# Rompala Buck...Real deal or not?



## Whackdaddy (Feb 23, 2009)

never heard of it


----------



## Rolexdr (Jan 24, 2012)

its was huge news years back looked like a monster buck im from Mich as well and could not understand why he was so odd about it back then


hmmm time to do some internet searching


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

We will probably never know if the buck was legit or not. If it is the real thing, which it very well may be, it's a shame that it is not recognized as a world record because it was shot by a cerfiable kook. He does have a website. 

I hoestly believe we will never know the truth about it.


----------



## Jim D (Aug 3, 2004)

I'm skeptical at best due to the other alleged activities he's accused of?


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Rompola is the 2nd Unibomber!!! 

If it were legit...you me and anybody else wold do whatever it took to make sure the public knew the antlers were real and not fabricated regardless of wether it would become the next world record or not.

One thing I learned a long time ago in life is if someone is beating around the bush....they are trying to hide or cover up something. You don't have to be in LE to know that.

Phoney and Baloney!!! Thats my opinion


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

QS34Reaper said:


> Rompola is the 2nd Unibomber!!!
> 
> If it were legit...you me and anybody else wold do whatever it took to make sure the public knew the antlers were real and not fabricated regardless of wether it would become the next world record or not.
> 
> ...


He did make it public and when some people questioned it he freaked out and went ounderground. The buck was evetually scored as a new world record typical but never certified or entered. Mitch doesn't play by everyone else's rules. So if you think about this in terms of what you or anyone else would do, that is irrelevant. I'm not kidding. 

I was at a fishing tournament in Traverse city in about 2004 and I asked a game warden who came to watch the weigh-in about Mitch Romploa and his buck. I asked him if he knew Mitch and he simply said, "Nobody really knows Mitch." He said the buck's rack was hidden away in some storage facility. He didn't think the truth would ever come to light and I don't either.


----------



## crawdad (Jul 21, 2008)

The heck with the buck, I'm more interested in this whole National Cherry Festival that he was allegedly videoing. OK, seriously, you made up that festival name right?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :wink: You did say, and I quote: "I might have done the same thing."

And just now I made up three quick wise cracks, but alas, I don't want to get banned.


----------



## UncleNorby (May 14, 2008)

I dunno about that deer, but the guy makes a heck of a filet knife.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

Whack/Stack said:


> He did make it public and when some people questioned it he freaked out and went ounderground. The buck was evetually scored as a new world record typical but never certified or entered. Mitch doesn't play by everyone else's rules. So if you think about this in terms of what you or anyone else would do, that is irrelevant. I'm not kidding.
> 
> I was at a fishing tournament in Traverse city in about 2004 and I asked a game warden who came to watch the weigh-in about Mitch Romploa and his buck. I asked him if he knew Mitch and he simply said, "Nobody really knows Mitch." He said the buck's rack was hidden away in some storage facility. He didn't think the truth would ever come to light and I don't either.


That's because Mitch wanted money for the story, and he was trying to sell the head. He was all about the money!


----------



## RCL (Apr 23, 2004)

UncleNorby said:


> I dunno about that deer, but the guy makes a heck of a filet knife.


:doh: :chortle:


----------



## Jshep40 (Aug 28, 2006)

I This guy kills HUGE bucks.....I have met people who know him and they say it is legit.....I just do not know...........A freak like that in that area is pretty amazing, but then again so are all the other deer he has killed. I can say this, if he was out for the money and he had the world record he should have proved it to the world and got paid....a whole lot of paid.


----------



## huntindoc (Feb 8, 2006)

It's been a while so I may be wrong about the exact amount but he was offered something like $50,000 to have the rack/skull plate xray'd and he declined. As I recall, it was after this that Milo and his lawyers told him to put up or shut up about his buck being the 'world record'. He could have stopped all the controversy very easily if he wanted to and if he was legit.


----------



## lavazhole (Jul 30, 2005)

I think it's legit...


----------



## crockett (Apr 6, 2008)

real......i seen it!


----------



## markman (Apr 14, 2007)

I believe it's legit. Not everybody wants to be in the spotlight. Strange guy? Yes! But there is no doubt he is a big buck killing machine regardless. I know a few hunters who kill trophy whitetails, ones that would make news for the area they were taken in, who don't make a big fuss out of it becuase they don't want the attention, they hunt for their own personal pleasure/accomplishments, not others!!!!! They do not need the glory some other hunters do!


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

No shortage of links on google. You could read about it until your eyes bleed and still have to draw your own conclusion.


----------



## Jwillman6 (Jun 4, 2007)

Yea, the fact that he would not let it be X-Rayed is a big red flag to me. I really have no idea what is real, but the deer looked fake to me. The droopy ears and the very wide width between the antlers did not look natural. I think a guy like this would have had it X-rayed if he knew it was legit. If I killed a big buck and someone said it was fake and offered me money to x-ray I would in a heartbeat.


----------



## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

I suspect the deer is real....but had damage or modifications to the rack that made it problematic for a world record title. He passed up $100,000 to have it x-rayed.....there's your smoking gun, who would pass that up if they weren't hiding something?

He obviously isn't so wealthy that he didn't need the money.....or why would he be cheating the government on food stamps.


----------



## PassYoungBucks (Jan 17, 2009)

Fake. Or it would be our world record.


----------



## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

He has proven many times it's real. :wink:


----------



## tjmitchell (Jul 8, 2006)

I was at the ata show the yr after he supposedly shot the deer,looked at it ,touched it before they told him to take that fake ass deer and leave.What a crock.Take it for whatever its worth.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

I believe it was Larry Huffman who offered him $10,000 to have it x-rayed. Not $50,000 or $100,000. It was never at the ATA show that I know of, unless someone brought a replica but I did not know a replica was ever made. 

There is a lot of crazy rumors and nonsense surrounding this buck which just adds to the legend. There is a video of it on the hoof somewhere. If that is still available it is pretty convincing.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

markman said:


> I believe it's legit. Not everybody wants to be in the spotlight. Strange guy? Yes! But there is no doubt he is a big buck killing machine regardless. I know a few hunters who kill trophy whitetails, ones that would make news for the area they were taken in, who don't make a big fuss out of it becuase they don't want the attention, they hunt for their own personal pleasure/accomplishments, not others!!!!! They do not need the glory some other hunters do!


If the guy wanted to be a low profile big buck hunter he would not be an official scorer and have all his other bucks listed as entries with P&Y or CBM. A low profile big buck killer says nothing to no one and hunts alone. This dude is shady and was/is in financial trouble...seems like good reasons to fabricate a world record to me. If it is real and it is legit take the money to have it x rayed. I would put in on that loot and I bet others would too. 

It is as simple as this....PROVE IT!!!! Not picking on you either...anyone who thinks it is legit I ask to them and Mitch...PROVE IT!! Just wanted you to know he is not fly under the radar as you think.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Whack/Stack said:


> He did make it public and when some people questioned it he freaked out and went ounderground. The buck was evetually scored as a new world record typical but never certified or entered. Mitch doesn't play by everyone else's rules. So if you think about this in terms of what you or anyone else would do, that is irrelevant. I'm not kidding.
> 
> I was at a fishing tournament in Traverse city in about 2004 and I asked a game warden who came to watch the weigh-in about Mitch Romploa and his buck. I asked him if he knew Mitch and he simply said, "Nobody really knows Mitch." He said the buck's rack was hidden away in some storage facility. *He didn't think the truth would ever come to light and I don't either*.


I agree...............sad, but true!!


----------



## Junglekat (Sep 7, 2006)

legit


----------



## Bthebowhunter (Feb 13, 2012)

I believe someone had pictures of the buck in a hunting preserve. They were also saying he split the skull to add a little to the width.


----------



## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

I was mistaken about the amount offered for the X-rays......it was $20,000

In 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 would 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 would take the steps to prove that the antlers are authentic.


----------



## stillern (Feb 1, 2005)

> got paid....a whole lot of paid.


 Really? From who, how much, for how long and at what expense?


----------



## Assassin73 (Apr 18, 2011)

I'm also from Michigan, I can barely remember when the story broke as I am only 21 years old as of now. I do believe the buck is 100% legit. While it's true mitch has several bucks in the p and y books, he also states that he has several more Which he chose not to enter.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

http://marylandwhitetail.websitetoolbox.com/post/Rompola-Buck-May-06-1093142

You can download an mpeg video of the recovery right here. It's hard to believe in 1998, somebody with little or no money could pull that off all alone. 

He manipulates the deer by it's antlers in the video.


----------



## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Real 

I read about Mitch 20 years ago 

He is an odd fellow but he killed a lot of big deer


----------



## jim crisafulli (Nov 5, 2010)

I say the buck is real, a game warden and 3 scorers,these are credible people.I still have the magazine that featured the article.


----------



## RCL (Apr 23, 2004)

JParanee said:


> Real
> He is an odd fellow but he killed a lot of big deer


I've always hoped it was real.....:noidea:

FWIW, there's a lot of anti's out there who think we're *all* a little odd.......:tongue:


----------



## bigracklover (Feb 1, 2008)

IMO, he made himself look guilty by not fighting the critics. Money aside, a man should defend his name when he knows he's right, and the fact he didn't speaks volumes.


----------



## HAPPY DAD (Feb 8, 2008)

He is a big buck killa.......not sure why its hard to believe a fella with his resume could not get it done.

Who knows what went on behind the scenes........he could have been threatened for all we know, or maybe he didnt feel like fighting the political battle that was going to come of it?

It would have been mudslinging at best, maybe he took the high road? Who knows.

I say legit


----------



## outdoorfrenzy (Apr 21, 2011)

i looked at his website. somthing seems weird about his deer pics. most of the deers ears are very droopy??


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
hard to remember all the details but bottom line it was once and all a fake!


oh yeah the taxi said the reason the ears are dropped that far was he didn't get to sew the cape back the right way ....he was in a hurry and used some quick inside stiches and he had cut through some part of the hide that supports the ears and they found that too!


----------



## dtrkyman (Jul 27, 2004)

find a picture of a deer anywhere beside his site that has antlers growing out the side of there head, i have seen millions of buck pictures live deer and never seen any with those antler genes. very strange no doubt.


----------



## Buckhavoc (Oct 27, 2009)

I have always call that dude a FRAUD!!!


----------



## Twitch (Oct 14, 2007)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


Dang... I had always hoped that the Rompala buck was legit...... 

Wouldn't happen to have a link to the new info would ya?


----------



## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

None of hese video links work does anyone have a link to one that does


----------



## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)




----------



## Musgrat (Oct 22, 2008)

WeeGee can you post link to the information you got. T.C. is like my second home. I've seen big deer up there always wanted to believe it was real.


----------



## Junglekat (Sep 7, 2006)

Those genes have been seen in ky.Saw it myself, before I had trail cameras chased it for two years disappeared would only see it rut then gone.


----------



## makingscents (Jun 9, 2011)

QS34Reaper said:


> Rompola is the 2nd Unibomber!!!


Thats funny



> If it were legit...you me and anybody else wold do whatever it took to make sure the public knew the antlers were real and not fabricated regardless of whether it would become the next world record or not.


I wouldn't, if I were offended. If I am telling the truth and you call me a liar I wont go to any trouble to prove you wrong.
What I have found is that anyone who wants to accuse you of being a liar will also be able to twist anything you say around so that you'll always look like a liar. I see that on this site all the time. Someone will make a point and the person that doesn't like that point will twist the words to make that person look dumb or whatever. If I were insulted, I wouldn't give my antagonizer the ability to continue with it.


----------



## Tony Trietch (Jun 18, 2006)

I too am from TC and hunted the properties adjoining his homestead. YES, that deer "COULD" be real. It's a very large chunck of land that does hide many deer.
No one has mentioned the fact that Mitch held the state typ. record for a while. He has killed dozens of huge deer in areas where no one else sees them.

I went to college with his son. He was open about the fact that his dad was a very private person that hunted by himself, not with son. Then again, I don't think his son was a hunter then. For the record his son was one of the nicest people I met in college.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


Weegee how come nobody has posted this information before.I would think if what your saying is true this would have been in magazines and website forums everywhere.


----------



## Tony Trietch (Jun 18, 2006)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


I would LOVE to see were you got this!


----------



## sgtbowhunter (Mar 26, 2006)

tcfishgod said:


> I would LOVE to see were you got this!


Me too!


----------



## DEC (Dec 10, 2004)

In 2006 I went on a bear hunt with a LEO from Travers City. One of the guys in the hunt party asked him about the buck. He told us that he personally saw the buck the day after Mitch shot it and that it is in fact real. We of course were doubtful, but as he told the story, it gave you a sense that this thing really could be legit. He said that Mitch is very reclusive. Mitch trusts no one from what he told us. He said when Mitch shot the buck, that he was so paranoid that the first night, he chained the buck down to the bed of his pick up truck and locked the truck in his garage, fearing someone would come and steal it. He swore up and down that the buck is 100% legit.


----------



## tmead (May 10, 2010)

as real as bigfoot


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

I can't believe so many people think it is real.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

I kill deer that big every year.

I am not going to show you guys any pictures or actually prove that I do but I figure about a third of you already believe me just on my word.

PT Barnum was right......


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I am not going to show you guys any pictures or actually prove that I do but I figure about a third of you already believe me just on my word.


LOL

And you can video it with your video cam and run to the news with it so it spreads like wildlfire and then turn down 20 000 dollars and hide the antlers you ran to the public with becuase you're so private. LOL


----------



## swinestalker (Oct 28, 2009)

Rembrandt1 said:


> I was mistaken about the amount offered for the X-rays......it was $20,000
> 
> In 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 would 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 would take the steps to prove that the antlers are authentic.


What would dna testing prove? Not being a jerk, I just don't understand what a dna test would prove. Surely it was a deer.


----------



## Rick Hodges (Nov 3, 2008)

Of course it is real. There is video on trail cameras of the same buck live. Where it came from...who knows.


----------



## MOC (Jul 4, 2003)

Who knows.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

saskguy said:


> LOL
> 
> And you can video it with your video cam and run to the news with it so it spreads like wildlfire and then turn down 20 000 dollars and hide the antlers you ran to the public with becuase you're so private. LOL


Exactly! I would be the most attention seeking "private" person there ever was.


----------



## BMA1974 (Feb 4, 2009)

How many times are you going to let yourself be called a liar before you tell everyone where to go, and be done with it.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Here's a scenario that fits the mold of what kind of a person Mitch Rompola is. Suppose he is getting a kick out of the fact that 14 years later we are still talking about it, and he is the ONLY one who knows for sure? Think about it. He's just the kind of strange personality that might just get a rise out of all this. 

Anyone who says the buck is definitely not real is a fool unless you have conclusive proof, and if you do I challenge you to come forward with it. For those who claim they have first hand knowledge that it is real, I wish you had proof of that but we have to take you at your word. I will always keep an open mind about this and I stand by my original statement that I doubt if we will ever know for sure. It is an internet phenomenon that will go down in history as one of the grteatest. It was the FIRST internet big buck phenomenon! Remember, back in 1998, only 30% of people had internet at home. This was the original internet big buck legend that all others will be measured by. I guess that's what keeps me coming back to this thread.


----------



## Ohbowhunter815 (Jul 19, 2010)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...



I would have thought that legend of the "Rompola Buck" being debunked would have made news everywhere. Certainly not saying your info is incorrect just strange that it didnt become a bigger story than the killing of this buck in this day and age. News like that would have traveled fast across the message boards, at least I would have thought. I did a quick search and didnt find anything about it being proven false.


----------



## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

swinestalker said:


> What would dna testing prove? Not being a jerk, I just don't understand what a dna test would prove. Surely it was a deer.


He was suspected of shooting a pen rasied deer if I remember correctly.


----------



## zyxw (Feb 19, 2007)

Within a month of supposedly killing the deer the reclusive private person who don't care about money had already sign at least two endorsment deals and the advetisements were out in the way of posters and magazine adds. But when the authenticity was questioned and he had a chance to make morer money he went into hiding. I have to agree with Saskguy, it suprises the hell out of me that anyone believes it is real. As for " all the big deer" he has supposedly killed after this fiasco I would seriously question them also. One thing I will agree on he is a weird one


----------



## Buckhavoc (Oct 27, 2009)

tmead said:


> as real as bigfoot


Hey man bigfoot is real!!


----------



## Screename (Aug 15, 2011)

zyxw said:


> Within a month of supposedly killing the deer the reclusive private person who don't care about money had already sign at least two endorsment deals and the advetisements were out in the way of posters and magazine adds. But when the authenticity was questioned and he had a chance to make morer money he went into hiding. I have to agree with Saskguy, it suprises the hell out of me that anyone believes it is real. As for " all the big deer" he has supposedly killed after this fiasco I would seriously question them also. One thing I will agree on he is a weird one


x 2


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

zyxw said:


> Within a month of supposedly killing the deer the reclusive private person who don't care about money had already sign at least two endorsment deals and the advetisements were out in the way of posters and magazine adds. But when the authenticity was questioned and he had a chance to make morer money he went into hiding. I have to agree with Saskguy, it suprises the hell out of me that anyone believes it is real. As for " all the big deer" he has supposedly killed after this fiasco I would seriously question them also. One thing I will agree on he is a weird one


Don't forget about the t-shirts he was selling with pictures of "The new world record" on them. He was billing this deer as "The New World Record" and that is when Milo Hanson's lawyers hit him with put up or shut up lawsuit. THAT is when he decided to shut up and become this supposed "reclusive" person that just wanted to be left alone.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

zyxw said:


> Within a month of supposedly killing the deer the reclusive private person who don't care about money had already sign at least two endorsment deals and the advetisements were out in the way of posters and magazine adds. But when the authenticity was questioned and he had a chance to make morer money he went into hiding. I have to agree with Saskguy, it suprises the hell out of me that anyone believes it is real. As for " all the big deer" he has supposedly killed after this fiasco I would seriously question them also. One thing I will agree on he is a weird one


I agree! I even remember Mitch locking the head in a safe not allowing anyone to get near it. This is a guy who listed his kills in P&Y, but turned down the recogintion of the new world record.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

It has been said that the antlers were sold several years ago to a private collector in NY State for a large sum of money. The caveat for the sale was that the antlers could not be officially entered into any record book and never x-rayed or examined. I remember reading that back about 3-4 years ago. 

Weegee posted that the antlers were xrayed but I have never seen that anywhere. There was some writer that 
did a pretty good story on the whole episode and wrote that there was a offered reward if Mitch would let the base be xrayed. I think the reward was for 10K. Mitch refused the offer.

I do not know what to believe as some people are just weird and anti-establishment. I see and meet people like Mitch often as an LEO Officer. 

http://whitetail.com/rompolagate.htm

http://whitetail.com/rompolagate2.html


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


This was planned out, why would he have been in a hurry? Not like anyone was rushing him for a picture.... or was he just setting up a tree with a 200"+ set of antlers waiting for a big body deer to walk by, so he could stick them on his head.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

Pretty Good read..........I believe the author has some credibility.


Whitetail.com

Dear Reader,

We received over 500 replies to Larry's initial article Rompola Gate. Some responses suggested that Mitch should be given the benefit of the doubt. In this article Larry expands on the rules for legitimate trophy status.

John Miglautsch
Editor, whitetail.com





ROMPOLA GATE PART II
The Fairy Tale Continues
By
Larry L. Huffman
July 25, 1999

Mother Goose would have a difficult time competing with Mitch Rompola and his associates on the creation of the biggest fairy tale (scam) to ever hit the hunting world. Most hunting magazines have stopped featuring stories on Rompola. I have spoken with several of the editors and their basic attitude is to simply let the story die.

Unfortunately all hunting magazines did not take this stand. Deer and Deer Hunting featured a two-part story on the Rompola buck and the men who measured the antlers. The principal portion of this two-part story was written by none other than Dan Bertalan, one of Rompola's closest allies.

Bertalan tells of insurmountable odds. He states that there are 11,500,000 deer hunters each year. Seventy-nine years passed from the time Jim Jordan killed his world record buck (1914) till Milo Hanson took a new worlds record buck in 1993. Sure the odds are insurmountable if one plays by the rules. Simply fabricating a set of trophy antlers rather than harvesting one by traditional hunting methods can drastically reduce the odds.

In the June 1999 issue of Deer and Deer Hunting, Editor Patrick Durkin stated in his Editors Stump column that Rompola should be granted the assumption that he is innocent until proven guilty. I reminded Durkin that that assumption is normally used in association with a criminal trial. It doesn't apply to Rompola, as he has not been charged with a crime. Maybe in time, but not right now.

Look at the assumption used by the Boone & Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club. It is the hunter's responsibility to prove that his deer is authentic and that it was harvested in accordance with the club's fair chase standards. All state record keeping associations should also use this same assumption. A trophy deer is bogus until proven real. Hopefully the CBM (Commemorative Bucks of Michigan) will not list Rompola's buck in their records until he takes the steps to prove that it is real.

We all know that Mitch Rompola could clear up the controversy by simply having the antlers x-rayed. X-rays of the skull plate are most important. With all of the controversy surrounding Rompola's buck, I believe that DNA testing and a polygraph test would be in order.

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.

It's quite obvious to this writer that Rompola cannot and will not submit his antlers for testing and x-rays. The antlers are not authentic. In Rompola Gate (part I) I reported many facts that I believe prove that Rompola's buck is a phony. The biggest single fact is the distance between the burrs measuring 50% more than any other whitetail buck ever.

I pointed out in Rompola Gate (part I) how the coloration of the antlers is suspect. The August 1999 issue of Deer and Deer Hunting featured the Rompola buck on its cover. The antlers are now a different color. The antlers have been re-colored. The tines are no longer yellow and the Potassium Permanganate staining that was so obvious is now non-existent. It is also apparent that the cape used for the mount is not the original cape.

Why were the antlers re-colored? Was it because of the suspicious coloration of the original antlers? Was it because of the facts that I called attention to in my first article? It was certainly apparent that Rompola felt there was something wrong with the color and for that reason attempted to cover some of the obvious flaws. Check it out. The antlers have been re-colored. Photographs don't lie.




Photograph of the original Rompola buck.

Notice the yellow tone on the deer's right G2 and G3 as well as the left G3. Also notice the brownish purple stain at the base of each antler and at the base of the main beams between the burrs and the brow tines.



The photograph used on the cover of Deer and Deer Hunting is a dead giveaway that this is a bogus buck. Rompola has now had time to fix all of his mistakes by re-coloring the antlers. The following photo is of the re-colored antlers. Compare it with the photo of the original deer. Again it shows that Rompola had something to hide.



Photo of the new mount with the re-colored antlers

One can clearly see that the antlers have been re-colored from the original. The bases are a different color. The tines now have more of a progression of color. Before there was a distinct line where the color changed from yellow to the brown/purple stain.



It was announced that a panel of CBM measurers had officially re-measured Rompola's buck. The three measurers were (1) Gary Berger, (2) Lee Holbrook and (3) Al Brown. These measurers were not assigned this responsibility by CBM. They were hand picked by Mitch Rompola. Berger is certified by Boone & Crockett, Pope and Young, The Longhunters Society and CBM. Holbrook has been certified by Pope and Young and CBM. Brown is a certified CBM scorer only.

In the August, 1999 issue of North American Whitetail, Len Holbrook admitted that he had been trained by Rompola. Brown also said that Rompola trained him. It is unclear if Rompola trained Gary Berger. Burger stated that he has known Rompola for well over a decade. Rompola video taped the measuring session which meant that he was present throughout. Since these men were students and close friends of Rompola's, you can bet that he plenty of involvement in the actual measuring.

I had reported that the skull plate on Rompola's buck was totally encased in some form of hardened material such as Bondo. It would have been impossible to inspect the skull plate with this material in place. Jack Reneau, Director of Big Game Records for the Boone & Crockett club spoke with Berger shortly after the antlers were measured. Reneau asked Berger if he had inspected the skull plate to which Berger answered no.

In the Deer and Deer Hunting article on the scorers, Berger said that he saw the skull plate. He further reported that he felt it and inspected it and that it was real. Naturally, Berger would not lie to the Boone and Crockett Club and be able to remain an official scorer for them. That would seem to indicate that he lied to Deer and Deer Hunting.

Len Holbrook said that the buck was partially mounted when they scored it. He said that the skin was open up the back so they could inspect it. He said the rack is real. He also said that he inspected the skull plate and there was no evidence of anything wrong. Why are these men lying to the media? Did Rompola have that much control over them? Did the measurers believe they were measuring a real set of antlers? Were the measurers trying to cover up something? Are these three measurers all part of Rompola's scam?

I do not have answers to these questions. I tend to believe that the measurers thought that they were scoring a real set of antlers. The quality of today's antler restoration is so good that I do not believe that these three men could tell the difference. Many other measurers have been fooled in the past. The question as to why these three measurers said they had inspected the skull plate but told Boone & Crockett they had not remains un-answered. The only way to inspect the skull plate is to have it x-rayed. You cannot inspect it by feel or by normal vision.



This photo shows Mitch Rompola holding the antlers after they had been removed from the deer. You can clearly see how the skull plate has been totally encased in a material similar to Bondo. This picture aired on Nov. 26, 1998 just 13 days after Rompola killed the buck. Do you believe that Rompola had something to hide? Do you think the skull plate could be inspected? 


An article by Eric Sharp in the Detroit Free Press dated February 25, 1999 stated that Rompola told him and others "it's all about money". He further said that his primary interest is exploiting the buck's rack financially. Rompola has a number of endorsement deals. I was told that his deal with Custom Shooting Systems, a bow manufacturer, was actually made months before he claimed to have killed the buck. There is a Rompola web site in which "T" shirts and caps are being sold. It appears that Rompola is pursuing certain financial schemes, however lets look at the other side of the ledger.

The easiest money out there is the $20,000.00 on the table if Rompola will have the antlers authenticated by having them x-rayed and take a polygraph test. If it's all about money, why isn't Rompola taking advantage of this offer? The answer is quite simple. He can't because the antlers are not authentic. If he has it x-rayed, his balloon will bust. His scam will be over. There could be charges of fraud filed against Rompola and his associates. Who knows what action the companies who are paying Rompola endorsement fees will pursue.

In Eric Sharps article of April 9, 1999 in the Detroit Free Press, he reported that Kevin Kreh of Hawg Ltd. is having some serious concerns. Kreh said that he has put pressure on Rompola to have the deer measured and entered at least with CBM. Kreh said that he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. He further stated that he stands to loose his creditability, his business, his home and everything he has worked for. If he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars as he said, then why hasn't he started legal action against Rompola? Can he prove damage? You bet!

How bad have the other companies with Rompola endorsements suffered from Rompola's refusal to have the antlers authenticated? If Kreh's firm has been damaged financially then I should think that the others have suffered also. It's been said that Dan Bertalan handles public relations for Rompola and these various firms. He has written several articles on Rompola and his buck. Obviously, Bertalan has made out pretty well. Is Dan Bertalan in on the scam with Rompola? What if the companies that Rompola has endorsed were all part of Rompola Gate? Could it be?

Several outdoor writers have stated that no one has offered any proof that Rompola did anything wrong while hunting the buck. They have also said that no one has offered proof that the buck isn't real. These writers must be wearing blinders and ignoring the facts. Some of these facts are so obvious that one cannot help but be suspicious. Let's take a serious look at what we know to be fact. You be the judge as to these facts offering proof of the deer being bogus.

Rompola said that he shot the buck at 12 yards with a bow set at 58 pounds. The arrow did not pass through the deer, in fact there was approximately 18" of arrow still sticking out of its midsection. 
Rompola said that after he shot the buck and after a short wait, he went home to get his camera even though he heard the deer go down. 
The antlers have very suspicious coloration. The tones change from yellow to brown to white and to a brownish/purple at the bases. In the past, people used Potassium Permanganate for staining antlers. This is the exact color of the antler bases. 
The antlers have an outside spread of 38". Knowing this measurement, it is quite simple to calculate the distance between the burrs. This measurement comes out to 4 3/4". Normally this measurement is from 2 3/4" to 3 1/4". This would mean that the distance between the burrs is 1 1/2" wider than any buck ever. It is approximately 50% wider than any other deer. 
The original photo of Rompola's buck had considerable blood in the buck's right ear. The buck was lying on its right side. 
The skull plate was totally encased in a hardened material. The antlers were shown on Michigan Out Of Doors thirteen days after the buck was harvested. This videotape showed the skull encased as mentioned. 
The antlers have been re-colored from suspicious tones in the original photo. The potassium Permanganate staining is gone. Other flaws in the color have been corrected. 
One of the three measurers told Boone & Crockett that he was not able to inspect the skull plate. Later the media was told that they did inspect it. Something doesn't match up. 
Rompola said "it's all about money," but $20,000.00 has been offered to him for x-rays and a polygraph test. He has refused to have it x-rayed. 

These are most of the facts, as we know them today. The most important fact is the distance between the antler burrs. No whitetail buck has ever grown a skull with the distance between the burrs being anything close to this distance.

These facts leave many questions in one's mind. Rather than speculate on these answers, wouldn't it be great to hear Rompola provide the answers. A partial list of questions could be as follows:

Why did Rompola encase the skull plate in a hardened material less than two weeks after the deer was shot? 
Why were the antlers re-colored? 
What was the source of the blood in the buck's right ear? 
Why hasn't Rompola captured the $20,000.00 offer for x-rays? 
Why did the measurers lie about inspecting the skull plate? 
Someday we will know the answers to these and other questions. In the mean time the sport of deer hunting is being damaged. Milo Hansen is being damaged. Trophy whitetail deer collectors are being damaged. Scoring systems are being damaged. Trophy whitetail records will never be the same. But as Rompola said, who cares, "it's all about money".


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

this is what i was refering to^^^^^^^^^^


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Sask both of the articles are very informative I read them many years ago but was not sure I could find them but I typed in rompola gate and boom they were still available. I hope you guys enjoy both links I posted they are very informative both good and bad. I think the author has a bit of a man crush on Milo and if I remember right was really close friends with him. The author of the articles I feel is very biased because of this reason but it is still informative reading either way and brings up some very good questions.

The coloring thing that he talks about a lot could just be camera angles, lighting conditions, a cheap camera, or a camera with the setting wrong for the outdoor terrain. All the other points of concern were very valid in my eyes though.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

a simple x-ray would resolve the entire matter, nothing to hide then do it, somethign to hide then back away


I do not have an opinion either way, but if it was me I wouldn't let Hanson bully me away


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

since he did tag the deer cannot the Michigan DNR get a warrant and confiscate the antlers ? sounds pretty simple to me, then they could be x-rayed and deemed legit or not


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Uncle Bucky said:


> since he did tag the deer cannot the Michigan DNR get a warrant and confiscate the antlers ? sounds pretty simple to me, then they could be x-rayed and deemed legit or not


In this case they did not because he was not suspected of a crime. He was on ground where he had permission to be and the deer was shot with legal equipment during a legal hunting season and it was tagged properly. So in this case I think that the only thing suspect was were the antlers faked not whether the kill was legal.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> but if it was me I wouldn't let Hanson bully me away


What self respecting honest man would????


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

saskguy said:


> What self respecting honest man would????


Key word...........honest.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Whack/Stack said:


> Here's a scenario that fits the mold of what kind of a person Mitch Rompola is. Suppose* he is getting a kick out of the fact that 14 years later we are still talking about it, and he is the ONLY one who knows for sure?* Think about it. He's just the kind of strange personality that might just get a rise out of all this.
> 
> Anyone who says the buck is definitely not real is a fool unless you have conclusive proof, and if you do I challenge you to come forward with it. For those who claim they have first hand knowledge that it is real, I wish you had proof of that but we have to take you at your word. I will always keep an open mind about this and I stand by my original statement that I doubt if we will ever know for sure. It is an internet phenomenon that will go down in history as one of the grteatest. It was the FIRST internet big buck phenomenon! Remember, back in 1998, only 30% of people had internet at home. This was the original internet big buck legend that all others will be measured by. I guess that's what keeps me coming back to this thread.


I believe I would get a bigger "kick" out of knowing I had the World Record and all the financial gains that would come with it.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

he cared about having the state record one time, but not the world...


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Keep in mind that Larry Huffman had a LOT TO GAIN by discrediting Rompola. He didn't have a "Man Crush" on Milo Hansen, he was financially involved in the promotion of Hansen's buck. Larry is gone now.

For all the people saying "I would" do this or that, or any normal person would do this or that, or this makes sense and that doesn't, your arguments are irrelevent. Unless you are really off-balance mentally and emotionally, you cannot relate to Mitch or make any kind of judgement based on what seems right to you. 

My apologies to Mitch who is probably reading this.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> My apologies to Mitch who is probably reading this


Seriously?


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Seriously?


Saskguy did you catch any crap from other hunters or hear any rumors after you killed any of your big deer? I hope you didn't I'm just asking,cuz when I shot my non typical there were rumors flying out of the wood work from people I didn't know and never heard of,and I was pissed I can kind of see where Mitch might have just said the hell with it and not answered any questions.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

saskguy said:


> Seriously?


Seriously.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

There are always going to be the jealous types couldn't shoot a deer at Bambi Land who will start BS stories, but if Mitch is legit, and he knows he is, why not come forward and tell Milo to pound sand?


----------



## hotcorner99 (Oct 8, 2011)

I personally believe that it is real! More pros than cons to the story in my opinion!


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Saskguy did you catch any crap from other hunters or hear any rumors after you killed any of your big deer? I hope you didn't I'm just asking,cuz when I shot my non typical there were rumors flying out of the wood work from people I didn't know and never heard of,and I was pissed *I can kind of see where Mitch might have just said the hell with it and not answered any questions*.


I would agree with this statement even though my opinion is it is a fraud rack. 

See the difference between you and Saskguy and Mitch is y'all are here...almost every day. Building credibility and standing up for your kills and helping fellow archers...so some may be jealous so they say dumb ****, but deep down inside I don't think they really question you. If I had accused you or Saskguy of staging your kills with a replica racks I think either of you would tell me where to go in a heartbeat!! 

No matter what kind if recluse Mitch is one would still think his human instinct would take over and he would prove this kill to be legitimate and true.

If someone could ever prove my belief wrong, that it is in fact legit....I can ASSURE you I would be the first in line to apoligize to Mitch. However if it were ever proven to be fake I think he would owe everyone and especially Milo a huge apology.


----------



## Ohbowhunter815 (Jul 19, 2010)

I dont have a dog in the fight but what Larry Huffman stated as facts has nothing to do with the deer being legitimate or hoax. The coloring of tines under different lighting situations isn't much of a case. I would think if you were trying to fool someone and you took the time to "stage" all this you would make sure it looked good before you took a picture. He stated there was 18" of arrow sticking out from a 58' bow when the deer was found, sounds like a good reason to claim it was faked. I have killed deer that the arrow backed out of completely and I found the arrow when tracking before finding the deer that I apparently couldn't have possibly killed. Then he says even knowing the deer was down because he heard it he went home and got a video camera before retrieving, didn't know that was all that strange, another useless statement that cant determine whether this is faked.

I have no idea what happened but if Huffman was financially tied to the current World Record of Milo Hanson than you cant possibly take his report as fact.


----------



## PutnamCountyHunter (Aug 22, 2011)

I have always said - "you can't offend an honest person". If he had nothing to hide, he had nothing to hide. I say the buck is either some type of "fake" or there was something "illegal" about it. Otherwise, why wouldn't you want everyone to know the TRUTH?

I believe I remember reading about the rack being perfectly symmetrical. Like he made one anter and then used a mirror image for the other side. Which obviously wouldn't be natural. 

Great point made about him jumping through all the hoops to be recognized as holding a State Record, but he would shy away from the World Record. Just doesn't make sense...


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

This should make you come up with all kinds of questions....

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


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Skull plate being encased with no attempt at an explanation. From a certified scorer no less. Thats the only information I need for my opinion.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

HNTRDAN said:


> I have always said - "you can't offend an honest person". If he had nothing to hide, he had nothing to hide. I say the buck is either some type of "fake" or there was something "illegal" about it. Otherwise, why wouldn't you want everyone to know the TRUTH?


Not all people are the same everyone handles negative criticizm differently.


----------



## MISSOURIBOY (Aug 20, 2010)

PassYoungBucks said:


> Fake. Or it would be our world record.


I agree with you!


----------



## msbowman (Aug 26, 2009)

Does anyone on here shoot a 35 1/2 inch arrow?


----------



## huntn_junkie (Sep 10, 2010)

Subscribed....I haven't seen this in awhile!! Anyone know what happened to Kevin Kreh? He was the previous owner of Buck Fever Synthetics, the scent Mitch supposedly used to take the buck.


----------



## vhunter (Jan 15, 2008)

huntn_junkie said:


> Subscribed....I haven't seen this in awhile!! Anyone know what happened to Kevin Kreh? He was the previous owner of Buck Fever Synthetics, the scent Mitch supposedly used to take the buck.


Good question. I remember that stuff selling like hot cakes for awhile. I was foolish enough to buy some. Had a picture of the buck on the label.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Ohbowhunter815 said:


> I would have thought that legend of the "Rompola Buck" being debunked would have made news everywhere. Certainly not saying your info is incorrect just strange that it didnt become a bigger story than the killing of this buck in this day and age. News like that would have traveled fast across the message boards, at least I would have thought. I did *a quick search* and didnt find anything about it being proven false.


The articles Rumpola Gate I and II show strong evidence that it is a hoax. Until he lets it get x-rayed, we'll never have proof. Do more than a skim read of link titles.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Not all people are the same everyone handles negative criticizm differently.


Even Axl Rose eventually released the album and went on tour (twice now).


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Saskguy did you catch any crap from other hunters or hear any rumors after you killed any of your big deer? I hope you didn't I'm just asking,cuz when I shot my non typical there were rumors flying out of the wood work from people I didn't know and never heard of,and I was pissed


Of course,..,on the biggest one, 3rd over 200"....and I too was angry. But I didn't hide from anything b/c I had nothing to hide. I confronted every b.s story head on that was worth worrying about, some weren't............like I sold it for 50 grand.LOL (I would have)
People are jealous,..it's an ugly side of human nature...........why hide from them?


----------



## superslamsam (Nov 24, 2004)

Whack/Stack said:


> This should make you come up with all kinds of questions....
> 
> http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3


My first question with that would be: Did you see how similar the rack profiles of some of his other bucks are to the supposed world record buck?


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

My first ? would be why would such a recluse and private guy have a website pimping his deer?


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Of course,..,on the biggest one, 3rd over 200"....and I too was angry. But I didn't hide from anything b/c I had nothing to hide. I confronted every b.s story head on that was worth worrying about, some weren't............like I sold it for 50 grand.LOL (I would have)
> People are jealous,..it's an ugly side of human nature...........why hide from them?


I too had nothing to hide,I did confront one of the rumors head on also,the rest I just didn't even acknowledge.I have no opinion one way or the other On Mitch's buck,but knowing the crap I dealt with I wouldn't base my opinion on this deer because of the way he handled the accusations.It's funny I too heard the rumors that I sold the head for thousands of dollars that must be standard procedure.


----------



## deerslayer261 (Jan 8, 2008)

He gets paid to keep his lips sealed by milo hanson seed company sponsor. 
This CONTRACT might also shed some light on the topic. People say its about money well it is he is getting paid to be quiet. Hey can't have his buck scored untill milo hansons buck isn't the record buck anymore.
\http://www.rodharrison.com/bucks/rompolacontract.htm


----------



## Timmy Big Time (Aug 8, 2010)

Interesting


----------



## Toonces (Dec 16, 2008)

Real Deal!

We parnoid anti-social anti-government loons need to stick together.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

deerslayer261 said:


> He gets paid to keep his lips sealed by milo hanson seed company sponsor.
> This CONTRACT might also shed some light on the topic. People say its about money well it is he is getting paid to be quiet. Hey can't have his buck scored untill milo hansons buck isn't the record buck anymore.
> \http://www.rodharrison.com/bucks/rompolacontract.htm


I'm pretty sure he doesn't get paid anything. He gets sued if he DOESN'T keep his lips sealed.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Hubba said:


> I'm pretty sure he doesn't get paid anything. He gets sued if he DOESN'T keep his lips sealed.


