign as well.
Larry Huffman who owns the Legendary Whitetail Collection of 84 world class bucks including the Hole in the Horn, Breen buck etc is the one who made this observation. Larry measured the distance between the burrs in his collection. The widest distance was 3.25”. In contrast the Rompola buck has 4.75” between antler burrs......


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Buckhorn70 said:


> Good observation And I see what you are talking about. The Rampola rack also come out of the skull and pretty much grew horizontal to the ground for several inches....no upward growth or swoop in the beams until a good 10” out of the skull. Awkward whitetail antler growth pattern.


I knew folks very high profile in the outdoor industry around the time this deer was taken they had nothing to gain by it being real and said with great certainty that it was.


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## tree_ghost (Feb 28, 2015)

I agree the main beams are quite unique....I don’t know if I think they were altered though because Seems like the browtines line up pretty well. I can’t imagine a scenario where you could tweak the main beams l to improve the score dramatically without altering the brow tines to an unnatural state. At best he’d get 2” of spread by splitting the skull plate and filling the gap. Wouldn’t surprise me if a new WR emerged, heck it’s bound to happen eventually....


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

conservewild said:


> I knew folks very high profile in the outdoor industry around the time this deer was taken they had nothing to gain by it being real and said with great certainty that it was.


Who? I’ve heard people make this claim many times but have never seen any reputable names put to it or actual quotes, so I’d be curious to know.


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Smada962 said:


> Who? I’ve heard people make this claim many times but have never seen any reputable names put to it or actual quotes, so I’d be curious to know.


Wade Nolan who has since passed away outdoor writer / video producer. Whitetail University Quest Productions..etc…..


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## jdslyr (Jan 27, 2005)

The deer was scored by Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and Boone and Crocket scorers. None of the people involved in scoring the deer had any issues. The deer was also inspected by MDNR. I also know high profile outdoorsman that seen the deer and back the legitimacy of the deer.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

conservewild said:


> Wade Nolan who has since passed away outdoor writer / video producer. Whitetail University Quest Productions..etc…..


Convenient that a dead guy would vouch for it.


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## Buckhorn70 (Dec 5, 2004)

The Rampola buck has an altered rack. Too many things don’t add up.

1 X-ray would settle the debate. No X-ray then the buck is fake news.


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## madkasel (Nov 12, 2009)

I literally never heard of this man or buck until today. Researched around and I think the only thing that is 100% certain is that he had a number of opportunities to prove the deer and pushed those away with both hands. That's not the same as saying it's for sure faked but in legal parlance I would call "reasonable doubt." 

And now that it's been burned to ash in a fire (?), it just all seems very ... sad.


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Pyme said:


> Convenient that a dead guy would vouch for it.


Life is unfortunately unpredictable and short Mitch shot or claimed to have shot the deer over 20 years ago.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

jdslyr said:


> The deer was scored by Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and Boone and Crocket scorers. None of the people involved in scoring the deer had any issues. The deer was also inspected by MDNR. I also know high profile outdoorsman that seen the deer and back the legitimacy of the deer.


And none of those scorers saw that rack with just a skull plate. Mitch was almost finished mounting it, right? They saw that rack on a form with bindo on it, not just a clean skull plate.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

conservewild said:


> Wade Nolan who has since passed away outdoor writer / video producer. Whitetail University Quest Productions..etc…..


Who else you got? These well known outdoor people you talk about...


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## CAPTJJ (Dec 24, 2007)




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## Post.Malone (Feb 18, 2019)

CAPTJJ said:


>


That's a cool cover


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

I will say though... Mitch’s antler fabricating skills were much better than his actual taxidermy skills.


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

CAPTJJ said:


>


I remember my CSS swamp master bow and hawgs limited synthetic scent Mitch is the original OG hunting beast long before Dan was cool.


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## Vcattleco (Jun 17, 2017)

Latty said:


> I will say though... Mitch’s antler fabricating skills were much better than his actual taxidermy skills.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Lol yup, that buck looks like it rode the short bus.


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## Jakett418 (Jun 8, 2021)

I think the Hanson buck is a better looking rack.


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

Jakett418 said:


> I think the Hanson buck is a better looking rack.


You spelled Zaft buck wrong


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## Jakett418 (Jun 8, 2021)

Dreamer said:


> You spelled Zaft buck wrong


That's a good looking buck too, I'd be happy with either!


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## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

Post.Malone said:


> That's a cool cover


I wonder why he didn't mount it with the droopy ear, since they're so normal, according to some.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

Sasquatch/Bigfoot believers
UFO/Martian believers
Rompola Buck believers

Not necessarily in that order......


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Billie said:


> Who else you got? These well known outdoor people you talk about...


Ones that aren't dead, and can actually talk about it today?


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

Smada962 said:


> Who? I’ve heard people make this claim many times but have never seen any reputable names put to it or actual quotes, so I’d be curious to know.


I have 2 friends that both saw and handled the buck the night Mitch shot it. I'm not on here to debate whether or not the buck is legit but I can tell you that my friends both said there's no way the rack was screwed on to the head as they were holding it and checking it out. As has been stated before, there were others at Mitch's house that night as well. Had I not shot my own deer I would have probably been able to see it too, since I drive by his house everyday to go home. I would love to say with certainty that the buck was legit but I too have my doubts. Mitch has always been a friendly guy that would invite you in to have coffee and talk deer but he definitely has been laying low ever since all the controversy over this buck. It was amazing the bucks he has mounted in his house and all the pictures of bucks he has taken and pictures of bucks he had scored on the wall in his kitchen. I went to school with his oldest son and I remember our science teacher would ask Kevin if his dad had shot any good deer lately and we would spend half the class hour talking about deer!


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## conservewild (Sep 24, 2019)

Pyme said:


> Ones that aren't dead, and can actually talk about it today?


Personally no clue and don’t care if it’s real I’m just sharing I knew folks close to the source with no real skin in the game that actually saw the deer and said it was real. You can use the fact that he has since passed to discredit but even if he had not he wouldn’t be on AT bickering or trying to prove his honor to you I promise.