Even if he does get paid something, it can't be anywhere near what World Record status would be.....if the buck is real.


----------



## Kansas Bruisers (Dec 14, 2006)

deerslayer261 said:


> He gets paid to keep his lips sealed by milo hanson seed company sponsor.
> This CONTRACT might also shed some light on the topic. People say its about money well it is he is getting paid to be quiet. Hey can't have his buck scored untill milo hansons buck isn't the record buck anymore.
> \http://www.rodharrison.com/bucks/rompolacontract.htm


Taking money from Milo to keep quiet doesn't make sense. If Milo is making so much money that he can afford to pay Mitch for keeping quiet, Mitch would score his deer as the new world record and take in the money Milo is making right now.


----------



## HawgEnvy (Mar 2, 2011)

crawdad said:


> The heck with the buck, I'm more interested in this whole National Cherry Festival that he was allegedly videoing. OK, seriously, you made up that festival name right?


The Cherry festival is real. There's also a Potato festival and plenty of other weird Michigan festivals. I think there's a Sucker fishing festival also in Omer,Mi.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

saskguy said:


> My first ? would be why would such a recluse and private guy have a website pimping his deer?


Who said he is a recluse and private guy? Not me!


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Hubba said:


> I'm pretty sure he doesn't get paid anything. He gets sued if he DOESN'T keep his lips sealed.


I says right in the contract that he got paid.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Hubba said:


> I'm pretty sure he doesn't get paid anything. He gets sued if he DOESN'T keep his lips sealed.


This.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> I says right in the contract that he got paid.


I believe it says he's welcome to cash in on the buck _by his own efforts _but may not refer to it as possibly a world record, etc. If I'm wrong, please post where it says they're paying him.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> Who said he is a recluse and private guy? Not me!


"rompola" and "reclusive" .... the word is often used to describe him. Would secretive be a better descriptor?

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclie...f.,cf.osb&fp=ed5e2332b1856ed5&biw=800&bih=403


----------



## 98TJay (Dec 12, 2008)

Interesting Contract.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> I believe it says he's welcome to cash in on the buck _by his own efforts _but may not refer to it as possibly a world record, etc. If I'm wrong, please post where it says they're paying him.


In the contract, read the first sentence under the heading SETTLEMENT.


----------



## Timmy Big Time (Aug 8, 2010)

If there was no doubt it was a fraud why go thru the expense and trouble of the account, seems there could be motivation on both sides to smear or question credibility.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Here is a pretty good article as told by Rompola himself. As I said earlier I really dont know what to believe but this guy has gotten it done many times in over 40 years of hunting. 

http://www.michiganoutdoorsman.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2952


----------



## deerslayer261 (Jan 8, 2008)

deerslayer261 said:


> He gets paid to keep his lips sealed by milo hanson seed company sponsor.
> This CONTRACT might also shed some light on the topic. People say its about money well it is he is getting paid to be quiet. Hey can't have his buck scored untill milo hansons buck isn't the record buck anymore.
> QUOTE]
> 
> My fault Mitch isn't getting paid by milo's seed company.


----------



## jlh42581 (Oct 21, 2009)

Almost every giant ever shot has someone trying to run how that buck was killed into a dirt bath. Look at two examples here, look at Andre D'aquisto being banned from P&Y and all entries removed over a minor infraction, look at how don higgins had his 200" buck confiscated and the F&G itself outright lied in court documents. 

Makes you wonder how many true giants never are shown outside a circle of friends. I have to wonder, if I ever kill a 200" free range whitetail, will I bother to tell anyone. Is it worth it?


----------



## lavazhole (Jul 30, 2005)

Kiernan's buck...


----------



## Tony Trietch (Jun 18, 2006)

uncle bucky said:


> since he did tag the deer cannot the michigan dnr get a warrant and confiscate the antlers ? Sounds pretty simple to me, then they could be x-rayed and deemed legit or not


a michigan co inspected the deer!


----------



## markman (Apr 14, 2007)

mike.casey said:


> http://marylandwhitetail.websitetoolbox.com/post/Rompola-Buck-May-06-1093142
> 
> You can download an mpeg video of the recovery right here. It's hard to believe in 1998, somebody with little or no money could pull that off all alone.
> 
> He manipulates the deer by it's antlers in the video.


Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> "rompola" and "reclusive" .... the word is often used to describe him. Would secretive be a better descriptor?
> 
> https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclie...f.,cf.osb&fp=ed5e2332b1856ed5&biw=800&bih=403


I don't know the guy so take this for what it's worth. I did talk to a game warden that knows him and a couple other people who know him. I have also followed this story very closely since it broke and read a lot of things he wrote and people who know him have written. I do not see Rompola as a recluse as much as I see him as a person who is socially inept. He really had no idea what was going to happen when the world heard about his buck. Remember this was the first big internet buck story! Milo Hansen's buck story was broke by NA whitetail in 1993, not on the internet. I remember it well because they pulled one of my articles to make room for it. The instant craziness overwhelmed Rompola and he simply crawled into a hole so to speak. He was totally unprpared for what happened. I also think he was extremely angry about what happened. Plus news of his past transgressions were splattered all over the headlines and he has a history no one would be proud of. He was called a liar, a fool, a poacher, a nutcase and a thief by thousands of people who had never even heard of him before this happened. That can't be much fun. If you are a little off balance to begin with, all that stuff coming at you could just cause him to say "F you world" you'll never see this buck again, and you'll never know the real story. That's one theory.

I have no idea if the buck is real, but I love the story and everytime it comes up, I can't help but be pulled in because it is so compelling to think that one of these two things happened: either the guy shot a world record and won't let anyone get their hands on it, or the guy tried to pull a fast one on the entire deer hunting world and got caught. I honestly do not know which it is, and it seems there is enough evidence on either side to make a compelling case. That's why I love the story! Now I gotta get back to work I have spent too much time on this today.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Whack/Stack said:


> I don't know the guy so take this for what it's worth. I did talk to a game warden that knows him and a couple other people who know him. I have also followed this story very closely since it broke and read a lot of things he wrote and people who know him have written. I do not see Rompola as a recluse as much as I see him as a person who is socially inept. He really had no idea what was going to happen when the world heard about his buck. Remember this was the first big internet buck story! Milo Hansen's buck story was broke by NA whitetail in 1993, not on the internet. I remember it well because they pulled one of my articles to make room for it. The instant craziness overwhelmed Rompola and he simply crawled into a hole so to speak. He was totally unprpared for what happened. I also think he was extremely angry about what happened. Plus news of his past transgressions were splattered all over the headlines and he has a history no one would be proud of. He was called a liar, a fool, a poacher, a nutcase and a thief by thousands of people who had never even heard of him before this happened. That can't be much fun. If you are a little off balance to begin with, all that stuff coming at you could just cause him to say "F you world" you'll never see this buck again, and you'll never know the real story. That's one theory.
> 
> I have no idea if the buck is real, but I love the story and everytime it comes up, I can't help but be pulled in because it is so compelling to think that one of these two things happened: either the guy shot a world record and won't let anyone get their hands on it, or the guy tried to pull a fast one on the entire deer hunting world and got caught. I honestly do not know which it is, and it seems there is enough evidence on either side to make a compelling case. That's why I love the story! Now I gotta get back to work I have spent too much time on this today.


Ok....now you got me teetering on the fence Whack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## deerslayer261 (Jan 8, 2008)

http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3
Check this out the genes of these other bucks looks extremely similar. He could still be creating fakes or he just might actually be a skilled hunter.


----------



## wis. bowhunter (Dec 23, 2002)

Whack/Stack said:


> This should make you come up with all kinds of questions....
> 
> http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3


If you look at the pictures on his website there is three or four bucks on there that have similar features of his world record buck[ very wide brow tines and the antlers look like they come out the side of the head] What are the odds of shooting that many bucks with those features.?


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

deerslayer261 said:


> http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3
> Check this out the genes of these other bucks looks extremely similar. He could still be creating fakes or he just might actually be a skilled hunter.


I never seen so many deer with "ear drop" and beams coming almost straight out the side of their heads...


----------



## gambino (Dec 7, 2009)

wis. bowhunter said:


> If you look at the pictures on his website there is three or four bucks on there that have similar features of his world record buck[ very wide brow tines and the antlers look like they come out the side of the head] What are the odds of shooting that many bucks with those features.?


Exactly what I thought. What are the odds of killing that many extra wide bucks in a lifetime, let alone that little area of Michigan. I just gotta say get I examined for authenticity and be done with it...until then I lean strongly towards not real, sorry.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

gambino said:


> Exactly what I thought. What are the odds of killing that many extra wide bucks in a lifetime, let alone that little area of Michigan. I just gotta say get I examined for authenticity and be done with it...until then I lean strongly towards not real, sorry.


Traits of deer will run strong in an area. I have a trait in the herd on one part of my property where the deer never develop brow tines. We have killed 5 off this area over the last five years. We also have another trait with extremely long brow tines where the brow tines are wavy. We have photographed and killed several deer with this trait.


----------



## markman (Apr 14, 2007)

Does anyone have a link to the recovery video that works? I can't find one that works anywhere. Thanks


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

I know we all want to crucify M.R. here but playing devils advocate. It's not uncommon for a really wide buck to have antlers that appear to come out of the side of his head. Remember deer from one area often share similar genetics.










































The bottom buck is a good example of how extremely large bodied bucks often appear odd, to those of us that are not used to legitimate 250+ lb deer.


----------



## slamnationalley (Jul 5, 2007)

I don't know if his is real but I can show you how easy it is to fake one. Here's one that I made this year out of a 3X3 Mule Deer rack, parts from some whitetail sheds and threaded rods. Scores 229. Been working on it off and on for 9-years. Why go pay someone 20k when I can just go in the shop and make one. Maybe I can get a real wild one one day.

Peace!!!!


----------



## gambino (Dec 7, 2009)

snoman4 said:


> Traits of deer will run strong in an area. I have a trait in the herd on one part of my property where the deer never develop brow tines. We have killed 5 off this area over the last five years. We also have another trait with extremely long brow tines where the brow tines are wavy. We have photographed and killed several deer with this trait.


While I understand all about genetics, traits, and big buck profile similarities, those deer all must be 27-28 inches wide plus. I just find it hard to believe that they are constantly killed by one person. Maybe he has private land where one one else sees them, who knows and kudos if true. I still say quiet the crowds and critics and get it examined...nothing to lose at this point is there?


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

here is a real one that's 27" inside.....look at where it comes out of the skull and the ears!


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

just one question to all that have a deer on your wall.........did you or did your taxi plaster a covering all over the skull and the antler bases?
could you say it was late in the season and you were afraid they would fall off?
why would he do that?
i'm leaning 90/10 fake and got called out..no body would keep you quite if it was real......

if it was mine i would go to the mayo clinic in mn.to have an x-ray and have msn-fox-abc-nbc-and rush linbaugh there!


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> In the contract, read the first sentence under the heading SETTLEMENT.


I re-read it. I'll admit I'm dense and crisp from years of alcohol abuse [lol] but all I read was that in lieu of getting sued, he agrees to a whole lot of things that doesn't detract from the Hanson's buck's market value. I cannot find where it says Hansen's paying him for that. 

Forgive me but I cannot find it. I'm not trying to be difficult. 

Thank you for telling the other side of the story in a different reply to me (in terms of him being reclusive or secretive and not wanting to answer his critics).


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

That is the only piece of evidence any rationale person should need. The man was a certified scorer. He actively entered deer into the books. He certainly would have known if everything was legal that he had at the very least a potential state record. And yet the skull was jacked with less than 2 weeks after killing it? He knew beyond doubt that according to the rules he would either have to go to a much higher level of testing, or the buck simply could not be entered in the books without some string pulling. I'll agree that the attention he received overwhelmed him. Just not that the rack as we have seen it was real. 

But if that is not enough to convince those in the real camp, I've got a friend, whose cousins next door neighbor once went through his town on vacation. And they were at this bar........


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

snoman4 said:


> Traits of deer will run strong in an area. I have a trait in the herd on one part of my property where the deer never develop brow tines. We have killed 5 off this area over the last five years. We also have another trait with extremely long brow tines where the brow tines are wavy. We have photographed and killed several deer with this trait.


I'd agree, in 2010 I shot a 3.5 yr old 146" 9 point , in 2003 I found a dead buck, 9 point 4.5 yr old 149" about 300 yards from where I killed my 2010 buck, they are almost identical, the difference is mass and the 2003 buck had something happend to his G2 and it didn't grow very long. Another guy shot a 9 pointer in 2008 across the street that is almost a duplicate to the two I have


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

WEEGEE said:


> just one question to all that have a deer on your wall.........did you or did your taxi plaster a covering all over the skull and the antler bases?
> could you say it was late in the season and you were afraid they would fall off?
> why would he do that?
> i'm leaning 90/10 fake and got called out..no body would keep you quite if it was real......
> ...


my neighbor is a taxidermist, after he mounts the skull plate on t he form he takes bondo and smooths out the form so there are no lines, but not before he mounts it. That does make me wonder about Rompola's buck

And for the record, the DNR can get a warrant about anytime they really want. I'd say it would end all the controversy


----------



## chuckatuk (May 28, 2003)

If it is real and he just said screw all the people.I respect him for it.I know of lots of huge deer killed here locally that no one knows of.The people hunt for themself and don't want anything to do with the"CRAP" that follows a giant deer kill.I posted a pic of a game land deer we killed last year that went in the 150's {pretty strong for around here on high pressure land....I had so many emails etc.Then they did a story on it in a magazine and totally got every detail wrong.Even though we had several conversations and I sent 20 pics for them to use...Well when we killed other deer of similar size this year.We said screw the press..The last story the writer basically gave where we killed it away.But I guess most hunt to brag anyway.


----------



## chuckatuk (May 28, 2003)

Uncle Bucky said:


> my neighbor is a taxidermist, after he mounts the skull plate on t he form he takes bondo and smooths out the form so there are no lines, but not before he mounts it. That does make me wonder about Rompola's buck
> 
> And for the record, the DNR can get a warrant about anytime they really want. I'd say it would end all the controversy


Yeah bondo is used a lot no days.A lot better than clay.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

Whack/Stack said:


> I don't know the guy so take this for what it's worth. I did talk to a game warden that knows him and a couple other people who know him. I have also followed this story very closely since it broke and read a lot of things he wrote and people who know him have written. I do not see Rompola as a recluse as much as I see him as a person who is socially inept. He really had no idea what was going to happen when the world heard about his buck. Remember this was the first big internet buck story! Milo Hansen's buck story was broke by NA whitetail in 1993, not on the internet. I remember it well because they pulled one of my articles to make room for it. The instant craziness overwhelmed Rompola and he simply crawled into a hole so to speak. He was totally unprpared for what happened. I also think he was extremely angry about what happened. Plus news of his past transgressions were splattered all over the headlines and he has a history no one would be proud of. He was called a liar, a fool, a poacher, a nutcase and a thief by thousands of people who had never even heard of him before this happened. That can't be much fun. If you are a little off balance to begin with, all that stuff coming at you could just cause him to say "F you world" you'll never see this buck again, and you'll never know the real story. That's one theory.
> 
> I have no idea if the buck is real, but I love the story and everytime it comes up, I can't help but be pulled in because it is so compelling to think that one of these two things happened: either the guy shot a world record and won't let anyone get their hands on it, or the guy tried to pull a fast one on the entire deer hunting world and got caught. I honestly do not know which it is, and it seems there is enough evidence on either side to make a compelling case. That's why I love the story! Now I gotta get back to work I have spent too much time on this today.



I tend to hold a similar opinion to this. It is obvious that we will not know for sure until it is x-rayed, but with that being said, none of the other "facts" that are used to show it is fake definitively prove a thing. This guy obviously has a scew loose- case in point- who tapes a camera to their shoe to video tape up skirts? Until your mid is twisted enough to pull a stunt like that, I dont think that you can sit back and apply your own tought processes and logic to someone who's mind obviously does not work like ours. 

in regards to saskguys "My first ? would be why would such a recluse and private guy have a website pimping his deer?"

Tough question, but once again I would counter with because his mind doesnt work like yours or mine. You and I would never strap a camera to our toes and go around taping people. Hes a nut. 

No matter how much of a nut he is, it still does not mean the rack is not real though. To this day no one who has personally viewed the rack has any doubts that it is real and there were some very qualified people who inspected it in great detail. 


I personally think he did not like the lime-light, did not like the new attention being shed on his past bad actions, and decided to take his ball and go home.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> I re-read it. I'll admit I'm dense and crisp from years of alcohol abuse [lol] but all I read was that in lieu of getting sued, he agrees to a whole lot of things that doesn't detract from the Hanson's buck's market value. I cannot find where it says Hansen's paying him for that.
> 
> Forgive me but I cannot find it. I'm not trying to be difficult.
> 
> Thank you for telling the other side of the story in a different reply to me (in terms of him being reclusive or secretive and not wanting to answer his critics).


In "lieu of litigation" means that nobody is suing anyone. Then it goes on to say that "good and valuable consideration" changed hands and all three parties acknowledge it. Good and valuable consideration in this case basically means they paid Mitch to shut up. It doesn't say how much and probably none of the parties can or will discuss how much. It does seem bizarre that Mitch would sign this and take the money when if he had the real world record it would certainly be worth more than they paid him. But Bizzare and Mitch go together. 

And the bondo thing... suppose when he cut the skull cap he was worried that it might come apart, so he covered it in bondo to make sure it wouldn't break in half? I mean, here's a guy living in a trailer house who got fired from the post office for stealing people's food stamps. Slathering a bunch of bondo on the skull wouldnt be too out of character. You can clearly tell that he cut a very small section of skull with the antlers. Just another twist in a very weird story.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

I can promise you if I ever kill a state record, I will be keeping that information to myself. World record, I don't know but it's not that big of a deal to me. I actually hope to have that dilemma soon. :grin:

I don't know if the deer is real but I know I have seen nothing to prove it's not, and that stuff from Larry Huffman proves nothing and can have multiple explainations. He does raise questions but after all, we have seen does with antlers, deer with 5 and 6 legs, cactus head bucks and plenty of other strange things. 

The only thing we know for sure is that EVERYONE who has seen or inspected the buck, and that includes a game warden, 3 official scorers and a nationaly known and respected outdoor writer, ALL say it's real, and EVERYONE who says it's fake has never seen, touched or inspected the buck. That is a fact, everything else is just speculation. That says more than anything else presented by anyone thus far.


----------



## BlCreekTaxdermy (Mar 8, 2011)

I don't know if this buck was/is fake or not.
But for everyone yelling for an x-ray of the antlers,I presume everyone is wanting an x-ray to look for metal rods ?
If done right , there would be no metal rods in the replica, if it is one.
I would think if a person was going to go to all the trouble to fake everyone out, he wouldn't "build" a rack to put directly on the deer.
I mean if I was going to do this I would "build" the rack and then mold it. Then pour a replica out of the right material with no rods needed. When I mold antlers for clients, the material is a bone-like material and does not metal rods for support, atleast not for antlers of this size. 
Now I'm not saying it is real and I'm not saying it is fake either, just saying the x-ray test might not be the best test.
If I was going to suggest a better way, it would be to simply drill a small hole in the back of the antler or scratch it. You will be able to tell right away if it is antler or a different replica material.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

WEEGEE said:


> here is a real one that's 27" inside.....look at where it comes out of the skull and the ears!
> View attachment 1286992



Okay...? So you've killed a wide deer, that is different than the M.R.'s buck... does that mean every buck that doesn't look like your's is fake? I killed a 140" last year that looks nothing like your buck... is he fake?


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

mike casey,your fake.. why don't you read this thread before you post something.
i'm not going to explain it to you, read before you post!

my pic is just an example only!


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

BlCreekTaxdermy said:


> I don't know if this buck was/is fake or not.
> But for everyone yelling for an x-ray of the antlers,*I presume everyone is wanting an x-ray to look for metal rods ?*
> If done right , there would be no metal rods in the replica, if it is one.
> I would think if a person was going to go to all the trouble to fake everyone out, he wouldn't "build" a rack to put directly on the deer.
> ...


I believe the x-ray would be used to see if the skull had been split and spread wider.


----------



## huntindoc (Feb 8, 2006)

mike.casey said:


> I know we all want to crucify M.R. here but playing devils advocate. It's not uncommon for a really wide buck to have antlers that appear to come out of the side of his head. Remember deer from one area often share similar genetics.
> 
> 
> The bottom buck is a good example of how extremely large bodied bucks often appear odd, to those of us that are not used to legitimate 250+ lb deer.



None of those bucks resemble the Rompola buck or Rompola's similar bucks on his website. Rompola's buck's antlers leave the skull almost parallel to the ground. These bucks all have a little up slope that is what I think of as being 'normal'. 

I don't know if it's real or fake but if it's real he is one really weird dude. 

PS I'm from Conway too. Small world.


----------



## BlCreekTaxdermy (Mar 8, 2011)

LiteSpeed1 said:


> I believe the x-ray would be used to see if the skull had been split and spread wider.


That it would show too.
But the way I read it was to see if the antlers were fake and that is my reasoning for my post.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I don't know the guy so take this for what it's worth. I did talk to a game warden that knows him and a couple other people who know him. I have also followed this story very closely since it broke and read a lot of things he wrote and people who know him have written. I do not see Rompola as a recluse as much as I see him as a person who is socially inept. He really had no idea what was going to happen when the world heard about his buck. Remember this was the first big internet buck story! Milo Hansen's buck story was broke by NA whitetail in 1993, not on the internet. I remember it well because they pulled one of my articles to make room for it. The instant craziness overwhelmed Rompola and he simply crawled into a hole so to speak. He was totally unprpared for what happened. I also think he was extremely angry about what happened. Plus news of his past transgressions were splattered all over the headlines and he has a history no one would be proud of. He was called a liar, a fool, a poacher, a nutcase and a thief by thousands of people who had never even heard of him before this happened. That can't be much fun. If you are a little off balance to begin with, all that stuff coming at you could just cause him to say "F you world" you'll never see this buck again, and you'll never know the real story. That's one theory.
> 
> I have no idea if the buck is real, but I love the story and everytime it comes up, I can't help but be pulled in because it is so compelling to think that one of these two things happened: either the guy shot a world record and won't let anyone get their hands on it, or the guy tried to pull a fast one on the entire deer hunting world and got caught. I honestly do not know which it is, and it seems there is enough evidence on either side to make a compelling case. That's why I love the story! Now I gotta get back to work I have spent too much time on this today.


Good post man!! I hope this threads carries on because it is a good story. I personally think the evidence suggest it is a hoax but you brought up some valid points. I do remember seeing the Hanson buck on our new almost instantly and also seeing the Rompola bucks on the news as well. One would have to know what would transpire after killing a wr deer and the whole overwhelmed bit seems balogna to me. But hey, we've all got our opinions........................who knows. It'd suck being on a jury that's for sure. Honestly, the reason I most "root" for it to be a farse is b/c Milo Hanson, who is simply a grain famer who proclaims to have gotten lucky, and never ran anywhere towards endorsements in the very beginning, as they came looking for him always gets dragged into this and claimed to be the bad guy by so many folks. But again, it's opinion, I'd likely buy many of you a beer even if I think you're crazy,...we all love hunting.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

huntindoc said:


> None of those bucks resemble the Rompola buck or Rompola's similar bucks on his website. Rompola's buck's antlers leave the skull almost parallel to the ground. These bucks all have a little up slope that is what I think of as being 'normal'.
> 
> I don't know if it's real or fake but if it's real he is one really weird dude.
> 
> PS I'm from Conway too. Small world.


Small world indeed. I too am unsure of the legitimacy of the Rompola buck, however I don't think the weird antler/droopy ear theory holds much water. 

I think he's a weird dude regardless to be honest. The first time I looked at the gallery on his website, I was very critical of the way those deer looked, and then I realized I never really scrutinized any other deer photos, and began looking at other photos the same way. Truthfully you can find things that look odd or out of place in a lot of dead deer photos...

Again, just playing devils (or Rompolas) advocate.

This deer looks very odd to me, but we all know its real


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

mike.casey said:


> Small world indeed. I too am unsure of the legitimacy of the Rompola buck, however I don't think the weird antler/droopy ear theory holds much water.
> I
> I think he's a weird dude regardless to be honest. The first time I looked at the gallery on his website, I was very critical of the way those deer looked, and then I realized I never really scrutinized any other deer photos, and began looking at other photos the same way. Truthfully you can find things that look odd or out of place in a lot of dead deer photos...
> 
> ...


Mike you are absolutly right about the other deer photos on this site that have droopy ears,they all do and I'm with you the guys that think b/c of the way the ears look makes it a fake are just crazy.


----------



## mrp (Oct 13, 2007)

$3 dollar bill y'all


----------



## Musgrat (Oct 22, 2008)

So it is reported everyone who has seen deer in person says it is real. Everyone else who see the photos say fake. If it was mounted wouldn't someone know his taxidermist and ask him?


----------



## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

I don't buy it that a guy runs out and gets endorsements and promotes the buck only to later become a recluse and have his own internet forum. Lots of strange things happen in todays world but the spots on a leopard never change. Too many things don't add up. And if it was all about the money he was right. The problem arose when the money came talking and the bullchit went walking. It was a hoax went wrong.


----------



## danesdad (Feb 6, 2007)

I'm reminded of the Roger Patterson film of Bigfoot.


----------



## Don Schultz (Jul 5, 2002)

This story is sooooo ooooooooold. It has been so long that I don't remember why, but after reading all of Rompola's own reports about the deer, along with other articles and interviews, I concluded he most likely killed that and many other deer at night. I have no proof, and I could be dead wrong. Just what he said and the way he said it got me concluding they are night kills. The other factor was that he kept killing BIG deer in areas where other hunters simply were not killing big deer. Any one of us could get lucky and kill one big deer. I'm one of those guys. But Mitch kept killing the biggest deer of anyone hunting the counties he hunted year after year after year. That fact alone led me to the conclusion that he was doing something illegal to get those deer in front of his arrow. I believe there was also something about his bow setup that contributed to my conclusion. 

BTW, he readily admitted the bow was an 80% let off and thus P&Y was out of the question from the start. That is he knew when he walked into the woods, he would not be able to get the deer in P&Y. That actually counts in his favor, IMO.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Musgrat said:


> So it is reported everyone who has seen deer in person says it is real. *Everyone else who see the photos say fake.* If it was mounted wouldn't someone know his taxidermist and ask him?


I don't think everyone who has seen photos thinks its fake. What I said was everyone who has seen the deer says it real, and everyone who says it's fake has not seen the deer. 

As for the Taxidermist, interesting point. I would think if the deer was fake, he could come forward and get paid good money for a story like that. However, if the deer is real, what is his reward for coming forward...a bashing like Mitch Rompala has taken?


----------



## Ohbowhunter815 (Jul 19, 2010)

Quartermoons said:


> That is the only piece of evidence any rationale person should need. The man was a certified scorer. He actively entered deer into the books. He certainly would have known if everything was legal that he had at the very least a potential state record.  And yet the skull was jacked with less than 2 weeks after killing it? He knew beyond doubt that according to the rules he would either have to go to a much higher level of testing, or the buck simply could not be entered in the books without some string pulling. I'll agree that the attention he received overwhelmed him. Just not that the rack as we have seen it was real.
> 
> But if that is not enough to convince those in the real camp, I've got a friend, whose cousins next door neighbor once went through his town on vacation. And they were at this bar........


Any chance he did that to the skull plate to keep it from separating under the obvious extra weight of the rack especially being that wide. If I not mistaken if the skull plate is not intact it cant be entered, if thats the case it would be a pretty good reason to reinforce it, especially with all the handling it probably went thru and it shear size.


----------



## Crayfish (May 11, 2004)

UncleNorby said:


> I dunno about that deer, but the guy makes a heck of a filet knife.


Uncle Norby ... I almost spit Mtn Dew all over my keyboard!!! Wow, that was a good one!:set1_rolf2::cheers:


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

There's just no way, I've had a board cut the length of a deer's inside spread to lessen the shrinking for the last 60 days. Trying to keep them from doing that is the most common method of cracking the skull plate.

But just for arguments sake, say he was attempting some method of 'securing' the rack. He is a TRAINED scorer, to the point of training others. First of all he would have known. Secondly, if you have knowingly done something against the rules, why then all the self righteousness about an x-ray? He wanted the record and publicity until he had to follow the rules? You guys are just refusing to look at this from the aspect of how experienced the man was about scoring systems and records.


----------



## La Wildman (Mar 9, 2010)

Don Schultz said:


> This story is sooooo ooooooooold. It has been so long that I don't remember why, but after reading all of Rompola's own reports about the deer, along with other articles and interviews, I concluded he most likely killed that and many other deer at night. I have no proof, and I could be dead wrong. Just what he said and the way he said it got me concluding they are night kills. The other factor was that he kept killing BIG deer in areas where other hunters simply were not killing big deer. Any one of us could get lucky and kill one big deer. I'm one of those guys. But Mitch kept killing the biggest deer of anyone hunting the counties he hunted year after year after year. That fact alone led me to the conclusion that he was doing something illegal to get those deer in front of his arrow. I believe there was also something about his bow setup that contributed to my conclusion.
> 
> BTW, he readily admitted the bow was an 80% let off and thus P&Y was out of the question from the start. That is he knew when he walked into the woods, he would not be able to get the deer in P&Y. That actually counts in his favor, IMO.




Jesus Christ !!!!!......Had to be night hunting huh??


----------



## jlh42581 (Oct 21, 2009)

Its just hard for some people to fathom that there are guys out there who get it done year after year after year. Theres a forum member here that shot 8 p&y bucks in 2 years on ground most anyone can hunt. Some think theres just no possible way that can be done.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Want to shed some light on the whole deer from an area genetic look alike claim.....it is purely coincedental. A buck is born and stays with the doe group he was born into until 1.5 years of age....after that he is kicked out of the group, which is usually a violent process. And the he moves away.....far away. This happens as natures way to insure there is no crossbreeding in the herd. So if you see a really nice 1.5 yr old deer and he disapears...he was more than likely born in your immediate area.....if you have a buck show up at 1.5 or 2.5 and you build a history before killing him he came from some where else. You could have twin bucks hang together and move to the same area, but it will still be miles from the birth site and origional herd. You can verify to see I tale no tales.


----------



## Illinois59 (Jan 12, 2009)

The distance between the bases tells the truth. It's impossible!


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

An earlier post mentioned a video of the deer while alive- anyone know where that could be found? 

It is probably just another one of the wild rumors or half-truths that surround this deer, but would be interesting to see none the less. I remember an older post about this buck that had a picture of it in the woods, but was probably photoshopped to look like the same buck. A video would be a lot better (and not talking about the recovery video).


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Binney59 said:


> An earlier post mentioned a video of the deer while alive- anyone know where that could be found?
> 
> It is probably just another one of the wild rumors or half-truths that surround this deer, but would be interesting to see none the less. I remember an older post about this buck that had a picture of it in the woods, but was probably photoshopped to look like the same buck. A video would be a lot better (and not talking about the recovery video).


There was a photo of the buck alive taken by Rompola from his treestand. There was also the recovery video which in my opinion was one of the most convincing pieces of evidence in favor of Rompola. Neither of which I can find on the web at this time.


----------



## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

All of AT's experts on the subject will never come up with the truth just more mumbo jumbo about it.


----------



## msbowman (Aug 26, 2009)

There used to be a very short clip of a video while he was alive. I saw it once. It was a brief clip of the deer's head moving through some bushes, but it was very blurry if I remember correctly. It was been several years since I saw it.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Illinois59 said:


> The distance between the bases tells the truth.* It's impossible*!


That's a very definitive statement bro... If there is anything we should know about whitetails, it's that nothing antler growth wise is impossible. 

Something most don't take into account is the fact that the deers head is tilted back quite a bit which will always make the antler bases appear to be wider set.









This live buck's head is only slightly tilted up, and he looks like his antler bases are very far apart.









Look this bucks antlers come out of his eye sockets... must be fake.









In conclusion, It's ONE FREAKING PHOTO and there is NO WAY to tell by that photo whether the deer is real or fake, I've seen countless photos that could be placed under the same scrutiny, and people could say the same things over, and over. And before you start the whole "I would've taken 1000 pics of a deer like that" argument... show me ONE real in the field photo of Milo and his buck... And of course his deer is real, and legal, and everything else.

I feel like I'm defending MR, but I'm not positive one way or the other, Although I think the evidence for his deer being real out weighs the deer being fake. There are many other explanations than a fake deer. 

Maybe it was poached, maybe he shot it at night with a .22 in the head. That could cause a break or crack in the skull plate that he didn't want anybody to see. A very hefty fine and a confiscated deer is plenty of reason to withdraw ones self from the public eye. Maybe the score wasn't what he said it was. Maybe the official scorers came up too close for comfort to the current WR, and he was afraid after drying it wouldn't make it, so rather than publicize it he just cut off all contact to the media. 

The whole "the buck looks fake" thing is an absolutely ridiculous argument.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

old Graybeard said:


> All of AT's experts on the subject will never come up with the truth just more mumbo jumbo about it.


Thanks for adding to the discussion with that gem!


----------



## 184896 (Jun 28, 2010)

Pen raised deer. His family owns a deer farm in Missouri.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

Ok, I found some older posts with pics of the deer when it was "alive." I have no clue who took these, what the backgroud is, or if they are real or not (I am doubting they are real). Before people jump over them for not being real, thus proving the buck is not real- realize, I am not saying these were released by rompola himself, just thought they were interesting.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

I think it was legit, and he said piss on the people.His personality is that of an obsessive compulsive with his hunting .They usually don't like to messed with and maybe thats why he went into his own little world.Look at his past history in harvesting bucks his ability too harvest nice bucks were incredible,What did Milo Hanson ever accomplish before he got lucky on his buck.Everything I read about Milo makes him sound like a whine ass in fear that he is gonna lose the world record status.


----------



## flinginairos (Jan 3, 2006)

Looking at the pictures on his website really makes me wonder. Almost all of the deer just look really strange. All of the pics are the same, the deer are laying on their side and the ears look funny. I notice too that the deer look almost like does with antlers screwed on LOL. Something just doesnt add up to me. I have seen LOTS of dead deer and lots of pictures of dead deer and none of them have looked like his. Just sayin'.....


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Binney59 said:


> Ok, I found some older posts with pics of the deer when it was "alive." I have no clue who took these, what the backgroud is, or if they are real or not (I am doubting they are real). Before people jump over them for not being real, thus proving the buck is not real- realize, I am not saying these were released by rompola himself, just thought they were interesting.
> 
> View attachment 1287486
> 
> ...


Those are photoshopped. The real on was the buck working a scrape and it was pretty grainy.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

Whack/Stack said:


> Those are photoshopped. The real on was the buck working a scrape and it was pretty grainy.


That's the problem with technology these days lol you don't know what's real or fake any more!


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

the reaper said:


> I think it was legit, and he said piss on the people.His personality is that of an obsessive compulsive with his hunting .They usually don't like to messed with and maybe thats why he went into his own little world.Look at his past history in harvesting bucks his ability too harvest nice bucks were incredible,What did Milo Hanson ever accomplish before he got lucky on his buck.Everything I read about Milo makes him sound like a whine ass in fear that he is gonna lose the world record status.


I respect Milo and his buck, but there is a part of me that wants the world record to be shot by someone who really worked for it and figured it out. Milo got lucky by being in the right place at the right time. And he darn near shot the buck's antlers off. Noting against Milo's deer, but frankly, he's a casual deer hunter, part of the orange army that we all love to hate, not a serious whitetail freak. I guess that's part of what makes the Rompola's story interesting is that he has killed some really big bucks and put in his time. That's yet another angle in this story.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2005)

sgtbowhunter said:


> I find it hard to believe that a deer that huge and with such an unussual rack would have never been seen before...even in the most inaccessable areas in the county. The deer was never seen by a mail carrier (Rompala's former job), not by a bus driver, not even another hunter. A deer that incredible surely would have been the talk of the county!


The world record NT from here in St Louis county, MO was found in a suburban setting. I don't believe anyone has ever came fwd that supposedly saw or knew that buck existed. That rack is far more unusual and noteworthy than the Rompala buck (real or not aside).



QS34Reaper said:


> If it were legit...you me and anybody else wold do whatever it took to make sure the public knew the antlers were real and not fabricated regardless of wether it would become the next world record or not.


You? Ok, maybe. Me? Definitely would not. I don't care what anyone says, if I killed a buck like that and then went under that kind of "prove it or else" type deal...I would go away just like he did.

Both my points are not to say that the Rompala buck is or isn't real, but just to point out that reasons like this that try to support that it is fake really don't support that stance.

Also, mark my words...if anyone kills a buck that can take over the WR spot, they will be accused of all kinds of wrong doings, no matter who it is, or how they can prove the kill legit.


----------



## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

So let's see, rompala buck is a fake because the guys a kook. Milo Hansen drives down his buck in his truck after a lengthy road chase. Hansen sues to keep rompala quiet. Mitch can't decide if he wants fame and fortune or to be a hermit? 

Yea, we will never know the truth.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

the reaper said:


> I think it was legit, and he said piss on the people.His personality is that of an obsessive compulsive with his hunting .They usually don't like to messed with and maybe thats why he went into his own little world.Look at his past history in harvesting bucks his ability too harvest nice bucks were incredible,What did Milo Hanson ever accomplish before he got lucky on his buck.Everything I read about Milo makes him sound like a whine ass in fear that he is gonna lose the world record status.


I have never got the impression that Milo was a whiner or that he tried to proclaim himself as a mighty hunter. Seems to me like he acknowledged from the beginning that he was lucky and at the right place at the right time. 

Someone else said they wanted to see the WR go to someone who is a hard core hunter- that very well may be the case, but it seems like a lot of huge bucks do pop out of nowhere (ie the Missouri NT mentioned above or even the King buck that offset point aside, would have taken over milo's record. It was shot on a deer drive with a rifle, was shot at lots of times before killed and actually did have an antler shot off. )


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I respect Milo and his buck, but there is a part of me that wants the world record to be shot by someone who really worked for it and figured it out. Milo got lucky by being in the right place at the right time. And he darn near shot the buck's antlers off. Noting against Milo's deer, but frankly, he's a casual deer hunter, part of the orange army that we all love to hate, not a serious whitetail freak.


Wasn't James Jordan like that too?????

I'm the opposite, (well I'd like to to be me) I'd way rather see some other joe blow get the next wr than someone who's life revolves around hunting whitetailed deer.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> What did Milo Hanson ever accomplish before he got lucky on his buck.Everything I read about Milo makes him sound like a whine ass in fear that he is gonna lose the world record status.



Comments like this is why I hope the record stands for yrs and yrs.

Well he accomplished this,
finished school
got married
raised a family
became community involved
held a mixed farm together

and then he went and got lucky and shot a big deer. Truthfully I hope to worry more about what my children accomplish in their life than in what deer they kill.

Seriously, how many world class deer were the result of dumb luck......................LOTS!!!




What did most guys


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

saskguy;106335601
Seriously said:


> Spot on brother!!!!!!!


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

http://www.burnettcounty.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=85
NOt sure how many people know the previous record hunt story...reads like luck to me as well.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> You? Ok, maybe. Me? Definitely would not. I don't care what anyone says, if I killed a buck like that and then went under that kind of "prove it or else" type deal...I would go away just like he did.
> 
> Both my points are not to say that the Rompala buck is or isn't real, but just to point out that reasons like this that try to support that it is fake really don't support that stance.
> 
> Also, mark my words...if anyone kills a buck that can take over the WR spot, they will be accused of all kinds of wrong doings, no matter who it is, or how they can prove the kill legit.


:thumbs_up


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Also, mark my words...if anyone kills a buck that can take over the WR spot, they will be accused of all kinds of wrong doings, no matter who it is, or how they can prove the kill legit.


You're right about that. ........................................... but I believe they will prove it and take over the # 1 spot.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


This post is BS. I'm from Traverse City and I've known Mitch for over 35 years and I can tell you for a fact that the rack is 
not in his possession and hasn't been for several years, so I know it was never examined as described above. Mitch still does
own the rack, but it's not in TC.

I've read a lot of Rompola threads, but never with as much misinformation as in this one. Some of you guys are amazing
with the stuff you come up with.

I'm a CBM scorer and know the other measurers and the CO personally. Convince me again how three respected measurers
and a CO co-conspired with Mitch to perpetrate this hoax??

There is a video that only a handful of people have seen of the buck the year before it was harvested. It's unquestionably 
the same buck and is definitely real.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Then just explain why the skull plate is encased and why the scorers told b&c they hadn't seen it. And how that is supposed to be okay for any deer, let alone a potential world record.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Whack/Stack said:


> Here's a scenario that fits the mold of what kind of a person Mitch Rompola is. Suppose he is getting a kick out of the fact that 14 years later we are still talking about it, and he is the ONLY one who knows for sure? Think about it. He's just the kind of strange personality that might just get a rise out of all this.
> 
> Anyone who says the buck is definitely not real is a fool unless you have conclusive proof, and if you do I challenge you to come forward with it. For those who claim they have first hand knowledge that it is real, I wish you had proof of that but we have to take you at your word. I will always keep an open mind about this and I stand by my original statement that I doubt if we will ever know for sure. It is an internet phenomenon that will go down in history as one of the grteatest. It was the FIRST internet big buck phenomenon! Remember, back in 1998, only 30% of people had internet at home. This was the original internet big buck legend that all others will be measured by. I guess that's what keeps me coming back to this thread.


I was in the airport in Saskatoon the day after the kill and saw a large group of guys gathered around a computer and wandered
over to see what was up. I could'nt believe that the news had traveled that fast. I knew Mitch was chasing a big buck
that year, but had no idea it was as big as it was. The news spread like wildfire after that. Mitch was not prepared for the 
reaction from the hunting community at all.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Quartermoons said:


> Then just explain why the skull plate is encased and why the scorers told b&c they hadn't seen it. And how that is supposed to be okay for any deer, let alone a potential world record.


Did the scorers tell you that, or did you pick that information up on some chat forum? Provide your source.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> I was in the airport in Saskatoon the day after the kill and saw a large group of guys gathered around a computer and wandered
> over to see what was up. I could'nt believe that the news had traveled that fast. I knew Mitch was chasing a big buck
> that year, but had no idea it was as big as it was. The news spread like wildfire after that. Mitch was not prepared for the
> reaction from the hunting community at all.


I can understand this too I remembered when the story broke I could not believe how fast all the naysayers said it was fake or poached. It was crazy. Thanks for telling us your story but be prepared to get flamed on this site. Some will accuse you of being Mitch or maybe one of his family members and then say if you are a friend and scorer why not post your real name so people can see if you are who you say you are and what you say you are. *Welcome to AT hopefully the flaming wont run you off this site as it can be pretty great at times and not so great at others.*


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Hey maybe the photos of a encased skull plate are photo shopped. Of course that would make the alleged rewards for an xray kinda silly. That is the one and only issue I've ever felt needed resolved. And it still isn't, even now with an inside source contributing to the thread. 

I love all the overwhelmed hunter references. The deer is on a scent bottle, he attempted to have it scored, blah blah. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.


----------



## Musgrat (Oct 22, 2008)

bucko12pt did you ever see the deer in person?


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> Hey maybe the photos of a encased skull plate are photo shopped. Of course that would make the alleged rewards for an xray kinda silly. That is the one and only issue I've ever felt needed resolved. And it still isn't, even now with an inside source contributing to the thread.
> 
> I love all the overwhelmed hunter references. The deer is on a scent bottle, he attempted to have it scored, blah blah. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.


Quartermoons that is never going to happen and you would realize that if you had been paying attention to the thread. Mitch cannot have that done because if the xray is done then the buck will be the defacto world record even though it would not be recognized by [email protected] Regardless of whether it is recognized or not people would flock to Mitch and the damage would be done to Milo's money making ability as put forth in the settlement agreement. Until Milo's buck is beat the xray will never happen. Here is hoping Milo's buck is beaten because I want for Mitch's deer to be legit. The guy gets it done as far as I am concerned and has done it for a long time.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Comments like this is why I hope the record stands for yrs and yrs.
> 
> Well he accomplished this,
> finished school
> ...


You can read into it how you want , I wasn't trying to be ignorant about it, it's just every time a buck that stands a chance to be a world record is shot ,there is the Hanson crowd making sure it's not.I shouldn't say it is milo himself but the people who represent his deer so for that I do apologize.But as far as his accomplishments I meant in the hunting world and you knew damn well what I meant so don't make it something it's not.


----------



## DenCMSC (Jul 30, 2007)

I am skeptical at best, due to the fact that Rompola stood to make hundreds of thousands of $$ and he chose not to...I know I'd have took the cash. bad blood or not. That said, by all accounts he is a weirdo, a semi-recluse type guy...so maybe money means nothing to him. The truth will likely never be known, but my bet is that it is somewhere in the middle of all the stories out there....


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

I never read a lot about the deer was it ever officially scored,and why was it considered a fake,was it hear say or is there any proof,how did it all go down?


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> This post is BS. I'm from Traverse City and I've known Mitch for over 35 years and I can tell you for a fact that the rack is
> not in his possession and hasn't been for several years, so I know it was never examined as described above. Mitch still does
> own the rack, but it's not in TC.
> 
> ...


Lets see the video Mr.!!!!!:tongue:

We just want to know for ourselves and it's not likely the skeptics will take your word for it!!


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I never read a lot about the deer was it ever officially scored,and why was it considered a fake,was it hear say or is there any proof,how did it all go down?


From what I read on it , is was considered a fake because of the picture there were accusations about the skull looking mis proportionedand the ears drooping , miscoloration of the horns and so on but based of the picture I believe for the most part.I just wonder how none of the people that seen the deer don't step froward.It said he had shown some of his friends the deer after he shot it.


----------



## Michigander2012 (Jan 21, 2012)

To Me a guy that was caught stealing welfare checks Is a scumbag.(he should have stole the recipients ) ... Mitch has a rap sheet a mile Long and this deer Looks Like a scandal from day One. 

He is a shady character to say the least... Just my opinion


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I never read a lot about the deer was it ever officially scored,and why was it considered a fake,was it hear say or is there any proof,how did it all go down?


I don't think there is enough legitimate information out there for most anyone to be able to make any kind of informed opinion...mostly speculation and typical internet story gone viral, and down many different paths of intrigue.

The biggest issue I have seen, and previously raised in this thread, relates to why the skull plate was "covered". Other than that, it appears that because the dude thinks a little, well a lot, differently than "normal" folks, it has to be fake because he didn't do what they would have done...


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Wasn't James Jordan like that too?????
> 
> I'm the opposite, (well I'd like to to be me) I'd way rather see some other joe blow get the next wr than someone who's life revolves around hunting whitetailed deer.


I agree I would rather see some average joe shoot a booner too , but I also like the average joes that do their homework and earn them also . I consider Rompola an average Joe that busted his rear off to harvest the bucks that he did.Thats all I was getting at in my post bud by saying what did he acomplish before,didn't mean it as an insult toward him. And yes I would rather be lucky than good.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Rolo said:


> I don't think there is enough legitimate information out there for most anyone to be able to make any kind of informed opinion...mostly speculation and typical internet story gone viral, and down many different paths of intrigue.
> 
> The biggest issue I have seen, and previously raised in this thread, relates to why the skull plate was "covered". Other than that, it appears that because the dude thinks a little, well a lot, differently than "normal" folks, it has to be fake because he didn't do what they would have done...


So Rolo when the deer was shot there could have been some jealous people starting crap,and this guy could have got ticked off and told everyone to pound salt in their azz.So there is no concrete evidence this is a fake just speculation from jealous hunters?


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

snoman4 said:


> I can understand this too I remembered when the story broke I could not believe how fast all the naysayers said it was fake or poached. It was crazy. Thanks for telling us your story but be prepared to get flamed on this site. Some will accuse you of being Mitch or maybe one of his family members and then say if you are a friend and scorer why not post your real name so people can see if you are who you say you are and what you say you are. *Welcome to AT hopefully the flaming wont run you off this site as it can be pretty great at times and not so great at others.*


I'm not a friend of Mitch's and will be the first to condemn him if it proves to be an illegally taken deer. I first met him in 1976 when I hired his wife (now ex) to work for me. I believe the deer is real and to answer another question, no I have not seen the deer.
I have scored deer with the other measurers that measured Mitch's deer and know the CO personally and cannot fathom that they w
were personally involved in some kind of hoax, or coverup. I would classify Mitch as an acquaintance and we talk when we run
into each other, that's about the extent of my contact with him. My beliefs are based on information I have been told by the measurers and the CO that were involved.

Both Lee Holbrook and Gary Berger (measurers) told me that Mitch was NOT present when they measured the deer unlike what
the author alluded to in the news article. 

I'm pretty easy to find if someone wants to contact me. If you go to Buckfax.com (CBM) and look up the list pf measurers, I'm listed
as the measurer for Leelanau Co (near TC) and my contact info is there.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> So Rolo when the deer was shot there could have been some jealous people starting crap,and this guy could have got ticked off and told everyone to pound salt in their azz.So there is no concrete evidence this is a fake just speculation from jealous hunters?


That's kind of what I was leaning towards also, I think the jealousy factor took over and from what I read Mitch doesn't seem like the type that likes attention and went in his own little cave.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> So Rolo when the deer was shot there could have been some jealous people starting crap,and this guy could have got ticked off and told everyone to pound salt in their azz.So there is no concrete evidence this is a fake just speculation from jealous hunters?


I certainly think there is some of that...but like others have said...they guy also has a past history of less than desireable conduct (though nutt'n regarding hunting that I have seen) and because he goes about his life in a way that is not the norm, and because there are some squirrelly things with the rack and what he did after...it all sorta came together in a "perfect storm" of sorts...and with all such things...the "truth" is probably somewhere in the stroies that have been told, but which one is unknown. However, that has never stopped anyone from accepting any one story as the truth with little or no evidence or objective reason to accept it as such...other than that is their belief, so that is the truth...

It is worse than a couple of groups of teenage girls on opposite sides of the lunch room...no offense to any teenage girls or parents of teenage girls out there intended...


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

QS34Reaper said:


> Lets see the video Mr.!!!!!:tongue:
> 
> We just want to know for ourselves and it's not likely the skeptics will take your word for it!!


I could care lessif you take my word for it. I've seen the video and believe it is real I do
not have a copy, nor would I post it on a forum like this if I did have a copy for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say the 
video exists, so take that for what it's worth.

You're obviously a skeptic, so you most likely would find something wrong with it. The video was
taken the year before, so it's the same deer, but different antlers.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

bucko12pt

the post under mine was the report i heard on the radio......no it wasn't bs....sorry you are mistaken!


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> In "lieu of litigation" means that nobody is suing anyone. Then it goes on to say that "good and valuable consideration" changed hands and all three parties acknowledge it. Good and valuable consideration in this case basically means they paid Mitch to shut up. It doesn't say how much and probably none of the parties can or will discuss how much. It does seem bizarre that Mitch would sign this and take the money when if he had the real world record it would certainly be worth more than they paid him. But Bizzare and Mitch go together.
> 
> And the bondo thing... suppose when he cut the skull cap he was worried that it might come apart, so he covered it in bondo to make sure it wouldn't break in half? I mean, here's a guy living in a trailer house who got fired from the post office for stealing people's food stamps. Slathering a bunch of bondo on the skull wouldnt be too out of character. You can clearly tell that he cut a very small section of skull with the antlers. Just another twist in a very weird story.


Thanks for explaining. 'Preciate it.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> I respect Milo and his buck, but there is a part of me that wants the world record to be shot by someone who really worked for it and figured it out. Milo got lucky by being in the right place at the right time. And he darn near shot the buck's antlers off. Noting against Milo's deer, but frankly, he's a casual deer hunter, part of the orange army that we all love to hate, not a serious whitetail freak. I guess that's part of what makes the Rompola's story interesting is that he has killed some really big bucks and put in his time. That's yet another angle in this story.


If not for the orange army, the anti's would have those who strictly bowhunt already in hiding.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> I could care lessif you take my word for it. I've seen the video and believe it is real I do
> not have a copy, nor would I post it on a forum like this if I did have a copy for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say the
> video exists, so take that for what it's worth.
> 
> ...


Skeptic I am....but I would not be and would be first to apoligize if I could see that exact deer living an breathing before it was harvested. I remember the first day it hit the news....I looked at it and said bs....why...because of the width between the bases. So I was skeptic since day one...i don't say it is not real....don't say it is...but would like some closure wether it qualifies as a new w/r or not.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

WEEGEE said:


> bucko12pt
> 
> the post under mine was the report i heard on the radio......no it wasn't bs....sorry you are mistaken!


Now I am really confused...the post bucko quoted from you:



WEEGEE said:


> fake....three experts a taxi...a game bio....and a third guy, got to do a full investigation last yr. they did do an x-ray and found it to a fake.
> told on a radio interveiw that he was using a technique only found out a few yrs ago by some experts.
> the material he used was years ahead of most others use.
> the paint on the antlers was also a fake ....they compared them to 100's of monster bucks and showed where he messed up on the g1-g2 on the color and where the color was supposed to be.
> ...


And what was right under it, as it exists today...no mention of a radio report:



dtrkyman said:


> find a picture of a deer anywhere beside his site that has antlers growing out the side of there head, i have seen millions of buck pictures live deer and never seen any with those antler genes. very strange no doubt.


And then subsequent questions to you about the "radio report":



Twitch said:


> Dang... I had always hoped that the Rompala buck was legit......
> 
> Wouldn't happen to have a link to the new info would ya?





Musgrat said:


> WeeGee can you post link to the information you got. T.C. is like my second home. I've seen big deer up there always wanted to believe it was real.





palmatedbuck04 said:


> Weegee how come nobody has posted this information before.I would think if what your saying is true this would have been in magazines and website forums everywhere.





tcfishgod said:


> I would LOVE to see were you got this!


Yet no citation to the "report" was forthcoming...and it was recognized that it is likely that such a report would likely have been known as soon as it came out...what with the nature of the original news...

This also ignores the question of: under what authority did anyone conduct an "investigation" of this deer many years after it was said to have been killed, and many years after the original "news" broke, and many years after the setlement with MH was reached?

And then, we have this gem, which came after your "radio report" statement:



WEEGEE said:


> just one question to all that have a deer on your wall.........did you or did your taxi plaster a covering all over the skull and the antler bases?
> could you say it was late in the season and you were afraid they would fall off?
> why would he do that?
> *i'm leaning 90/10 fake and got called out..no body would keep you quite if it was real......*
> if it was mine i would go to the mayo clinic in mn.to have an x-ray and have msn-fox-abc-nbc-and rush linbaugh there!


If as originally stated...it was fake...and once and for all established as fake by the "radio report" (the details of which escape memory) and citation to which has been completely non-existent...why later are you 90/10 that it is fake/real? It makes zero sense...how can it be "once and all fake" yet you still think there is a 10% chance it is real?

Palmated...this is an example of the "perfect storm" I was talking about...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Really convenient now to use legal restrictions as an excuse. None of which would have been needed in the beginning. Their were reasonable questions before the 60 day drying period. When I see a photo reputedly taken 13 days after the kill and you can see it has been either photo shopped or altered in such a way to dq it, that is a flag. Pretty sure there was both the time and a reasonable way to resolve those questions long before any binding legal agreements were 


We can just agree to disagree. I also happen to believe OJ was guilty in the absence of video proof, eye witnesses or a confession confession. And I also believe that the Devil played Johnny to a tie at the very least when he went down to Georgia. Dont expect any of those opinions will change anything and that is fine.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

the reaper said:


> That's kind of what I was leaning towards also, I think the jealousy factor took over and from what I read Mitch doesn't seem like the type that likes attention and went in his own little cave.


MR was already in the record books. I know a hunter who has shot "book" quality deer but REFUSES to have them scored. Him I honestly believe when he says he doesn't want our state's attention. 

I do believe, however, that MR didn't want further scrutiny. That's a whole different can of worms. 

Maybe this was answered already but I may have missed it: why does it appear that the horns have been stained and are darker than when he killed it? I notice there's no evidence of pot. perm. on the "after" taxidermied mount pictures. Am I missing an obvious and previously posted answer to this?

For the record, I am not an antler guy. You would call my trophies a wall of shame. I am not motivated by jealous to question MR's buck. I do, however, have perhaps an unhealthy fascination with controversy.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

For me, it would be 2 cool to find out this buck was legit after Rompala's death


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

WEEGEE said:


> bucko12pt
> 
> the post under mine was the report i heard on the radio......no it wasn't bs....sorry you are mistaken!


"I heard it on the radio". That's funny....................like saying "i read it on the internet so it must be true".

Give me some names .If what you are saying is true I'm sure there is some information out there about this "inspection" that was done. I told you my sources and I can name the individuals and could produce contact info if you want. Until you provide the 
information requested I'm still calling BS. 

This is another example of a story posted by someone that knows nothing about the situation and gets turned into the truth
just because it's posted on the net.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

saskguy said:


> Comments like this is why I hope the record stands for yrs and yrs.
> 
> Well he accomplished this,
> finished school
> ...


Like a million other guys


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

Ditto




snoman4 said:


> I can understand this too I remembered when the story broke I could not believe how fast all the naysayers said it was fake or poached. It was crazy. Thanks for telling us your story but be prepared to get flamed on this site. Some will accuse you of being Mitch or maybe one of his family members and then say if you are a friend and scorer why not post your real name so people can see if you are who you say you are and what you say you are. *Welcome to AT hopefully the flaming wont run you off this site as it can be pretty great at times and not so great at others.*


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

For those that don't know the whole story, I will tell another portion of the Rompola saga. 

Mitch has held the state record bow kill since the 1980's. A few years after Mitch's bow record, another buck
was killed that beat Mitch's by Craig Calderone. At that time, Mitch was still the records chairman
for CBM. After it was recognized and entered as the new state bow record Calderone was convicted of a wildlife violation for shining at night with a loaded weapon in his vehicle. A CO that was familiar with the situation, informed CBM of the situation and Calderone's record was removed from the book and Mitch's was restored.

From that day on Calderone had an axe to grind and when the big buck was killed it was the perfect opportunity
to confront Rompola. Knowing Mitch would never take him up on the offer of $ 10K he pursued it anyway to 
add to the firestorm. Those that didn't know the history of the Rompola/Calderone rivalry immediately assumed 
Mitch must be hiding something because of passing on the $ 10K.

This story is documented in an early edition (# 3?) of CBM's record book.


----------



## Elite fanboy (Dec 11, 2011)

We'll never know the truth until Rompola dies and someone comes forward with the rack...how old is he? Just so I have an idea how many years I have to wait.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

bucko12pt said:


> "I heard it on the radio". That's funny....................like saying "i read it on the internet so it must be true".
> 
> Give me some names .If what you are saying is true I'm sure there is some information out there about this "inspection" that was done. I told you my sources and I can name the individuals and could produce contact info if you want. Until you provide the
> information requested I'm still calling BS.
> ...


----------



## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

Excuse me for not reading beyond the original post. I have reviewed not only the pictures of Mitch's world record but many of his other multiple deer. Most of the racks appear to be replica- manufactured and the quality doesn't even appear to be good. look how evenly shiny they are. Many of the racks appear to be oddly shaped but more importantly appear to originate from the back or side of the skull. several other deer he poses with appear to have been dead for a significant amount of time. the ears are drooping like they do after one removes the skull plate during the caping process. If I was a betting man I would say 100% chance this is a manufactured rack poorly mounted on a fresh kill. Now. I don't know and really don't care but that is what I think. If I thought it looked real I'd say it looked real. You make up your own mind.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

badfaulkner said:


> MR was already in the record books. I know a hunter who has shot "book" quality deer but REFUSES to have them scored. Him I honestly believe when he says he doesn't want our state's attention.
> 
> I do believe, however, that MR didn't want further scrutiny. That's a whole different can of worms.
> 
> ...


I was agreeing with the quoted post about the locals in his area being jealous of him shooting the buck not you lol,I know he was in the record books already that is what I was getting at bud I think you misintepreted what I was saying, I think his past with scoring on trophy sized bucks speaks for itself.I think we are agreeing with each other but now I am confused lol.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> I'm not a friend of Mitch's and will be the first to condemn him if it proves to be an illegally taken deer. I first met him in 1976 when I hired his wife (now ex) to work for me. I believe the deer is real and to answer another question, no I have not seen the deer.
> I have scored deer with the other measurers that measured Mitch's deer and know the CO personally and cannot fathom that they w
> were personally involved in some kind of hoax, or coverup. I would classify Mitch as an acquaintance and we talk when we run
> into each other, that's about the extent of my contact with him. My beliefs are based on information I have been told by the measurers and the CO that were involved.
> ...


I was not questioning you at all just trying to tell you how this site can be. There are some guys that flame everything that is posted. I could have added that any time a big buck is shown killed on this site the flamers say that is was high fenced, the photograph was photo-shopped, the deer was poached, and when all else fail they will say hey you just created your account and I have 40K posts you can not possibly know more than me. 

I thank you for giving more to the story about the Michigan record holder that supplanted Mitch's deer being the one that offered the reward as it definitely sheds a different light on things in my eyes. Being in LEO I know that there is always more to the story. I hope that one day Mitch's buck is shown to be real because if it is that buck deserves to be honored. I still do not know what to believe but the more information that is made available the more I tend to think the deer is real. It more and more appears that this is a big case of jealously that has reared its ugly head and deprived a great deer of being honored as the Hanson and Jordan buck have been.

I can also see with Mitch being a guy who does not have a lot of money and different than most of us being bullied into signing this settlement agreement because he did not have the money or heart to fight the big money backers that represent the Hanson buck. 

I would love to sit down and talk with Mitch if that opportunity ever arose because he has killed big deer over many years. I think a lot of us could learn a thing or two about hunting mature deer from Mitch.


----------



## Illinois59 (Jan 12, 2009)

So this is the only deer ever who's antlers grow out at a 90 degree angle? C'mon guys, it's fake and he is a liar that got called out and hides away in his hole. Next!


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

snoman4 said:


> I was not questioning you at all just trying to tell you how this site can be. There are some guys that flame everything that is posted. I could have added that any time a big buck is shown killed on this site the flamers say that is was high fenced, the photograph was photo-shopped, the deer was poached, and when all else fail they will say hey you just created your account and I have 40K posts you can not possibly know more than me.
> 
> I thank you for giving more to the story about the Michigan record holder that supplanted Mitch's deer being the one that offered the reward as it definitely sheds a different light on things in my eyes. Being in LEO I know that there is always more to the story. I hope that one day Mitch's buck is shown to be real because if it is that buck deserves to be honored. I still do not know what to believe but the more information that is made available the more I tend to think the deer is real. It more and more appears that this is a big case of jealously that has reared its ugly head and deprived a great deer of being honored as the Hanson and Jordan buck have been.
> 
> ...


I understood you intent and appreciate the info. I'm certainly not posting to defend Mitch or his actions.
He's been a bit strange for all the years that I have known him. His conviction on the mail issue is a good example 
of some of the strange things he has done. I've seen several references to that situation in this thread and none
one of them tells the truth of what really happened. Another example of myth that becomes the truth when 
talked about enough on the net.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> I understood you intent and appreciate the info. I'm certainly not posting to defend Mitch or his actions.
> He's been a bit strange for all the years that I have known him. His conviction on the mail issue is a good example
> of some of the strange things he has done. I've seen several references to that situation in this thread and none
> one of them tells the truth of what really happened. Another example of myth that becomes the truth when
> talked about enough on the net.


Yeah I know what you mean it went from stealing food stamps to now he stole welfare checks. This site is so funny at times and is like a bunch of guys sitting around the barber shop trying to one up each other on the tall tales.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I posted pictures of deer with 6 pedicles, one growing from his eye socket. Not one accusation that it wasn't real or photos alerted. Imagine that. Of course I provided pictures where you could see everything clearly. I'm done asking about the skull plate it obviously will never be explained simply because it cannot be.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Quartermoons said:


> bucko12pt said:
> 
> 
> > "I heard it on the radio". That's funny....................like saying "i read it on the internet so it must be true".
> ...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Thank you, doesn't change my view but I can respect yours. I will say it has been a rather pleasant experience as compared to most on here. If and when a definitive truth is revealed I plan on enjoying either apologizing or gloating.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

badfaulkner said:


> MR was already in the record books. I know a hunter who has shot "book" quality deer but REFUSES to have them scored. Him I honestly believe when he says he doesn't want our state's attention.
> 
> I do believe, however, that MR didn't want further scrutiny. That's a whole different can of worms.
> 
> ...


I have shot a couple bucks that "make the book" and I too decided not to enter them, but when I get the WR and there are hundreds of thousands of dollars to be made through endorsements and appearances, you can bet I would be doing whatever regardless of the Milo crew. I think almost anyone would do the same, even if they now say they wouldn't.

*bucko12pt*--You posted that you know for a fact that Mitch no longer has the antlers. Is this a fact known by you, or something Mitch or someone else told you?


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

post #38 i said i listened to this on a radio interveiw





ROMPOLA GATE PART II
The Fairy Tale Continues
By
Larry L. Huffman
July 25, 1999

Mother Goose would have a difficult time competing with Mitch Rompola and his associates on the creation of the biggest fairy tale (scam) to ever hit the hunting world. Most hunting magazines have stopped featuring stories on Rompola. I have spoken with several of the editors and their basic attitude is to simply let the story die.

Unfortunately all hunting magazines did not take this stand. Deer and Deer Hunting featured a two-part story on the Rompola buck and the men who measured the antlers. The principal portion of this two-part story was written by none other than Dan Bertalan, one of Rompola's closest allies.

Bertalan tells of insurmountable odds. He states that there are 11,500,000 deer hunters each year. Seventy-nine years passed from the time Jim Jordan killed his world record buck (1914) till Milo Hanson took a new worlds record buck in 1993. Sure the odds are insurmountable if one plays by the rules. Simply fabricating a set of trophy antlers rather than harvesting one by traditional hunting methods can drastically reduce the odds.

In the June 1999 issue of Deer and Deer Hunting, Editor Patrick Durkin stated in his Editors Stump column that Rompola should be granted the assumption that he is innocent until proven guilty. I reminded Durkin that that assumption is normally used in association with a criminal trial. It doesn't apply to Rompola, as he has not been charged with a crime. Maybe in time, but not right now.

Look at the assumption used by the Boone & Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club. It is the hunter's responsibility to prove that his deer is authentic and that it was harvested in accordance with the club's fair chase standards. All state record keeping associations should also use this same assumption. A trophy deer is bogus until proven real. Hopefully the CBM (Commemorative Bucks of Michigan) will not list Rompola's buck in their records until he takes the steps to prove that it is real.

We all know that Mitch Rompola could clear up the controversy by simply having the antlers x-rayed. X-rays of the skull plate are most important. With all of the controversy surrounding Rompola's buck, I believe that DNA testing and a polygraph test would be in order.

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.

It's quite obvious to this writer that Rompola cannot and will not submit his antlers for testing and x-rays. The antlers are not authentic. In Rompola Gate (part I) I reported many facts that I believe prove that Rompola's buck is a phony. The biggest single fact is the distance between the burrs measuring 50% more than any other whitetail buck ever.

I pointed out in Rompola Gate (part I) how the coloration of the antlers is suspect. The August 1999 issue of Deer and Deer Hunting featured the Rompola buck on its cover. The antlers are now a different color. The antlers have been re-colored. The tines are no longer yellow and the Potassium Permanganate staining that was so obvious is now non-existent. It is also apparent that the cape used for the mount is not the original cape.

Why were the antlers re-colored? Was it because of the suspicious coloration of the original antlers? Was it because of the facts that I called attention to in my first article? It was certainly apparent that Rompola felt there was something wrong with the color and for that reason attempted to cover some of the obvious flaws. Check it out. The antlers have been re-colored. Photographs don't lie.




Photograph of the original Rompola buck.

Notice the yellow tone on the deer's right G2 and G3 as well as the left G3. Also notice the brownish purple stain at the base of each antler and at the base of the main beams between the burrs and the brow tines.



The photograph used on the cover of Deer and Deer Hunting is a dead giveaway that this is a bogus buck. Rompola has now had time to fix all of his mistakes by re-coloring the antlers. The following photo is of the re-colored antlers. Compare it with the photo of the original deer. Again it shows that Rompola had something to hide.



Photo of the new mount with the re-colored antlers

One can clearly see that the antlers have been re-colored from the original. The bases are a different color. The tines now have more of a progression of color. Before there was a distinct line where the color changed from yellow to the brown/purple stain.



It was announced that a panel of CBM measurers had officially re-measured Rompola's buck. The three measurers were (1) Gary Berger, (2) Lee Holbrook and (3) Al Brown. These measurers were not assigned this responsibility by CBM. They were hand picked by Mitch Rompola. Berger is certified by Boone & Crockett, Pope and Young, The Longhunters Society and CBM. Holbrook has been certified by Pope and Young and CBM. Brown is a certified CBM scorer only.

In the August, 1999 issue of North American Whitetail, Len Holbrook admitted that he had been trained by Rompola. Brown also said that Rompola trained him. It is unclear if Rompola trained Gary Berger. Burger stated that he has known Rompola for well over a decade. Rompola video taped the measuring session which meant that he was present throughout. Since these men were students and close friends of Rompola's, you can bet that he plenty of involvement in the actual measuring.

I had reported that the skull plate on Rompola's buck was totally encased in some form of hardened material such as Bondo. It would have been impossible to inspect the skull plate with this material in place. Jack Reneau, Director of Big Game Records for the Boone & Crockett club spoke with Berger shortly after the antlers were measured. Reneau asked Berger if he had inspected the skull plate to which Berger answered no.

In the Deer and Deer Hunting article on the scorers, Berger said that he saw the skull plate. He further reported that he felt it and inspected it and that it was real. Naturally, Berger would not lie to the Boone and Crockett Club and be able to remain an official scorer for them. That would seem to indicate that he lied to Deer and Deer Hunting.

Len Holbrook said that the buck was partially mounted when they scored it. He said that the skin was open up the back so they could inspect it. He said the rack is real. He also said that he inspected the skull plate and there was no evidence of anything wrong. Why are these men lying to the media? Did Rompola have that much control over them? Did the measurers believe they were measuring a real set of antlers? Were the measurers trying to cover up something? Are these three measurers all part of Rompola's scam?

I do not have answers to these questions. I tend to believe that the measurers thought that they were scoring a real set of antlers. The quality of today's antler restoration is so good that I do not believe that these three men could tell the difference. Many other measurers have been fooled in the past. The question as to why these three measurers said they had inspected the skull plate but told Boone & Crockett they had not remains un-answered. The only way to inspect the skull plate is to have it x-rayed. You cannot inspect it by feel or by normal vision.



This photo shows Mitch Rompola holding the antlers after they had been removed from the deer. You can clearly see how the skull plate has been totally encased in a material similar to Bondo. This picture aired on Nov. 26, 1998 just 13 days after Rompola killed the buck. Do you believe that Rompola had something to hide? Do you think the skull plate could be inspected? 


An article by Eric Sharp in the Detroit Free Press dated February 25, 1999 stated that Rompola told him and others "it's all about money". He further said that his primary interest is exploiting the buck's rack financially. Rompola has a number of endorsement deals. I was told that his deal with Custom Shooting Systems, a bow manufacturer, was actually made months before he claimed to have killed the buck. There is a Rompola web site in which "T" shirts and caps are being sold. It appears that Rompola is pursuing certain financial schemes, however lets look at the other side of the ledger.

The easiest money out there is the $20,000.00 on the table if Rompola will have the antlers authenticated by having them x-rayed and take a polygraph test. If it's all about money, why isn't Rompola taking advantage of this offer? The answer is quite simple. He can't because the antlers are not authentic. If he has it x-rayed, his balloon will bust. His scam will be over. There could be charges of fraud filed against Rompola and his associates. Who knows what action the companies who are paying Rompola endorsement fees will pursue.

In Eric Sharps article of April 9, 1999 in the Detroit Free Press, he reported that Kevin Kreh of Hawg Ltd. is having some serious concerns. Kreh said that he has put pressure on Rompola to have the deer measured and entered at least with CBM. Kreh said that he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. He further stated that he stands to loose his creditability, his business, his home and everything he has worked for. If he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars as he said, then why hasn't he started legal action against Rompola? Can he prove damage? You bet!

How bad have the other companies with Rompola endorsements suffered from Rompola's refusal to have the antlers authenticated? If Kreh's firm has been damaged financially then I should think that the others have suffered also. It's been said that Dan Bertalan handles public relations for Rompola and these various firms. He has written several articles on Rompola and his buck. Obviously, Bertalan has made out pretty well. Is Dan Bertalan in on the scam with Rompola? What if the companies that Rompola has endorsed were all part of Rompola Gate? Could it be?

Several outdoor writers have stated that no one has offered any proof that Rompola did anything wrong while hunting the buck. They have also said that no one has offered proof that the buck isn't real. These writers must be wearing blinders and ignoring the facts. Some of these facts are so obvious that one cannot help but be suspicious. Let's take a serious look at what we know to be fact. You be the judge as to these facts offering proof of the deer being bogus.

Rompola said that he shot the buck at 12 yards with a bow set at 58 pounds. The arrow did not pass through the deer, in fact there was approximately 18" of arrow still sticking out of its midsection. 
Rompola said that after he shot the buck and after a short wait, he went home to get his camera even though he heard the deer go down. 
The antlers have very suspicious coloration. The tones change from yellow to brown to white and to a brownish/purple at the bases. In the past, people used Potassium Permanganate for staining antlers. This is the exact color of the antler bases. 
The antlers have an outside spread of 38". Knowing this measurement, it is quite simple to calculate the distance between the burrs. This measurement comes out to 4 3/4". Normally this measurement is from 2 3/4" to 3 1/4". This would mean that the distance between the burrs is 1 1/2" wider than any buck ever. It is approximately 50% wider than any other deer. 
The original photo of Rompola's buck had considerable blood in the buck's right ear. The buck was lying on its right side. The skull plate was totally encased in a hardened material. The antlers were shown on Michigan Out Of Doors thirteen days after the buck was harvested. This videotape showed the skull encased as mentioned. 
The antlers have been re-colored from suspicious tones in the original photo. The potassium Permanganate staining is gone. Other flaws in the color have been corrected. 
One of the three measurers told Boone & Crockett that he was not able to inspect the skull plate. Later the media was told that they did inspect it. Something doesn't match up. 
Rompola said "it's all about money," but $20,000.00 has been offered to him for x-rays and a polygraph test. He has refused to have it x-rayed. 

These are most of the facts, as we know them today. The most important fact is the distance between the antler burrs. No whitetail buck has ever grown a skull with the distance between the burrs being anything close to this distance.

These facts leave many questions in one's mind. Rather than speculate on these answers, wouldn't it be great to hear Rompola provide the answers. A partial list of questions could be as follows:

Why did Rompola encase the skull plate in a hardened material less than two weeks after the deer was shot? 
Why were the antlers re-colored? 
What was the source of the blood in the buck's right ear? 
Why hasn't Rompola captured the $20,000.00 offer for x-rays? 
Why did the measurers lie about inspecting the skull plate? 
Someday we will know the answers to these and other questions. In the mean time the sport of deer hunting is being damaged. Milo Hansen is being damaged. Trophy whitetail deer collectors are being damaged. Scoring systems are being damaged. Trophy whitetail records will never be the same. But as Rompola said, who cares, "it's all about money".

post #73 i said this was what i was refering too.

tell your buddy i think it's 100% fake now, and so you do a pole and find out how many others think the same,unless he comes clean!...i think it's noble you stick up for him or you,...... but either way one thing i'll say...i've killed over 400 white tails with everything from a 22 to a peterbuilt....i have never seen blood in the ears ,especially with a bow kill.


----------



## sbooy42 (Jan 2, 2007)

someday crow will be served and I'm pretty sure I know who's coming for dinner...eh Bucko..=)


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

i could really care less ...i can sleep at night and if it was real, he could too...on a pillow stuffed with $100 bills.
or live the way he wants ....under a cloud of suspicions,the rest of his life......his choice to make.

i just stated my opinions..........see you guys during the cherry fest.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

WEEGEE said:


> This measurement comes out to 4 3/4". Normally this measurement is from 2 3/4" to 3 1/4". This would mean that the distance between the burrs is 1 1/2" wider than any buck ever.
> 
> These are most of the facts, as we know them today. The most important fact is the distance between the antler burrs. No whitetail buck has ever grown a skull with the distance between the burrs being anything close to this distance.


Let's discuss a few of the MANY reasons why this is an asinine argument. I tried to lead you to this understanding by using example after example, but I guess I'll just have to spell it out.

#1 The guy the wrote the article has a very obvious bias

#2 He has NO WAY of knowing the widest ever distance between the burrs. He pulled an arbitrary average he probably found in an encyclopedia, and spoke it as a range. He even says NORMALLY between 2.75 and 3.25... Normally does not mean ALWAYS. Neither He, nor you have ANY WAY OF KNOWING the widest ever deer antler bases. That distance basically goes un-measured on most deer.

#3 He has no way of calculating the distance between the burrs on the Rompola buck using his photo. I understand the mathematics he _thinks_ he used, I have a degree in mathematics. However if you cannot see the burrs in the photo because the deer's head is tilted back, then you cannot calculate the distance between the burrs. He calculated from the part of the right antler you can see to the part you can see of the left.

#4 And you're going to love this one...

Using the grainy photo of MR holding the bucks skull plate (where you can actually see the burrs) and the 38" outside spread measure the author used for his calculation. From burr to burr is *a little over 3 inches*


----------



## Northwoodslayer (Sep 6, 2007)

All I can say is WOW. If one wasn't confused before, open up the looney bin! First of all, I hear alot of crap about Mitch being "strange" Yep, he may be but there are alot of great people in history that were labeled "strange" Envious people seem to want to discredit or ridicule those who are exceptional at what they do. In Mitch's case, killin' giant whitetails. He has shot many Commemeorative buck of Michigan, even holding state records. I have read rants by many who have called Mitch a poacher, stating that no one could shoot that many large bucks! His reply was simply that he had an intimate knowledge of his hunting grounds. So much in fact about the whitetails he pursued that it would make biologists envious. That is how he killed/ kills giant whitetails. He also states that is all he does, eat, breathe, sleep whitetails! He has nothing to prove. He's holding the head, he knows he killed it. Bottom line! The controversy about Milo Hansen shows how much of a ***** Milo is! The arsehole just happend to shoot the world record whitetail worth millions and stopped/ payed off Mitch to keep his payday! There you go, think what you want but I would tend to believe someone who has harvested many trophy bucks thru hard work and persistance vs. one lucky shot. BTW, that part of Michigan is known for monsters. Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois arent' the only states with monsters. Nuff said!


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> All I can say is WOW. If one wasn't confused before, open up the looney bin! First of all, I hear alot of crap about Mitch being "strange" Yep, he may be but there are alot of great people in history that were labeled "strange" Envious people seem to want to discredit or ridicule those who are exceptional at what they do. In Mitch's case, killin' giant whitetails. He has shot many Commemeorative buck of Michigan, even holding state records. I have read rants by many who have called Mitch a poacher, stating that no one could shoot that many large bucks! His reply was simply that he had an intimate knowledge of his hunting grounds. So much in fact about the whitetails he pursued that it would make biologists envious. That is how he killed/ kills giant whitetails. He also states that is all he does, eat, breathe, sleep whitetails! He has nothing to prove. He's holding the head, he knows he killed it. Bottom line! The controversy about Milo Hansen shows how much of a ***** Milo is! The arsehole just happend to shoot the world record whitetail worth millions and stopped/ payed off Mitch to keep his payday! There you go, think what you want but I would tend to believe someone who has harvested many trophy bucks thru hard work and persistance vs. one lucky shot. BTW, that part of Michigan is known for monsters. Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois arent' the only states with monsters. Nuff said!