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

HOYT5MAN said:


> I have 2 friends that both saw and handled the buck the night Mitch shot it. I'm not on here to debate whether or not the buck is legit but I can tell you that my friends both said there's no way the rack was screwed on to the head as they were holding it and checking it out. As has been stated before, there were others at Mitch's house that night as well. Had I not shot my own deer I would have probably been able to see it too, since I drive by his house everyday to go home. I would love to say with certainty that the buck was legit but I too have my doubts. Mitch has always been a friendly guy that would invite you in to have coffee and talk deer but he definitely has been laying low ever since all the controversy over this buck. It was amazing the bucks he has mounted in his house and all the pictures of bucks he has taken and pictures of bucks he had scored on the wall in his kitchen. I went to school with his oldest son and I remember our science teacher would ask Kevin if his dad had shot any good deer lately and we would spend half the class hour talking about deer!


Once again though these are just random people that none of us know and second hand stories. Anyone can have a "buddy" or "friend of a friend" or coworker with a story or opinion. Heck I probably hear a couple dozen new cougar stories every year here in SW MI and I can promise you 99.9% of them (or 100%) are bogus. 

Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on the fact that this buck was SO much bigger than anything that has ever been harvested or even seen in that part of the state? That part still makes the least sense of anything to me. I'm sure Mitch is a great hunter, but was/is he so great that he's able to harvest absolute genetic freaks that dwarf anything that area has ever been able to produce?


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

I never dived all that deep into this.I get the contoversey.However,What is supposedly fake about the deer?Is it supposedly altered or is supposedly a farm raised deer?


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

Smada962 said:


> Once again though these are just random people that none of us know and second hand stories. Anyone can have a "buddy" or "friend of a friend" or coworker with a story or opinion. Heck I probably hear a couple dozen new cougar stories every year here in SW MI and I can promise you 99.9% of them (or 100%) are bogus.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on the fact that this buck was SO much bigger than anything that has ever been harvested or even seen in that part of the state? That part still makes the least sense of anything to me. I'm sure Mitch is a great hunter, but was/is he so great that he's able to harvest absolute genetic freaks that dwarf anything that area has ever been able to produce?


I'm typing this as I work so not much time to elaborate, but these are more than just friends of a friend, in fact, one of these friends' mom was dating Mitch at the time. Again, this is why I hesitate to even mention this stuff because it has been debated for so long, my only point was, yes, there are still living people that have handled this deer. That doesn't mean it wasn't a pen raised deer, my only point is that MY FRIENDS, that handled the deer, will tell you it was not screwed onto the head. And yes, the thing that doesn't add up the most to me is the size of that buck for our area of the state, but I guess that could be said for any state. Just giving you guys first hand facts that I know are true and not hearsay. Take it for what it's worth.


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

HOYT5MAN said:


> I'm typing this as I work so not much time to elaborate, but these are more than just friends of a friend, in fact, one of these friends' mom was dating Mitch at the time. Again, this is why I hesitate to even mention this stuff because it has been debated for so long, my only point was, yes, there are still living people that have handled this deer. That doesn't mean it wasn't a pen raised deer, my only point is that MY FRIENDS, that handled the deer, will tell you it was not screwed onto the head. And yes, the thing that doesn't add up the most to me is the size of that buck for our area of the state, but I guess that could be said for any state. Just giving you guys first hand facts that I know are true and not hearsay. Take it for what it's worth.


Interesting, I appreciate the reply!


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## rsk76 (Jun 11, 2016)

HOYT5MAN said:


> I'm typing this as I work so not much time to elaborate, but these are more than just friends of a friend, in fact, one of these friends' mom was dating Mitch at the time. Again, this is why I hesitate to even mention this stuff because it has been debated for so long, my only point was, yes, there are still living people that have handled this deer. That doesn't mean it wasn't a pen raised deer, my only point is that MY FRIENDS, that handled the deer, will tell you it was not screwed onto the head. And yes, the thing that doesn't add up the most to me is the size of that buck for our area of the state, but I guess that could be said for any state. Just giving you guys first hand facts that I know are true and not hearsay. Take it for what it's worth.


So did his house burn down with the rack in it?


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

rsk76 said:


> So did his house burn down with the rack in it?


I’ve heard the rumors that the rack burned up in a fire, don’t know if this is true or not, but if they did it wasn’t his house because it’s still there as I pass by it everyday.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

HOYT5MAN thanks for the firsthand info.....
I don’t doubt that you know people that handled the deer and feel it was legit. However a lot of people are oblivious to a lot of things.....Half the people on this forum will look at that D&DH cover picture and think that that is amazing taxidermy work. That doesn’t make them dumb or a liar but it does make their assessment 100% false.


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

No problem, I’m not convinced it’s 100% legit (as far as where it came from) myself, just stating that I have friends (serious deer hunters) that handled it while it was in the back of his truck so I don’t think he’d let guys hold the head up and check it out if it was fabricated in anyway. I could be wrong but it seems like he would have kept it to himself, if it were fabricated, until he removed it from the deer. Now whether it was a pen raised deer or not, that’s more of the question for me? Again, I’m not here to prove or disprove the deer or bash or defend Mitch. Just sharing what I know as a local and someone that’s been to Mitch’s and seen all his other bucks he has mounted. Again, he used to be a real friendly guy that would bring you in and show you his mounts and talk deer hunting but not so much anymore. I’ve stopped and talked to him since, in his driveway, but never about the alleged world record. I knew it would be a lost cause to bring it up so I would just ask how his season went and so on. Being a local we have discussed Mitch and his deer more than you can imagine so I don’t usually talk much about it anymore but it has resurfaced quite a bit lately on AT and Deer Hunter Podcast so I thought I’d share what I know since it seems a lot of newer hunters are just learning about this story. I guess it will remain a mystery that Mitch will take to his grave with him….


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## perryhunter4 (Jan 30, 2008)

HOYT5MAN said:


> No problem, I’m not convinced it’s 100% legit (as far as where it came from) myself, just stating that I have friends (serious deer hunters) that handled it while it was in the back of his truck so I don’t think he’d let guys hold the head up and check it out if it was fabricated in anyway. I could be wrong but it seems like he would have kept it to himself, if it were fabricated, until he removed it from the deer. Now whether it was a pen raised deer or not, that’s more of the question for me? Again, I’m not here to prove or disprove the deer or bash or defend Mitch. Just sharing what I know as a local and someone that’s been to Mitch’s and seen all his other bucks he has mounted. Again, he used to be a real friendly guy that would bring you in and show you his mounts and talk deer hunting but not so much anymore. I’ve stopped and talked to him since, in his driveway, but never about the alleged world record. I knew it would be a lost cause to bring it up so I would just ask how his season went and so on. Being a local we have discussed Mitch and his deer more than you can imagine so I don’t usually talk much about it anymore but it has resurfaced quite a bit lately on AT and Deer Hunter Podcast so I thought I’d share what I know since it seems a lot of newer hunters are just learning about this story. I guess it will remain a mystery that Mitch will take to his grave with him….