All I can say is wow!!

Any way you slice it, it worked for Mitch.......he's got his hoards of followers.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Northwoodslayer said:


> I have read rants by many who have called Mitch a poacher, stating that no one could shoot that many large bucks! His reply was simply that he had an intimate knowledge of his hunting grounds. So much in fact about the whitetails he pursued that it would make biologists envious. That is how he killed/ kills giant whitetails.!


I would never presume to accuse somebody of poaching simply because of success. That does indeed reek of jealousy. One can score state record bucks repeatedly and do so legally. (I know one here in SC and he's no poacher...just dang good at hunting.)

I'm only curious because of the secrecy and secrecy itself does NOT mean he poached ANY deer. My God, there are landowners who don't even take a picture of deer they kill because they're scared to death of motivating trespassing poachers.


----------



## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

Binney59 said:


> Thanks for adding to the discussion with that gem!


Whats' wrong does the truth hurt??? It's true none of you have any proof for or against the arguement and never will, everything your bantering about is all speculation. Just because someone has followed the story closly doesn't make them an expert with all the answers.........carry on


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

old Graybeard said:


> Whats' wrong does the truth hurt??? It's true none of you have any proof for or against the arguement and never will, everything your bantering about is all speculation. Just because someone has followed the story closly doesn't make them an expert with all the answers.........carry on


:thumbs_up,this guy shouldn't be judged on speculation.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> :thumbs_up,this guy shouldn't be judged on speculation.


I agree, Don't know the man from Adam but I have seen what jealousy can do to a person and I think this is a case of that. No one really knows if the deer is legit or not but because he didn't come forward they want to hang him out to dry.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> but because he didn't come forward they want to hang him out to dry.


Wasn't the endorsement issue and the claim to a "new wr" coming forward?


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> :thumbs_up,this guy shouldn't be judged on speculation.


Plamated's quote but a post for all...believers and non believers alike.

I 100% totally agree NO ONE should be judged on speculation....it is just really odd that a guy who has had so much EXPOSED trophy success and all these deer scored for CBM and the state record would just all of a sudden intravert and pull the rack and make it mysteriously disappear regardless of accusations. He is/was an official scorer who knows the rules for enterng book bucks so he would have known this deer would be examined and questioned thouroughly. Maybe he is NOT guilty of any type of fraud.....but then again maybe he is.

I want to believe it is real more than anyone out there....I would love to see the world record back in the states (no offense Canada folks). I just find the mystique surrounding the whole ordeal pointing in the direction of dishonesty regardless of any biased articles written on the subject. It raises a caution flag for me and I am sure most of the skeptics out there making this a hard pill to swallow with out some definite proof.

Look at it this way....I contact you and say hey Palmated I have this brand new Carbon Element for sale that I won in a raffle...I am hurting bad for cash right now...you can have it for $200.00....you ponder it for a couple days and do a background check on me....you see that I have been arrested for possesion of stolen property, shoplifting and breaking and entering....would you buy that bow from me?

I say it is not likely because it is human nature for you to assume the bow is probably tainted in some sort of way, you would more than likely assume I stole it. That is what makes this so hard to believe. Not the size of the rack...but the scrutiny surrouding it. Again I hope and pray it is the real deal...and I hope we find out one day. But until then all we have is a potential world record deer that was harvested, questioned(like any world record would be) and then disappeared.

Mitch made the decisions to partake in criminal activity therefore he and his honesty will always be questioned on anything he does from that point forward.

It is the old addage "You made your bed, now you have to sleep in it."

Thanks for listening and the rational discussion!!


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

bucko12pt said:


> I'm not a friend of Mitch's and will be the first to condemn him if it proves to be an illegally taken deer. I first met him in 1976 when I hired his wife (now ex) to work for me. I believe the deer is real and to answer another question, no I have not seen the deer.
> I have scored deer with the other measurers that measured Mitch's deer and know the CO personally and cannot fathom that they w
> were personally involved in some kind of hoax, or coverup. I would classify Mitch as an acquaintance and we talk when we run
> into each other, that's about the extent of my contact with him. My beliefs are based on information I have been told by the measurers and the CO that were involved.
> ...


Shady! And the CBM looks shady for their involvement. By supporting Mitch, they are also supporting their official scorers. BUCKO -- You conveniently forgot to mention that Holbrook, Brown, and Berger were handpicked by Rompola. Not only that, Holbrook and Brown were taught by him. So, the official scorers you are referring to are students of Mitch. Oh, and a video now? PPffff. Mitch is sitting on a lottery ticket if he's telling the truth. Have the darn thing x-rayed and its over....and Mitch becomes a millionaire! What am I missing?

DEER & DEER HUNTING ARTICLE DIRECT QUOTES
"It was announced that a panel of CBM measurers had officially re-measured Rompola's buck. The three measurers were (1) Gary Berger, (2) Lee Holbrook and (3) Al Brown. These measurers were not assigned this responsibility by CBM. They were hand picked by Mitch Rompola. Berger is certified by Boone & Crockett, Pope and Young, The Longhunters Society and CBM. Holbrook has been certified by Pope and Young and CBM. Brown is a certified CBM scorer only.

In the August, 1999 issue of North American Whitetail, Len Holbrook admitted that he had been trained by Rompola. Brown also said that Rompola trained him. It is unclear if Rompola trained Gary Berger. Burger stated that he has known Rompola for well over a decade. Rompola video taped the measuring session which meant that he was present throughout. Since these men were students and close friends of Rompola's, you can bet that he plenty of involvement in the actual measuring.

I had reported that the skull plate on Rompola's buck was totally encased in some form of hardened material such as Bondo. It would have been impossible to inspect the skull plate with this material in place. Jack Reneau, Director of Big Game Records for the Boone & Crockett club spoke with Berger shortly after the antlers were measured. Reneau asked Berger if he had inspected the skull plate to which Berger answered no."


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

JF88 said:


> SHADY! BUCKO -- You conveniently forgot to mention that Holbrook, Brown, and Berger were handpicked by Rompola. Not only that Holbrook and Brown were taught by him. So, the official scorers you are referring to are students of Mitch. Oh, and a video now? PPffff. Mitch is sitting on a lottery ticket if he's telling the truth. Have the darn thing x-rayed and its over....and Mitch becomes a millionaire! What am I missing?
> 
> o"It was announced that a panel of CBM measurers had officially re-measured Rompola's buck. The three measurers were (1) Gary Berger, (2) Lee Holbrook and (3) Al Brown. These measurers were not assigned this responsibility by CBM. They were hand picked by Mitch Rompola. Berger is certified by Boone & Crockett, Pope and Young, The Longhunters Society and CBM. Holbrook has been certified by Pope and Young and CBM. Brown is a certified CBM scorer only.
> 
> ...


This response is hear,say.Still no concrete proof.I am not buying the scorers were hand picked,on a potential world record cmon.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> and Mitch becomes a millionaire! What am I missing?


I think he'd rather say screw us all than become a millionairre............. I mean who wouldn't? LOL


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I am not buying the scorers were hand picked,on a potential world record cmon.


Your not buying what Deer & Deer Hunting reported? This was clearly stated in the Deer & Deer Hunting article quoted in my post and seen at length in page 8 of this thread.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Saskguy was this deer ever "officially" scored I'm asking cuz I don't know.I know the scorer that I take my deer checks the skull with a fine tooth comb,was anything reported by the scorers when they scored it?


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

It was also stated on the quoted article I posted on page 3 palmated.



> It was announced that a panel of CBM measurers had officially re-measured Rompola's buck. The three measurers were (1) Gary Berger, (2) Lee Holbrook and (3) Al Brown. These measurers were not assigned this responsibility by CBM. They were hand picked by Mitch Rompola. Berger is certified by Boone & Crockett, Pope and Young, The Longhunters Society and CBM. Holbrook has been certified by Pope and Young and CBM. Brown is a certified CBM scorer only.
> 
> In the August, 1999 issue of North American Whitetail, Len Holbrook admitted that he had been trained by Rompola. Brown also said that Rompola trained him. It is unclear if Rompola trained Gary Berger. Burger stated that he has known Rompola for well over a decade.


I do not even know what CBM is..


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

saskguy said:


> I think he'd rather say screw us all than become a millionairre............. I mean who wouldn't? LOL


To some people money is not the world bud, and some people still have standards.It seems like you want to get in a pissing match with me because you keep quoting at what I say, I have several good conversations with ya before but now because we don't agree on something it goes like this hey? Well you are obviously a Milo fan and being from Saskatchewan I understand.All I been trying to say is that maybe the pressure was more than the man could handle, I can tell you in the area I live money means very little to people compared to family , pride , standards of life.That is the problem with the world is everyone has forgotten what is important. Maybe Mitch is an idiot and a liar , I just think his record of continously harvesting nice bucks speak for itself.I don't want to argue with ya or get hard feelings bud.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

JF88 said:


> Your not buying what Deer & Deer Hunting reported? This was clearly stated in the Deer & Deer Hunting article quoted in my post and seen at length in page 8 of this thread.


So your saying these guys picked up the phone and called Deer and Deer Hunting and just offered up this info that they were hand picked? And they are some sort of friends of his that he trained? I'm guessing if a potential world record is getting scored it will be panel scored,and you don't get to pick the scorers because of a conflict of interest just like this.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

saskguy said:


> I do not even know what CBM is..


Commemorative Bucks of Michigan buddy!:tongue:


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

saskguy said:


> It was also stated on the quoted article I posted on page 3 palmated.
> 
> 
> 
> I do not even know what CBM is..


I don't know either I'm right there with ya.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

saskguy said:


> It was also stated on the quoted article I posted on page 3 palmated.
> 
> 
> 
> I do not even know what CBM is..



The author of the article you posted has a very obvious bias, and an ax to grind against Mitch. If I had good buddies that were official scorers, they would be the first to score my deer too. Mitch claimed it was the WR because what they came up with was better than the current WR. I think he had a right to trust those guys, they were certified scorers. He and no one else ever claimed the score to be an official score.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

I wasn't quoting you...I was quoting jf88....
you're confusing me, not looking for a pi$$ing match.

I'm a nobody fan really....happy for anyone who legally has the wr actually.

I'd take the $, I won't lie, but the whole family pride factor you mentioned surely isn't aided by the disappearing act, it's tainted.

No hard feelings. Like I stated earlier, I think people who think it is legit are crazy..but I'd still buy them a beer and talk hunting.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> The author of the article you posted has a very obvious bias, and an ax to grind against Mitch.


That may be so, but doesn't mean he can publish false info.


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I don't know either I'm right there with ya.


It is an organization that score bucks through out Michigans upper and lower peninsula, and then every year issue a magazine with all the buck that were enterd and their scores and harvesters names and the counties they were shot in.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Where did this foolish myth come from that somehow millions of dollars fall into your lap if you shoot a world record and that Mitch turned it down. 

Milo's world record buck is going on it's 20th anniversary and I doubt if Milo has made a million off it. He made a darn good living off it at first, but it has tapered off. And how did he do it? He did it by going to sports shows, appearances, telling his story, shaking hands, smiling at the crowds, signing autographs, and MOST IMPORTANTLY being as pleasant as possible when he was sick and tired of standing there saying the same thing over and over again for hours upon hours weekend after weekend. 

Do you see Mitch Rompola doing that?


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

saskguy said:


> I wasn't quoting you...I was quoting jf88....
> you're confusing me, not looking for a pi$$ing match.
> 
> I'm a nobody fan really....happy for anyone who legally has the wr actually.
> ...


LOL I hear ya bud and your right bout the disappearing it is weird but I guess I like to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, and I guess his style of scouting intriques me . Other than that I know nothing about the man either, I guess the whole whitetail world disgusts me now a days because of how they let the almighty dollar get involved and try to ruin that no too. It used to be if a person shot a dandy it was enough gratification to get high fives and family pictures and so on .Now if you don't have your name put in a book and get a million offers to buy the original head than it ain't worth ****! Just sad that this is what it has come to!


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

the reaper said:


> To some people money is not the world bud, and some people still have standards.It seems like you want to get in a pissing match with me because you keep quoting at what I say, I have several good conversations with ya before but now because we don't agree on something it goes like this hey? Well you are obviously a Milo fan and being from Saskatchewan I understand.All I been trying to say is that maybe the pressure was more than the man could handle, I can tell you in the area I live money means very little to people compared to family , pride , standards of life.That is the problem with the world is everyone has forgotten what is important. Maybe Mitch is an idiot and a liar , I just think his record of continously harvesting nice bucks speak for itself.I don't want to argue with ya or get hard feelings bud.


Who scored his other bucks? I honestly don't know. He was an official scorer at CBM for years is the reason I'm asking. I think many people think he not only faked this buck, but possibly others.

I think he definitely kills mature bucks. I'm just not sold he hasn't fabricated other horns in the past on his harvests.

Also, it just strikes me odd that he's killing these record book bucks in a county, and state, not known for producing monsters.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Mitch, Oh Mitch....if you are out there PLEASE come defend yourself. I WANT you to have the world record and it seems others do to....PLEASE come put this to rest kind sir!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are the man when it comes to big bucks, you have proven that....in the famous words of Dennis DeYoung and Styx.....don't let it end this way!!:wink:


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I guess the whole whitetail world disgusts me now a days because of how they let the almighty dollar get involved and try to ruin that no too. It used to be if a person shot a dandy it was enough gratification to get high fives and family pictures and so on .Now if you don't have your name put in a book and get a million offers to buy the original head than it ain't worth ****! Just sad that this is what it has come to!


I hear you, but it's not like that everywhere. You know,..any Joe blow pretty much can go hunt where Hanson killed his buck.

Would it be the same in the USA,..I think not.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

JF88 said:


> Who scored his other bucks? I honestly don't know. He was an official scorer at CBM for years is the reason I'm asking. I think many people think he not only faked this buck, but possibly others.
> 
> I think he definitely kills mature bucks. I'm just not sold he hasn't fabricated other horns in the past on his harvests.
> 
> Also, it just strikes me odd that he's killing these record book bucks in a county, and *state, not known for producing monsters.*




Michigan has their fare share of giants....anyone ever been to D & R Sports in Kalamazoo....not all the Van Dam's bucks in there are from Michigan...but quite a few are and they are monsters!!!! It is the midwest and any midwestern state has the potential to produce world class deer...the food and cover is there and so are the genetics. This does not carry much weight in your arguement. Sorry bud.


----------



## ruck139 (May 3, 2011)

I have seen many deer killed that nobody in the area had ever seen before, so that part is possible. With the use of scouting cams this is getting much less likely though.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Whack/Stack said:


> Where did this foolish myth come from that somehow millions of dollars fall into yolur lap if you shoot a world record and that Mitch turned it down.
> 
> Milo's world record buck is going on it's 20th anniversary and I doubt if Milo has made a million off it. He made a darn good living off it at first, but it has tapered off. And how did he do it? He did it by going to sports shows, appearances, telling his story, shaking hands, smiling at the crowds, signing autographs, and MOST IMPORTANTLY being as pleasant as possible when he was sick and tired of standing there saying the same thing over and over again for hours upon hours weekend after weekend.
> 
> Do you see Mitch Rompola doing that?


Probably most sensable statement yet, your right I don't see Mitch shaking hands,and kissing babies for any amount of money,LOL


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

If Hansen is bullying Mitch then the truth needs to come out

The fact that Mitch entered so many of the bucks he harvested now he gets possibly the greatest of all time and he switches to being a hermit about it ? that is my main problem. 

Just get it x-rayed. end of story

If its the world record then the BUCK deserves it. If its fake, then he needs to go to jail and would deserve that. 

But realistically most of the non hunting world could actually careless, in fact they despise the fact we hunt for racks before meat


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Probably most sensable statement yet, your right I don't see Mitch shaking hands,and kissing babies for any amount of money,LOL


You guys are probably right, I overestimated the millionaire thing. But, I still think if some of these other monsters can fetch $100-150k, this buck could be much higher because of all of the publicity.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> If Hansen is bullying Mitch then the truth needs to come out


I'm no lawyer,....but I'll bet if I claimed a new wr non typical.........
I'd eventually be "bullied" if I didn't put the claim to rest.

and I'd also bet that the promotion team is more the bully than the big bad farmer himself.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

JF88 said:


> You guys are probably right,* I overestimated the millionaire thing*. But, I still think if some of these other monsters can fetch $100-150k, this buck could be much higher because of all of the publicity.



No you did not. It is all about how you market yourself and your kill after the fact. It is certainly harder these days thanks to the internet....but in sports like professional hunting(especially whitetails) and professional fishing a new world record COULD easily generate a residual income into the million dollar mark. Again it is all about what is done after the potential world record is taken.

I fish more and a lot better than I hunt....bass fishing is my favorite sport hands down. They say the person who catches the next world record will be a millionare...I can assure you he/she will be if he/she guards that fish and the official weight with his/her life until all aspects of the official weight are ready to be made public and then uses that as leverage with sponsors, tv shows and magazines before coming forth with that official weght.


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

QS34Reaper said:


> [/B]
> 
> Michigan has their fare share of giants....anyone ever been to D & R Sports in Kalamazoo....not all the Van Dam's bucks in there are from Michigan...but quite a few are and they are monsters!!!! It is the midwest and any midwestern state has the potential to produce world class deer...the food and cover is there and so are the genetics. This does not carry much weight in your arguement. Sorry bud.


Keeping in mind where he claimed to have shot the buck (Grand Traverse County). 
Check out Mitch's monsters including at least 2 bucks that would meet B&C criteria here: http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3

Then, check out how many B&C bucks have been shot in that county here : http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/geographicwhiteail.pdf

The map shows 0 B&C bucks shot in Grand Traverse County. Sorry bud, I'll stick by my claim he isn't hunting in an area that historically produces record book books.

While your looking on his website, check out some of his other bucks. I can't help but notice some of those bucks look a little strange.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

JF88 said:


> Keeping in mind where he claimed to have shot the buck (Grand Traverse County).
> Ok, check out Mitch's monsters here including at least 2 claimed B&C bucks : http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3
> 
> Then, check out how many B&C bucks have been shot in that area here : http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/geographicwhiteail.pdf
> ...


I followed your links and agree Michigans big buck staus has deteriorated over the years. But if they were 5th all time for book entires at one point could it not be possible for a world record to come out of Michigan. He also was an official scorer...it is possible he scored the bucks as B&C status but never entered them into the B&C books.

I am with you...I am skeptical because of all the scrutiny surrounding the deer......however it is POSSIBLE!!! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!:wink:


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Ok how the heck could anyone get bullyed by the current record holder if you shot a deer that breaks the record and officially scored what's the question?


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Ok how the heck could anyone get bullyed by the current record holder if you shot a deer that breaks the record and officially scored what's the question?


They couldn't........shouldn't be a ?.

I like how so many people try make it a "bully" issue......

or try call Hanson a whiner, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

saskguy said:


> That may be so, but doesn't mean he can publish false info.


Can't publish false info on the Internet? Anybody can publish false info... There's a whole site dedicated to arbitrary mostly false info, it's called Wikipedia. I could go make a Wiki page right now detailing Saskguy's poaching, that doesn't make it true.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

I guess you are correct on that one mike.casey,............

but in this case, do you believe that info to be false?


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

A) I dont think he can "simply have it x-rayed to end things once and for all" because he signed a contract not to come forward until another buck beats Hansons. 

B) I dont think he has any interest in doing so (as evidenced by all the other posts about his suspected motives and intentions)

C) Even if he had it x-rayed and the skull plate was intact, then people would just start in on how the tines were fabricated or it was a high fence buck- he probably doesnt want to deal with the headaches (just my un-informed opinion)

Lastly, regarding the article in D & DH, I wouldnt be so assuming that all they publish is gospel, especially after the witch hunt they started over Jimmy Kings buck and their personal attacks on Jack Renau. D &DH put out some very biased pieces, much of which were speculation or bordering on lying statements, and presented them as fact.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> So your saying these guys picked up the phone and called Deer and Deer Hunting and just offered up this info that they were hand picked? And they are some sort of friends of his that he trained? I'm guessing if a potential world record is getting scored it will be panel scored,and you don't get to pick the scorers because of a conflict of interest just like this.


Yes...any potential WR is getting panel scored, and the person who shot the animal gets no say in who compromises the panel. Yes...most anyone who shoots a potential WR is going to have a preliminary score done by someone...heck, most anyone who has a potential book animal is going to have it rough scored. And like most everyone who does this...they are going to call someone they know who is a registered scorer to have this preliminary scoring done...and in the case on non-WR animals, probably the final and official score too.

So...what we learn by this specific instance is that not only is the integrity of MR called into question...the integrity of the 3 preliminary scorers is also questioned cuz they knew MR and were taught by him...even though no one really knows these people. Well if that is the case, and considering how most official scoring is doen...I guess that calls the integrity of P&Y and B&C into question too...what with them having a whole bunch of people out there who are officially scoring animals for people they know...

As with any rampantly wide conspiracy...whether for or against...any single element of what happened can be taken for a whole lot more than what it is and run with to prove an individual's entiore belief, and disprove all others.

But yes...in these situations...apparently everyone who was involved is a lying no good co-conspirator...even though few, if any, have the individual objective knowledge to mnake such claims...

And btw...the same applies to all of the statments about MH's activities too...


----------



## tschammel (Oct 28, 2009)

I like how people say he is very quiet and reclusive and that is one of the reasons he doesnt want to come forward. First off he has a websight in which he has answered questions on forums and seems like he wants to show every picture of every nice buck that he has shot. That is not very quiet and reclusive. As I have heard and I think he admitted himself he drove around town with the buck in his truck to show everyone. Next...........he made a video of the kill that is nerated!!!!! Who is he nerating for???? He was planning on showing that vid to people or trying to give the kill more merit. Thats not very quiet or reclusive is it??? Once things were starting to get questioned did he only become a quiet recluse guy that didn't want the public eye. 

The deer looks really strange and the ears are not right period along with some of a couple of really wide deer on his web sight. I along with many other on this sight have looked at many dead deer and pics of bucks for years and the Romplala buck and a couple of other wide bucks on his sight just don't look right. He will not show the scull plate to anyone and covered it in plaster (never heard of anyone doing this before) when he did show the rack and took it places. He won't let the rack be x-rayed and he won't let peope inspect the skull plate but he will make a movie of the kill and drive the deer around and show everyone????? So he wants everyone to know he shot this deer but he won't let people prove its legit. THAT DOESN"T MAKE SENSE!!!!! If you think this buck is real you have a screw loose.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

(So he wants everyone to know he shot this deer but he won't let people prove its legit. THAT DOESN"T MAKE SENSE!!!!! If you think this buck is real you have a screw loose.)

AND TO GO FROM A THEIF TO A WEALTHY PERSON AND TURNS IT DOWN!


----------



## vhunter (Jan 15, 2008)

Wow 10 pages about a deer that was shot about 15 years ago. I'm not sure if it was real or not. I always wanted to believe it was, but there is enough strange things that surround it to give me some reasonable doubt about it.


----------



## r49740 (Dec 7, 2006)

Either way.. the link showing some of the bucks is hilarious. Those mounts are worst I have ever seen and are quite funny.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

saskguy said:


> I guess you are correct on that one mike.casey,............
> 
> but in this case, do you believe that info to be false?


The info that you quoted in post #252? No I don't believe it's false. 

Many other things about the article I believe to be gross exaggerations, and misinformation, whether the author knows it or not. 

The thing I have the biggest problem with, which I've already layed out the mathematics of in a different post is his assumption the distance between the burrs was A) out of the ordinary and B) could be calculated using the original photo. He is wrong on both accounts. Using a photo that you can actually see the burrs, the estimation is much closer to 3" than it is 4" 

Plus he just claims that no other deer ever has grown antlers further apart than 3 1/4 inches, when such a statement is absolutely asinine to try to make. That's like saying no does have antlers because its not the norm... but it happens, and so could a buck with a wide head, even the Rompola bucks antlers were no wider at the bases than any other.

The coloration of the antlers thing kind of ticks me off too. 

Here are 3 photos of the Hanson buck. All with different coloration of the antlers. Hell, Milo is even a different color in each photo.

























Is buck fake? NO!
Did he color the antlers? NO!

It's called lighting!!! There's a huge difference between taking a pic in the woods with sun shining through the trees with a crappy camera, and taking one in a house with a crappy camera.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

I hope I never get accused of a crime and some of you guys that base your decisions on speculation,and no evidence sit on my jury WOW.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

QS34Reaper said:


> No you did not. It is all about how you market yourself and your kill after the fact. It is certainly harder these days thanks to the internet....but in sports like professional hunting(especially whitetails) and professional fishing a new world record COULD easily generate a residual income into the million dollar mark. Again it is all about what is done after the potential world record is taken.
> 
> I fish more and a lot better than I hunt....bass fishing is my favorite sport hands down. They say the person who catches the next world record will be a millionare...I can assure you he/she will be if he/she guards that fish and the official weight with his/her life until all aspects of the official weight are ready to be made public and then uses that as leverage with sponsors, tv shows and magazines before coming forth with that official weght.


All of a sudden we are talking about bass fishing??????? Dude I spent most of the last 20 years of my life on the business side of fishing tournaments and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY you can compare catching a world record bass to shooting a world record buck. By the way, the world record bass was caught in JAPAN a couple years ago. Anyone know who caught it??????? 

JF88 When was the last time a buck sold for $100,000-$150,000? Man where does this stuff come from?


----------



## msbowman (Aug 26, 2009)

The question I've not seen asked is did Mitch do taxidermy work?


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

Whack/Stack said:


> JF88 When was the last time a buck sold for $100,000-$150,000? Man where does this stuff come from?


From one of the most highly regarded antler appraisers, Larry Huffman. 

$4 million for antlers? Nope
By JULI PROBASCO-SOWERS
Register Staff Writer
12/28/2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albia teenager Tony Lovstuen hit hunting's equivalent of a lottery jackpot in October when he killed a legendary whitetail deer with world-class antlers.

That does not, however, translate into the family becoming millionaires.

"One of the biggest surprises for me was that the antlers aren't worth as much as I thought they were," said Doug Lovstuen, Tony's father. "I've heard the rumors that the antlers are worth $3.5 million, even $4 million, and that's nowhere near the truth."

The Lovstuens are learning what other hunters who own prize antlers know: Don't believe everything you hear.

Tony, 15, shot the Albia buck during Iowa's youth deer season. Since then, Doug said several private antler collectors have made offers in amounts well under $100,000, but not enough to entice him to sell. If someone had actually offered that much, he said, he and his son most likely would have sold them already.

Financial benefits - and sentimental value - follow even when the antlers aren't sold. Rumors about the prize antlers' worth may not be true, but the talk can help. The money is made by promoting hunting products, selling rights to the deer's image, displaying the deer and giving talks at trade shows, selling antler replicas and writing books.

Larry Huffman, an antler appraiser from Mequon, Wis., believes the Albia buck's antlers are worth between $100,000 and $150,000. Huffman started the Iowa Deer Classic, an annual trade show in Des Moines centered on whitetail deer hunting, and at one time owned an 84-head whitetail deer collection.

"I know there are all kinds of rumors, but they are greatly exaggerated. Worth is not just based on how large the antlers are, or that they could be a record, but also on the story that goes along with the antlers," Huffman said.

For example, in the case of Canadian Milo Hanson, who shot a huge buck in 1993, the story and the antlers are highly prized because those antlers broke a 79-year-old record for the largest typical antlers ever taken by a hunter.

"The antlers are worth more than if the record was only a few years old," Huffman said.

The Albia buck's antlers are worth a lot because it stands to become the the largest antlered buck taken by a hunter as determined by Boone & Crockett Club at a little over 322 inches. Boone & Crockett is an organization that scores and records antlers and horns from North American trophy game. The club has the most widely recognized scoring system, although others exist. It also will most likely become the record for Iowa, and a world record for a buck taken by a muzzleloading firearm.

The legend of the Albia buck - named for its home range around Albia in Monroe County - spread after three or four years of impressive antlers shed by the animal were found. The antlers have eight normal symmetrical tines and 30 abnormal tines, making it a nontypical set of antlers.

The legend has the potential to help the Lovstuens financially. Doug Lovstuen hopes he can make enough from promotions, writing a book and other antler-related contracts to pay for his son's college expenses. For example, his family was paid by North American Whitetail magazine for first rights to photos of the buck and the story of the hunt, although the amount was not disclosed.

Lovstuen said they've already written a book, but he is still working on finding a publisher.

"I may end up having to self-publish," Lovstuen said, which means he'll have to finance the printing and promotion.

He said he's still deciding what other deals to accept.

Other hunters understand the decisions the Lovstuens face.

Mike Beatty of Xenia, Ohio, killed a buck in 2000 that had the potential to be the largest nontypical buck ever killed by a hunter, until the Albia buck was shot. The Beatty buck remains the largest nontypical buck killed by a bowhunter.

"Everybody has this misconception you will be an ultimate millionaire," Beatty said. "I still work 40 hours a week. My wife still works."

Beatty probably could have made a living by making hunting videos and doing associated work, but it would have required constant travel and being away from the family. He still works for a telephone company.

Beatty has sold some replicas to Gander Mountain, an outdoor and hunting products company. Huffman said Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's are the two main companies buying record-book deer mounts for store and museum displays.

While money can be made from replicas, there is a significant cost in production.

It can cost as much as $600 just to have each replica painted, and that doesn't include a cost of around $2,000 to produce a mold and the replica from the mold. If a person sells each of those replicas for $5,000, they might make $3,000 for each replica, Huffman said.

Milo Hanson of Biggar, Saskatchewan, said big antlers don't make hunters rich. In 1993, he shot a buck that remains the largest typical antlers on record with Boone & Crockett.

"I've been offered 150,000 U.S. dollars for the antlers. Income tax would take half of that if I did sell them. Besides, I'm having too much fun with them right now," Hanson said.

For example, Huffman said he paid Hanson $2,500 for an appearance at the Iowa Deer Classic a couple of years ago. He also was paid $6,000 by North American Whitetail and $5,000 by Outdoor Life for rights to his story, a substantially higher amount than is usually paid.

Ten years after Hanson shot his deer, he's still making deals, including a recent contract that places the deer's image on a line of jewelry. In the past 10 years, Hanson figures he's made more than $100,000 because of his record antlers.

The fact that Beatty was using a Primos deer call when he killed the buck has paid off.

Jimmy Primos of Flora, Miss., chief operating officer of Primos Hunting Calls, said that while they won't pay people to use an image, they did enter into a promotional agreement with Beatty.

"A lot of people think if you kill a world record buck that it is a million-dollar jackpot, but that is often not the case," Primos said, adding how much money a person makes depends on how promotions are handled.

While big antlers cause a big stir, most antlers are kept more for the sentimental value of marking a hunting milestone, said taxidermist Brad Coulson.

"Once in a while you have someone bring in a set of antlers and they think they are worth a lot of money, when they really aren't," said Coulson, who has a shop in Saylor Township.

But most hunters in Iowa know that even if they have a nice buck with eight or 10 tines on the antlers, it probably isn't worth much because that's not particularly unusual for the state, he said.

Beatty doesn't deny that some financial benefits have come his way.

"Having the antlers has made life more enjoyable financially. We've bought some of the extra things, like a four-wheeler for the kids," he said.


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

mike.casey said:


> Can't publish false info on the Internet? Anybody can publish false info... There's a whole site dedicated to arbitrary mostly false info, it's called Wikipedia. I could go make a Wiki page right now detailing Saskguy's poaching, that doesn't make it true.


It was published in a magazine!!! BIG DIFFERENCE!!


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

This thread is outta hand, why did I post here? LOL.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I hope I never get accused of a crime and some of you guys that base your decisions on speculation,and no evidence sit on my jury WOW.


You and me both brother. As I said much earlier in this thread these pictures mean nothing in the scheme of things. I pointed out much earlier that lighting, crappy cameras, or in my case crappy photographers can make a picture look really different than what it actually is in person. Mike Casey's photos of Hansons buck illustrate what I said earlier. I dont judge things off of photographs because they do not always tell the tale. We use real evidence (say a murder weapon instead of a picture of the murder weapon) in trials a lot because a picture does not show everything and there is nothing like the real thing to prove a point. I respect that the CO and the three scorers said the antlers were real and would take their actually seeing the antlers over a couple of grainy pictures posted in magazine articles.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

snoman4 said:


> You and me both brother. As I said much earlier in this thread these pictures mean nothing in the scheme of things. I pointed out much earlier that lighting, crappy cameras, or in my case crappy photographers can make a picture look realply different than what it actually is in person. Mike Casey's photos of Hansons buck illustrate what I said earlier. I dont judge things off of photographs because the ydo not always tell the tale. We use real evidence (say a murder weapon instead of a picture of the murder weapon) in trials a lot because a picture does not show everything and there is nothing like the real thing to prove a point. I respect that the CO and the three scorers said the antlers were real and would take their actually seeing the antlers over a couple of grainy pictures posted in magazine articles.


Hey wait a minute did we just agree on something?


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Hey wait a minute did we just agree on something?


Rofl you act as if it is the first time we have agreed....been a few other times too....


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Whack/Stack said:


> All of a sudden we are talking about bass fishing??????? Dude I spent most of the last 20 years of my life on the business side of fishing tournaments and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY you can compare catching a world record bass to shooting a world record buck. By the way, the world record bass was caught in JAPAN a couple years ago. Anyone know who caught it???????
> 
> JF88 When was the last time a buck sold for $100,000-$150,000? Man where does this stuff come from?


I said residual....you seem smart....so I am sure you know that is money that continually comes in. If a person markets a world record correctly....no matter if it is deer or fish, and that records is in good standing for a good amout of time your RESIDUAL income could in reality break the one million mark....if you wnat to count investments you make from the orginal income earned it could surpass the milion dollar mark sooner than later.....but this is a bit off topic. And btw it was Manabu Kurita to answer your question sir.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

QS34Reaper said:


> I said residual....you seem smart....so I am sure you know that is money that continually comes in. If a person markets a world record correctly....no matter if it is deer or fish, and that records is in good standing for a good amout of time your RESIDUAL income could realiticly break the one million mark....if you wnat to count investments you make from the orginal income earned it could surpass the milion dollar mark sooner than later.....but this is a bit off topic. And btw it was Manabu Kurita to answer your question sir.


Fish are definitely worth more money than deer. There has been a long standing one million dollar reward for breaking the World Record Marlin Catch. At one point there was also a one million reward for breaking the existing North American record. Not sure if these still exist for rewards but they were there at one time. I know here in Florida there was a million dollar reward for breaking the Florida record bass...The record bass was also caught in California several years back and released it weighed in at 24 lbs...

http://www.bountyfishing.com/BassBountyRules2010.html

Here is the cali bass....http://www.bigfishtackle.com/bass_record_press_release.html


----------



## JF88 (Feb 20, 2008)

The man, the myth, the legend. There have been ZERO Boone & Crockett bucks registered in Mitch's home county, Grand Traverse County Michigan. Fortunately, I think Mitch found a secret swamp where booners and P&Ys abound with crazy racks. These photos may have swayed my opinion.


----------



## Whackdaddy (Feb 23, 2009)

JF88 said:


> The man, the myth, the legend. There have been ZERO Boone & Crockett bucks registered in Mitch's home county, Grand Traverse County Michigan. Fortunately, I think Mitch found a secret swamp where booners and P&Ys abound with crazy racks. These photos may have swayed my opinion.
> 
> View attachment 1288720
> View attachment 1288721
> ...


I'd like to believe there is some giant-slaying hermit out there who could give a damn about publicity. But he has a website. And those wide, droopy-eared deer have antlers of similar configuration, with a look that's pretty darn similar to the antlers my taxidermist buddy sculpts out of some kind of resin. He's mounted a set a few years back to show what a perfectly typical 180" 10 point looks like. Made the horns from scratch, mounted them with a full cape and form. Looks like the real deal. Regardless, LONG LIVE THE ROMPOLA THREADS!!!


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

Does it not seem odd to you guys that he is never holding or touching the antlers in any of these photos?

It may be just another one of his quirky habits (he is a wild and crazy guy said in my best Steve Martin voice) but most people when posing with a large deer usually have a hold of the antlers.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

sbooy42 said:


> someday crow will be served and I'm pretty sure I know who's coming for dinner...eh Bucko..=)


No crow to eat here. Read all my posts. I believe the rack is real because guys I trust told me it was. 
If their word wasn't good, shame on me for believing them. I will be more dissapointed in them then
in Mitch for attempting a scam and them participating and/or being duped. However, I know those guys 
pretty well.

I certainly have my questions also.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

Hubba said:


> Does it not seem odd to you guys that he is never holding or touching the antlers in any of these photos?
> 
> It may be just another one of his quirky habits (he is a wild and crazy guy said in my best Steve Martin voice) but most people when posing with a large deer usually have a hold of the antlers.


I also find the semi-prone and scowl look a little creepy. YIKES!


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> This response is hear,say.Still no concrete proof.I am not buying the scorers were hand picked,on a potential world record cmon.


Really.

The only reason there were three scorers was to get an accurate score as possible. 
What difference does it make who scored it, to satisfy some joker on an outdoor talk forum?

If entered, the rack would be panel scored by measurers from both CBM and B&C.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

QS34Reaper said:


> It was published in a magazine!!! BIG DIFFERENCE!!


There is no mention of the article being from a magazine on the website. If it is indeed from a magazine, it is of no consequence. The information he posted that was supposedly "factual" was speculation, and easily disproved.

Read what I wrote in post #285. Any reasonable person can see the fallacy in the statements in the article.

AGAIN... I'm not sure of the legitimacy of the Rompola buck, however the reasons people keep using to call it fake, are absolutely ridiculous. I'm going to start nitpicking every buck picture I ever see and then claim it fake, because of some small oddity that is generally provided by a picture...

hwell:


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

saskguy said:


> I hear you, but it's not like that everywhere. You know,..any Joe blow pretty much can go hunt where Hanson killed his buck.
> 
> Would it be the same in the USA,..I think not.


Non residents cannot hunt where Milo killed his buck as far as I know, unless the law has changed.

I've hunted up there several times and Milo's area is out of bounds to NR.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I hope I never get accused of a crime and some of you guys that base your decisions on speculation,and no evidence sit on my jury WOW.


On that line of thinking, has MR presented any evidence in his defence or did he sign away his rights to stifle his critics?

When Michael Jackson settled out of court, did you hesitate for one even one second to not assume guilt?


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

msbowman said:


> The question I've not seen asked is did Mitch do taxidermy work?


Yes, but very poorly.


----------



## G3's (Jan 23, 2008)

JF88 said:


> Keeping in mind where he claimed to have shot the buck (Grand Traverse County).
> Check out Mitch's monsters including at least 2 bucks that would meet B&C criteria here: http://www.rompolawhitetails.com/gallery/?album=3
> 
> Then, check out how many B&C bucks have been shot in that county here : http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/geographicwhiteail.pdf
> ...


No offense, but I have personally held and witness more than a couple of bucks from Grand Traverse County that do break the 170 net minimum for B&C. 
Of little consequence but of interesting note, I know of 2 (myself being one) people that almost hit a deer eerily similar in size and look as the deer in question...in Grand Traverse County, almost in City limits, and oddly enough less than a mile of the place where Rompola lives...weird coincedence, maybe. I am not saying real or fake but I have reason to believe that the possibility of it being real is there.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> I'm going to start nitpicking every buck picture I ever see and then claim it fake, because of some small oddity that is generally provided by a picture...
> 
> hwell:


If you see evidence of a stain that appears to be potassium permanganate (sp?) on antlers purported to be a world record, please nitpick at will.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

bucko12pt said:


> Really.
> 
> The only reason there were three scorers was to get an accurate score as possible.
> What difference does it make who scored it, to satisfy some joker on an outdoor talk forum?
> ...