Just curious, you said you still see him from time to time and talk to him……Is he still hunting locally? Still onto big bucks, etc?? I thought he was in solitary from everything I read. I did hear on the podcast he frequents a Speedway for coffee though [emoji2369].


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## jdslyr (Jan 27, 2005)

Mitch Rompola Record Whitetail...


Of course the name Mitch Rompola has come up every year on message boards everywhere since that famous November 13th 1998. Most everyone has seen the pictures of the Potential World Record Whitetailâ taken on this day. The controversy...



www.huntonly.com


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

HOYT5MAN said:


> I’ve heard the rumors that the rack burned up in a fire, don’t know if this is true or not, but if they did it wasn’t his house because it’s still there as I pass by it everyday.





HOYT5MAN said:


> I guess it will remain a mystery that Mitch will take to his grave with him….


Well, assuming the house is still standing and the rack didn't burn up, whenever Mitch does pass if his estate is properly managed that may very well be the most valuable mount in existence. Whether it is fake or not I could see someone shelling out several thousands to be able to solve the mystery or just own one of the most talked about mounts in bowhunting.


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

perryhunter4 said:


> Just curious, you said you still see him from time to time and talk to him……Is he still hunting locally? Still onto big bucks, etc?? I thought he was in solitary from everything I read. I did hear on the podcast he frequents a Speedway for coffee though [emoji2369].


He does live in solitary pretty much but it’s not like he lives in the sticks. He lives in a residential area, In fact, you can damn near see Costco from his front porch! 😜 Last time I talked to him he was checking the mail so I stopped and a said hi. He is still hunting and killing some very nice bucks. Again, I don’t know the legitimacy of any of his deer, just sharing what I know. Don’t know if he frequents Speedway or not but there is one just up the road from his house.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> HOYT5MAN thanks for the firsthand info.....
> I don’t doubt that you know people that handled the deer and feel it was legit. However a lot of people are oblivious to a lot of things.....


On the flip side, an even greater number of people are often fooled by rumors and pictures, than actually, physically inspecting something, and that seems true of well more than half of the people on this forum.

I personally don't know if the deer is real, and not asserting that it is, and don't care either way to be honest. However, I find it very odd that not one single person who has handled the buck has claimed it's false. On the contrary, they all vouch for it's authenticity, and every single person who claims it's a fake has never touched it, or seen it outside of a photo. 

Again, every single person who has seen it in person and touched it, says it's real, and not one single person claiming it's fake has seen or touched it, not one. There is not one single person who has seen it, who claims it's fake, yet so many people here are convinced, from pictures, rumors, and speculation, it's a fake. 

So, pictures and speculation are now more reliable than actually seeing and touching it? That's more unbelievable to me than the authenticity of the buck. 

In any other case of any deer posted here, people making unproven allegations of the deer being posted as a fake, when everyone who has seen and touched it, including official scorers, and a game warden, say it's real, would be vilified as envious jerks.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

conservewild said:


> Just another collection of have nots hating on the haves in this thread. As old as mankind itself.


Hey look the pot stirring shooter of low turkey populations is here!!!


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Jimmy_Wallhanger said:


> IT WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES AND BE A WR PHENIX AND BUCK
> 
> Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk


Please ban this loser user.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

DV1 said:


> On the flip side, an even greater number of people are often fooled by rumors and pictures, than actually, physically inspecting something, and that seems true of well more than half of the people on this forum.
> 
> I personally don't know if the deer is real, and not asserting that it is, and don't care either way to be honest. However, I find it very odd that not one single person who has handled the buck has claimed it's false. On the contrary, they all vouch for it's authenticity, and every single person who claims it's a fake has never touched it, or seen it outside of a photo.
> 
> ...


A lot of people have sworn to have seen Bigfoot as well........I’ve never seen him but.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BamStickSlinger (Jun 10, 2021)

I've been intrigued by this story since the magazines covered it at the time and the arguments yea/nay have been the same all this time. I fear we'll never get to know the truth here and what a shame that is..


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> A lot of people have sworn to have seen Bigfoot as well........I’ve never seen him but.....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So you believe in bigfoot?


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

DV1 said:


> So you believe in bigfoot?


Even if that rack is 100% real, that doesn't mean this is a legit WR though. It's well known his family owned a deer farm, and combine that with the fact that that area of MI just does not produce bucks anywhere near the caliber of this one and never has, and it makes it suspicious at best. There has never been a B&C buck taken in that region of Michigan ever, and all of sudden the biggest typical to ever get killed comes from there? Sure.


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## Smada962 (Dec 25, 2007)

Smada962 said:


> Even if that rack is 100% real, that doesn't mean this is a legit WR though. It's well known his family owned a deer farm, and combine that with the fact that that area of MI just does not produce bucks anywhere near the caliber of this one and never has, and it makes it suspicious at best. There has never been a B&C buck taken in that region of Michigan ever, and all of sudden the biggest typical to ever get killed comes from there? Sure.


Alright, I think I'm finally done with this debate haha. But as frustrating or annoying as it is it just sucks you in sometimes, especially because my dad and I followed it so closely at the time it happened.


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## pointndog (Jul 14, 2005)

I always thought the deer was real, well at least I wanted to believe it was. 

What I dont get is all the people saying deer dont have those genetics (get that big) in that area. Do you think those genetics are where all the World records are from, SERIOUSLY?

I grew up less than 2 miles from where the World record NonTypical was found and have hunted that area for years. Yes there are some really nice deer around here, but nothing like him.

Are there a bunch of 200" typical deer in that area where Milo killed his buck.

A freak can come from anywhere, I believe. Just look at some of the deer coming from the south anymore which is known for small deer.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

DV1 said:


> So you believe in bigfoot?