I just read that a hunter can choose his B & C scorer. Why choose your friends over a kill of this magnitude?


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

Binney59 said:


> A) I dont think he can "simply have it x-rayed to end things once and for all" because he signed a contract not to come forward until another buck beats Hansons.
> 
> B) I dont think he has any interest in doing so (as evidenced by all the other posts about his suspected motives and intentions)
> 
> ...


would not a modern x-ray show inconsistancy of material ? I mean the "bone" of the antler wouldnt' match up to a fabricated rack would it ? 

don't mean to sound stupid, just wondering as I am not an x-ray technician

Also for those that don't think hanson could bully, bullying goes on over the internet, why couldn't it go on over the phone or by mail ? Hanson has a lot to lose and if he thought there was something fishy with this buck I'd see where he might call the guy up and say" Put up or shut up" I don't know

Really this shows how far the sport has fallen in my eyes, its all about the buck and the hunter and how much money they can make off a deer. 

Honestly he has a lot of bucks that look similar, for those of you up in his area has any other hunter harvested a buck with this wide racked off the side of the head beam look ? 

And another question, does his family really own a deer farm in texas ?


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

What I mean about another hunter in that area shooting a similar looking buck is, I am sure Mitch doesn't have exclusive rights to all the land around him. ANd bucks will wonder some long ways. 

At the Miami farm we used to have bucks like this, but had short tines and long wide beams, they were called "bullwinkles" about 5 different guys killed these gentic line of bucks many years apart, some killed 2 or more of them.

So did anyone in this area harvest any like that ? That would tell me that maybe he is telling the truth. Mitchs website has several bucks that look almost identical.


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

:moviecorn anyone run out yet?


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

badfaulkner said:


> How are judges/scorers for a B & C candidate buck chosen?
> 
> The Rumpolagate I and II articles said that the scorers were his friends. Who chose these gents?
> 
> If it wasn't a handpicked group by MR, how is a panel chosen and was his group chosen in this way?


Not sure what B&C does, but I'm sure there is a scoring committee that most likely decides who will do it.

CBM also panel scores deer only if they are potential state records. The Aaron Davis buck was panel scored at the 
Grand Rapids show a few years ago and actually measured more than the initial score and became the new state record NT. Measurers are selected by the scoring chairman and board based on qualifications and experience. If the deer is a bow kill, it would make sense to have a B&C and P&Y measurer on the panel so it could be submitted to both organizations.

CBM has some measurers that are certified by CBM, B&C and P&Y.

One of the three guys that measured Mitch's buck told me they used three guys because it was going
to be extremely close to the WR and Mitch wanted as accurate a score as possible. He also told me Mitch 
did not participate in the scoring, nor was he there.

I guess I'd do the same today as they did then and I pretty much know the guys I'd ask to do it.

CBM is a volunteer organization. I generally measure 50 -70 deer or more a year and spend money out of
my own pocket and my own time to do it as a volunteer. There is no charge to the hunter for measuring a deer.
CBM tries to have a measurer in every county, so guys don't have to drive a long way to get a deer
scored. 

I guess you can look back and pick apart the process now that there has become a big controversy,
but there is no way I believe there was some big conspiracy at the time.

Incidentally, Mitch has not entered any of his deer in CBM or the national record books in a long time,
much before the big deer was killed.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Uncle Bucky said:


> would not a modern x-ray show inconsistancy of material ? I mean the "bone" of the antler wouldnt' match up to a fabricated rack would it ?
> 
> don't mean to sound stupid, just wondering as I am not an x-ray technician
> 
> ...


I can 100% guarantee if a guy brings me a replica rack to be measured I will determine if it 
is a fake or not. No good measureres will mess up on that. Have you guys ever looked at 
a replica, you can tell just by looking at them. Get them in you hands and it's pretty obvious.

As for the deer farm in Texas, Mo, MI and a host of other states, his family just laughs when they
hear that.............................another internet myth.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

badfaulkner said:


> If you see evidence of a stain that appears to be potassium permanganate (sp?) on antlers purported to be a world record, please nitpick at will.












This pic looks like somebody took some walnut stain to Milo's buck... I'm saying that a photo in the woods, with sunlight trickling through the trees, from a bad camera is a good indicator or the actual pigmentation of the antlers.

How is that difficult to understand?


----------



## JPW77 (Jan 26, 2004)

JF88 said:


> The man, the myth, the legend. There have been ZERO Boone & Crockett bucks registered in Mitch's home county, Grand Traverse County Michigan. Fortunately, I think Mitch found a secret swamp where booners and P&Ys abound with crazy racks. These photos may have swayed my opinion.
> 
> View attachment 1288720
> View attachment 1288721
> ...


Did anyone else notice that two of these pictures are taken in the exact same spot right in a scrape? Doesn't mean a hill of beans but I just thought it was interesting.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

JPW77 said:


> Did anyone else notice that two of these pictures are taken in the exact same spot right in a scrape? Doesn't mean a hill of beans but I just thought it was interesting.


Looks like a hot spot, somebody must have spilled some "C'Mere Deer" there...


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

bucko12pt said:


> Non residents cannot hunt where Milo killed his buck as far as I know, unless the law has changed.
> 
> I've hunted up there several times and Milo's area is out of bounds to NR.


That is also what I thought but didn't respond because I didn't know for sure.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

JPW77 said:


> Did anyone else notice that two of these pictures are taken in the exact same spot right in a scrape? Doesn't mean a hill of beans but I just thought it was interesting.


If you read the article that was from an actual interview of Mitch you will see that he uses synthetic scents and made mock scrape lines that he kept going year round. He may have killed a couple of these bucks out of the same stand and just took the pictures where he took them because he liked the location. I have killed two deer over 100" inches here in Florida out of the same tree stand in a swamp 4 years apart. Both deer were killed within 5 feet of each other. I kill a great deer out of the stand most years because it is in a great location. This year my buddy greg killed a 109" drop tined buck out of the same stand about 20 feet from where my two bucks were killed. Great stand locations will produce year after year if you hunt them right.


----------



## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

bucko12pt said:


> Non residents cannot hunt where Milo killed his buck as far as I know, unless the law has changed.
> 
> I've hunted up there several times and Milo's area is out of bounds to NR.



i have been reading this thread, and i noticed in a post that you said you were NOT friends with him, so when you say that you have hunted up there before does that mean you hunted around the same place that mitch hunts? or did you hunt with him? makes it a little weird when you say that you werent friends with him but hunted there several times... if i have some how miss read the post i am sorry.


----------



## JPW77 (Jan 26, 2004)

Yes I read that article and kind of had the same thoughts.


----------



## JPW77 (Jan 26, 2004)

bdman said:


> i have been reading this thread, and i noticed in a post that you said you were NOT friends with him, so when you say that you have hunted up there before does that mean you hunted around the same place that mitch hunts? or did you hunt with him? makes it a little weird when you say that you werent friends with him but hunted there several times... if i have some how miss read the post i am sorry.


He is talking about hunting in Canada near where Milo Hanson killed the record buck, not in Michigan where Rompola hunts.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

bdman said:


> i have been reading this thread, and i noticed in a post that you said you were NOT friends with him, so when you say that you have hunted up there before does that mean you hunted around the same place that mitch hunts? or did you hunt with him? makes it a little weird when you say that you werent friends with him but hunted there several times... if i have some how miss read the post i am sorry.


If you read the earlier post Bucko said he lives near Rompola and has spoken with him a time or two but is not a close friend.


----------



## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

JPW77 said:


> He is talking about hunting in Canada near where Milo Hanson killed the record buck, not in Michigan where Rompola hunts.


thanks


----------



## trz (Oct 9, 2011)

Hubba said:


> Does it not seem odd to you guys that he is never holding or touching the antlers in any of these photos?
> 
> It may be just another one of his quirky habits (he is a wild and crazy guy said in my best Steve Martin voice) but most people when posing with a large deer usually have a hold of the antlers.


So, what exactly Is he holding in the last of these pictures then?


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't need to see what he is or isn't touching in any pictures. Odds are the horns are secured much better than they naturally are on a skull plate. And of those of you who are just amazed at how someone could convict on such 'little' evidence as encasing the skull with no attempt at explanation, and then refusing to make it available to be inspected I've got an analogy for you, and something I promise I'll do if ever in such a position.

If I'm ever on a jury for a sexual assault trial and it happens to involve one of your family members as the victim, and that victim can identify some type of distinguishing remark below the belt, but there is no DNA, positive id or witnesses, and yet the defendant refuse to allow their body to be inspected, I'll vote to fry them. I won't even expect a thank you from you. In this particular case, the world only needed to verify there were no such distinguishing marks, and they were told to stick it. Hoax, fake, altered, whichever term suits you better.

And if an official scorer has spoken to someone who scored the deer, it absolutely defies explanation that no attempt to look in to the claim that those scorers told B&C that they were not able to inspect the skull. Either they did or they didn't, and to not do so meant it was all a waste of time under those conditions. Maybe someone has something published in which they argue that claim? That does not mean they did a thing wrong. Their score was never going to be accepted in making the buck the new WR, of course it would have went before a panel. But they, along with everyone else knew that the skull plate as it appears in photos was never going to be accepted. Maybe they really didn't care, or were told that it would be revealed. Not one chance in the world that they thought it was going to be okay entombed up the way it was. And that would have been so easy to take care, should make you wonder if anyone involved knew it was never going to go beyond the claim and the results of that private session.

I've not made a comment on any of the other 'evidence', as the skull plate has and always has been enough for me. That is deer scoring 101. But for those that are railing against the color changes being a natural occurrence due to lighting, that might go along a bit better if the antlers were not the only thing showing the odd hues that just happen to match up to a certain chemical. Everything in those pictures would be 'odd', not just the antlers. In the pictures of the Hansen buck, I can clearly see the changes that are referred to. But I see them in everything from skin tones all the way to the appearance of the antlers. 

And how easy would it be to stay in compliance with the 'legal' agreement, but yet blow holes in the skull plate being altered? He's got several other bucks with pretty much the same oddity. Just make those skull plates available for review. He needn't say a word about the other deer, nor would he have to.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Quartermoons said:


> I don't need to see what he is or isn't touching in any pictures. Odds are the horns are secured much better than they naturally are on a skull plate. And of those of you who are just amazed at how someone could convict on such 'little' evidence as encasing the skull with no attempt at explanation, and then refusing to make it available to be inspected I've got an analogy for you, and something I promise I'll do if ever in such a position.
> 
> If I'm ever on a jury for a sexual assault trial and it happens to involve one of your family members as the victim, and that victim can identify some type of distinguishing remark below the belt, but there is no DNA, positive id or witnesses, and yet the defendant refuse to allow their body to be inspected, I'll vote to fry them. I won't even expect a thank you from you. In this particular case, the world only needed to verify there were no such distinguishing marks, and they were told to stick it. Hoax, fake, altered, whichever term suits you better.
> 
> ...


Um...you're going to lose a lot of credibility when you compare a deer and the scoring of the deer (which a person has no legal obligation to have their deer scored, and it isn't a criminal violation to not have it scored, and...) to an intentional crime of violence committed against another human. Combined with an obver-all lack of understanding of how the criminal justice system functions, and a bad analogy...really...if the victim actuall sees a distinguishing mark doesn't compare to the inability to see a skull plate because it is covered by something...whether or not the rest of what you say has merit or not will be lost on the rational of the comparison...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Um, I didn't use that until it was brought up as a rebuttal for those of us that do not see anything wrong with standard procedures being used to determine whether or not a whitetail is a new WR or not. And nobody on the other side of the fence had a problem with it when it meshed with their views.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Quartermoons said:


> I don't need to see what he is or isn't touching in any pictures. Odds are the horns are secured much better than they naturally are on a skull plate. And of those of you who are just amazed at how someone could convict on such 'little' evidence as encasing the skull with no attempt at explanation, and then refusing to make it available to be inspected I've got an analogy for you, and something I promise I'll do if ever in such a position.
> 
> If I'm ever on a jury for a sexual assault trial and it happens to involve one of your family members as the victim, and that victim can identify some type of distinguishing remark below the belt, but there is no DNA, positive id or witnesses, and yet the defendant refuse to allow their body to be inspected, I'll vote to fry them. I won't even expect a thank you from you. In this particular case, the world only needed to verify there were no such distinguishing marks, and they were told to stick it. Hoax, fake, altered, whichever term suits you better.
> 
> ...


So what you are saying is the measurers scored the deer knowing it was a fake and knew the score would never
make it to a panel to be officially measured. Interesting theory. I know all of the measurers and you probably do
not. If you did know them and their history as measurers I don't believe you would make that assumption. They are 
all stand up guys that have measured thousand's of deer.

If the rack turns out to be fake, then your assumption is correct, or 4 pretty astute individuals when it comes to 
deer racks, were duped, both when they saw the deer whole the day of the harvest and again 60 days or so, later when they
measured it.

Anything's possible i guess.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

How can I be saying that they knew it was a fake when I quite clearly stated that maybe they were told the skull plate would be available to be inspected? What I would expect for you is to politely ask those involved whether they were able to view it or not. And if they were, why did they not contradict a well known magazine going on record that stated they told B&C they were not able to. It's that simple. I would still have wanted to score the antlers, even if I couldn't see it. But I would have known my results wouldn't have meant squat until that skull plate was available.


----------



## Rick Hodges (Nov 3, 2008)

I have no idea whether or not Rompola's buck is real or not. I do know that the WR holder and his backers paid the challenger not to challenge. Lets see, they paid Mitch out of the goodness of their hearts and not because they knew they would be "dethroned". The whole system is corrupt. A pox on Boone & Crockett, Pope & Young and all the big rack worshipers. They have made a farce out of hunting.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Quartermoons said:


> How can I be saying that knew it was a fake when I quite clearly stated that maybe they were told the skull plate would be available to be inspected? What I would expect for you is to politely ask those involved whether they were able to view it or not. And if they were, why did they not contradict a well known magazine going on record that stated they told B&C they were not able to. It's that simple. I would still have wanted to score the antlers, even if I couldn't see it. But I would have known my results wouldn't have meant squat until that skull plate was available.


If you read this whole thread you will find that they already stated that they did not inspect the skyull plate. 

Anyone can tell a fabricated rack from one that is made of real bone. All you have to do is grab two tines in your hand and squeeze. You will instantly know if it is reeal or not. There is no way that the rack was scored by these people as a real rack when it was fabricated, that's not even a viable theory. 

Reproductions are just that... a copy of a real rack. So if it was a reproduction then there was a rel rack somewhere. How does that fit with all these theories??? Think about that.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Rick Hodges said:


> I have no idea whether or not Rompola's buck is real or not. I do know that the WR holder and his backers paid the challenger not to challenge. Lets see, they paid Mitch out of the goodness of their hearts and not because they knew they would be "dethroned". The whole system is corrupt. A pox on Boone & Crockett, Pope & Young and all the big rack worshipers. They have made a farce out of hunting.


That brings up a good point. Why would they pay Mitch to shut up unless he had something to talk about? That's another place I smell a rat. They must have had some inkling that there was some merit to his claims. Maybe they just wanted to shut this down before Mitch changed his mind and decided to have the buck x-rayed and officially entered as the World Record.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I've read the entire thread, and I'm pretty sure if you widen a rack by altering the skull plate it will score higher. How does that fit with any theories?


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> This pic looks like somebody took some walnut stain to Milo's buck... I'm saying that a photo in the woods, with sunlight trickling through the trees, from a bad camera is a good indicator or the actual pigmentation of the antlers.
> 
> How is that difficult to understand?


I wasn't referring to the darkening of the mounted antlers but the reddish [not blood red] stain of the freshly killed photo. Here's a reference to my suspicions (potassium permanganate), posted here from another AT member. It's not quite the color of blood.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060913200232AAQzh8V




Quartermoons said:


> But for those that are railing against the color changes being a natural occurrence due to lighting, that might go along a bit better if the antlers were not the only thing showing the odd hues that *just happen to match up to a certain chemical*. .


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

Whack/Stack said:


> That brings up a good point. Why would they pay Mitch to shut up unless he had something to talk about? That's another place I smell a rat. They must have had some inkling that there was some merit to his claims. Maybe they just wanted to shut this down before Mitch changed his mind and decided to have the buck x-rayed and officially entered as the World Record.


I wondered the same thing. Although it is not proof of anything, the fact that they signed a contract with him rather than just suing him to shut him up suggests to me that there may be some merit to the buck. If it was so obviously fake like some here seem to think, why sign a contract to keep it out of public eye? I realize some of the contract was to keep it from taking revenue and attention from Milo's buck, but I would be willing to be that if I made a buck that was "obviously fake" they would not be asking me to sign a contract and opt for a lawsuit. Just a thought.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Quartermoons said:


> Um, I didn't use that until it was brought up as a rebuttal for those of us that do not see anything wrong with standard procedures being used to determine whether or not a whitetail is a new WR or not. And nobody on the other side of the fence had a problem with it when it meshed with their views.


I guess you are the first person who's post that I have read that analyzes a rape to a deer that may or may not be real...can yopu point to the previous posts that made the same analogy?

The world needed nothing and was entitled to nothing btw...only if a person wants to proceed with claims of something may the world then possible be entitled to something...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I took 'crime' and 'jury' and came up with my own specific analogy Rolo. I don't feel the need to single out any one individual for making their own argument in that matter, I understand that they believe what they believe. It never was about comparing the 2, it was about making decisions based upon less than smoking gun evidence and I'm pretty sure you know that. 

And it really doesn't matter if anyone discounts the rest of my argument. So what if someone suddenly agreed with me? Doesn't change a thing. And as far thinking I'm kukoo for cocoa puffs, well I can live with that too. I'm convinced I wouldn't be near as alone as I would have thought before this thread.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> I wasn't referring to the darkening of the mounted antlers but the reddish [not blood red] stain of the freshly killed photo. Here's a reference to my suspicions (potassium permanganate), posted here from another AT member. It's not quite the color of blood.
> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060913200232AAQzh8V



The entire color argument of this photo is meaningless. This photo was taken with a film print camera, probably with 400iso Kodak film. If it was taken with Fuji film the greens and blues would "pop" a litle better.You get a little stronger browns and reds with Kodak. If it was taken with a faster speed film like 200 ISO it would not be so grainy. I am a little out of practise but I would bet you that this photo was taken with 400ISO Kodak film.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

Rick Hodges said:


> I have no idea whether or not Rompola's buck is real or not. I do know that the WR holder and his backers paid the challenger not to challenge. Lets see, they paid Mitch out of the goodness of their hearts and not because they knew they would be "dethroned". The whole system is corrupt. A pox on Boone & Crockett, Pope & Young and all the big rack worshipers. They have made a farce out of hunting.


x 2 good post


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

well not to further the discussion but I always heard that he cut the skull plate off the dead buck and replaced it with the alter/rigged one. But if he drove around town showing the deer off and in the video I saw a long time ago of the recovery, someone would see the deer had just had brain surgery wouldn't they ? 

And widening the antlers could only give you what ? maybe 3 " tops ? Not enough to take the risk in my opinion. 

If anything was altered I'd say he enhanced the tines, maybe added a few

how many 12 pointers get killed up that way ? 

Personally I really don't care but if it is the world record the buck that grew those horns should be recognized, not the hunters


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Whack/Stack said:


> The entire color argument of this photo is meaningless. This photo was taken with a film print camera, probably with 400iso Kodak film. If it was taken with Fuji film the greens and blues would "pop" a litle better.You get a little stronger browns and reds with Kodak. If it was taken with a faster speed film like 200 ISO it would not be so grainy. I am a little out of practise but I would bet you that this photo was taken with 400ISO Kodak film.


Thanks for explaining it in technical terms, apparently the way I was saying wasn't beleivable. Then again I have no training, I'm just smart enough to realize that crappy cameras in the 90's didn't always portray color exactly.


@quartermoon

Even if you believe the color of the antlers is accurately portrayed in the picture, and it looks like whatever chemical combo people use to stain fake antlers, surely you realize why that is a common stain for fake antlers... 

Because its the same color as REAL ANTLERS!

Why is it so far fetched for antlers to actually be the color of a stain used to imitate antlers?

That'd be like me punching you in the face, and then saying "that's not real blood, I know because it looks like the fake blood they use in the movies"


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Please reread that I put very little importance on the photographs. But there is such a thing as a cumulative effect of 'oddities', and I'm not sure how you can argue against that. I never watched the recovery video, maybe the head wasn't wet and the rest of the body dry. Maybe there is a rational reason for the ear to be so droopy, have blood in it, yada, yada. 

I'm not using them as the basis of my opinion. It was, has been and will always be the fact that the skull plate was not visible at any point photos were taken, and during the scoring process itself. Awful convenient to obtain 30" of spread, from an antler angle that is basically unheard, yet it's okay to break the rules, refuse to allow access and still attempt to claim a record. 

I will officially state I think the pictures I've seen are as real as any other! I'm okay with that. You just cannot get around the other though.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

I can understand your skepticism. I agree that there are many odd circumstances surrounding the deer, and have not made up my mind whether or not every aspect of the deers harvest is legit. Although as an official scorer Mitch would know that unless the spread measurement is shorter than the shortest main beam it doesn't add to the deers score anyway. 

I think a good explanation for everything would be a deer taken by an illegal method. Say he shot the deer in the ear with a small caliber. That would likely cause some irregularities in the deers skull, that he might want to hide. That could also account for the "bloody ear" and his willingness to remove the deer from the spotlight for fear of fines and removal of hunting privelages.

I don't have anything more than suspicion to substantiate my theory, but it just seems a lot more likely that somebody poached a genetic anamoly (which most record bucks are) than built one, especially considering the limited resources and taxidermy ability at MRs disposal.


----------



## 202gwg (Feb 22, 2011)

I've read this whole thread, still no smoking gun to prove any wrong doing. Strange cicumstances yes. I've always given MR the benefit of the doubt the buck is legit. I remember hearing years back he had some kind of falling out with B&C.
Just because someone shoots a buck that could contend for the new WR doesn't mean he has to let it be offically scored or enter it in any books. I think for reasons only known to him, as others stated, he took his ball & went home & hid it so no one else can play with it. Maybe some day the world will find out what it really is.


----------



## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

I apologize for not reading all 12 pages, as this may have been discussed previously. What I know of the situation as a lifelong Michigan native is that a fellow by the name of Craig Calderone (who owns a game ranch and is involved in trophy record keeping in MI) offered Mitch $10,000 to have the rack x-rayed and Mitch declined. If it was my legally killed monster buck rack and I was offered $10,000 to have it x-rayed, I would take it to the location and insist that the rack never leave my sight. However by inference, declining such an offer casts extreme doubt upon the validity of said rack. Even if you hated the guy who made the offer, 10k is a lot reasons to put aside some previous differences........... If that is arguing from silence, Mitch can step up any time to refute things if he wishes.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

mike.casey said:


> I can understand your skepticism. I agree that there are many odd circumstances surrounding the deer, and have not made up my mind whether or not every aspect of the deers harvest is legit. Although as an official scorer Mitch would know that unless the spread measurement is shorter than the shortest main beam it doesn't add to the deers score anyway.
> 
> I think a good explanation for everything would be a deer taken by an illegal method. Say he shot the deer in the ear with a small caliber. That would likely cause some irregularities in the deers skull, that he might want to hide. That could also account for the "bloody ear" and his willingness to remove the deer from the spotlight for fear of fines and removal of hunting privelages.
> 
> I don't have anything more than suspicion to substantiate my theory, but it just seems a lot more likely that somebody poached a genetic anamoly (which most record bucks are) than built one, especially considering the limited resources and taxidermy ability at MRs disposal.


Your last sentence reminds me of some of Mitch's taxidermy work. I never saw anything that Mitch ever did
that was good, or even marginal. I gave him a deer hide to tan and a mink to mount and two years later I still didn't have them back 
and I never did get them back. Personally, I don't think he has the abilities to fake a rack like the WR, or any other 
rack for that matter. Maybe someone else could do it, but from what I've seen of Mitch's work, no way does he have the 
abilities to do it, so that leads to even more people involved in the conspiracy theory. 

Let's see, we're up to 1 CO, 3 CBM, B&C andP&Y measurers, another taxidermist, or two, plus Mitch. That could be as many 7 people, or more involved in the conspiracy. Wonder what the odds are of keeping that many people quiet for 13 years??


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Alaska at heart said:


> I apologize for not reading all 12 pages, as this may have been discussed previously. What I know of the situation as a lifelong Michigan native is that a fellow by the name of Craig Calderone (who owns a game ranch and is involved in trophy record keeping in MI) offered Mitch $10,000 to have the rack x-rayed and Mitch declined. If it was my legally killed monster buck rack and I was offered $10,000 to have it x-rayed, I would take it to the location and insist that the rack never leave my sight. However by inference, declining such an offer casts extreme doubt upon the validity of said rack. Even if you hated the guy who made the offer, 10k is a lot reasons to put aside some previous differences........... If that is arguing from silence, Mitch can step up any time to refute things if he wishes.


You need to read the 12 pages of posts , as the reasons Mitch turned Calderone down are explained several times. Or, 
you can read the 3rd Edition (I believe it's the 3rd) of CBM's official record book and the story is in there.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> The entire color argument of this photo is meaningless. This photo was taken with a film print camera, probably with 400iso Kodak film. If it was taken with Fuji film the greens and blues would "pop" a litle better.You get a little stronger browns and reds with Kodak. If it was taken with a faster speed film like 200 ISO it would not be so grainy. I am a little out of practise but I would bet you that this photo was taken with 400ISO Kodak film.


These are certainly factors I didn't know before. I appreciate you addressing my concerns.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

Ditto



bucko12pt said:


> Your last sentence reminds me of some of Mitch's taxidermy work. I never saw anything that Mitch ever did
> that was good, or even marginal. I gave him a deer hide to tan and a mink to mount and two years later I still didn't have them back
> and I never did get them back. Personally, I don't think he has the abilities to fake a rack like the WR, or any other
> rack for that matter. Maybe someone else could do it, but from what I've seen of Mitch's work, no way does he have the
> ...


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

I appreciate those of you who have posted in defence of MR or who are neutral that pointed out counter-arguments to things I've read. I'm less skeptical than when the thread started. I don't have a dog in this fight but it's something I've read about for years. Thanks for all the posts and not for not getting pizzed by all of my questions.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Whack/Stack said:


> The entire color argument of this photo is meaningless. This photo was taken with a film print camera, probably with 400iso Kodak film. If it was taken with Fuji film the greens and blues would "pop" a litle better.You get a little stronger browns and reds with Kodak. If it was taken with a faster speed film like 200 ISO it would not be so grainy. I am a little out of practise but I would bet you that this photo was taken with 400ISO Kodak film.


Gotta agree that anyone trying to make an arguement the coloration is proof of a fake is really foolish. What makes you think the colors depitced in this photo match real life? Look at the coloration and detail of his face in this same photo. Do you think that is an accurate representation as well? 

How crazy is all this. I don't know if it's real or not but when you step back and examine this situation, you have this: everyone who has seen and touched the deer says it's real. No one, not ONE single person who has seen or touched it says it's not real, and EVERYONE who says it's fake has never seen or touched it. I know who the fools are in that situation.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Whack/Stack said:


> If you read this whole thread you will find that they already stated that they did not inspect the skyull plate.
> 
> Anyone can tell a fabricated rack from one that is made of real bone. All you have to do is grab two tines in your hand and squeeze. You will instantly know if it is reeal or not. There is no way that the rack was scored by these people as a real rack when it was fabricated, that's not even a viable theory.
> 
> *Reproductions are just that... a copy of a real rack.* So if it was a reproduction then there was a rel rack somewhere. How does that fit with all these theories??? Think about that.


Or a copy of a manufactured rack.


----------



## Twitch (Oct 14, 2007)

saskguy said:


> I'm no lawyer,....but I'll bet if I claimed a new wr non typical.........
> I'd eventually be "bullied" if I didn't put the claim to rest.
> 
> and *I'd also bet that the promotion team is more the bully than the big bad farmer himself*.


Exactly, Milos' deer is a business entity as well as a world record. This business entity will do everything within its powers to maintain its revenue stream for as long as it can.


----------



## Michael A (Sep 19, 2011)

Richard P Smith has examined and has written several articles about Mitch and his buck and states that he has no reason to believe the rack is fake.....Good enough for me.....


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Quartermoons said:


> Please reread that I put very little importance on the photographs. But there is such a thing as a cumulative effect of 'oddities', and I'm not sure how you can argue against that. I never watched the recovery video, maybe the head wasn't wet and the rest of the body dry. Maybe there is a rational reason for the ear to be so droopy, have blood in it, yada, yada.


I've seen plenty of droopy eared deer. Lots of strange things happen that aren't easy to explain, and some are easy to explain. Here is a picture of a doe I shot that has blood in her ear. You can see the entrance wound high on her side. The exit wound is behind the leg, low on the other side. I don't know how the blood got in her ear but it's there, and she is real (and I didn't cut her skull plate out to replace with a bigger one :wink: )









I just think anyone who uses such weak factors with other possible explanations as proof to refute what everyone who has seen the deer says to be true, is really foolish.


----------



## BrewCrew2 (Jan 25, 2011)

I've followed this thread the whole way and am not positive which way I lean on it, but I find the debate very interesting.. I've taken some screen shots from the video that mike.casey posted on page 2.. Make your own judgements..


----------



## BlCreekTaxdermy (Mar 8, 2011)

Whack/Stack said:


> If you read this whole thread you will find that they already stated that they did not inspect the skyull plate.
> 
> Anyone can tell a fabricated rack from one that is made of real bone. All you have to do is grab two tines in your hand and squeeze. You will instantly know if it is reeal or not. There is no way that the rack was scored by these people as a real rack when it was fabricated, that's not even a viable theory.
> 
> Reproductions are just that... a copy of a real rack. So if it was a reproduction then there was a rel rack somewhere. How does that fit with all these theories??? Think about that.


Depends on who makes the replicas and what material they are using. The ones I have made you wont get the bend like you talk about and they are within ounces of the actual real antler weight. Replicas are like anything else in this world , you have good ones and bad ones.
And it does not mean there is an actual real rack out there. You can (and myself & others) have built racks from scratch and then molded the "built" antlers. Now we only did this for our own fun and to see what a 240" typical would look like.


----------



## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

I like many others really want the buck to be real. But no one has answerd why MR would be all about the money and be so inclined to be on a poster advertising products and then all of a sudden want no part of the money and glory? The recluse thing is absurd to me when he has been in books and has his own internet forum. A recluse does none of the thing MR has done in regards to deer hunting. I just don't buy it that a guy who has spent much of his life chasing monster whitetails and talking about it and has little money and resources would walk away from a huge payday. He does not need to do a tour like Hanson all he needs to do is take in the 150,000 or more initially and then take his ball and go home. No need to have it officially entered into P&Y or B&C. Just post legit pics and have three official scorers verify all is legit and go back to the woods if that is your choice. It just does not add up to most from a distance and that is the driving force behind all his negative press.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

On a side note, could you start a thread with the 240" typical antlers, I think that would be pretty cool to check out.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

BlCreekTaxdermy said:


> Depends on who makes the replicas and what material they are using. The ones I have made you wont get the bend like you talk about and they are within ounces of the actual real antler weight. Replicas are like anything else in this world , you have good ones and bad ones.
> And it does not mean there is an actual real rack out there. You can (and myself & others) have built racks from scratch and then molded the "built" antlers. Now we only did this for our own fun and to see what a 240" typical would look like.


Being a taxidermist that has messed with fake antlers, how would you go about attaching a set of antlers to the skull of
a deer so that it was solid if someone moved the head around? Also, so that it wasn't obvious that the hide was cut and 
resewn? Every deer I've ever seen mounted I can tell where it has been sewn back up. That's what he is accused of and I 
find it hard to believe it can be done without noticing. Just attaching a rack like this to a skull, so it is solid seems impossible 
to me. What would you attach it to to make it solid?


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

And along with bucko's request for information, you'd need to keep in mind of how long ago it was. Surely there have been improvements made between the dates that wouldn't have been available in 98.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

Boonerbrad said:


> I like many others really want the buck to be real. But no one has answerd why MR would be all about the money and be so inclined to be on a poster advertising products and then all of a sudden want no part of the money and glory? The recluse thing is absurd to me when he has been in books and has his own internet forum. A recluse does none of the thing MR has done in regards to deer hunting. I just don't buy it that a guy who has spent much of his life chasing monster whitetails and talking about it and has little money and resources would walk away from a huge payday. He does not need to do a tour like Hanson all he needs to do is take in the 150,000 or more initially and then take his ball and go home. No need to have it officially entered into P&Y or B&C. Just post legit pics and have three official scorers verify all is legit and go back to the woods if that is your choice. It just does not add up to most from a distance and that is the driving force behind all his negative press.



Although this is rehashing some old points and pure speculation, lets say he did a couple endorsements and then realized what it was like being in the public eye and decided it was not for him? He obviously marches to the beat of a different drum, but I dont think it is out of the realm of possibility that someone could become a "celebrity" and then want things the way they used to be. 

Another theory could be that he did not want the added scrutiny or attention brought to his past indiscretions. I am not trying to imply anything with the analogy, but lets say there is a guy who has "relations" with his girlfriend while he is 18 and she is 17 and he gets put on the sex offender list. Fast forward a few years- lets say he is interested in politics- do you think that person would ever run, knowing full well that his past bad decisions would be brought up again? 

I will be the first to admit that if either of the above is true, the internet site does not make the most sense, but as far as I know he keeps the "WR" buck off of it and focuses on his other kills. I also think that the other kills traits (crazy wide, etc) seem to support the legitimacy of the "WR" buck. Possibly he does not want the attention, but yet wants to release other similar bucks to make the "WR" buck look like less of a fluke?


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

@Brewcrew thanks for the screenshots. I didn't even realize there was such a clear view of the top and back of the deers head. As I eluded to earlier, I don't think MR or most people posess the skill set to falsify a deer that well. I think the evidence for strongly outweigh the evidence against. At least for it being an actual deer.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

badfaulkner said:


> I appreciate those of you who have posted in defence of MR or who are neutral that pointed out counter-arguments to things I've read. I'm less skeptical than when the thread started. I don't have a dog in this fight but it's something I've read about for years. Thanks for all the posts and not for not getting pizzed by all of my questions.


Class act right here folks!


----------



## BlCreekTaxdermy (Mar 8, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> Being a taxidermist that has messed with fake antlers, how would you go about attaching a set of antlers to the skull of
> a deer so that it was solid if someone moved the head around? Also, so that it wasn't obvious that the hide was cut and
> resewn? Every deer I've ever seen mounted I can tell where it has been sewn back up. That's what he is accused of and I
> find it hard to believe it can be done without noticing. Just attaching a rack like this to a skull, so it is solid seems impossible
> to me. What would you attach it to to make it solid?


If a man wanted to go to that much trouble, it could be done.
You could carefully cut a set of antlers off a buck where the hair meets the pedicle. You could then have your antlers you want to replace the originals with already set up with threaded rod epoxied into the antlers. Then you could drill holes into the original skull plate still attached to the deer you cut the antlers off of. And then epoxy your "replacements" antlers onto the deer. If you had your replacements antlers already set up, it would not take long to do this. And just like doing a seamless mount, you would have no incision to see or feel.
And you need to find a better taxidermist if you can tell where it was sewed up. !! LOL Done properly, you should not be able tell where it was sewn at.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Alaska at heart said:


> I apologize for not reading all 12 pages, as this may have been discussed previously. What I know of the situation as a lifelong Michigan native is that a fellow by the name of Craig Calderone (who owns a game ranch and is involved in trophy record keeping in MI) offered Mitch $10,000 to have the rack x-rayed and Mitch declined. If it was my legally killed monster buck rack and I was offered $10,000 to have it x-rayed, I would take it to the location and insist that the rack never leave my sight. However by inference, declining such an offer casts extreme doubt upon the validity of said rack. Even if you hated the guy who made the offer, 10k is a lot reasons to put aside some previous differences........... If that is arguing from silence, Mitch can step up any time to refute things if he wishes.


You really should have read the whole post because this topic wash hased out already.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Boonerbrad said:


> I like many others really want the buck to be real. But no one has answerd why MR would be all about the money and be so inclined to be on a poster advertising products and then all of a sudden want no part of the money and glory? The recluse thing is absurd to me when he has been in books and has his own internet forum. A recluse does none of the thing MR has done in regards to deer hunting. I just don't buy it that a guy who has spent much of his life chasing monster whitetails and talking about it and has little money and resources would walk away from a huge payday. He does not need to do a tour like Hanson all he needs to do is take in the 150,000 or more initially and then take his ball and go home. *No need to have it officially entered into P&Y or B&C.* Just post legit pics and have three official scorers verify all is legit and go back to the woods if that is your choice. It just does not add up to most from a distance and that is the driving force behind all his negative press.


This is what he did, except for taking the dough, because he can't take the money unitl is is officially recognized by B&C or P&Y. It's not a world record until it is verified by the world record organizations. So what you are saying he should do is pretty much what he did.


----------



## sbooy42 (Jan 2, 2007)

bucko12pt said:


> No crow to eat here. Read all my posts. I believe the rack is real because guys I trust told me it was.
> If their word wasn't good, shame on me for believing them. I will be more dissapointed in them then
> in Mitch for attempting a scam and them participating and/or being duped. However, I know those guys
> pretty well.
> ...


Too funny..damn internet=).. I've read all your post and they are inline with what I've been told by people I trust too..:darkbeer:


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

BlCreekTaxdermy said:


> If a man wanted to go to that much trouble, it could be done.
> You could carefully cut a set of antlers off a buck where the hair meets the pedicle. You could then have your antlers you want to replace the originals with already set up with threaded rod epoxied into the antlers. Then you could drill holes into the original skull plate still attached to the deer you cut the antlers off of. And then epoxy your "replacements" antlers onto the deer. If you had your replacements antlers already set up, it would not take long to do this. And just like doing a seamless mount, you would have no incision to see or feel.
> And you need to find a better taxidermist if you can tell where it was sewed up. !! LOL Done properly, you should not be able tell where it was sewn at.


10-4

I understand how it could be done that way. I still go back to the fact that I don't believe Mitch comes
even close to having those abilities as a taxidermist, let alone the abilities to manufacture the rack.

In the pictures you can see the deer is not dressed out yet, so he would have had to accomplish all that 
fairly quickly in order for the guys to see it that saw it the first day.

Weren't most/all of the taxis still doing mounts that were split all the way up the back of the neck in those days?


----------



## Ronbo 316 (Feb 1, 2009)

I've read every post and my opinion would have to be .... 
Something is wrong and is being kept from the public. Most of what I've read here is nothing more than hearsay. The part that stands out to me has to do with the skull and that is why I dont believe it's legit. I just cant get past the fact that he wont verify the skull to prove that it hasnt been altered and have all doubts removed....It's my opinion.... everyone has one of thier own.


----------



## BlCreekTaxdermy (Mar 8, 2011)

bucko12pt said:


> 10-4
> 
> I understand how it could be done that way. I still go back to the fact that I don't believe Mitch comes
> even close to having those abilities as a taxidermist, let alone the abilities to manufacture the rack.
> ...


Some taxis I'm sure were still doing the long incision back when this buck was killed but alot of other taxis were using the short incision also. Heck even today some still use the long incision. But no matter if a taxi uses the long or short, they should still be able to sew it up where in is not noticable. Most of all the african skins we get in to mount are caped using the long incision, so you have to learn how to sew to where it does not show.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

BlCreekTaxdermy said:


> Some taxis I'm sure were still doing the long incision back when this buck was killed but alot of other taxis were using the short incision also. Heck even today some still use the long incision. But no matter if a taxi uses the long or short, they should still be able to sew it up where in is not noticable. Most of all the african skins we get in to mount are caped using the long incision, so you have to learn how to sew to where it does not show.












Now tell me if the guy that mounted this deer could do a good enough job for no one that saw the dead deer would notice.


----------



## John316 (Aug 23, 2003)

Payoffs...dead things...and strange characters. Somebody needs to get 20/20,48 hours or one such show in on this.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> You really should have read the whole post because this topic wash hased out already.


This is true. It's worth reading. Even if your mind's made up, it never hurts to read about the "holes" in your own point of view.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> I hear you, but it's not like that everywhere. You know,..any Joe blow pretty much can go hunt where Hanson killed his buck.
> 
> Would it be the same in the USA,..I think not.
> Non residents cannot hunt where Milo killed his buck as far as I know, unless the law has changed.
> ...


You're right, it's south of the forest. What I meant was any resident can get permission there, handshake style, no $ involved.


----------



## John316 (Aug 23, 2003)

badfaulkner said:


> This is true. It's worth reading. Even if your mind's made up, it never hurts to read about the "holes" in your own point of view.


That's true. When I saw this thread I thought not again that story has been beat to death...but I learned some things I didn't know before and now I'm thinking maybe the man did kill what he said did.

Maybe time will tell...it usually does.


----------



## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

Whack/Stack said:


> This is what he did, except for taking the dough, because he can't take the money unitl is is officially recognized by B&C or P&Y. It's not a world record until it is verified by the world record organizations. So what you are saying he should do is pretty much what he did.


No he thru it out there as a WR and then when asked to have the skull plate verified he ran and hid. He was the media ***** before the x-ray was asked for and has been since. Just no morer claims of a WR. I would love to see it be the real deal i just have enough common sense to know the spots on a leopard never change. Shady would be the nicest way to desribe MR. And to hold the WR whitetail and not come forward is at best fishy after the way he operated up to the x-ray request.


----------



## jdslyr (Jan 27, 2005)

Hell yes the rompola deer is real
It was green scored by two or more official scorers and they didnt say it was fake
Things blew up when some idiot started talking x ray and mitch said f off to everyone because nobody else ever had to get an animal xrayed and he wasnt going to be the first

The truth wil come out


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

I still can't get past the x-ray refusal. If MR and Calderone were actually bitter rivals, wouldn't one of the best ways to show him up be taking him up on his offer and having it x-rayed to prove that there was nothing fishy about the deer and then taking his money?

That would be the best way to get even.

I guess if it wasn't real that plan wouldn't work though.....


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

BrewCrew2 said:


> I've followed this thread the whole way and am not positive which way I lean on it, but I find the debate very interesting.. I've taken some screen shots from the video that mike.casey posted on page 2.. Make your own judgements..



I can't get that link to work, I'd like to see the video again, its be several years since I've seen it


----------



## Whackdaddy (Feb 23, 2009)

That video was cool. Antlers could be all stained from pine sap. I declare it is real ... just because I want it to be. Remember this story hitting the papers when I was a teenager, flinging arrows from the ground at whatever walked by. The romance of some hilljack darting a world record has stuck with me to this day, even with all the doubts surrounding it.


----------



## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

Hubba said:


> Does it not seem odd to you guys that he is never holding or touching the antlers in any of these photos?
> 
> It may be just another one of his quirky habits (he is a wild and crazy guy said in my best Steve Martin voice) but most people when posing with a large deer usually have a hold of the antlers.


Alright then now we have postive proof that they are all fake or he would be fundling the antlers. Some of you are amazing and should be elected supreme court judges.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

old Graybeard said:


> Alright then now we have postive proof that they are all fake or he would be fundling the antlers. Some of you are amazing and should be elected supreme court judges.


Did I say anywhere in this statement that they were not real? Read much?

I just made an observation that I thought it was odd he wasn't holding them. I bet if you look at 1000 pictures of hunters with big bucks that just about everyone one would be holding the antlers towards the camera.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

jdslyr said:


> nobody else ever had to get an animal xrayed and he wasnt going to be the first


That's a very good point. You can't blame a man for standing up for himself. I believe he shrank away from the public eye even before critics started calling it a fake deer. I think he was just completely overwhelmed by the sheer publicity. He thought people were going to slap his pic on a few adds, and send him a check. I think it freaked him out when his phone wouldn't quit ringing.

Then people started crying fake when he wouldn't answer their calls, talking about x-rays, Milo's publicist was dangling a check in front of his nose, and it all just seemed easier to sign on the dotted line, and go back to the hills and kill deer. 

I bet he regrets it everyday, but legally there is nothing he can do right now.


----------



## Musgrat (Oct 22, 2008)

As some have pointed out and I have stated the only people who have handled measured and seen the deer in person, I have not read anywhere where they say it was a fake. The ones saying fake altered and so on are doing so by pictures and stories from people who saw pictures. I would hope the experience and knowledge of the scorers and C.O. would be great enough to tell a real from a fake. If not I'm heading to Michigan with a fake world record rack. I agree it is strange M.R. pulled the deer or would not defend the fake claims. I don't know if it is a world record or just a great big deer. I do believe it is real until proven fake by some real evidence.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

This is pretty simple. It's fake, because it looks fake. I think you could go on his website and pick the ones that are fake. He obviously poses his deer for the picks. They are all laying the same direction and all. There are atleast a couple that are definately fake. He took the time to tilt their heads back on the fakes so you can't see their bases as well. The guy is a complete joke. Probably has all sorts of issues. I mean if he would try and pull all this crap and try and decieve everyone, what is he really capable of? The dude has obvious issues.


----------



## msbowman (Aug 26, 2009)

jdslyr said:


> Hell yes the rompola deer is real
> It was green scored by two or more official scorers and they didnt say it was fake
> Things blew up when some idiot started talking x ray and mitch said f off to everyone because nobody else ever had to get an animal xrayed and he wasnt going to be the first
> 
> The truth wil come out


Has anybody else that claimed to have a world record covered the skull where you couldn't see if it was broken or not?


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> This is pretty simple. It's fake, because it looks fake.


I stopped reading right here, because you lost all credibility after this sentence. This ridiculous argument has been refuted multiple times in this very thread. Reasonable and appropriate explanations have been offered for every specific "it looks fake" argument.

You don't have to be a lawyer to understand why that is a terrible prosecuting technique, but I guess you have to be somewhat intelligent. _Solo Dog is a mouth breathing, booger eater, because he posts like a mouth breathing, booger eater..._

Do you understand why that argument has no real merit?

I suggest you go back and make another account (maybe Duet Dog, or Solo Cat, or One Man Wolf Pack, etc.) and then come and have an intelligent conversation with the grown ups.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

mike.casey said:


> That's a very good point. You can't blame a man for standing up for himself. I believe he shrank away from the public eye even before critics started calling it a fake deer. I think he was just completely overwhelmed by the sheer publicity. He thought people were going to slap his pic on a few adds, and send him a check. I think it freaked him out when his phone wouldn't quit ringing.
> 
> Then people started crying fake when he wouldn't answer their calls, talking about x-rays, Milo's publicist was dangling a check in front of his nose, and it all just seemed easier to sign on the dotted line, and go back to the hills and kill deer.
> 
> I bet he regrets it everyday, but legally there is nothing he can do right now.


After following this story closely for all these years, reading everything possible about it, talking to people and watching the videos. What you said pretty much sums up my beliefs about what happened. For the sake of everyone like me who is fascinated by the amazing natural phenomenon of deer antlers, I hope that someday the truth, whatever it is, comes to light.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

These are fakes, there are probably more.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Honestly, please read all of the posts here before chiming in, gents. Guaranteed your question has already been answered on this topic. Seriously. Invest a little time, you won't regret it. Not saying you'll change your mind but your question will be answered. Just read.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Solo Dog said:


> View attachment 1289713
> View attachment 1289709
> View attachment 1289710
> View attachment 1289708
> ...


Dude you are funny. If it were me I would pose the deer the same way to show off the great spread and the uniqueness of where the antlers exit the skull. It is no different than what most people do when they take pictures or have a taxidermist mount a deer. They take the picture or mount in such a way to show off a particular trait in the antlers. Nothing more nothing less. The angle those pictures are taken show off the spread.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

badfaulkner said:


> Honestly, please read all of the posts here before chiming in, gents. Guaranteed your question has already been answered on this topic. Seriously. Invest a little time, you won't regret it. Not saying you'll change your mind but your question will be answered. Just read.


Very true, some interesting reading here for sure.

One question, that bottom left picture... why is that deer's tongue black:mg:


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

mike.casey said:


> I stopped reading right here, because you lost all credibility after this sentence. This ridiculous argument has been refuted multiple times in this very thread. Reasonable and appropriate explanations have been offered for every specific "it looks fake" argument.
> 
> You don't have to be a lawyer to understand why that is a terrible prosecuting technique, but I guess you have to be somewhat intelligent. _Solo Dog is a mouth breathing, booger eater, because he posts like a mouth breathing, booger eater..._
> 
> ...



I think a lot of people are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Granted, there is quite a bit of evidence that suggests that this may be fake (other than the deer itself). BUT, if you simply focus on the physical evidence of the deer in question and the other deer he has "harvested" the truth to this saga is really within arms reach. It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap. It's no wonder so many people in our society get scammed. 

He "built" these deer with wide racks and similar brows to the "record" buck so as to give that buck more legitimacy.

And I'm not even a conspiracy theorist, just a normal guy who sees things with an open mind. This guy is a fraud, period.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Solo Dog said:


> I think a lot of people are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Granted, there is quite a bit of evidence that suggests that this may be fake (other than the deer itself). BUT, if you simply focus on the physical evidence of the deer in question and the other deer he has "harvested" the truth to this saga is really within arms reach. It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap. It's no wonder so many people in our society get scammed.
> 
> He "built" these deer with wide racks and similar brows to the "record" buck so as to give that buck more legitimacy.
> 
> And I'm not even a conspiracy theorist, just a normal guy who sees things with an open mind. This guy is a fraud, period.


Another guy calling a " fake" by looking at pictures and no evidence unbelievable!!!!!!!!


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> These are fakes, there are probably more.


It's been done, the arguments been made, and an intelligent person with the ability to look at something without bias would see the error in arguments like this...


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> I think a lot of people are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Granted, there is quite a bit of evidence that suggests that this may be fake (other than the deer itself). BUT, if you simply focus on the physical evidence of the deer in question and the other deer he has "harvested" the truth to this saga is really within arms reach. It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap. It's no wonder so many people in our society get scammed.
> 
> He "built" these deer with wide racks and similar brows to the "record" buck so as to give that buck more legitimacy.
> 
> And I'm not even a conspiracy theorist, *just a normal guy who sees things with an open mind. This guy is a fraud, period*.


Whatever dude. That last line that I bolded made me laugh at the irony of it. Geeez.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Here I go thinking again.... The post about how he laid the bucks out to show off their width triggered another thought. The ears are laid back in some more than others, but they do seem to be posed to show off the width. Now going back to the original photo that started all this controversy of Mitch with the buck. You don't suppose he actually cut the back of that ear to make it lay down like that, which would account for the blood on the ear. Hmmmm....


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Solo Dog said:


> I think a lot of people are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Granted, there is quite a bit of evidence that suggests that this may be fake (other than the deer itself). BUT, if you simply focus on the physical evidence of the deer in question and the other deer he has "harvested" the truth to this saga is really within arms reach. It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap. It's no wonder so many people in our society get scammed.
> 
> He "built" these deer with wide racks and similar brows to the "record" buck so as to give that buck more legitimacy.
> 
> And I'm not even a conspiracy theorist, just a normal guy who sees things with an open mind. This guy is a fraud, period.


I don't know why I bother encouraging folks to read the entire thread before posing their problem with the Rompola buck. I'm not saying I believe it or don't believe it, but I am saying that your theory that he built these racks is addressed in this thread earlier. If no one replies to answer this issue yet again, please don't feel like you've made a point that cannot be answered. It's already been addressed. Read it. If you're not convinced, that's your perogative.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> Whatever dude. That last line that I bolded made me laugh at the irony of it. Geeez.


Indeed. A guy with an open mind would read the entire thread before drawing any conclusions about the problems with the photos, to at least hear plausible explanations.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> Indeed. A guy with an open mind would read the entire thread before drawing any conclusions about the problems with the photos, to at least hear plausible explanations.


Guys, I've followed this story since it happened. Open your eyes, you've been duped.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Whack/Stack said:


> Here I go thinking again.... The post about how he laid the bucks out to show off their width triggered another thought. The ears are laid back in some more than others, but they do seem to be posed to show off the width. Now going back to the original photo that started all this controversy of Mitch with the buck. You don't suppose he actually cut the back of that ear to make it lay down like that, which would account for the blood on the ear. Hmmmm....


Exactly as I said above. If I killed bucks of that caliber I would take pictures of them in that very same angle to show the width. I would also have the mount done to show off the spread and the unique place the antlers exit the skull.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I can see the logic in doing that. But I'm betting that if you went to the trouble to have it scored as a WR, knew it would be, you'd also allow the skull plate to be accessible. Is that really that unreasonable? Now everyone claims he can't because of a legal agreement. That's okay. Just show off the other 3 or 4 bucks that also have more distance between the burrs than any other deer that doesn't have some type of damage. It would be that easy.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> Guys, I've followed this story since it happened. Open your eyes, you've been duped.


It has been repeatedly stated throughout this thread that if anyone has any proof that it is a fake they should come forward with it. If you have proof that we have been duped as you so urgently state, then come forward with it!!!! If not you are just another foolish loudmouth with an unsubstantiated opinion. And the more you talk the more it looks like the latter.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> BUT, if you simply focus on the physical evidence of the deer in question and the other deer he has "harvested" the truth to this saga is really within arms reach.


Okay I'll bite... What evidence? You do know what evidence is right? It's not someone saying, "that looks weird"



Solo Dog said:


> It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap. It's no wonder so many people in our society get scammed.


With the prevalence of attitudes like yours it's wonder that more innocent people are not locked up because of simple circumstantial evidence, and hearsay.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't think anyone that believes it is a fake has to prove anything. There was and still is a way to prove it, and the more than reasonable steps that needed to be taken were not. And I for one would give him the benefit of the doubt if he'd allow those other deer to have their skull plates inspected and prove that he is killing deer that at least some experts don't think are genuine. It's the people claiming it to the a world record that need to prove something.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> It's the people claiming it to the a world record that need to prove something.


I agree.


----------



## ldoch (Dec 12, 2006)

I have not read through this entire thread but have somewhat followed the story for some time. I think that even if you are not a "kook" or considered "wierd" you will have a hard time getting a score that would beat Milos. Evidenced by the gentleman from I believe Wisconsin that can not get a panel score for his buck that may be the new typical record. It seems that killing the deer and getting it scored is not as easy as it should be when going up against Milo.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

str_8_shot said:


> One question, that bottom left picture... why is that deer's tongue black:mg:


I'm guessing it was freaking cold, and he didn't find him for a day or so.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

ldoch said:


> I have not read through this entire thread but have somewhat followed the story for some time. I think that even if you are not a "kook" or considered "wierd" you will have a hard time getting a score that would beat Milos. Evidenced by the gentleman from I believe Wisconsin that can not get a panel score for his buck that may be the new typical record. It seems that killing the deer and getting it scored is not as easy as it should be when going up against Milo.


What was the hunters name that killed this deer? I would like to do a little research on this deer and see if maybe another settlement agreement was put forth by the men representing Milo's deer. The guys representing his interests stand to lose money and fame and who knows thy might try every trick in the book to keep his deer the standing world record.


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

snoman4 said:


> What was the hunters name that killed this deer? I would like to do a little research on this deer and see if maybe another settlement agreement was put forth by the men representing Milo's deer. The guys representing his interests stand to lose money and fame and who knows thy might try every trick in the book to keep his deer the standing world record.


He is referencing the King buck...

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/whitetail-365/2011/06/king-buck-controversy-world-record-whitetail-isn%E2%80%99t[


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> I don't think anyone that believes it is a fake has to prove anything. There was and still is a way to prove it, and the more than reasonable steps that needed to be taken were not. And I for one would give him the benefit of the doubt if he'd allow those other deer to have their skull plates inspected and prove that he is killing deer that at least some experts don't think are genuine. It's the people claiming it to the a world record that need to prove something.


I agree. Just like yelling bingo and then not be willing to have your card checked


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

No Milo conspiracy here, just a scorer conspiracy, of course once the antler conspirators get a hold of it, it could reach Milo soon enough...

The King buck was scored as the Potential New World Record by a couple scorers, and then officially netted much lower, because it was decided that the bucks G2's and G3's were common base points, as opposed to separate tines. Had they been scored as separate tines, he would've been somewhere in the 220" net neighborhood, I believe.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

ldoch said:


> I have not read through this entire thread but have somewhat followed the story for some time. I think that even if you are not a "kook" or considered "wierd" you will have a hard time getting a score that would beat Milos. Evidenced by the gentleman from I believe Wisconsin that can not get a panel score for his buck that may be the new typical record. It seems that killing the deer and getting it scored is not as easy as it should be when going up against Milo.


You talking about this one:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photo...consin-buck-could-be-typical-new-world-record

doesn't look like a WR to me.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

huntnfishnut said:


> QUOTE=snoman4;1063378087]What was the hunters name that killed this deer? I would like to do a little research on this deer and see if maybe another settlement agreement was put forth by the men representing Milo's deer. The guys representing his interests stand to lose money and fame and who knows thy might try every trick in the book to keep his deer the standing world record.


He is referencing the King buck...

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/whitetail-365/2011/06/king-buck-controversy-world-record-whitetail-isn%E2%80%99t[[/QUOTE]

Thanks Brother I remember this buck now I thought the Idoch was talking about one killed sometime this year.


----------



## ldoch (Dec 12, 2006)

I think, and this has been awhile and my memory isn't what it used to be, but I think that in the settlement it stated that Mitch can not have the deer acknowledged as the "world record" as long as Milo has the record. That puts and end to that. If it was x rayed and scored now and knocked Milo off then there would be legal trouble. At least that is how I remember the 'settlement' being explained at the time.


----------



## ldoch (Dec 12, 2006)

I think that it was the King buck from a couple of years ago. Nothing recent and this is why I am sure it gets frustrating since so much time has passed.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Whack/Stack said:


> It has been repeatedly stated throughout this thread that if anyone has any proof that it is a fake they should come forward with it. If you have proof that we have been duped as you so urgently state, then come forward with it!!!! If not you are just another foolish loudmouth with an unsubstantiated opinion. And the more you talk the more it looks like the latter.


Take a stand without stooping. You make yourself look ignorant and foolish by resorting to name calling. The guy tried to pull a fast one and many of you fell for it. I'm just suprised I guess how people's judgement could be that clouded (the duper and the dupees). One that he thought he could pull it off, two that there are still people that believe his story.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

What a tremendous buck. I'm not a huge fan of our system, and think from the typical category, and even the nt that it is never going to recognize the largest deer. 8 mass measurements is a joke. I've got several racks that score much lower than many of my others, but no way shape or form are the other deer any bigger. Overall mass should count for something, and the whole take away irregular without adding them on a typical frame is just crazy. Just don't count it either way, don't remember the name, but another buck out of Illinois would also beat the current record, but has an abnormal brow tine or something. And OhioBooners here has the same things as the buck above. If you just pretended it wasn't there and scored the typical frames, they'd all beat it. And probably many many others. I think it would be more of a curse to shoot the deer that would win under our current system.

I don't know about most people, but I've never seen a more impressive buck than Saskguys 230 class. I'd shoot that buck over any other record if given the choice and be plenty convinced I'd shot the biggest deer. Shared bases, subtractions without adding, all that is ever going to give us is the most symmetrical deer, not the largest.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

str_8_shot said:


> You talking about this one:
> http://www.fieldandstream.com/photo...consin-buck-could-be-typical-new-world-record
> 
> doesn't look like a WR to me.


Man that is a heck of a buck I wonder what the final ruling from [email protected] is on this buck. His mass is unbelievable.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

snoman4 said:


> Man that is a heck of a buck I wonder what the final ruling from [email protected] is on this buck. His mass is unbelievable.


I think his G2-3's would have to be common base, seeing as thats how they ruled the King buck. But he is impressive.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Quartermoons said:


> What a tremendous buck. I'm not a huge fan of our system, and think from the typical category, and even the nt that it is never going to recognize the largest deer. 8 mass measurements is a joke. I've got several racks that score much lower than many of my others, but no way shape or form are the other deer any bigger. Overall mass should count for something, and the whole take away irregular without adding them on a typical frame is just crazy. Just don't count it either way, don't remember the name, but another buck out of Illinois would also beat the current record, but has an abnormal brow tine or something. And OhioBooners here has the same things as the buck above. If you just pretended it wasn't there and scored the typical frames, they'd all beat it. And probably many many others. I think it would be more of a curse to shoot the deer that would win under our current system.
> 
> I don't know about most people, but I've never seen a more impressive buck than Saskguys 230 class. I'd shoot that buck over any other record if given the choice and be plenty convinced I'd shot the biggest deer. Shared bases, subtractions without adding, all that is ever going to give us is the most symmetrical deer, not the largest.


Good post. I agree completely. If you're going to have a "typical" class, don't deduct the irregular points. Say only deer with over 75% of their gross total can be scored as a typical then just score the typical tines. Deductions in general can be done away with in my opinion. If it grew it, count it. 

I personally think we should just do away with the whole typical/non typical thing. I think it's funny that there have been literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of bucks killed that are BIGGER than Milo's buck, but don't get near the notoriety, because they are just mundane 230+ inch non-typicals. Many people have killed deer that would have been the dominate buck in Saskatoon, the year Milo killed the WR, but his is better... why?

But I digress.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Solo Dog said:


> Guys, I've followed this story since it happened. Open your eyes, you've been duped.


No, I haven't been duped. I just hadn't had a chance to read plausible explanations for my doubts until this thread. Do some reading here. Look at it as a way to compliment what you have already heard. there are plenty of arguments pro and con here. What's the worse thing that can happen by taking the time to read?


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Quartermoons said:


> I don't think anyone that believes it is a fake has to prove anything. There was and still is a way to prove it, and the more than reasonable steps that needed to be taken were not. And I for one would give him the benefit of the doubt if he'd allow those other deer to have their skull plates inspected and prove that he is killing deer that at least some experts don't think are genuine. It's the people claiming it to the a world record that need to prove something.


I totaly agree with you. But he did not ssay he *beleived* anything, he state it as fact and said that anyone who agrees with him has been duped. In a sense, he is saying that he has proof. That['s a lot different than having a belief.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> Take a stand without stooping. *You make yourself look ignorant and foolish by resorting to name calling.* The guy tried to pull a fast one and many of you fell for it. I'm just suprised I guess how people's judgement could be that clouded (the duper and the dupees). One that he thought he could pull it off, two that there are still people that believe his story.


There you go again!!! You are hilarious. I'm not sure if you are seeing the irony in your posts but they sure have made me laugh today!

By the way you have not contributed one positive thing to this thread, just a bunch of attacks and verbal diarreah.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Quartermoons said:


> I don't think anyone that believes it is a fake has to prove anything. There was and still is a way to prove it, and the more than reasonable steps that needed to be taken were not. And I for one would give him the benefit of the doubt if he'd allow those other deer to have their skull plates inspected and prove that he is killing deer that at least some experts don't think are genuine. It's the people claiming it to the a world record that need to prove something.


Who is claiming it's a world record? 

"Team Hansen" has seen to it that he cannot have his deer examined by x-ray or measured again until someone else breaks Milo's record. MR legally _cannot_ come forward legally and stifle his critics. The legal agreement he signed is a settlement. He was financially compensated for his silence. You have to admit if you have the slightest bit of objectivity that it sounds like Hansen's team gave him hush money. Those of you who hate this "legal argument" to defend the MR buck need to take your complaints to Mr. Hansen. 

Someone posted earlier that the problem with the Rompola buck is not the strength of any one thing that makes it suspicious but a number of oddities. Any one of those oddities can really be picked apart by an objective observer. But tied together, the oddities make the case APPEAR stronger than it really is.

But laying the ball in MR's court for an x-ray is a weak argument. The man with most to lose (Hansen) bought MR's silence. That fact makes me feel like a dope for doubting the MR buck in the first place. If it wasn't a WR buck, why not let the B & C folks put it to the test? If it was actually a fake, why not let the truth get out? 

MR's deer "looks" fake. That's what I thought, too. Then an AT member (I forget whom) posted an authentic picture of a bullwinkle freak he'd killed on this thread, too.


----------



## dblungem (Dec 2, 2008)

i think that Mitch is getting a laugh out of this whole thing - be it a fake or real.

if it's fake, he certainly has accomplished what he set out to do. i bet he is laughing at reading all these posts both for or against it's legitimacy. Maybe in his own mind, this is the attention he set out to get. 

If it's real, i can see a guy like this opening up his safe, taking the rack out and just looking at it laughing at all of the guys who believe it is fake and couldnt care less what anybody thinks. i am of the opinion that there are people out there that dont care to be in the spot light at all. A world record to him, may not mean a lot. if he is a little different as people say, he only knows what he is thinking and what it motives may or not be. from my expereince, introverts think very differently than those that want to tell the world "look at what i did". 

I would be willing to assume that larger deer that Milo's have been shot over the years, and no one has ever known they existed. either buy a hunter who doesnt know the difference or could care less how big it was. Take fishing for example, there are people that have no idea what the world record large mouth is or isn't. would it be surprising that larger fish have been caught and just thrown back or even eaten? I think you can take the same thought process with a deer.


----------



## dblungem (Dec 2, 2008)

Or better yet, what if Mitch was actually a contributing member of this forum and you have no idea????? That would be hilarous.


----------



## rslscobra (Jan 23, 2006)

Rompola's buck was and is real. Rompala is one hell of a hunter and has nothing to prove to anybody. He has been doing this for a long time and does not need the money. He is a diff. type of person to say the least. You cannot compair what you or I would do in his situation.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> Take a stand without stooping. You make yourself look ignorant and foolish by resorting to name calling. The guy tried to pull a fast one and many of you fell for it. I'm just suprised I guess how people's judgement could be that clouded (the duper and the dupees). *One that he thought he could pull it off, two that there are still people that believe his story*.


Take a look at this bolded line of text too. Doesn't it seem odd to you that the people who "believe his story" consist primarily of the small group of people who actually saw the buck first hand, measured it, and held it in their hands? And you somehow have some knowledge that they are wrong? Dude, you really should do some more research before you come on here telling people they have been duped when we were having a good discussion about the possibilities. You really should go back and read the entire thread (assuming that you can read) and try to really understand all the things that have been discussed. Or maybe get someone to explain it to you.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

badfaulkner said:


> Who is claiming it's a world record?
> 
> "Team Hansen" has seen to it that he cannot have his deer examined by x-ray or measured again until someone else breaks Milo's record. MR legally _cannot_ come forward legally and stifle his critics. The legal agreement he signed is a settlement. He was financially compensated for his silence. You have to admit if you have the slightest bit of objectivity that it sounds like Hansen's team gave him hush money. Those of you who hate this "legal argument" to defend the MR buck need to take your complaints to Mr. Hansen.
> 
> ...


x1000

What I've been trying to say, put very eloquently. 

You can doubt the man and his actions. 
You can doubt the score. 
You can doubt where, how, and when the deer was taken...

But doubting whether the buck was a real deer that really grew those antlers, based on a photo and a slanderous article, is either ignorance to the facts(which is forgivable) or just simply grasping at straws, because of your preconceived notions, and an inability to look at the facts objectively.


----------



## CamSpeed (Sep 20, 2004)

My opinion as if it matter on the Rompola buck 100% fake, I've always said if it was real why doesn't he just prove it to all of us, X- Ray and be done. Craig Calderone was willing to put up $10,000 to end all speculation but Romola got nervous and well you see where the buck is now.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

CamSpeed said:


> My opinion as if it matter on the Rompola buck 100% fake, I've always said if it was real why doesn't he just prove it to all of us, X- Ray and be done. Craig Calderone was willing to put up $10,000 to end all speculation but Romola got nervous and well you see where the buck is now.


Humm go back and read the information that was brought to light about calderone and then maybe you can see why Mitch or anyone for that matter would balk at the money.


----------



## RONMARRIOTT (Apr 11, 2010)

This is out of control!


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

CamSpeed said:


> My opinion as if it matter on the Rompola buck 100% fake, I've always said if it was real why doesn't he just prove it to all of us, X- Ray and be done. Craig Calderone was willing to put up $10,000 to end all speculation but Romola got nervous and well you see where the buck is now.


Oh look, another excellent addition to the debate... Go back to the kid's table. Men are talking.


----------



## RONMARRIOTT (Apr 11, 2010)

really?


----------



## gcab (Mar 24, 2010)

This thread is interesting but a wast of time... kind of like arguing politics. Everyone has their opinion, but its all just opinion and not fact.

For those that don't believe it to be real, its just little things that you have heard second hand or pieces here and there. Sure seems odd, but odd doesn't mean false. 

For those that do believe it to be real, again, its just little things that you have heard second hand or pieces here and there. Noone knows what happens between closed doors, so even those that appear to be upstanding, honest and truthful that had a part in some of what has been already said... they could be wrong or lying. Again, kind of like politics.

It seems unlikely that the real truth will ever been known. Its been quite a few years and the only things people have to talk about are the things that happened within a couple months of the alleged killing of the deer. Nothing new in the last 15 or whatever years that it has been, and probably won't be anything new moving forward. And since noone here has actually touched the rack, or seen the deer first hand, everything said is just added opinions, not added fact. 

Interesting, sure. Worth arguing about for so long... not really.


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

CamSpeed said:


> My opinion as if it matter on the Rompola buck 100% fake, I've always said if it was real why doesn't he just prove it to all of us, X- Ray and be done. Craig Calderone was willing to put up $10,000 to end all speculation but Romola got nervous and well you see where the buck is now.


You do not know the whole story. Neither did I. Read the thread. Calderone's offer was a check he knew he'd never have to write due to a deal Hansen made with Rompola. Read my post just a few posts above your original. This thread includes a link to that contract. 

You don't get offered a settlement if you're a fraud; you get sued, you get a lawsuit.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Whack/Stack said:


> Take a look at this bolded line of text too. Doesn't it seem odd to you that the people who "believe his story" consist primarily of the small group of people who actually saw the buck first hand, measured it, and held it in their hands? And you somehow have some knowledge that they are wrong? Dude, you really should do some more research before you come on here telling people they have been duped when we were having a good discussion about the possibilities. You really should go back and read the entire thread (assuming that you can read) and try to really understand all the things that have been discussed. Or maybe get someone to explain it to you.


I've read the whole thing brother, it only reinforces what I had already believed for 13 years.

Bernie - Come on, you are smarter than this. Don't ruin your reputation by backing a liars bs story.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

gcab said:


> Interesting, sure. Worth arguing about for so long... not really.


Ahhh, come on... What's wrong with a good healthy debate? I love a good battle of wits. It keeps you sharp, and if you're not careful you might learn a thing or two.:wink:


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

Solo Dog said:


> I've read the whole thing brother, it only reinforces what I had already believed for 13 years.
> 
> Bernie - Come on, you are smarter than this. Don't ruin your reputation by backing a liars bs story.


What's your take on the settlement Hansen offered MR, then? Would you silence a fraud or expose him to the world?


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Humm go back and read the information that was brought to light about calderone and then maybe you can see why Mitch or anyone for that matter would balk at the money.


Despite anything I've read I still find it "circumstancial evidence" that anyone, anyone, would refuse to take money to prove someone wrong.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

saskguy said:


> Despite anything I've read I still find it "circumstancial evidence" that anyone, anyone, would refuse to take money to prove someone wrong.


Especially someone that you had bad blood with.


----------



## sticknstring33 (Nov 17, 2008)

The aroma of fabrication still lingers to this day! Not a bad discussion for a deer that was killed 13 years ago.


----------



## Hubba (Apr 15, 2005)

saskguy said:


> Despite anything I've read I still find it "circumstancial evidence" that anyone, anyone, would refuse to take money to prove someone wrong.


That would be the ultimate FU. Not only am I going to prove you wrong but I am also going to take your damn money!


----------



## CamSpeed (Sep 20, 2004)

I stop caring about the 'fake' deer after he would not prove it was real.


----------



## CamSpeed (Sep 20, 2004)

and stopped reading all the post about it.. the 10,000 offer is the last thing that I heard and I lost interest in it all.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

CamSpeed said:


> and stopped reading all the post about it.. the 10,000 offer is the last thing that I heard and I lost interest in it all.


Found this interesting little tidbit from one of the guys that scored the deer...

DEERSLAYER 
Post subject: Re: Mitch Rompola buck - Where is he now?
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:42 am 
Offline

Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:59 pm
Posts: 527
Location: Muskegon MI. 
OK… I have spent waaaay to much time on this already so I’m going to try to leave well enough alone after today. No matter how temped it may be to post again on the subject. I am moving and have to get my stuff out of this house so I can go hunting before the season ends! I will try to keep this short. :roll:

The quotes above that Dan posted come from the guy I mentioned earlier that is profiting from this controversy. The writer in the above quotes is Larry Huffman, someone I personally have little respect for ( for reasons including, but not limited to his statements about the Rompola buck). Also, rumor had it that he tried (unsuccessfully) to buy the rack, but I never could find out with any certainty if this was true or simply rumor, If true this may have influenced his position on it’s legitimacy.

The above quotes Mr. Huffman has written were well thought out and carefully crafted. It sounds very good, but a little of it was taken out of context, some of it was twisted or half truths, most of it is speculation based in part on the former and there are some flat out lies. However there was some truth to it also.

Dan,
You have some fairly (completely?) accurate info on Mitch Rompola and I definitely understand your thoughts about his shady past (I have had them several times myself). While these thing’s raise suspicion they don’t make the rack fake AND none of this really matters when it comes to the deer itself because the truth is that at least one of the scorers, Gary Berger, did see and inspect the skull plate. I believe this happened during the first scoring, but I do not remember for sure. Gary Berger is a Boone and Crockett scorer from Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and here is truth as told by Mr. Berger.

*Mitch was a scorer for Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and Boone & Crockett. He was a postal worker that was fired for mail fraud. He was arrested for looking up women’s dresses with a camera on the end of a stick. After he was arrested and fired, Boone and Crockett dropped him as a scorer. Mitch has been bitter with them ever since. Mitch won’t under any circumstance have any of his deer scored. (I think this was a misprint and he meant ‘entered’ but I am trying to be as accurate as possible.)
*
I* (Gary) scored this buck with two other Michigan B&C scorers. Two Michigan conservation officers also saw the rack and skull before the buck was mounted. The buck scored 218 5/8.

Mitch Rompola signed a contract with Milo Hanson saying the buck was not a world record because he did not want to minimize Hansen’s income from deer shows and outdoor shows claiming to have the worlds biggest buck. Since he was not going to have his scored (Again, I think he meant ‘entered’) , why claim it was bigger than Hanson’s. By signing the contract saying he would not promote his deer as the biggest buck, Hanson could continue touring his deer.*

Also, as I stated earlier, the credibility of these people that have actually seen and touched the buck and/or it's antlers has never been in question. It's just an inconvenience by some.


For those that are interested here is the link where this and other information can be found about this buck......http://nextbukoutdoors.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8535&start=45


----------



## CamSpeed (Sep 20, 2004)

If you had the legit world record why .. I ask why wouldn't you come forth with it and say hey I am the TOP DAWG. The whole story behind it is to much for me to beleive


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

CamSpeed said:


> If you had the legit world record why .. I ask why wouldn't you come forth with it and say hey I am the TOP DAWG. The whole story behind it is to much for me to beleive


Why do some folks refuse [that can afford to] social security? They're "entitled" to it and all. One thing that frustrates all of us is trying to understand the strange things people do. I admit this is a problematic part of understanding this controversy. 

The post above that quotes Gary Berger says that MR had an axe to grind against B & C after they stripped him of his scoring credentials after he was arrested on a non-hunting related matter (disgusting, but non-related). Because of this, he vowed to never have another deer of his entered. 

He would not be the first person alive to cut off his nose to spite his face. Based on other problematic decisions he's made in his life which are indefensible imo, I wouldn't put him past not having it entered just for spite, no matter how it damaged him personally.


----------



## sticknstring33 (Nov 17, 2008)

Nice little tidbit snoman. Best piece of info I've read in 15 pages!


----------



## deerslayer261 (Jan 8, 2008)

After reading this many times i think many people have the same idea. The buck is real but there might be a problem with it.
The orignal pictures with the purple bases, are prolly purple because of the crappy camera.
Ears droopy. I've seen many deer on here with droppy ears.
Blood on the wrong side. He prolly rolled the deer around for the picture could have died then rolled it over for the pictures.
If you look at his other dear it has similar genetics.

Now the Bad
I think that the buck might have had a broken skull we have seen pictures of deer on here with broken skulls and the deer still alive. it might even broke after being shot. with a rack that wide it could have easly been hit. This might be why he put bondo on the skull. Did they score the deer before it was caped out?

I personally think that the deer grew the antlers but maybe once it was caped out he realized he had a problem and he already had made the clam to the WR so he tried to hided it.


----------



## John316 (Aug 23, 2003)

badfaulkner said:


> Why do some folks refuse [that can afford to] social security? They're "entitled" to it and all. One thing that frustrates all of us is trying to understand the strange things people do. I admit this is a problematic part of understanding this controversy.


Another example is why does someone live like a pauper but when they die it's found out they were quite wealthy? Some people just can't be explained.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

sticknstring33 said:


> Nice little tidbit snoman. Best piece of info I've read in 15 pages!


Read the whole thread link that I posted from Page 1 to page 5 it makes for some interesting reading and adds a little more to the story. Its amazing what we can find when we do a little research.

Here it is again for those that missed it. http://nextbukoutdoors.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8535&start=45


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> Who is claiming it's a world record?
> 
> "Team Hansen" has seen to it that he cannot have his deer examined by x-ray or measured again until someone else breaks Milo's record. MR legally _cannot_ come forward legally and stifle his critics. The legal agreement he signed is a settlement. He was financially compensated for his silence. You have to admit if you have the slightest bit of objectivity that it sounds like Hansen's team gave him hush money. Those of you who hate this "legal argument" to defend the MR buck need to take your complaints to Mr. Hansen.
> 
> ...


 When you publicize that you had your deer scored and let it be known it is a pending world record, that meets my definition of claiming you have killed a new world record. I realize that doesn't mean the same for everybody.

I follow the conspiracy theory logic better for the legal stuff, but even that I do not agree with. Makes much more sense to me that whoever is holding the world record would want to sue someone who has let it be known they have a bigger deer under our scoring system. All of a sudden my local group doesn't want to pay the old record holder an appearance fee for his deer, I want the latest and greatest. As long as we are never going to know, I can easier believe any payments made were no more than to cover the legal fees from the guy who got caught and pleaded poverty. So you settle the suit and retain the drawing interest in your deer. I'm never going to be able to understand why you would take 'hush' money from someone when you could have their entire pie. Makes no sense.

One of these latest posts has a plausible scenario about skull plate damage. Wouldn't be the first time, or at least damage to the antlers themselves. You are a trained scorer, you know the deal. If the skull was damaged, show the damage, ask for a panel to make a ruling. If the ruling was against you, but you had been transparent and the rest of the world could see that you basically had killed a bigger deer, many more people would believe you got screwed. 

But by hiding it, I'm not believing whatever the circumstance with that skull plate, it's had inches added to it. And enough to make the difference between a WR or not. All the supporters should just form a fan club and lobby to have the non record deer with the same trait made available for review. Not going to get the other deer in the books, but I guarantee if you can show me that all those other deer are legitimate I'd at least get back on the fence. And so would many others. Show me the skull plates.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> When you publicize that you had your deer scored and let it be known it is a pending world record, that meets my definition of claiming you have killed a new world record. I realize that doesn't mean the same for everybody.
> 
> I follow the conspiracy theory logic better for the legal stuff, but even that I do not agree with. Makes much more sense to me that whoever is holding the world record would want to sue someone who has let it be known they have a bigger deer under our scoring system. All of a sudden my local group doesn't want to pay the old record holder an appearance fee for his deer, I want the latest and greatest. As long as we are never going to know, I can easier believe any payments made were no more than to cover the legal fees from the guy who got caught and pleaded poverty. So you settle the suit and retain the drawing interest in your deer. I'm never going to be able to understand why you would take 'hush' money from someone when you could have their entire pie. Makes no sense.
> 
> ...