I do not believe in Bigfoot…....however I do believe that I have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot than that rack being real.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> I do not believe in Bigfoot…....
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well then you are sort of proving my point. You said people claim to have seen bigfoot, but how many actually put hands on him and inspected him for authenticity? None I'm guessing. Instead, they have seen images from a distance, or pictures, and based their belief on those images or distant, fleeting sightings, and speculation...just like those believing this rack is fake on the same type of info. So actually, the bigfoot believers are using the same deduction process as the "Rompola buck is fake" crowd.

Maybe it came from a deer farm, but I would think someone would have spilled the beans on that by now, hard to keep that a secret when several people would have known about it...had it been a farm deer.

As for being an anomaly for the area, we have one of those near me in NJ. The State record archery NT scored 203+ in an area that had only had 2 bucks over 160 in history come from the entire county. And the buck was aged at 3.5 years old. My brother actually picked up the previous years sheds from it less than 100 yards away from where it fell. I sat at a booth with the buck and sheds at an outdoor show almost 20 years ago and 2 of the biggest hunting personalities in print at the time both refused to believe the buck was only 3.5, and that the sheds we had from when he was 2.5 were from the previous year. It was impossible to deny they were from the same buck. The drop tines and kickers were all from the same spots, and the rack held a very similar configuration.

These "experts" just refused to believe that it was only a high 130's buck as a 2.5 yr old, and netted 203+ the following year. Said it was impossible, even though we had the sheds in hand, picked up 7 months before the deer was killed, less than 100 yards away. One well known North American Whitetail contributor said we were scamming people with those sheds, he was sure of it because it just couldn't be true. Lots of other accusations after the buck was killed too, not unlike the Rompola buck: killed on a game farm, tranquilized and brought to the location, then shot when drugged, etc. None of the stories were true but all the nay-sayers were sure they were true because "a deer like that just couldn't come from that area".

I don't *know* that the Rompola buck is legit, as he told it, but I do know all of the speculation and accusations alleging it isn't real from pictures and rumors alone, are less credible than the first person testimony of everyone who saw it up close and put hands on it, that it is real. Objectively weighing the evidence leans pretty solidly towards real.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

It’s as simple as this.......he claimed to have killed the world record after having at least one year of history with it. 
He had entered several of his deer into the record books and had dabbled in sponsorships. 
He then supposedly kills the world record but doesn’t show it to anyone of authority until the rack had been removed and the skull plate covered in a bondo type material. He then calls the official scorers in when the deer is partially mounted with the skull plate covered.
He seems to have fooled them but when people start asking that he prove it with an x-Ray suddenly he’s a recluse that doesn’t want the attention even though he brought the attention to himself. 

He provided pics that he supposedly took in the wild from the year before and it was clearly imo the same rack.....
He only took literally a handful of hero pics.....I realize this was pre smartphone but it was 1998 it’s not like it was the 1930’s.

All of these people that supposedly held the rack didn’t take any pics either??? Digital cameras weren’t hard to come by. 
So to me it’s that simple he clearly has something to hide. A rack that wide and no pics from the back?
He sought out the attention but then bailed when he was simply asked to prove it was real. 
Wether it is real or not doesn’t affect me but I have my opinion and Mitch himself is the only one that can change it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> He then supposedly kills the world record but doesn’t show it to anyone of authority until the rack had been removed and the skull plate covered in a bondo type material. He then calls the official scorers in when the deer is partially mounted with the skull plate covered. <That is not accurate. There were several people that saw the entire deer in his truck, including a game warden, and I recall seeing pictures of that.
> 
> He seems to have fooled them but when people start asking that he prove it with an x-Ray suddenly he’s a recluse that doesn’t want the attention even though he brought the attention to himself. Yep, that's out of the ordinary, but we don't know why, just speculation that it was fake. There are other reasons he could have reacted this way.
> 
> ...


Again, I don't know if it's legit because I haven't handled it. Only the people who have handled and inspected can make that claim, yet so many fail to believe them. The obvious question is, why would they all lie? That becomes even a bigger mystery considering all the hubbub that surrounded the buck before they even laid hands on it, which would make it even harder to vouch for. 

I would think if any one of them saw anything even a bit off with the rack, they would have taken the easy route and said so, to conform to the mob mentality. But none of them did, they all bucked the mob and said it is real, a very unpopular opinion at the time. So why lie and take the hard route (that it's real), when you could say it's fake (if it is) and take the easy route? 

That seems like a much harder question to answer than anything about droopy ears, purple stain, or the other petty things that nay-sayers have come up with. I can explain away all of the things people claim are off by looking at the photos, but I cant really come up with an explanation for that one... why they would all lie, risk their professional reputations, all for the unpopular stance that it's real, if it truly wasn't.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> All of these people that supposedly held the rack didn’t take any pics either??? Digital cameras weren’t hard to come by.


Just googled it and found this is 20 seconds. There were pictures and video of the scoring session.








.


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## Latty (Mar 6, 2011)

I was clearly talking about the people who claim to have held in on the on the actual deer carcass. 
I’ve seen that picture a thousand times.....

I obviously can’t say 100% that it’s fake either but if there was a gun to my head and I had to guess correctly or die I’d guess fake.

Good talking with you. Glad that we kept it civil....That’s no easy task on AT


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## brutus69 (Jun 13, 2009)

I believe it’s real. Not going to say more than that.


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## EJP1234 (Aug 10, 2014)

I think its fake! Because who shoots the world record, then hires the $300 special i work out of my shed taxidermist. Thats one hideous mount!


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

DV1 said:


> Just googled it and found this is 20 seconds. There were pictures and video of the scoring session.
> View attachment 7417913
> 
> .


Scored after it’s mounted with bondo on the skull plate.


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

conservewild said:


> Personally no clue and don’t care if it’s real I’m just sharing I knew folks close to the source with no real skin in the game that actually saw the deer and said it was real. You can use the fact that he has since passed to discredit but even if he had not he wouldn’t be on AT bickering or trying to prove his honor to you I promise.


You dont care?


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Latty said:


> Good talking with you. Glad that we kept it civil....That’s no easy task on AT
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Good discussion, no need to get uncivil since neither of us shot the deer, it shouldn't be personal. 
I guess the story/mystery part of it is just as interesting to me as the size of the deer, probably even more. I'm retired LE, and love working through these types of "puzzles". 