Quartermoon if you read the posts from that link I posted it appears that Mitch never made a world record claim or published the pictures. It appears that some of his friends were the ones that did that. Read Deerslayers comments throughout the thread that I posted in the link.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

Bottom line is Rompola's buck isn't the world record. Probably never will be! So it's just another big buck killed by a skilled hunter. If Mitch is happy; i'm happy for him. He can be a legend in his own mind. He certainly won't be for generations to come! It was his choice to not be recognized as killing the world record for what ever reason. I don't think this buck will be the largest typical ever killed; even if the rack is real.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> No Milo conspiracy here, just a scorer conspiracy, of course once the antler conspirators get a hold of it, it could reach Milo soon enough...
> 
> The King buck was scored as the Potential New World Record by a couple scorers, and then officially netted much lower, because it was decided that the bucks G2's and G3's were common base points, as opposed to separate tines. Had they been scored as separate tines, he would've been somewhere in the 220" net neighborhood, I believe.


I am not an official scorer however I do have to say that g2 and g3 do appear to have the same base, there is room for question on it, I dont' see it as a conspiracy, more a point of view or opinion on common base.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

badfaulkner said:


> What's your take on the settlement Hansen offered MR, then? Would you silence a fraud or expose him to the world?


It was "offered" in the sense that you either agree to this or youare getting sued. 
It was an ultimatum. Put up or shut up. Prove that you have a record breaking deer
or quit calling it the "world record."

The fact that Mitch agreed and signed it says a lot. 
This coupled with the fact that he turned down
20K to prove he was telling the truth are just two
more nails in a coffin that is already thouroughly
sealed.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

Uncle Bucky said:


> I am not an official scorer however I do have to say that g2 and g3 do appear to have the same base, there is room for question on it, I dont' see it as a conspiracy, more a point of view or opinion on common base.


This is fairly common when you have a rack with 6 or more typical points, main beams just aren't long enough in most cases and points "share" space.

I'm with the others...count everything that grows and leave the net to fishing.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

where is the link to the recovery video ? the one on page 2 doesn't work


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

str_8_shot said:


> This is fairly common when you have a rack with 6 or more typical points, main beams just aren't long enough in most cases and points "share" space.
> 
> I'm with the others...count everything that grows and leave the net to fishing.


Me too, gross and net, ??? the buck grew it give em the credit. 

Now I'd say non typicals are bucks with tines/points growing off typical tines or downward ( drop tines) off beams. 

If its a 9 pointer, score em all, no deductions. 

This is just another way for these clubs to keep their club exclusive. And why i really don't care about them

To be honest if I did score on a wr class buck I'd sure have it scored , not for myself but for the buck and my kids college funds LOL


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I'll readily admit that every statement I've made regarding attempting to establish this deer as a record is either making assumptions, or drawing conclusions. But c'mon man, the deer is on a scent bottle, articles, pictures of the man with the rack. Documentaries of the recovery, the scoring (another assumption, too tired to go back through all of this) If it could have passed the standard that any other deer would have to have done (without the x-rays), are there those that honestly believe he wouldn't have taken the crown? 

But I don't see that as unimaginable from the supporters, just a difference of opinion. I'm tickled that I've had no nasty pm's and still feel as if I can bring the next wr to the world once I kill him on the National Forest. I think I've about got him figured out.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

sticknstring33 said:


> Nice little tidbit snoman. Best piece of info I've read in 15 pages!


^^x2


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Uncle Bucky said:


> I am not an official scorer however I do have to say that g2 and g3 do appear to have the same base, there is room for question on it, I dont' see it as a conspiracy, more a point of view or opinion on common base.


I agree, it does have common base points, but there are definitely King Buck Conspiracy Theorist out there. Trust me.


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

Uncle Bucky said:


> I am not an official scorer however I do have to say that g2 and g3 do appear to have the same base, there is room for question on it, I dont' see it as a conspiracy, more a point of view or opinion on common base.





str_8_shot said:


> This is fairly common when you have a rack with 6 or more typical points, main beams just aren't long enough in most cases and points "share" space.
> 
> I'm with the others...count everything that grows and leave the net to fishing.





mike.casey said:


> I agree, it does have common base points, but there are definitely King Buck Conspiracy Theorist out there. Trust me.



It is not due to a common base. They ruled it as an abnormal point not coming off the top of the main beam...

http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/trophyWatch_detail.asp?area=news&ID=1118B8D0-8B66-4A93-9B3C-C9759941AE2D


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> It was "offered" in the sense that you either agree to this or youare getting sued.
> It was an ultimatum. Put up or shut up. Prove that you have a record breaking deer
> or quit calling it the "world record."


You're wrong, plain and simple. 

Read the contract. 

It says that Mitch was given a "settlement" to not promote his deer as the WR. In legal terms that is $$$, not a threat. You don't draw up documents to say you're going to sue somebody if they don't stop doing whatever, but pay them too. That's ridiculous. 

He signed it because he had no intentions of entering it in the B&C books anyway (apparently according to one of the "unofficial" scorers) and didn't have any malicious intent towards Milo. 

I think Mitch fully believed he would still be able to make a comfortable living off his buck (the contract says that's okay, but he couldn't reference the score, or the WR) but after the massive backlash, because of jealousy, his sponsors distanced themselves from Rompola to avoid being caught in the under toe.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Solo Dog said:


> It was "offered" in the sense that you either agree to this or youare getting sued.
> It was an ultimatum. Put up or shut up. Prove that you have a record breaking deer
> or quit calling it the "world record."
> 
> ...


Sorta...but not completely accurate...and keeping in mind that few people know the actual terms of the agreement...this like everything is speculation...

If Milo was going to sue...he is also going to have to prove damages and/or potential damages. If MR simply stops claiming a WR without the agreement, there is no longer any grounds to sue, with or without an agreement. I haven't seen any reference to the agreement wherein MR is required to state that the deer was not a WR...just that he couldn't claim it as such, and could not do anything official with it until Milo's is beaten. Why would an agreement include a clause that would allow a future claim of a WR if everyone, including Milo, knows it is fake? Two entirely different things.

The reality was that Milo stood to lose some cash if his record was beaten. MR, and/or other people were claiming it had been beaten...Milo's risk of losing something increased. MR for whatever reason (he didn't want the scrutiny, want more of his past to be brought up, it was fake, whatever) decides not to have it officially scored. Once it is not going to be officially scored, it is not going to be a WR. If it is not going to be a WR, it cannot be promoted by MR or anyone else as a WR or pending WR, without the potential for damages to Milo...so Milo and MR agree that it won't be promoted as a potential WR (decreasing Milo's risk, and satisfying whatever MR's reason was)...until Milo's is beaten.

$20K to "prove it" with the threat of a law suit if he does "prove it"...the $20K doesn't come close to paying the fees and expenses.

So with all that...and all the forensic experts out there...there has been zero, nada, zilch objective evidence presented that proves it is a fake or altered. Most all of the subjective evidence that has been presented tends to establish it is legitimate...the circumstantial evidence points in another direction (especially if shared and common thought of the majority is applied)...

Me...I really don't have an opinion one way or the other on the authenticity of the animal...nor a significant care either...


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

huntnfishnut said:


> It is not due to a common base. They ruled it as an abnormal point not coming off the top of the main beam...
> 
> http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/trophyWatch_detail.asp?area=news&ID=1118B8D0-8B66-4A93-9B3C-C9759941AE2D


That's what a common base point is. The G2 is the "typical" point, and the alleged G3 is the kicker or "nontyp" point, and the next tine becomes the G3. Since it was ruled common base, what we see as the G3 became a deduction.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

huntnfishnut said:


> It is not due to a common base. They ruled it as an abnormal point not coming off the top of the main beam...
> 
> http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/trophyWatch_detail.asp?area=news&ID=1118B8D0-8B66-4A93-9B3C-C9759941AE2D


Thats a crock in my opinion, abnormal off the main beam ? usually thats a point coming off at an angle or downward isn't it ? Sounds fishy to me and they shut the door on any chance of re-checking or reviewing. 

If they had said a shared base , meaning it would be a "kicker" or "sticker" then I'd say I could see that.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> That's what a common base point is. The G2 is the "typical" point, and the alleged G3 is the kicker or "nontyp" point, and the next tine becomes the G3. Since it was ruled common base, what we see as the G3 became a deduction.


but they , B&C call it an abnormal g3 in their article, I would think it should be a extra point and not refered to as a g3


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

I say some of us commando up to Mitch's find the rack and settle this matter once and for all. 

haven't read the "legal papers" if there are really any, however I'd venture to say they limit Mitch from doing anything, not a bunch of ******* hilljacks like myself LOL


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Rolo said:


> Sorta...but not completely accurate...and keeping in mind that few people know the actual terms of the agreement...this like everything is speculation...
> 
> If Milo was going to sue...he is also going to have to prove damages and/or potential damages. If MR simply stops claiming a WR without the agreement, there is no longer any grounds to sue, with or without an agreement. I haven't seen any reference to the agreement wherein MR is required to state that the deer was not a WR...just that he couldn't claim it as such, and could not do anything official with it until Milo's is beaten. Why would an agreement include a clause that would allow a future claim of a WR if everyone, including Milo, knows it is fake? Two entirely different things.
> 
> ...


Rolo I only like you when your on my side in a debate.LOL.


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

mike.casey said:


> That's what a common base point is. The G2 is the "typical" point, and the alleged G3 is the kicker or "nontyp" point, and the next tine becomes the G3. Since it was ruled common base, what we see as the G3 became a deduction.


Sorry, not trying to argue, but the article references and includes a .pdf that discusses racks with two offset rows of tines coming off the main beam. Their contention is the G3 tine on the King buck comes more off to the side of the beam than the top of the beam. Your assertion is incorrect.

http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/fc_winter2000_trophytalk.pdf


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

Uncle Bucky said:


> I say some of us commando up to Mitch's find the rack and settle this matter once and for all.
> 
> haven't read the "legal papers" if there are really any, however I'd venture to say they limit Mitch from doing anything, not a bunch of ******* hilljacks like myself LOL


Lets get out the shovels and pitchforks...:wink:


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

str_8_shot said:


> Lets get out the shovels and pitchforks...:wink:


only about 5 hours from my house !


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Rolo I only like you when your on my side in a debate.LOL.


Why don't you just go kill something with your Cross-Gun inside the big fence you have...:tongue: :jksign: :elf_moon: :behindsof


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Rolo said:


> Sorta...but not completely accurate...and keeping in mind that few people know the actual terms of the agreement...this like everything is speculation...
> 
> If Milo was going to sue...he is also going to have to prove damages and/or potential damages. If MR simply stops claiming a WR without the agreement, there is no longer any grounds to sue, with or without an agreement. I haven't seen any reference to the agreement wherein MR is required to state that the deer was not a WR...just that he couldn't claim it as such, and could not do anything official with it until Milo's is beaten. Why would an agreement include a clause that would allow a future claim of a WR if everyone, including Milo, knows it is fake? Two entirely different things.
> 
> ...


So why did Mitch sign it in the first place?


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Rolo said:


> Why don't you just go kill something with your Cross-Gun inside the big fence you have...:tongue: :jksign: :elf_moon: :behindsof


I couldn't wait for that response,your the man Rolo.LMAO.


----------



## huntnfishnut (Jan 12, 2011)

str_8_shot said:


> Lets get out the shovels and pitchforks...:wink:





Uncle Bucky said:


> only about 5 hours from my house !


I like it


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

huntnfishnut said:


> Sorry, not trying to argue, but the article references and includes a .pdf that discusses racks with two offset rows of tines coming off the main beam. Their contention is the G3 tine on the King buck comes more off to the side of the beam than the top of the beam. Your assertion is incorrect.
> 
> http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/fc_winter2000_trophytalk.pdf


Right on, but I believe we are arguing semantics here. A common base point is what we lay hunters use to describe the "abnormal point" phenomenon as described in the article. It didn't mention the term common base, that's a "slang" term, if you will. Basically a common base, or abnormal point as described in the article, is when the points are juxtaposed in such a way that prevents a scorer from using the standard steel tape to accurately find the circumference between the points... 

In other words, they are too close... because they share a common base.

Carry on, I'm not worried about this anyway.
t


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

mike.casey said:


> You're wrong, plain and simple.
> 
> Read the contract.
> 
> ...


Hanson didn't pay him. People are misunderstanding the phrase "good and valuble consideration." 

Here is an example: Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, *but doing something or refraining from doing something that one had the right to do can also count.* 

You are trading something. In this case the trade is as follows: You stop touting your buck as the "new world record" and I don't sue you. 

You can try and spice this settlement up all you want but this is what happened.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I couldn't wait for that response,your the man Rolo.LMAO.


You really can't expect me to not blaze through a door that big can you? :wink: Just because we disagree about some things...it's never personal...just disagreeing. :darkbeer:


----------



## msbowman (Aug 26, 2009)

I would like someone to explain this story from Mitch himself:

Mitch knelt beside the deer. His 35-inch Gold Tip arrow had penetrated 18 inches with the quartering away shot. One of the blades of the Gladiator head had broken where it had lodged in the far right shoulder.

This is the equipment he used:
Hunter: Mitch Rompola, Traverse City, Michigan Date: November 13, 1998 7:47 AM Hunting Method: Bowhunting From a treestand. Bow: CSS (Custom Shooting System) Signature Series Compound, 34-inch axle to axle, set at 58 pounds with Adjustable Pro-stop set to 30 inches draw with letoff adjusted to 75 percent. Arrow: Gold Tip 5-layer Laminated Graphite shaft, 5575 spine, full length 32 inches, crown dipped. Broadhead: Gold Tip Gladiator, 125 grain expandable, four blades.

How does a 32 inch gold tip grow to 35 inches? And this is what he used to measure the deer by when he first found it.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Rolo said:


> You really can't expect me to not blaze through a door that big can you? :wink: Just because we disagree about some things...it's never personal...just disagreeing. :darkbeer:


Never personal Bro,I just knew coming from you that response was gonna be a gem!!!!


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

msbowman said:


> I would like someone to explain this story from Mitch himself:
> 
> Mitch knelt beside the deer. His 35-inch Gold Tip arrow had penetrated 18 inches with the quartering away shot. One of the blades of the Gladiator head had broken where it had lodged in the far right shoulder.
> 
> ...


Broadhead, insert, and nock are added to the overall arrow length to get 35". He basically shoots a full length shaft that is not cut. Goldtip shafts come from the factory at 32" in length. The Goldtip Gladiator heads were pretty long heads so I can see with the insert and nock a total OAL of 35".


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

I guess I could see that Hansen promoters would want to put some sort of leverage on a person stating they have shot the new WR buck but not proving it to be quite. 

Not good for business if there is speculation about whether or not the buck your paying money for an apperance is really teh WR or not.

However now the words out there will always be doubt until its settled, so they are still kind of screwed

Kind of like in a trial, a lawyer or witness can make a statement and it can be stricken from the record and the jury can be instructed to ingnore it, but the fact is it is still in their minds.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

msbowman said:


> How does a 32 inch gold tip grow to 35 inches? And this is what he used to measure the deer by when he first found it.


Someone hit the wrong key on the computer. Someone had a hard time reading the handwriting because it wasn't the most legible.

It does appear that what you quoted was written by someone else, probably edited by yet another person, sent to copy and reviewed by others...there is a myriad of reasons that the arrow could have shrunk...heck, just look at the typing and spelling in some of my posts...simple mistakes do occur...especially when those mistakes are not the mistakes of the subject...


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> Never personal Bro,I just knew coming from you that response was gonna be a gem!!!!


I thought it appropriate and novel considering...


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

msbowman said:


> Has anybody else that claimed to have a world record covered the skull where you couldn't see if it was broken or not?


Find a picture of Milo Hansens buck showing the back of the skull when it was first killed. 

You can see the back of the skull in the pictures from the video that were posted above.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

> Hanson didn't pay him. People are misunderstanding the phrase "good and valuble consideration."
> 
> Here is an example: Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, but doing something or refraining from doing something that one had the right to do can also count.
> 
> ...


Winner Winner,....no wonder I hope the record long lives on unless I break it. LOL



> Find a picture of Milo Hansens buck showing the back of the skull when it was first killed


I've seen pictures of the skull plate in a book, on the official scoring night. There was tape on the antler though.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

msbowman said:


> I would like someone to explain this story from Mitch himself:
> 
> Mitch knelt beside the deer. His 35-inch Gold Tip arrow had penetrated 18 inches with the quartering away shot. One of the blades of the Gladiator head had broken where it had lodged in the far right shoulder.
> 
> ...


That's actually quite simple in my opinion. The writer was not a bowhunter and didn't know anything about bowhunting and probably didn't know enough to ask when he misunderstood the length of the arrow. Or he may have just made a typo in the article. Mitch never said he used a 35-inch arrow, a writer did. If you look at the arrows in Mitch's quiver, they look to be normal length.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> Hanson didn't pay him. People are misunderstanding the phrase "good and valuble consideration."
> 
> Here is an example: Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, *but doing something or refraining from doing something that one had the right to do can also count.*
> 
> ...


So now you are claiming that you also know the actual terms of the contract? Amazing! Are you Milo Hansen? Or someone associated with Buck Forage? Or maybe you are MITCH ROMPOLA!!!!! Because if you aren't your posts are getting more and more bizarre.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Solo Dog said:


> You can try and spice this settlement up all you want but this is what happened.


Have you seen and read the agreement? If you have...I'm guessing the terms of the agreement have been violated by at least one of the parties and/or his agent...and we know what that means...



saskguy said:


> Winner Winner,....no wonder I hope the record long lives on unless I break it. LOL


Same question to you...

Like I said, if either of you answer 'yes' more than likely the terms of the agreement have been breached...

If the answer is 'no...well then, neither of you really know what you are speaking of...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I was hoping it just meant we were done. Think I'd have more energy for the upcoming weekend if I'd just ran a marathon.


----------



## Rathbuck (Jul 19, 2004)

All these years later and this still gets attention.

Being from Michigan, I'd like nothing more than to have the World Record buck from this state, but after following this all from the beginning and reading WAY more than I care to admit about it, I've come to one solid conclusion.

Anyone that thinks that MR is on the up and up and this is a legitimate rack is deluded.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

where is the link for the recovery video please ??? THANKS !!!


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

I am not an attorney but I like to be right when I disagree with someone so I am willing to research to back up my assertions so here is what I found when I researched good and valuable consideration. Here is a definition: "Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, but doing something or *refraining from doing something that one had the right to do *can also count."

Sounds like Solo Dog landed in the same spot as I did. That definition, for me, very much reinforces the argument on the side of those who say Rompola had a legitimate world record buck. Either Hansen and Buck Forage were paying Rompola to shut up, or they were admitting that he had the right to do something (promote his new world record) and got him to sign that he would not do it, or both. 

I do not have personal knowledge of the intent of that contract other than reading it and I am by no means an attorney, but it really seems clear that the contract is making it known that all parties agree that the Rompola buck scores as the highest scoring typical ever, but Rompola is agreeing not to promote it as such. I have no idea why Rompola would sign that unless there was a pretty hefty prioce tag associated with it. Could it be that it was quite a bit more than the $10k he was offered to xray the skull, so he chose to take the money and walk away even though he was well aware that had the new world record in his posession? Does that make sense for a guy living in a trailer house without much money who really has no interest in being in the limelight and going to sports shows every friggin weekend and standing in front of thousand of people, PLUS, he still has the rack which he reportedly sold for a significant sum of money!!!!!! Maybe just maybe he isn't such a nut after all, he just made a calculated decision and took the route that seemed best to him at the time. 

If this doesn't seem like a plausible explanation to you.... well fire away.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Whack/Stack said:


> I am not an attorney but I like to be right when I disagree with someone so I am willing to research to back up my assertions so here is what I found when I researched good and valuable consideration. Here is a definition: "Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, but doing something or *refraining from doing something that one had the right to do *can also count."
> 
> Sounds like Solo Dog landed in the same spot as I did. That definition, for me, very much reinforces the argument on the side of those who say Rompola had a legitimate world record buck. Either Hansen and Buck Forage were paying Rompola to shut up, or they were admitting that he had the right to do something (promote his new world record) and got him to sign that he would not do it, or both.
> 
> ...


And the plot thickens...

Certainly a reasonable interpretation...just as the other side is reasonable...but like has been said by some...no one really knows what 'is' "is"...


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Rolo said:


> Have you seen and read the agreement? If you have...I'm guessing the terms of the agreement have been violated by at least one of the parties and/or his agent...and we know what that means...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Have you read the Settlement Agreement? Not sure what you are getting at.

Here is an interesting article with a couple quotes from Hanson. 

THE ROMPOLA BUCK

Detroit Free Press
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.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

And that reasonable interpretation could be further strengthened if just a couple more racks (that do not appear to be intertwined with existing legal agreements) with the largest distance between the burrs ever seen would just be available to be authenticated. Heck we can probably just wait until next season, looks as if there is a great chance there'll be another one to look at.

Until this thread I had no idea he'd posted so many more pictures of deer with the same characteristics. For you legal minds, is there anyway that future kills could have been tied to that agreement? Business Law is long in my past, but I'm just not seeing how. So he's either got the proof that he has a genetic trait that helps his reputation without breaking an agreement, or he is making a desperate attempt to keep his followers. I don't have much interest in the original buck, all the other ones can satisfy my curiousity.


----------



## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

Whack/Stack said:


> That's actually quite simple in my opinion. The writer was not a bowhunter and didn't know anything about bowhunting and probably didn't know enough to ask when he misunderstood the length of the arrow. Or he may have just made a typo in the article. Mitch never said he used a 35-inch arrow, a writer did. If you look at the arrows in Mitch's quiver, they look to be normal length.


I think there are some heavy duty drugs at work here? The arrows look 36" long to me, the rack looks fake, the skull plate obviously had been worked on prior to placing those stupid looking antlers in there, the hunter has multiple other pictures of deer that look highly suspicious in nature. I don't buy the story for one second. Believe it or not, I have seen some obviously altered hero shots on here other than Mitch. Some Guys are taking replicas, old racks, others peoples racks and inserting the antlers on a fresh kill and posing with the deer. The droopy ears is an easy give away because when the skull plate is cut to remove the antlers the muscles that hold the ears in the upright/normal position gets cut causing them to fall.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Whack/Stack said:


> I am not an attorney but I like to be right when I disagree with someone so I am willing to research to back up my assertions so here is what I found when I researched good and valuable consideration. Here is a definition: "Money of the country in which the transaction takes place is the most obvious thing to satisfy the G&VC test, but doing something or *refraining from doing something that one had the right to do *can also count."
> 
> Sounds like Solo Dog landed in the same spot as I did. That definition, for me, very much reinforces the argument on the side of those who say Rompola had a legitimate world record buck. Either Hansen and Buck Forage were paying Rompola to shut up, or they were admitting that he had the right to do something (promote his new world record) and got him to sign that he would not do it, or both.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry Bernie but you are misinterpreting the settlement agreement. I'm not trying to start a fight or continue a fight, I'm just saying that you are not reading that right.

The agreement was a classic "put up or shut up" (prove to everyone that you have a world record deer or quit saying so because you are hurting our business).

If Mitch didn't "shut up" Hanson and Butler would sue him for lost (or potentially lost) income derived from the "real" world record buck.

It's very simple, Mitch choose to shut up about it. Why you might ask? Many believe it's because the antlers were fabricated.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Solo Dog said:


> Have you read the Settlement Agreement? Not sure what you are getting at.


What I am getting at is that if you haven't read the agreement, your statement that: "You can try and spice this settlement up all you want but this is what happened." is meaningless because you would have zeroi, nada, zilch knowledge of what actually happened. If you have read the agreement, and you are one of the parties to the agreement or their agent, and assuming it is a "confidential" agreement, then you have violated the terms of the agreement by publically revealing "what happened" in regard to the agreement. If you are not a party to it, but were allowed to read it by one of them...well then they violated the "confidentiality" provisdions if they existed, and know you have continued to violate them.

So...here's what were left with:

The agreement is not "confidential"...but considering it has not been released, and in the article you posted, it seems Milo doesn't really discuss the details of the agreement;

OR,

You were a party to the agreement, or an agent of one of them...which would give you a lot more information than most anyone else which you haven't shared if the agreement is not "confidential";

OR,

You are a party or agent, and have violated the agreement by revealing "what happened";

OR,

A party to the agreement violated it by revealing "what happened" to you;

OR,

Like everyone else posting about "what happened" in this thread...you really don't know "what happened" but have formed a concrete opinion of it based on speculation and a lack of objective evidence either way.

My question: Which is it?


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

mike.casey said:


> You're wrong, plain and simple.
> 
> Read the contract.
> 
> ...


No sir, you are wrong, plain and simple. You are not understanding the terms in the agreement. Refer to my last couple posts.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Rolo said:


> What I am getting at is that if you haven't read the agreement, your statement that: "You can try and spice this settlement up all you want but this is what happened." is meaningless because you would have zeroi, nada, zilch knowledge of what actually happened. If you have read the agreement, and you are one of the parties to the agreement or their agent, and assuming it is a "confidential" agreement, then you have violated the terms of the agreement by publically revealing "what happened" in regard to the agreement. If you are not a party to it, but were allowed to read it by one of them...well then they violated the "confidentiality" provisdions if they existed, and know you have continued to violate them.
> 
> So...here's what were left with:
> 
> ...


A copy of the agreement is laying on my desk right in front of me. Get your head out of the sand, you could find it if you tried.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Solo Dog said:


> A copy of the agreement is laying on my desk right in front of me. Get your head out of the sand, you could find it if you tried.


Then post it in its entirety...and for gosh sake...this thread may have been a lot shorter had you done this fom the beginning...

Sand...what sand...if you have read a thing I posted you should be able to see that I don't have much of an opinion one way or the other...


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

I guess the only thing I could imagine MR could have done was kill the deer, then in the woods cut and splice and add tines to the deer, let it dry and then take the pictures. Maybe thats why the one deer has a black tongue LOL

I doubt anyone would do that or have the time to do that, so I think its real and that the explination by Whack/Stack made is plausible

I dont' know, I just want to see the recovery video link as the one on page two doesn't work for me... HELP !!!!!!!!!


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

Whack/Stack said:


> So now you are claiming that you also know the actual terms of the contract? Amazing! Are you Milo Hansen? Or someone associated with Buck Forage? Or maybe you are MITCH ROMPOLA!!!!! Because if you aren't your posts are getting more and more bizarre.


he seems to have a special interest in this only one post until this and then bam he is full of enthusiasm. Lol this may start a war between the united states and canada lol.


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Dean Bower said:


> I think there are some heavy duty drugs at work here? The arrows look 36" long to me, the rack looks fake, the skull plate obviously had been worked on prior to placing those stupid looking antlers in there, the hunter has multiple other pictures of deer that look highly suspicious in nature. I don't buy the story for one second. Believe it or not, I have seen some obviously altered hero shots on here other than Mitch. Some Guys are taking replicas, old racks, others peoples racks and inserting the antlers on a fresh kill and posing with the deer. The droopy ears is an easy give away because when the skull plate is cut to remove the antlers the muscles that hold the ears in the upright/normal position gets cut causing them to fall.


Dean I'm assuming you saw this deer in person no way could any deer be deemed a fake by pictures,there are multiple pictures on this site that honest hunters have posted of their trophys and aot of them have droopy ears.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Rolo said:


> What I am getting at is that if you haven't read the agreement, your statement that: "You can try and spice this settlement up all you want but this is what happened." is meaningless because you would have zeroi, nada, zilch knowledge of what actually happened. If you have read the agreement, and you are one of the parties to the agreement or their agent, and assuming it is a "confidential" agreement, then you have violated the terms of the agreement by publically revealing "what happened" in regard to the agreement. If you are not a party to it, but were allowed to read it by one of them...well then they violated the "confidentiality" provisdions if they existed, and know you have continued to violate them.
> 
> So...here's what were left with:
> 
> ...


Exactly. Now we have proof that Solo Dog is actually Mitch Rompola. Welcome to the site Mitch.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Rolo said:


> Then post it in its entirety...and for gosh sake...this thread may have been a lot shorter had you done this fom the beginning...
> 
> Sand...what sand...if you have read a thing I posted you should be able to see that I don't have much of an opinion one way or the other...


The agreement was posted severl pages back on this thread.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

Originally Posted by Dean Bower

I think there are some heavy duty drugs at work here? The arrows look 36" long to me, the rack looks fake, the skull plate obviously had been worked on prior to placing those stupid looking antlers in there, the hunter has multiple other pictures of deer that look highly suspicious in nature. I don't buy the story for one second. Believe it or not, I have seen some obviously altered hero shots on here other than Mitch. Some Guys are taking replicas, old racks, others peoples racks and inserting the antlers on a fresh kill and posing with the deer. The droopy ears is an easy give away because when the skull plate is cut to remove the antlers the muscles that hold the ears in the upright/normal position gets cut causing them to fall.

Dean, but wouldn't people have seen the cuts when he showed it around town? I'll agree his photos are very weird , posing weird, but he might just be a weird dude as some have said. But I want to see the recovery video again but no one will post the link 

HELP !! someone post the recovery link for me


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

the reaper said:


> he seems to have a special interest in this only one post until this and then bam he is full of enthusiasm. Lol this may start a war between the united states and canada lol.


No special interest. I've just been following this story and lurking on this site for years and after reading all this nonsense from some people I could not restrain myself any longer.

This is a hoax and it's amazing that people fell for this guys crap. Especially those who are somewhat respected in the outdoors industry. 

Here is the settlement agreement: http://www.rodharrison.com/bucks/rompolacontract.htm


----------



## jg1418 (Feb 3, 2003)

My 2 cents....

Seems to me the settlement agreement has everything to do about the boasting and promoting a world record for financial gain. Rompola can at anytime put to rest the main question of the rack being fake or real by just getting the rack x-rayed, prove its real and walk away back into the sunset without any financial gain which many assume he does not want.

This step would not violate the settlement agreement and restore his pride and integrity and show he was honest from day one. Who would not want pride, integrity and honesty associated with ones name.


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

Whack/Stack said:


> Exactly. Now we have proof that Solo Dog is actually Mitch Rompola. Welcome to the site Mitch.


Good one. Give my best to Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. 

I don't know who is crazier, Mitch or you guys that fell for his fantasy.

Have a good weekend in Never Never Land.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Solo Dog said:


> No special interest. I've just been following this story and lurking on this site for years and after reading all this nonsense from some people I could not restrain myself any longer.
> 
> This is a hoax and it's amazing that people fell for this guys crap. Especially those who are somewhat respected in the outdoors industry.
> 
> Here is the settlement agreement: http://www.rodharrison.com/bucks/rompolacontract.htm


Well that helps...but also raises additional questions:

G&VC is undefined...the agreement is void of what it actally was.

The no calling it whatever until Milo's record is broken makes no sense if it is a fake...the agreement clearly reflects a fear of loss of income...if it was fake there is no reason to fear it.

Imagine the can of worms that would be created if MR had it scored by SCI or Buckmasters...at least 2 things that the agreement does not prevent him from doing if he wanted to...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Not seeing as how he can get it scored by anyone under the conditions he seems to need. That agreement is well removed from the time he could have had it scored and still not entered it and he wouldn't do it. And if someone develops a world recognized records organization that allows the hunter to dictate the terms of measurement, I'll personally have one that beats his by the next hunting season.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Solo Dog said:


> Good one. Give my best to Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
> 
> I don't know who is crazier, Mitch or you guys that fell for his fantasy.
> 
> Have a good weekend in Never Never Land.


Clearly you have not read my posts if you think I have fallen for his story.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Quartermoons said:


> Not seeing as how he can get it scored by anyone under the conditions he seems to need. That agreement is well removed from the time he could have had it scored and still not entered it and he wouldn't do it. And if someone develops a world recognized records organization that allows the hunter to dictate the terms of measurement, I'll personally have one that beats his by the next hunting season.


Well..the agreement says he he cant refer to it as a "future WR", "world's larget typical" or "potential WR", nor can he he list "216 5/8" as its score. He can't enter the deer in the B&C club until another deer beats Milo's and is certified by B&C. Can't publicly display it or refer to referencing "B&C score". And...the terms of the agreement are the parties entire understanding...

So...he can have it measured by SCI...he could have it scored by anyone other than B&C, refer to it as 217 3/8 SCI (if that were to be the score) could refer to it as the SCI record and a few other things that he is not prohibited from doing under the express terms and understanding of the agreement...the only thing it restricts as far as measuring relates to the B&C club.

Now...the accepted meaning and/or significance of an SCI or BM score is arguable...but there is nothing that prevents him from doing it...


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

:deadhorsehummm...lol


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

It's been real, it's been fun, but it aint been real fun. I'll stop repeating myself answering the same questions I've already answered.

In conclusion, there's absolutely no evidence the deer is fake. 

Mitch was not going to enter his deer in B&C, and signed the agreement (no matter the terms of the settlement which we still don't know as we only read the contract, not the settlement itself). 

Hanson's comments are just protecting his interest further. He can say whatever he wants and Mitch already agreed to a nonrebuttal, whether he was payed or threatened (which, again, none of us know).

All the "deer looks weird" arguments have been thouroughly refuted within this thread, as well as most other ridiculous speculation. Opponents of the deer have resorted to cylical reasoning, intended to create distraction and doubt while still offering no actual reasonable argument against. Other than "this guys fooling you, and your dumb if you believe him"


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

str_8_shot said:


> :deadhorsehummm...lol


Fake... It's impossible for deer to grow antlers in that configuration. That is a scientific fact...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

So you think those organizations would score a potential world record deer, any deer, not just this one, and require no more evidence of it being authentic than if I took them a 160 class? I honestly don't know the answer, but I would be shocked if I could just show up with a mount and expect it to be accepted as is. Sure I think they would score it. I just don't believe the would give it any kind of 'official' status without some verification. That is what I meant in saying he couldn't have them do it if he's not willing to allow it to be inspected. I may be way off base, I'm purely speculating but I'd hope I'm right.


----------



## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

str_8_shot said:


> :deadhorsehummm...lol


 The heart attack buck


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> Have you read the Settlement Agreement? Not sure what you are getting at.
> 
> 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.
> 
> .


So now MR has been fabricating believably fake antlers since the age of nine? Thats a devious little 3rd grader right there. To think it was all leading up to his diabolical plot to dethrone Milo Hansons buck 40 years later...


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

str_8_shot said:


> :deadhorsehummm...lol


Thats "heart attack" isn't it ? from the monster bucks, Tecomate farm right ?


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Uncle Bucky said:


> Thats "heart attack" isn't it ? from the monster bucks, Tecomate farm right ?


Yup that's him.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

mike.casey said:


> Fake... It's impossible for deer to grow antlers in that configuration. That is a scientific fact...


Looks a lot like the deer in question doesnt it with more than three inches between the burrs that so many have questioned in articles and on this thread.


----------



## 138104 (May 14, 2009)

Glad to read the Rompola buck is legit. I think I'll call Hanson and ACS up and ask them why they continue to market the #2 deer as the "World Record." Actually, a lawsuit might be warranted for deceiving people. The agreement between Hanson, ACS, and Rompola would be the first item entered into evidence!

Any lawyers on here want to take up the case? PM me because I have to get back to building the leprechan trap for my daughter. Maybe we will finally catch one this year. Those little buggers have been evading us for the last 5 years!


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

Uncle Bucky said:


> Thats "heart attack" isn't it ? from the monster bucks, Tecomate farm right ?


look at the horns come out almost 90 degrees from his skull an obvious fake.must be a Michigan deer.


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

snoman4 said:


> Looks a lot like the deer in question doesnt it with more than three inches between the burrs.


Which is definitive proof it's fake.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

mike.casey said:


> Which is definitive proof it's fake.


In that thread link I posted several pages back there were some better pictures of rompolas buck that showed the angle of the horns coming out of the head and it was no more flat than the one in the above picture of the tecomate buck.


----------



## Obi-wanShinobi (Nov 6, 2008)

Whether it's fake or real I don't know and I doubt we'll ever know. What I do know is that it's not the "World Record Typical Whitetail" according to B&C and their rules so it's time we all move on from it.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> Which is definitive proof it's fake.


LOL, man Mike I love your sarcasm, you can hang with me anyday LOL

I bet they shot the heart attack buck with a dart, altered his antlers, must be hard doing that every year , maybe they find his shed and use them each year LOL

I still want that link for the RECOVERY VIDEO, someone please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

snoman4 said:


> In that thread link I posted several pages back there were some better pictures of rompolas buck that showed the angle of the horns coming out of the head and it was no more flat than the one in the above picture of the tecomate buck.


I agree 100%. Which means the heart attack buck must be a fake robot deer created by Rompola himself just to add legitimacy to his claims.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

They are not the same angle as the Tecomate buck. Nor is it the same distance between the burrs of the deer we are talking about, or all the other pictures he has posted. Or all the other deer that he could squash conspiracy theorist with but is 'above' doing so. I've got a lot of guys running press brakes that think an 87 degree angle is close enough to 90, so it's not like thinking close is good enough is an uncommon trait though, so I don't hold it against anyone.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> They are not the same angle as the Tecomate buck. Nor is it the same distance between the burrs of the deer we are talking about, or all the other pictures he has posted. Or all the other deer that he could squash conspiracy theorist with but is 'above' doing so. I've got a lot of guys running press brakes that think an 87 degree angle is close enough to 90, so it's not like thinking close is good enough is an uncommon trait though, so I don't hold it against anyone.


We must of looked at different pictures then. The tecomate buck looks like its about 4 inches between the burrs if you use that deer's ear as a reference. The accepted size of a southern deer's ear is 6 inches in length. The angle is also the same IMHO from that thread about where is rompola now. Deerslayer posted some pictures on that thread that showed the true angle from a normal picture not the pictures from the magazine articles which were horrible.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

http://nextbukoutdoors.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8535&start=30

Here is the link again this is a picture of the deer from the video. 3rd post down on page three. Look at that picture and compare that to the tecomate buck.


----------



## thwacker (Dec 25, 2009)

http://marylandwhitetail.websitetool...May-06-1093142 , then Timberspirits post top of the page



Uncle Bucky said:


> LOL, man Mike I love your sarcasm, you can hang with me anyday LOL
> 
> I bet they shot the heart attack buck with a dart, altered his antlers, must be hard doing that every year , maybe they find his shed and use them each year LOL
> 
> I still want that link for the RECOVERY VIDEO, someone please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

snoman4 said:


> http://nextbukoutdoors.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8535&start=30
> 
> Here is the link again this is a picture of the deer from the video. 3rd post down on page three. Look at that picture and compare that to the tecomate buck.












It doesn't look overly unusual from this angle...


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

View attachment 1290157
View attachment 1290158



Now tell me the angles and burrs are further apart quartermoons.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

thwacker said:


> http://marylandwhitetail.websitetool...May-06-1093142 , then Timberspirits post top of the page


Link is not working for me Thwacker???


----------



## thwacker (Dec 25, 2009)

snoman4 said:


> Link is not working for me Thwacker???


http://marylandwhitetail.websitetoolbox.com/post/Rompola-Buck-May-06-1093142


----------



## mike.casey (Jan 10, 2012)

Uncle Bucky said:


> LOL, man Mike I love your sarcasm, you can hang with me anyday LOL
> 
> I bet they shot the heart attack buck with a dart, altered his antlers, must be hard doing that every year , maybe they find his shed and use them each year LOL
> 
> I still want that link for the RECOVERY VIDEO, someone please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm always down to throw a few back with a fellow hunter!