I found out a long time ago that there is no "normal" response to many circumstances and events. Everyone expects that the way they would act is "normal" and if others don't respond the same way, something must be wrong, yet everyone has a different way of responding to things, and you don't often know what else is going on that may be influencing the way people react. I'm not certain the deer is legit, but I am certain that it is a mistake to assume that because someone isn't reacting how I would, or my friends would, that they are hiding something. 

Peoples expectations of what is going to happen are often different than what actually happens, and that can cause a response that others may see as odd, not normal, trying to hide something, etc. Using this case as an example, we all already know this guy thinks and acts differently than what most of us consider normal, or acceptable, so it's not a stretch to assume that Mitch may have had a totally different expectation of what would happen when he killed this deer and came forward with it. He may have expected that it would automatically be accepted with great accolades, and when the exact opposite happened, it's easy to understand he could become withdrawn. Add to that the fact...and it is a fact...that the two people who started the allegations, Larry Huffman and Craig Calderone, both had an axe to grind with Rompola (if you don't know the back story, you need to look it up, it may change the way you view the allegations, and the way Mitch responded to them), and in Calderone's case at least, wanted to destroy him. They succeeded, rightly so or not. 

Sometimes people don't want to give in to the mob just because it's what the mob wants, and they don't want to give them what they want. That is what I saw in Derek Chauvin eyes as the crowd yelled at him to get off Floyds neck. I don't believe he wanted to kill Floyd, and I'm sure he knew staying on his neck after he was under control was wrong, he just stayed there because the mob was telling to him get up, and he didn't want to give in to them. I believe that was the strongest motivator for his actions, and it's not hard to think Rompola would just refuse to give in to an x-ray for the same reason. 

Just because you would react or respond a certain way, doesn't mean everyone else would. That is one of the hardest things to let go of, but if you want to be able to see the whole picture, you need to be able to do that.


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## BamStickSlinger (Jun 10, 2021)

EJP1234 said:


> I think its fake! Because who shoots the world record, then hires the $300 special i work out of my shed taxidermist. Thats one hideous mount!


Rompola did his own taxidermy iirc


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## jdslyr (Jan 27, 2005)

brutus69 said:


> I believe it’s real. Not going to say more than that.


I agree with that!!!!


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## EJP1234 (Aug 10, 2014)

BamStickSlinger said:


> Rompola did his own taxidermy iirc


So he was as good at taxidermy as he was at deer stories hahahahahahahahahahgga


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## Spaceball (Aug 22, 2020)

HOYT5MAN said:


> No problem, I’m not convinced it’s 100% legit (as far as where it came from) myself, just stating that I have friends (serious deer hunters) that handled it while it was in the back of his truck so I don’t think he’d let guys hold the head up and check it out if it was fabricated in anyway. I could be wrong but it seems like he would have kept it to himself, if it were fabricated, until he removed it from the deer. Now whether it was a pen raised deer or not, that’s more of the question for me? Again, I’m not here to prove or disprove the deer or bash or defend Mitch. Just sharing what I know as a local and someone that’s been to Mitch’s and seen all his other bucks he has mounted. Again, he used to be a real friendly guy that would bring you in and show you his mounts and talk deer hunting but not so much anymore. I’ve stopped and talked to him since, in his driveway, but never about the alleged world record. I knew it would be a lost cause to bring it up so I would just ask how his season went and so on. Being a local we have discussed Mitch and his deer more than you can imagine so I don’t usually talk much about it anymore but it has resurfaced quite a bit lately on AT and Deer Hunter Podcast so I thought I’d share what I know since it seems a lot of newer hunters are just learning about this story. I guess it will remain a mystery that Mitch will take to his grave with him….


I agree, could be a real deer but man it’s so out of Traverse city’s normal for what is a monster around here. 

I have seen a few 140-150 class deer in person and in trail camera pictures within 10 minutes of where his deer was supposed to be shot. 

The problem is that those deer don’t have the food or genetics to get any larger even if the live to the end of there natural life.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

DV1 said:


> Good discussion, no need to get uncivil since neither of us shot the deer, it shouldn't be personal.
> I guess the story/mystery part of it is just as interesting to me as the size of the deer, probably even more. I'm retired LE, and love working through these types of "puzzles".
> 
> I found out a long time ago that there is no "normal" response to many circumstances and events. Everyone expects that the way they would act is "normal" and if others don't respond the same way, something must be wrong, yet everyone has a different way of responding to things, and you don't often know what else is going on that may be influencing the way people react. I'm not certain the deer is legit, but I am certain that it is a mistake to assume that because someone isn't reacting how I would, or my friends would, that they are hiding something.
> ...


As you say, If you actually look at the whole picture, as some have, then there is more reason to doubt that it’s legit than not. If you remove completely the facts not related to the actual deer itself....mitchs criminal history, particularly the fraud part, his attempts to get scent company attention, actually talking about sponsorships, bragging to people that he was going to kill this big deer, all those details that pile up destroying the myth that Mitch was just a “good ol boy” hunter that didn’t want money or attention, and focus on the DEER, then there is reason enough to doubt. A world record killed in an area where big racks are uncommon, even rare....
The antler burrs look abnormally placed. It’s not camera angle, because it’s evident in all the photos. 
They are 4.25 inches apart. That alone is reason to doubt. Show us one record whitetail with a spread between burrs like that. 
That ear....there’s been enough said about that to fill a book. 
The scorers that all handled this rack and say they saw the skull plate...How? it was mounted on that form with bondo on it. So how exactly did they “handle” it? The answer is...they didn’t. They didn’t pull that rack off that form and examine it. In fact, the one specifically pointed out as the “proof” said he saw the antler burrs when he talked about the skull plate. No scorer held that rack before it was mounted. If you dig thought all those published “statements”, you can see that’s the case. 
Eye witnesses...”people saw it”. Ok. They saw it. What did they see? How close did they look? People often see what they want. As for a game agent seeing it, that’s as valid as proof as any, but what did he see? Did he look for stitches? Everytime I hear this part, I think about the game warden that told me he helped load a black bear that weighed 400 lbs. I was later shown a photo of the bear hanging on a scale that showed 290. To this day, he claims it weighed 400, and people still believe him because he’s a game warden. 
This was the biggest deer anyone had ever seen. Literally a potential world record. There is a tendency for people to want to be part of the story, to have “seen it”. That’s how stories start. Look at any big deer story and compare them. 
The end story of Mitch refusing to X-ray it for clarification, that entire lawsuit debacle with Hanson, the “disappearance” of the rack and reported destruction in a fire reeks of doubt. So there’s the big picture. As said, everybody should look at it.


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

Spaceball said:


> I agree, could be a real deer but man it’s so out of Traverse city’s normal for what is a monster around here.
> 
> I have seen a few 140-150 class deer in person and in trail camera pictures within 10 minutes of where his deer was supposed to be shot.
> 
> ...


I agree it isn’t even close to the norm of what us “average” hunters see in the region. I’d say that for most of the deer I have seen in Mitch’s house, including the former state record bow buck. Again, I’m not debating whether this deer is legit or not, just sharing that I’ve had friends that handled this bucks rack and they are adamant it was not a fake rack. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t pen raised or whatever other theories skeptics might have, just sharing that I trust my friends as far as not believing the rack was fake as several people where handling that rack the night he shot it. I guess we’ll never know for sure.


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

Billie said:


> As you say, If you actually look at the whole picture, as some have, then there is more reason to doubt that it’s legit than not. If you remove completely the facts not related to the actual deer itself....mitchs criminal history, particularly the fraud part, his attempts to get scent company attention, actually talking about sponsorships, bragging to people that he was going to kill this big deer, all those details that pile up destroying the myth that Mitch was just a “good ol boy” hunter that didn’t want money or attention, and focus on the DEER, then there is reason enough to doubt. A world record killed in an area where big racks are uncommon, even rare....
> The antler burrs look abnormally placed. It’s not camera angle, because it’s evident in all the photos.
> They are 4.25 inches apart. That alone is reason to doubt. Show us one record whitetail with a spread between burrs like that.
> That ear....there’s been enough said about that to fill a book.
> ...


I do agree with you on most of this except for the fact it was sewn on. I personally talked to Mitch shortly after he shot this deer and he clearly had plans of monetizing from this buck. I had the issue of Deer and Deer Hunting with Mitch on the cover and he told me they paid him $5000 to have that photo on the cover. He even offered to autograph my copy, so I believe he was all about the recognition, and profit, this buck was going to give him. As you stated, he was already lending his endorsement to Hawg’s Unlimited scents, CSS bows names a model after him, The Swampmaster, (I think that’s what it was called) he was featured in a couple hunting videos that were a calaboration with multiple companies that hoped to profit from Mitch and his deer as well.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

Billie said:


> So how exactly did they “handle” it? The answer is...they didn’t. ..... No scorer held that rack before it was mounted.
> 
> Eye witnesses...”people saw it”. Ok. They saw it. What did they see? How close did they look? People often see what they want. As for a game agent seeing it, that’s as valid as proof as any, but what did he see?


I have a bunch of nice racks on the wall of my shop. All on bare skulls or skullplates, just hanging on nails.

Off on the side is a VERY nice nontypical on a small placque, with the "skullplate" covered in plaster and then dusted with flocking.

Of course, everybody notices it, and asks about it. I usually mumble out some non-committal story and act distracted while they ogle it. It's hanging at just above eye level, above a tool box, so easily accessible, and lots of people reach out for that "touch". They lightly rub it, ooohhh and aaahhh a few times, and talk about what an awesome buck it is. 

Only later do I tell them that it's a repro mount, and basically made of plastic. Everybody runs back over to look closer, touch it again, and almost universally say, "I would've never known". They had initially seen what they wanted to believe.

So "handling" a rack with a skullplate covered in Bondo, or already mounted, and being in awe instead of actually _examining_ it are two totally different things.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Billie said:


> The end story of Mitch refusing to X-ray it for clarification, that entire lawsuit debacle with Hanson, the “disappearance” of the rack and reported destruction in a fire reeks of doubt.


You're right about that, plenty of questionable things there for sure, but the "proof" it's fake offered by the internet experts is also very questionable. However, in the end, to believe it's a fake, you have to believe that all of the people who saw it in person, up close, and handled it (about a dozen or more, as best as I can recall), were the ones fooled, not everyone else looking at pictures on the internet. That just might be more far-fetched than a world record coming from Michigan. That's a hard sell. I'm still leaning towards the people with first hand knowledge, rather than the internet sleuths with nothing but photos and questionable theories. 

Maybe some day we'll all know the truth, but that too, seems unlikely at this point.


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

DV1 said:


> That's a hard sell. I'm still leaning towards the people with first hand knowledge, rather than the internet sleuths with nothing but photos and questionable theories.


So you don't see anything questionable about these theories then?
-Mitch Rompola, the guy who entered all his other bucks into the record books: refuses to enter his biggest when people ask to examine it?
-Mitch Rompola, who had and was seeking sponsorships, and did multiple interviews: retreated into obscurity because he never wanted the spotlight? 
-Mitch Rompola, who admitted to shooting deer with field points: is just that much of a better hunter than everyone else in that part of Michigan?
-Mitch Rompola, who got busted for food stamp fraud: chose not to profit from his self reported world record deer because...?

There's a lot of questionable theories surrounding this deer, and their all in defense of Rompola. that thing is Fake AF


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

DV1 said:


> I'm still leaning towards the people with first hand knowledge, rather than the internet sleuths with nothing but photos and questionable theories.


It's interesting that those with "first hand experience" don't seem willing to do much more than to say, "Yep, I saw it".

Lots of people want to be part of a big story.

But doesn't it strike anybody as odd that even those who "know" are still kinda quiet about it, and not willing to offer much more than a few verbal words? 

I know that if _I_ had just handled the new world record buck, I would... A) have pictures of me with it, and... B) be telling him to shut up all of the critics and get it proven.

But none of them do much more than tell a magazine reporter, "Yeah, I saw it", and get their name in print, so they can have their 7 1/2 minutes of fame on the sidelines. 

Until one of them is willing to do more than that, I don't give them any more weight than any of the other "evidence" for or against.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Dreamer said:


> So you don't see anything questionable about these theories then?


The first sentence of the post you partially quoted states I do see lots of questionable things there. Did you miss that?



> that thing is Fake AF


Prove it. Start by giving me just one person who saw and handled the buck that said it's fake. The other side has many in that category who say it's real. Where is your witness?


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Pyme said:


> It's interesting that those with "first hand experience" don't seem willing to do much more than to say, "Yep, I saw it".
> 
> Lots of people want to be part of a big story.
> 
> ...


LOL, just what do you want them to do? It's not their buck (assuming it wasn't destroyed in a fire) to bring forward, so what can they do? You want them to take a polygraph? Do some new video or magazine interviews so that people like the many here can just ridicule and slander them, or trash them for saying a buck that they handled looked perfectly fine to them? Because that is what everyone else *would* do, right? And if they don't, they must be hiding something, right?

I mean, maybe if someone just wanted their 7 1/2 minutes of fame, they would do that because any publicity is good publicity...if you're looking for publicity. But if you just want to be left alone, and not have your name trashed, or people start nasty rumors about you, or claim you just want to be part of "a big story", you'd probably just want to stay away from the spotlight...like all these people are doing.

Think about it for a minute...some people came to see a giant buck when Rompola said he killed it, probably offered their congrats, took a few pics, which we have seen, and that was it. Three official scorers were asked to score the buck and did, took some pics of the session, which we have seen, and said it looked legit to them. <<Since then, they have all been ridiculed as either idiots and fools, or part of some grand conspiracy to pull off a world record hoax. They just wanted to see a giant buck when they heard it was killed, or were asked to score it, and said they didn't see anything wrong with it. So why would they come forward now for more ridicule, and harassment? Just what "proof" could they offer you, since they don't have the deer?


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

DV1 said:


> Prove it. Start by giving me just one person who saw and handled the buck that said it's fake. The other side has many in that category who say it's real. Where is your witness?


It's quite a damning circumstantial case, your honor. I'd gladly pay Mitch a few hundred to handle the rack for myself, but that will never happen. I'd even offer to buy the damn thing for 10k just to put this to bed forever. And the fact that Mitch chooses who sees, handles, and examines the buck means that the absence of skeptical witnesses is not surprising. And you keep saying PROOF PROOF PROOF... There's one surefire way to prove it, Mitch was offered $10,000 even to do it, and he declined. It's quite clear that absent any new evidence neither of our minds will be changed anytime soon.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Dreamer said:


> It's quite a damning circumstantial case, your honor. I'd gladly pay Mitch a few hundred to handle the rack for myself, but that will never happen.


It's a circumstantial case, but with about 20+ people who can alibi him, including a conservation officer, 3 official scorers, and some DNR officials, so...

There are already a lot of people who have handled the rack, and say it's real. What do you think you can spot they can't, or do you believe they are just lying? Here is an excerpt from a Deer and Deer Hunting magazine article on it, quoting some of those who handled it.

*...three official antler scorers put their hands on the Rompola Buck’s rack and all three declared it was a 100 percent legit rack. One of those scorers was Gary Berger, a then 59-year-old Michigan resident who was an official scorer for the Boone and Crockett Club, the Pope and Young Club, Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and the Longhunters Society. He had more than a decade’s worth of scoring experience at that time. Berger and two other Michigan scorers — Lee Holbrook and Al Brown — spent nearly two-and-a-half hours scoring the Rompola Buck. Afterward, all three men declared the deer not only legit, but also announced its score was higher than that of the current world record (Milo Hanson Buck).*

*“The rack was very impressive the first time I saw it, and nothing has changed the second time I saw it,” Berger told D&DH in 1999. “I saw the skull plate and how the antlers attach to the skull plate. I’ve seen a lot of skull plates and a lot of horns attached to skull plates. Everything looked real to me, and I know some Michigan DNR people have seen it. A lot of people saw it after he killed it. Many dyed-in-the-wool hunters saw it. I felt it. I inspected it. It’s real.”

Holbrook had been a P&Y and CBM scorer for more than a decade as well, and he echoed Berger’s comments.
“When we scored the buck, it was partially mounted, with the skin cut up through the skull plate so we could inspect it,” he told D&DH at that time. “The rack is real. I touched the skull plate and examined it, and there was no evidence of anything wrong. I’ve seen repaired racks and sheds attached to heads by taxidermists. I’ve seen that many times, and know several taxidermists who are very good at it. On this buck, there’s no evidence of that whatsoever.”

Brown also vouched for the deer’s authenticity.
“I know there is no foul play in this,” he told D&DH, adding that he saw the deer the day after it was killed. “I would like all these critics to see it and analyze it for themselves. There must have been at least 15 to 20 people who had seen that buck at Mitch’s [house] before I even got there. Everything about this deer is on the up and up.” Brown also stated that he knew Rompola and talked with him about the monster buck he had been hunting.
“I had been talking with Mitch about that buck for three years,” Brown said. “I just happened to call him on that Saturday morning (Nov. 14) and asked if he had been having any luck on the big one. He told me he had gotten it the day before and that I should come over to see it. I couldn’t believe it. The buck had a huge body, and antlers that I only dream about.”

One of the most-forgotten sources in the Rompola Buck story was that of another man who saw the buck: Bill Bailey of Honor, Mich. At that time, Bailey was an 18-year veteran conservation officer with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. In the Dec. 6, 1998, issue of the Traverse City Record-Eagle newspaper, Bailey told staff writer Bill O’Brien that he took several family members to see the Rompola Buck. “I saw the deer, I saw it closely” Bailey told O’Brien. “I handled the deer.” He added that there were “no questionable open doors with it.”
Bailey also discounted rumors that Rompola somehow attached the rack to the animal.*
*“Ridiculous,” he said. ...*

There were apparently a few dozen people who saw this buck, none have said it is fake, in fact, they are adamant about it being real.



Dreamer said:


> And you keep saying PROOF PROOF PROOF... It's quite clear that absent any new evidence neither of our minds will be changed anytime soon.


I said it like that because you made a pretty strong statement..."that thing is Fake AF". So, I figured you must have some proof to be so sure.
As far as my mind...my mind thinks there is definitely something up with the entire situation, I just lean towards believing it not a manufactured rack because every single person who has seen and touched has said it's not.


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## frugalarcher (Jul 28, 2020)

DV1 said:


> As far as my mind...my mind thinks there is definitely something up with the entire situation, I just lean towards believing it not a manufactured rack because every single person who has seen and touched has said it's not.


I just learned about this based on this thread, but it doesn't seem very plausible that no one caught him if the rack wasn't real. However, the whole thing smells and I seriously doubt it's on the up and up.


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## HOYT5MAN (Dec 10, 2003)

frugalarcher said:


> I just learned about this based on this thread, but it doesn't seem very plausible that no one caught him if the rack wasn't real. However, the whole thing smells and I seriously doubt it's on the up and up.


This has been my point since joining this conversation. I think there’s definitely a lot of things that don’t add up but the one and only thing I believe is the rack on this deer was real. I believe this because I have two friends that held the rack and checked it out the night he said he shot it. Both these friends are serious hunters who have both shot some big bucks over the years, so I trust them when they say they handled it and there was nothing that made them believe this thing was fake. Again, I’m not saying I believe the whole story, and I have a lot more insight than most, but it really doesn’t matter after all these years. Trust me, us locals have debated every angle of this story and in fact, Mitch, and all his big bucks, have always been the topic of discussion with local hunters long before the world learned of, “The Rompola Buck”.


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## madkasel (Nov 12, 2009)

The two things that seem true are ...

1. Whether real or faked, it's basically a sad story. Something is very messed up either way you tell it.
2. The antlers themselves are real and at some point there lived one helluva deer.


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## wisconsinted2 (Sep 6, 2020)

Do a google image search of rompola buck and there are several other, dare I say weird looking deer he has shot outside this one. Pedicles coming out sides of head, weird body structure, etc. They just don't look right. The racks may be real but the deer they're on can't be the same one that grew them. Heck one looks like a doe with antlers attached. Face and everything looks like a doe. rompola buck - Google Search


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## Dreamer (Aug 19, 2004)

I guess the Rompola debate is irrelevant now. This buck clearly has him beat. The ten people who handled the rack swear by its authenticity!


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## CAPTJJ (Dec 24, 2007)




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## Tsimmerson (Sep 10, 2015)

CAPTJJ said:


>


bwahahahahaha. Oh yeah I’m convinced!!


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

He sure does have a habit of holding bucks so that you can't see the point where the antler attached to the head.


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## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Dreamer said:


> View attachment 7419210
> 
> 
> I guess the Rompola debate is irrelevant now. This buck clearly has him beat. The ten people who handled the rack swear by its authenticity!


When this is what you are reduced to, it's pretty clear you have lost the debate. It was fun while it lasted though.  Good luck in the woods this year.


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## Red Eye 81 (Feb 4, 2006)

HAHAHA! Everytime I look at those Rompola photos I am always embarrassed for the people who stick up for him.


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## rmscustom (Mar 7, 2011)

Red Eye 81 said:


> HAHAHA! Everytime I look at those Rompola photos I am always embarrassed for the people who stick up for him.


But yet solid people with impeccable credentials that have first hand knowledge continue to do so. 
Interesting tale no matter what the truth is. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jimmy_Wallhanger (Nov 30, 2020)

DV1 said:


> It's a circumstantial case, but with about 20+ people who can alibi him, including a conservation officer, 3 official scorers, and some DNR officials, so...
> 
> There are already a lot of people who have handled the rack, and say it's real. What do you think you can spot they can't, or do you believe they are just lying? Here is an excerpt from a Deer and Deer Hunting magazine article on it, quoting some of those who handled it.
> 
> ...


This guy gets it!!!!


ROMPOLA FOR LIFE!!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk


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## GrainofPain (Jul 31, 2020)

Never seen this before. Wow. Funny that it's still debated.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

rmscustom said:


> But yet solid people with impeccable credentials that have first hand knowledge continue to do so.
> Interesting tale no matter what the truth is.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


And yet sometimes those people are wrong…or aren’t as impeccable as we suppose.


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## rmscustom (Mar 7, 2011)

LetThemGrow said:


> And yet sometimes those people are wrong…or aren’t as impeccable as we suppose.


Same could be said about all the accusers also. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BA-IV (Nov 8, 2015)

I’m going to post the exact same thing I did on the Beast post...

Troy Pottenger is a pretty credible guy in my opinion, and the new series in the podcast with him participating sheds a new light on Mitch. Troy credits him to really helping him and being a mentor when he didn’t have to be.

I could care less if the story is true, but there’s no doubt the guy is a straight KILLER...Charles Beaty (Prince of Poschers) is another example. Straight outlaw, trespassed for 30 years on huge ranches before being caught and killed 100’s of STUDS. You don’t have to agree with his morales or the way he did things, but he was at another level along with Mitch WAY BEFORE any of the technology existed. I’ll never be on that level so I’ll give credit where credit is due. So if you can’t give credit where it’s due or look at it without any influencing factors, chances are you’re either jealous or have a biased opinion for some personal reason. There is maybe ONE person out of everybody on this whole thread that will reach his level in their life, and it ain’t me.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

Crediting a “straight outlaw”? I’ll pass, thanks. Rather share a camp or my time with a man of integrity.


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

BA-IV said:


> Straight outlaw, trespassed for 30 years on huge ranches before being caught and killed 100’s of STUDS. You don’t have to agree with his morales or the way he did things, ....
> 
> I’ll never be on that level so I’ll give credit where credit is due.
> 
> So if you can’t give credit where it’s due or look at it without any influencing factors, chances are you’re either jealous ....


Am I missing something?

The guy is an outlaw, trespasser, and basically poached hundreds of deer, and I'm somehow "_jealous_" because I don't give a guy like that "credit"? 🤨


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## BA-IV (Nov 8, 2015)

Pyme said:


> Am I missing something?
> 
> The guy is an outlaw, trespasser, and basically poached hundreds of deer, and I'm somehow "_jealous_" because I don't give a guy like that "credit"? 🤨


 Read the book...it’s actually a testimony to his faith in Christ in the end... he was packing 100 lb ruck on his back miles and miles in and bush camping for weeks killing deer all over south Texas. I’m not saying idolize him, but the fact is, not many people today have that drive or dedication PERIOD and look how far technology has come. It was just an example, Mitch is a killer. There is very few bonafied killers out there but I do believe he is one.


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## LetThemGrow (Apr 2, 2004)

BA-IV said:


> Nah but people change for sure. I don’t care either way about either guy, just wish I had the level of dedication either one of em had is all my point was. Something set em apart from the average guy and that intrigues me.


You want a “level of dedication” that makes you blow right pass laws?


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## Oldloggy (Nov 8, 2020)

I wonder if ole Mitch had any cell cam pics or vids of that buck🤔


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