Now if you want to see the video you need to go to page 2 of this thread, click on the link I posted. 

That will take you to a link for another forum. That forum will have a link posted in the thread you'll see. 

There you will click on that link... pay close attention because here is where it gets tricky. 

You'll now be redirected to a page with an mpeg link on it. 

A troll will pop up in a window, and ask you a very complicated series of questions.
***you might want to brush up on your theoretical physics, and make sure you're familiar with the quadratic formula

Once you complete the questionnaire with at least an 83% rate of accuracy you will be eligible to pay $9 and be placed on a waiting list.

At some time in the future 2 masked men will find you, and without warning stuff you in a potato sack (or two) and take you to a place known only as "The Lair" the rompola recovery footage will be looping in front of your eyes for 13 minutes. 

After which you will be placed on a very comfortable train ride towards home, expenses paid, meals included.

*Or... for your convenience I just put it on youtube.*






The first 18 seconds is him doing a radio interview with a picture of the buck, then it goes into the actual recovery at 19 or 20 seconds.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

thwacker said:


> http://marylandwhitetail.websitetoolbox.com/post/Rompola-Buck-May-06-1093142


Thank you that one worked and the posts that spirit put are interesting for sure too. More information is always great.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

snoman4 said:


> View attachment 1290157
> View attachment 1290158
> 
> 
> ...


Look at where the antlers are in relation to the eyes on both the bucks, it is the same. if the skull plate had been cut the antlers would not have lined up with the eyes either that would have been off and is a dead give away to me that the buck is real.


----------



## MOBIGBUCKS (Aug 12, 2006)

I've never seen that video until now...That deer sure looks real to me....


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

mike.casey said:


> I'm always down to throw a few back with a fellow hunter!
> 
> Now if you want to see the video you need to go to page 2 of this thread, click on the link I posted.
> 
> ...


awesome, I would have never been able to answer all those questions, you must be reel smartz .

I gotta tell you all that scene looks STAGED. I have only shot 58 deer in the 9 seasons I've hunted, however I have never found a bloodless deer site. Most sites, those in fallen leaves especially, have a lot of roughed up area where the deer falls down and kicks a bit until they expire. I've found a few that have just walked and fallen, however there is always blood around the mouth and nose.

I'll still hold my judgement till the truth does come out.


----------



## ullr88 (Oct 19, 2010)

I don't know if this vid will work.
[video]http://timberspirit.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/rompola.mpeg[/video]


----------



## The Phantom (Aug 13, 2007)

Look at Post #8, the ears droop. I've seen several pics of dead deer with drooping ears. Does this mean they are all fake?


http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1674783


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

The angles and burrs are further apart. Now tell me about the 4 secret scorers that were flown in, oh wait, no they weren't. But my buddies saw everything, including the skull. Whoops, no they didn't, but there is a real good reason for that, I just can't tell you because over a year later I signed a legal agreement because I got a piece of someone else's pie, because I didn't want my own, I'd left that poor guy starving. But wait, I've taken 3 or 4 more deer with the same trait that everyone finds odd, we'll just make them available for inspection. 

I'm glad so many are passionate about defending issues that never had to be issues themselves. But when the man decides to use any of the several available means to show that he just happens to have access to some weird looking deer, I will listen to him. As it stands now, I'm comfortable that my opinion resides with the majority of hunters in that something is not right. Does not mean that I am right, but if anything, I've only furthered my belief with everything I've seen here. If and when proven wrong, I promise I won't go in to hiding, and will admit my opinion was wrong. And for the umpteenth time, I'll even change from a non-believer to at least neutral if he would even show a couple of those other skull plates, not including the world record.


----------



## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)

A breakthrough in the case has got to be close I can feel it.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

several things jump out on that video...one is, no blood anywhere you can see on the body itself ..but in the right ear.
another the leaves aren't messed up like a half turn fall or a skid fall ,not even a leg shake to clean the leaves.
either he had been there before the video and cleaned the scene.
i usually have to turn them up/over/drag out of something and clean the face /rack off.
should be some leaves or at least some dirt stirred up from the rack where it fell.
that ,"to me" looks staged!


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

Fortyneck said:


> A breakthrough in the case has got to be close I can feel it.


....


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

Wow....I am busy for one day and this goes another 5 pages....I don't know....I have already been swayed from fraud to it's a possibility....but now I am leaning towards this deer is real!!! I sure would like to know...BEASTBUCK if it is!!!


----------



## BOW BUM (Jul 31, 2009)

I'd like to think its real. I'm not 100% sure what I would do if I were to shoot the world record deer. Would it really be worth it to pimp my life to all the money grubbers? He probably enjoys life more than Milo Hansen. He's free to think, and do, as he pleases. He can shoot whatever bow he wants, he can feed deer what he wants, he can wear whatever clothing, boots, etc that he wants, or can afford. He doesn't need to sue/bribe people for shooting bigger deer than he.

There's probably such a small handful of people that know the real truth, and are close enough to Mitch to respect his wishes, and just let things be.

honestly I'm a little embarassed I replied to this...LOL!

Brian


----------



## RCollins (Dec 31, 2008)

Maybe this has been asked before,and I missed it,but was MR ever cited by Michigan CO's for any game violations concerning this buck? I would think that they are very familiar with him, and aware of all the speculation running rampant about this deer.

If they had even an inkling of wrongdoing on his part, I am sure that they would have long since confiscated this deer along with all the others in his possesion, and investigated completely. Whether he liked it or not, Xrays and other methods would have been used to determine if the deer was shot in the ear with a small caliber slug, to determine if it was poached. I am sure they would also be looking at it closely due to the possibiliy that it could be a world record.

I don't know if it is a fake or not, but I would think that if it is the Michigan game Commission would have made it very public. NO?


----------



## QS34Reaper (Nov 2, 2011)

RCollins said:


> Maybe this has been asked before,and I missed it,but was MR ever cited by Michigan CO's for any game violations concerning this buck? I would think that they are very familiar with him, and aware of all the speculation running rampant about this deer.
> 
> If they had even an inkling of wrongdoing on his part, I am sure that they would have long since confiscated this deer along with all the others in his possesion, and investigated completely. Whether he liked it or not, Xrays and other methods would have been used to determine if the deer was shot in the ear with a small caliber slug, to determine if it was poached. I am sure they would also be looking at it closely due to the possibiliy that it could be a world record.
> 
> I don't know if it is a fake or not, but I would think that if it is the Michigan game Commission would have made it very public. NO?


More good logic that had crossed my mind a time or two, i usually put out that notion by saying they know it's a farce so there is no violaton, however after being a part of this thread early on an seeing some of the "holes" in my opinion as pointed out by badfaulkner, I think by page 25 I mightl be MR's biggest supporter!!!!:wink:


----------



## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

Just way too many things don't add up. I have seen well over 100 dead buck sites and never i have seen one with no blood and a deer that had both legs sicking out in back like it had been hung up for a couple days first. I have never seen a buck die without bleeding either. But that is just my experience over the last 37 years of killing deer. But maybe in Michigan deer die while in mid flight with their legs stuck backwards and without bleeding. And land without ruffling the first leaf. MR being the stand up guy he is and all i am starting to believe all this nonsense.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

boonerbrad....i have 10 more years and i too have never seen that either...
some think the blood in the ear was becaused, he had cut the top of the head and the blood ran down to the ear.
i have NEVER seen blood in the ears when shot with any weapon....only time blood gets on or in the ears ,is when it's hanging on the meat pole!
now he said it was shot in the middle of the body....how do one explain the blood in the ear?

another thing i was thinking if he has killed x number of these so called bullwinkle deer and no body else has and only one buck from that co in the books ....any roadkills?....any cam pics.? co or sheriff's reports of them?
too many on his site looking similar,to that one....and he's killed how many record book bucks there?
i'm done with this ...no real ideas real or fake.....but i'm not buying a shady person, not cashing in on some real money.
and this stand up guy with morals......yeah right!

one more thing i read ,was he didn't want get "in the limelight".........record buck.....he wouldn't have to go nowhere ,people would go to him and pay to see it.......he could sit in the drive thru window with his hand out!


----------



## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

He could have done it up a little better. He should have killed a chicken let blood drip up to the buck and had a blood trail to follow to the deer instead of just walking right up to it. He must have tried his own patience after spending all the time attaching plastic horns to that buck.


----------



## nnelzon23 (Mar 19, 2011)

I will say, after reading this entire post I have gone from totally against it being real, to plausible. Good read. Thanks to all that supplied useful info.

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Solo Dog said:


> It's laughable that there are people out there that believe this guy's nonsense. If you believe his story, you are gullable, plain and simple. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just voicing my thoughts. It's absolutely amazing (and somewhat disheartening and discouraging) that so many people would buy into this crap.


I don't believe Rompola, I believe that CO, those 3 scorers and everyone else who has seen the deer and not claimed it to be fake. Tell me why you don't believe them. I know why you think Rompola is lying but now tell me why everyone else is lying. 

I agree with you about one thing, people are making it much more complicated than it is. All this reaching for reasons: droopy ear, blood in the ear, the color in a photo looks off, antlers too wide, etc, are people trying to make this complicated. Fact is, everyone who has seen the deer says it's real, very simple huh. :wink:


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Quartermoons said:


> Now tell me about the 4 secret scorers that were flown in, oh wait, no they weren't. But my buddies saw everything, including the skull. Whoops, no they didn't,


The informatioin you are referring to is second or third hand info. Why not read the first hand account from one of the scorers, where he admits that he did see the skull plate. It's right on this thread. Obviously, if he is saying he did see the skull plate, it would make everything else in that interview with Hanson suspect as well, don't you think? Or do you still believe what people say happened that weren't there, as opposed to what the people that were there say happened?


----------



## Northwoodslayer (Sep 6, 2007)

Has anyone pondered the idea that the CO's who inspected the buck could have spotted a "RAT IN THE WOOD PILE." CO's have pretty much seen everything when it comes to hunting and fishing escapades.


----------



## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

God bless Milo for getting his big buck but why do most of you prefer a guy that is an admitted road hunter who got lucky with a rifle holding the world record than a guy who is a bit of a recluse but a proven big buck killer having it And doing it with a pieced together bow 

I have shot many deer that have made book but I have never entered any of them 

Maybe Mitch is just crazy enough to not need or want the BS


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Uncle Bucky said:


> awesome, I would have never been able to answer all those questions, you must be reel smartz .
> 
> I gotta tell you all that scene looks STAGED. I have only shot 58 deer in the 9 seasons I've hunted, however I have never found a bloodless deer site. Most sites, those in fallen leaves especially, have a lot of roughed up area where the deer falls down and kicks a bit until they expire. I've found a few that have just walked and fallen, however there is always blood around the mouth and nose.





> Just way too many things don't add up. I have seen well over 100 dead buck sites and never i have seen one with no blood and a deer that had both legs sicking out in back like it had been hung up for a couple days first. I have never seen a buck die without bleeding either. But that is just my experience over the last 37 years of killing deer


Really guys, come on now. I’ve seen plenty of deer die just like that one. If you haven’t in all your years of experience, just shows you haven’t seen enough to judge this as a fake now have you. 

Here are just two, I have plenty more if you really need to see them. Little to no blood at the site, few drops here and there but nothing you can see from a photo or grainy video, and yes, the legs are sticking out the back of the deer. These pictures of deer where they fell look exactly like that video. The deer are real, the scene not staged.

















In that video, the legs look kinda tangled up in those sticks, not just lying on them and there are not just alot of leaves lying around to be displaced, looks like branches to me.
Again, don't know if it's real but I see alot of the reasons people using to say it's fake are really weak or reaching. The more I see people trying to prove it's fake, and the reasons they use, the less I agree with them, really, really reaching.


----------



## deerslayer261 (Jan 8, 2008)

its real just the skull was probably broken so it won't count. when the people scored the deer did they score it before it was caped out.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

RCollins said:


> Maybe this has been asked before,and I missed it,but was MR ever cited by Michigan CO's for any game violations concerning this buck? I would think that they are very familiar with him, and aware of all the speculation running rampant about this deer.
> 
> If they had even an inkling of wrongdoing on his part, I am sure that they would have long since confiscated this deer along with all the others in his possesion, and investigated completely. Whether he liked it or not, Xrays and other methods would have been used to determine if the deer was shot in the ear with a small caliber slug, to determine if it was poached. I am sure they would also be looking at it closely due to the possibiliy that it could be a world record.
> 
> I don't know if it is a fake or not, but I would think that if it is the Michigan game Commission would have made it very public. NO?


Another man starting to see the light. Look at the guys from Elite and all of the other big poaching cases tied to large deer like the one in Kansas this year that would have been a state record typical. If these deer were killed by MR were poached or faked I would like to think the Wardens would have made a big example out of MR. If they were to prove that these things were poached or faked with all the notoriety of this case it would be a huge feather in someones cap. All of the things I have seen since the thread first started and posts from people that are well thought out have definitely changed my mind about MR and this buck.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

WEEGEE said:


> boonerbrad....i have 10 more years and i too have never seen that either...
> some think the blood in the ear was becaused, he had cut the top of the head and the blood ran down to the ear.
> i have NEVER seen blood in the ears when shot with any weapon....only time blood gets on or in the ears ,is when it's hanging on the meat pole!
> now he said it was shot in the middle of the body....how do one explain the blood in the ear?
> ...


So many of these objections could have an easy explanation... 
The deer looks like it wass hug from the way the legs are back - Well maybe he shot it at night and hung it overnight then tookd daylight photos the next day, or maybe he positioned the buck like that on purpose for some reason known only to him. This would also explain the statement that you only have seen blood on the ear when it was hanging. 

Some of the same deer are in the exact same location when photographed - well maybe that location is in his back yard. These deer are photographed in the daylight so he obviously dragged some of them out at night and then took the pictures the next day. 

The ground is not scuffed up - this is one of the poorest excuses. I have seen deer that I shot die, and some of them did death throes and tore up the ground and some of them did not. One buck I heart shot a few years ago ran 20 yards and laid down within sight and died without moving a muscle. I have seen heart shot deer run a little ways and just tip over. So if he placed the deer there, how did he get it there without scuffing up the leaves? Carry it there in his back pocket? I would say that the fac tthere are no drag marks of bringing the buck to this spot would be evidence that it died there. 

All of this conjecture and speculation and grasping at any little thing to try to discredit the buck is really silly. The common theme sems to be "Well it looks really unusual" Well do you think there is anything unusual about a WORLD RECORD? I guess a one of a kind buck would be a little unusual wouldn't it? Like a freak of nature? Like unbelievably wide? Like the antler pedicles are unusually placed? Like it was living in a place where it could grow that large without being killed and doingthings that no other buck does? What are the odds of killing a 5-7 year old buck in Michigan anyway, one in a milion? A world record is a perfect storm of unusual!

I guess to sum up all of my posts on this thread in one sentence directed to everyone who has posted here it would be this "I don't know if the buck is real and neither do you." At least I am willing to admit it.


----------



## DenCMSC (Jul 30, 2007)

Ok, here is the REAL story....I just got off the phone with a guy who knows the guy who once substitute taught Mitch in the 3rd grade. He heard from the wife of a friend of one of the guys who actually saw the deer before it was caped out that it was in fact a REAL DEER. In conversing with several of the local hunting guru's over whiskey and beer, the fellow gathered that it was one of several record book class deer killed by Romplola over the years, and also was privy to some insider secrets as to how the deer got so unusually large. Plain and simple, several area deer simply go to a local cattle farm, and ingest the antibiotic and steroid laced feed being force fed to the cattle. Mitch then just waits until their drug addled brains force blood out of the right ear of the animals, then tracks them to the spot of their demise. He has taken bucks with antlers bigger than a bull elk using this tried and true technique, but wants no fame nor fortune as he knows the government will just tax the crap out of it anyways.


----------



## Publiclandhntr (Aug 17, 2011)

I agree DV1. Though I only have 34 yrs deer hunting under my belt, my last 2 bucks taken(3 1/2 and 4 1/2 y/o 8s) with an expandable similiar to what MR used fell the same way. Both were double lunged and neither went more than 30 yds. Blood trails were very similiar(weak) but since I seen them both drop, I knew where to follow. Very little blood. Both deer dropped and never even twitched. Kill sight was completely undisturbed and only a small puddle of blood underneath deer. No blood on mouth nor nose. 

Peace Out


----------



## Whackdaddy (Feb 23, 2009)

RCollins said:


> Maybe this has been asked before,and I missed it,but was MR ever cited by Michigan CO's for any game violations concerning this buck? I would think that they are very familiar with him, and aware of all the speculation running rampant about this deer.
> 
> If they had even an inkling of wrongdoing on his part, I am sure that they would have long since confiscated this deer along with all the others in his possesion, and investigated completely. Whether he liked it or not, Xrays and other methods would have been used to determine if the deer was shot in the ear with a small caliber slug, to determine if it was poached. I am sure they would also be looking at it closely due to the possibiliy that it could be a world record.
> 
> I don't know if it is a fake or not, but I would think that if it is the Michigan game Commission would have made it very public. NO?


This is an excellent question! Wildlife Departments have made people's lives a living hell for much less.


----------



## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

So after reading 20 pages of this, I now know how things will go. I will shoot the next World Record, beating out Milo's buck which will make the contract between him and Mitch null and void. Then Mitch will be able to have his buck verified as the World Record, beating me out. Talk about a kick in the nads. I guess I'll just have to make sure I shoot a buck big enough to beat Mitch, and the conspiracy theories can start all over again.


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

Solo Dog said:


> This is pretty simple. It's fake, because it looks fake. I think you could go on his website and pick the ones that are fake. He obviously poses his deer for the picks. They are all laying the same direction and all. There are atleast a couple that are definately fake. He took the time to tilt their heads back on the fakes so you can't see their bases as well. The guy is a complete joke. Probably has all sorts of issues. I mean if he would try and pull all this crap and try and decieve everyone, what is he really capable of? The dude has obvious issues.


So what you are saying is, he faked, what 10-12 deer or more, went out and shot a forkhorn, cut the horns off, manufactured 10-12 seperate racks,remounted them, just so he could take pictures and post them on his website? 

Now that's a novel idea.

I always knew Mitch was a bit of a nutcase, now I find there are many others and they are posting on here.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

DV1 said:


> Really guys, come on now. I’ve seen plenty of deer die just like that one. If you haven’t in all your years of experience, just shows you haven’t seen enough to judge this as a fake now have you.
> 
> Here are just two, I have plenty more if you really need to see them. Little to no blood at the site, few drops here and there but nothing you can see from a photo or grainy video, and yes, the legs are sticking out the back of the deer. These pictures of deer where they fell look exactly like that video. The deer are real, the scene not staged.
> 
> ...


FAIL... your bottom pic shows a considerable amount of visible blood and the top picture has disturbed leaves by the back legs which is caused by any deeer dying doing the "running man" right before they expire, happens on a lot of deer as they bleed out

Plus for that buck to get to where it was at it would of had to have distrubed the surroundings. I'm not saying its 100% but it does appear to be staged


----------



## bucko12pt (Feb 15, 2012)

gcab said:


> This thread is interesting but a wast of time... kind of like arguing politics. Everyone has their opinion, but its all just opinion and not fact.
> 
> For those that don't believe it to be real, its just little things that you have heard second hand or pieces here and there. Sure seems odd, but odd doesn't mean false.
> 
> ...




Well, he's killed about a dozen or so other monster bucks since the big one, thats' some pretty significant news in the past 15 years. Do 
you think they were all faked also, just so he could post pictures on his website?


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I think it would be plenty easy for him to prove they aren't. I dont think he done that yet.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

DenCMSC said:


> Ok, here is the REAL story....I just got off the phone with a guy who knows the guy who once substitute taught Mitch in the 3rd grade. He heard from the wife of a friend of one of the guys who actually saw the deer before it was caped out that it was in fact a REAL DEER. In conversing with several of the local hunting guru's over whiskey and beer, the fellow gathered that it was one of several record book class deer killed by Romplola over the years, and also was privy to some insider secrets as to how the deer got so unusually large. Plain and simple, several area deer simply go to a local cattle farm, and ingest the antibiotic and steroid laced feed being force fed to the cattle. Mitch then just waits until their drug addled brains force blood out of the right ear of the animals, then tracks them to the spot of their demise. He has taken bucks with antlers bigger than a bull elk using this tried and true technique, but wants no fame nor fortune as he knows the government will just tax the crap out of it anyways.


I have to say after smoking a crack pipe, this does make prefect sense... I think you nailed it. I maen yu knwo it jsut feels rihgt


----------



## Rembrandt1 (Mar 6, 2005)

*"Trust but Verify"*.........can't be verified, guess we can't trust it's real.


----------



## DenCMSC (Jul 30, 2007)

str_8_shot said:


> I have to say after smoking a crack pipe, this does make prefect sense... I think you nailed it. I maen yu knwo it jsut feels rihgt


Just say no to crack....both in a pipe and plumber-style...


----------



## Solo Dog (Jan 4, 2010)

mike.casey said:


> So now MR has forbeen fabricating believably fake antlers since the age of nine? Thats a devious little 3rd grader right there. To think it was all leading up to his diabolical plot to dethrone Milo Hansons buck 40 years later...


Just for the record, those were not my words. You erased most of that article that that quote came from.


----------



## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

DenCMSC said:


> Just say no to crack....both in a pipe and plumber-style...


Up with hope...down with dope!


----------



## MidFlight (Jun 22, 2009)

A few of my thoughts for what they are worth;

I have always been intrigued by the Rompala Buck as I was born and rasied in MI and remember well the pandimonium that took place after the story broke. The thing that always sticks in my mind is how fast MR was called a liar, a cheat, his personal life was exposed, ect, ect. I remember well when the story broke as I was at a large deer camp during rifle season, one of the guys in camp was a prominent business man from Traverse City, MI. Within hours of the deer becoming public this gentleman had told everyone what a "kook" "crackpot" "crazy" "theif" "sexual dievient" ect Mitch Rompala was...within minutes the 10-12 people at this deer camp had deemed the deer a fake....without any solid evidence as to if it was or was not.

This became the stance of a nation basicly overnight.

I have no proof if the deer is real or fake but have read as much as I could over the years on the subject.

If one forgets the Hansen portion of the story, forget about the claims of money put forth all in all forget about record book status and look at a few facts.

Everyone who had personally seen the deer claims it is not a fake, this includes Michigan Conservation Officers, Record Scorers, Neighbors...I have a hard time believing all of these people would try to help fabricate a story.

In his book Great Michigan Whitetails Vol #3, well respected author Richard P. Smith covers the story in chapter 1. He had interviewed MR on several occaisions over the years and has indepth information surrounding this buck. I find it hard to believe Mr. Smith is in on this plot as well.

Basicly the only evidence that I have ever seen put forth is this; Mitch is a wierd guy, refused to acceppt money and refused to enter the deer into a record book....while this behavior seems odd to most....it does not include any proof for or against the fact the deer is real.

I know of many people in my travels that have and do kill very large deer on a regular basis...not world records but the kind of deer that adorn our favorite magazines, web sites and deer shows...you have never heard of any of them as they have never entered a deer into a record book, put a picture on the internet or taken a mount to a tradeshow......my point is some people hunt for different reasons and everyones personality is different.

I have no solid proof that the Rompola Buck is real or fake....until proven otherwise I will give Mitch the benifit of doubt and consider it real. If this is the case Mitch could be one of the best Whitetail hunters ever.....if not....than the joke is on me.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Even from the other side of the fence, that is a great post. If I knew some of those people I'm sure it would lead me to a different opinion as well. But I've never seen any pictures from showing the buck around town, known anyone that actually saw the entire deer, or even it's skull plate which seems beyond question was covered at what would seem to be an odd time. At 13 days after kill? You'd have to be crazy and risk that thing breaking due to the shrinking factor to do that. Still doesn't mean I'm right. But when it comes down to something that easy, and yet it has never been done, I'm going to remain doubtful. But also respectful of others opinions. And as I have pointed out many times, he has several other great bucks that aren't world class. There is one in particular that appears to be even wider between the burrs. Let it be looked at. 

I think it is great people stick to their convictions. But when the man himself could answer the biggest of the unanswered questions and seems not to care, I'm not sure I could argue for him if I did indeed have insider access if he isn't willing to do something so basic himself. And that goes back to the not wanting attention. I'm pretty sure nobody forced him to produce the recovery video, or plaster the deer on a scent bottle. One thing in particular that was reported back in the early days of conspiracy theories being formed, and I have not seen it here unless I just missed it. And that relates to the fact that he supposedly had a contract that would pay him if he killed a new world record. At the time, I considered that to be yet another obvious sign of things not being right. Forget the arrogance of signing such a contract, but why can't you meet a very basic requirement to fulfill it? But not having seen that here, and unable to find anything by doing a search, that might have just been part of the misinformation that your post refers to. And that would be a shame, but I will always come back to let's see the skull plates. And on more than 1 deer.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

> FAIL... your bottom pic shows a considerable amount of visible blood and the top picture has disturbed leaves by the back legs which is caused by any deeer dying doing the "running man" right before they expire, happens on a lot of deer as they bleed out


LOL, Fail, really. Okay, if you say so. First and foremost, the bottom pic doesn't show a considerable amount of blood. There is very little blood there and you certainly cannot see it in the picture. What you are seeing is the coloration of the leaves. It also shows the legs sticking out behind the deer, and no disturbed leaves. 

On the top picture, yes, it shows some disturbed leaves at the back legs but there is no blood and again, the legs are sticking out behind the deer. So what exactly about this is a fail? LOL. But thanks for clearing up one thing: if you haven't seen it, it must not be possible, right? :wink:




> Plus for that buck to get to where it was at it would of had to have distrubed the surroundings


Even moreso if he moved it there and staged the scene. The only way that deer gets there without alot of disturbed ground is if it walks in there under it's own power and falls down.


----------



## MidFlight (Jun 22, 2009)

As far as I can tell Rompola had not entered a deer into the record books since 1988 even though he had killed several that would meet the requirments, he had in fact stated that he would not enter this potential world record if he did kill it before hand (I say in fact, all of my information has come from reading information over the years and I have never spoken to Mitch Rompola)

I think the hardest thing for anyone to grasp is that if he did kill a world record he is not interested in cashing in on it.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

I just spent 3 hrs reading this whole thread. Probably a waste if time but entertaining to say the least. I WANT to believe the deer's legit and it probably is. I tend to believe the the 3 scorers and the CO and their reputations. MR's non-hunting reputation doesn't help him and something DOES stink about the story but we'll probably never know exactly what it is. I just don't believe that MR has world class taxi abilities and resources to be able to pull this off.It probably can be done but it's WAY beyond what he could do in few short hours.That being said MR is probably the original Whitetail Freak. Very knowledgeable. I'd love to pick this guy's brain about deer hunting for few hours. I have question to stir the pot. If the King buck was panel scored and found to beat the Hanson buck but NOT beat MR's buck. Could MR now come out publically w/ his buck again? Maybe that's part of the reason B & C (Jack)refused to panel score the King buck? LOL


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

Uncle Bucky said:


> FAIL... your bottom pic shows a considerable amount of visible blood and the top picture has disturbed leaves by the back legs which is caused by any deeer dying doing the "running man" right before they expire, happens on a lot of deer as they bleed out
> 
> Plus for that buck to get to where it was at it would of had to have distrubed the surroundings. I'm not saying its 100% but it does appear to be staged


I've killed several deer w/ no blood at the kill site and all were non pass thrus that lodged in the opposite shoulder. I have also killed several that looked like they died in mid stride no kicking or anything . Some of these I watched from the stand. I see nothing in the video that looks staged but I do see a very grainy poorly lit video maybe someone should send MR a HD camera so he can get better footage the next time he kills a WR. LOL


----------



## MidFlight (Jun 22, 2009)

I will type a quote from the book Great Michigan Deer Tales Vol 3 from Author Richard P. Smith.

These are a portion of Rompalas words quoted from the tail end of his personal account surrounding his killing of the deer in question.

I hate to type so bear with me.

"By Monday afternoon, the phone was ringing off the hook. A media feeding frenzy had begun. Reporters were besieging me from all over the country. I didnt know it at the time but news of the deer, along with my address and phone number had been posted on the internet. The phone rang throughout the night.

On Tuesday, I recieved a welcome call from Dan Boss. He came over and did a segment for the local news. Contrary to whats been told, hes the only media person I've ever contacted. I recieved over 100 addtional calls that day. That night I pulled the plug on the outside phone box.

Wednesday morning, I plugged it back in and had over 60 calls by 11:00 a.m. The phone was killing me and I looked like it. Everybody wanted a piece of me, so on that day I had my number disconnected. I didnt want all of this attention and still dont. I just wanted to share the deer with my good friends and a few interseted people.

People are adamantly insisting that I must do certain things to get the buck entered into the record books. Well, I am not intersted in the record books, but I am still fascinated by antler measurments for compairison among my personal racks. The record books used to be important to mebut they're not anymore.

Although I have shot a good number of trophy bucks in recent years, I haven't entered any of them since 1988. For now, dont expect this one to be treated any differently. It may be entered some day, or it may not."

Mitch Rompala's words, not mine.


----------



## zyxw (Feb 19, 2007)

RCollins said:


> Maybe this has been asked before,and I missed it,but was MR ever cited by Michigan CO's for any game violations concerning this buck? I would think that they are very familiar with him, and aware of all the speculation running rampant about this deer.
> 
> If they had even an inkling of wrongdoing on his part, I am sure that they would have long since confiscated this deer along with all the others in his possesion, and investigated completely. Whether he liked it or not, Xrays and other methods would have been used to determine if the deer was shot in the ear with a small caliber slug, to determine if it was poached. I am sure they would also be looking at it closely due to the possibiliy that it could be a world record.
> 
> I don't know if it is a fake or not, but I would think that if it is the Michigan game Commission would have made it very public. NO?


The wildlife commision has no reason to confiscate the deer . There was never a question about it being a legal kill. He just put a set of fake antlers on the deer. that's not against the law just stupid


----------



## farmer rick (Feb 25, 2011)

It's easy to fool some people ,with a few photos and good stories . Even the experts can be fooled. Pronghorn antelope shot in 1899 was a long standing world record until it was x-rayed and found to be a fake.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

zyxw said:


> The wildlife commision has no reason to confiscate the deer . There was never a question about it being a legal kill. He just put a set of fake antlers on the deer. that's not against the law just stupid


I dont know what the law for MI is at all but in any state I have hunted, you have to show how many points the buck has on the report.
So that would at least show that he did get a deer that year with the same number of points (if that's the law) right?.
If he did have to report a deer that way, I am sure that the deer was checked out after all of this came to light.
Whats the chances that he could take a deer and modify the beam in that amount of time?.

Just asking questions in the dark here


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

zyxw said:


> The wildlife commision has no reason to confiscate the deer . There was never a question about it being a legal kill. He just put a set of fake antlers on the deer. that's not against the law just stupid


I am sure a few violations could be found if he had faked this deer. 

As a LEO Officer for over 19 years the one thing that sets us apart is that we have to maintain our integrity by not lying. If you are caught in a lie one time then your whole career from that point forward would be questioned and any arrest you make would be questioned. Answer this question why would the LEO Officer involved and all the scorers and others that saw this deer put their reputations on the line for Mitch and this deer. What would their motivation be. Some of you questioning this need to ask yourselves this question because out of all the people that saw this they have all said that the deer was real and not a hoax.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

Well the scorer admitted to not seeing the skull plate, so no matter what they thought of everything else, they at least knew it couldn't be substantiated while covered up. That's not seeing enough to know whether it is or not. Take 6 or 8 inches off the spread and I don't think it generates the buzz that it does.

And I'm following you on their need to be truthful. But I kind of expect that of someone who is a scorer and claims to have a wr too. He went on record stating he'd had it scored by 4 people under the cover of darkness. Then he didn't. And he presented a rack under conditions that are not acceptable for entry, knowingly. Who's stating they've seen the rack on the skull plate that was not covered? That's enough dishonesty for me, even though I'll still readily admit I'm sure that I will never know for sure.

I don't think I can present anything that the pro crowd cannot contradict, but I still haven't seen anything presented that if it cannot be contradicted, can be shown to be less than acceptable conditions. I have never seen the video of the deer as reported alive. Any links I've found were not active. That might change a lot of views, I went 15 years without even knowing that supposedly existed. And again, all can be answered by at least 1 other deer for which there is no other limiting factors. Maybe somebody can convince them he owes that to them and will have the widest of those racks validated.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

snoman4 said:


> I am sure a few violations could be found if he had faked this deer.
> 
> As a LEO Officer for over 19 years the one thing that sets us apart is that we have to maintain our integrity by not lying. If you are caught in a lie one time then your whole career from that point forward would be questioned and any arrest you make would be questioned. Answer this question why would the LEO Officer involved and all the scorers and others that saw this deer put their reputations on the line for Mitch and this deer. What would their motivation be. Some of you questioning this need to ask yourselves this question because out of all the people that saw this they have all said that the deer was real and not a hoax.


I'd agree, but reading the post no one has come forward to say they were the CO/Officer that inspected the deer, or did I miss that?


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> Well the scorer admitted to not seeing the skull plate, so no matter what they thought of everything else, they at least knew it couldn't be substantiated while covered up. That's not seeing enough to know whether it is or not. Take 6 or 8 inches off the spread and I don't think it generates the buzz that it does.
> 
> And I'm following you on their need to be truthful. But I kind of expect that of someone who is a scorer and claims to have a wr too. He went on record stating he'd had it scored by 4 people under the cover of darkness. Then he didn't. And he presented a rack under conditions that are not acceptable for entry, knowingly. Who's stating they've seen the rack on the skull plate that was not covered? That's enough dishonesty for me, even though I'll still readily admit I'm sure that I will never know for sure.
> 
> I don't think I can present anything that the pro crowd cannot contradict, but I still haven't seen anything presented that if it cannot be contradicted, can be shown to be less than acceptable conditions. I have never seen the video of the deer as reported alive. Any links I've found were not active. That might change a lot of views, I went 15 years without even knowing that supposedly existed. And again, all can be answered by at least 1 other deer for which there is no other limiting factors. Maybe somebody can convince them he owes that to them and will have the widest of those racks validated.


Not sure where you are getting your information about cover of darkness and the scoring was not acceptable for entry. The only article that was even remotely hinted at was the one that Calderone was a part of and I for one would not trust anything he had to say due to the feud that he had with MR. If D and DH and some of the other writers have stood behind Mitch the way that they have it would tend to make me think that they have seen enough evidence to convince them that the deer was not a fake. I would take the word of the people that have come forward with the information that they have to include one of the scorers that said the deer was real and that he saw the skull plate.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

LvToHunt said:


> I've killed several deer w/ no blood at the kill site and all were non pass thrus that lodged in the opposite shoulder. I have also killed several that looked like they died in mid stride no kicking or anything . Some of these I watched from the stand. I see nothing in the video that looks staged but I do see a very grainy poorly lit video maybe someone should send MR a HD camera so he can get better footage the next time he kills a WR. LOL


I'll agree the footage is terrible , and it could happen that a deer would just lay down, but it just seems weird . the video alone doesn't add up to anything, but add up the rest of the weird things going on with this deer, the skull plate, the claim then the removal of the claim, the contract. So now you have several factors, its like 2+2+2+2, you start to see how people can assume things.

Personally I really dont' care, I just enjoy debating LOL, I am the "devils advocate" sometimes.

But I will say those sample pictures, that is blood on the bottom picture and there is disturbance. Could it happen ? sure but all the deer I"ve shot that I"ve watched fall down do several things, thrash and kick, or fall dead and then a blood volcano comes out the entrance hole ( which is visible in the video) or snort blood out their nose. But then again every single deer dies a bit different


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Uncle Bucky said:


> I'll agree the footage is terrible , and it could happen that a deer would just lay down, but it just seems weird . the video alone doesn't add up to anything, but add up the rest of the weird things going on with this deer, the skull plate, the claim then the removal of the claim, the contract. So now you have several factors, its like 2+2+2+2, you start to see how people can assume things.
> 
> Personally I really dont' care, I just enjoy debating LOL, I am the "devils advocate" sometimes.
> 
> But I will say those sample pictures, that is blood on the bottom picture and there is disturbance. Could it happen ? sure but all the deer I"ve shot that I"ve watched fall down do several things, thrash and kick, or fall dead and then a blood volcano comes out the entrance hole ( which is visible in the video) or snort blood out their nose. But then again every single deer dies a bit different


I have shot several deer high in the lungs and not had good blood or a really bloody kill site until I picked the deer up to load him into the truck and then it was like a faucet was turned on. Mitch admitted that he shot the deer in the center which would equate to a high lung hit and not as much blood. Some food for your thought and also playing the advocate for you Uncle B.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

Anyone?



tiny52 said:


> i dont know what the law for mi is at all but in any state i have hunted, you have to show how many points the buck has on the report.
> So that would at least show that he did get a deer that year with the same number of points (if that's the law) right?.
> If he did have to report a deer that way, i am sure that the deer was checked out after all of this came to light.
> Whats the chances that he could take a deer and modify the beam in that amount of time?.
> ...


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

So one of the scorers said they saw the skull plate? I've always been under the impression that when questioned by B&C they stated they had not. Of course when money is involved, I've lost more to members of my own family than anyone else. I see it just as plausible that a very small group of people would lie if profit was involved. You never know the motivations of people, and now that all of these questions remain, and yet can still be viably answered by deer other than the one in question, I see no reason to settle for anything less than one of those beyond wide burr bucks to be opened for the highest level of scrutiny.

And If I was your friend, and had consistently defended you and that is all you had to do and refused, we'd probably have went to gravel over it a long time ago.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm off to try and kill the world record coyote, so if I get zinged with a good one and I don't reply for a while it's not that I haven't thought of a response yet. I've listed my demands to yield, and will not compromise! I see them as more than reasonable.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> So one of the scorers said they saw the skull plate? I've always been under the impression that when questioned by B&C they stated they had not. Of course when money is involved, I've lost more to members of my own family than anyone else. I see it just as plausible that a very small group of people would lie if profit was involved. You never know the motivations of people, and now that all of these questions remain, and yet can still be viably answered by deer other than the one in question, I see no reason to settle for anything less than one of those beyond wide burr bucks to be opened for the highest level of scrutiny.
> 
> And If I was your friend, and had consistently defended you and that is all you had to do and refused, we'd probably have went to gravel over it a long time ago.


Yep all these people have defended and still defend MR to this date so that should count for something. If this LEO was going to profit from this my guess is that he would do other shady things and would not have kept his job for very long. B and C never questioned this buck and could not question it because it was never submitted for scoring. A lot of the info you have been given is 3-10 hand hearsay. Go back and read all the info that has been presented here with an open mind and you might have a different take on things. Mitch said himself as many others have said that he would not enter a deer in [email protected] because he had the falling out with them back in 1988. I came into this thread with a 70 to 30 ideal that this deer was fake. After seeing some of these posts and doing my own research through these last several days I am the exact opposite thinking 70 to 30 that it is real.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Quartermoons said:


> So one of the scorers said they saw the skull plate? I've always been under the impression that when questioned by B&C they stated they had not.


This was posted in this thread several pages back, and I had read before that the skull was inspected, but I cannot find that for you. 


> Found this interesting little tidbit from one of the guys that scored the deer...
> 
> DEERSLAYER
> Post subject: Re: Mitch Rompola buck - Where is he now?
> ...


Information like this, and the fact that not one single person who has seen the rack says it's fake, but they all say it's real, is what I base my opinion on. What do the nay-sayers base their doubt on...rumor and speculation created and fueled by a guy with an axe to grind? Who is really being fooled here?


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

DV1 said:


> This was posted in this thread several pages back, and I had read before that the skull was inspected, but I cannot find that for you.
> 
> 
> Information like this, and the fact that not one single person who has seen the rack says it's fake, but they all say it's real, is what I base my opinion on. What do the nay-sayers base their doubt on...rumor and speculation created and fueled by a guy with an axe to grind? Who is really being fooled here?


That was from the article I posted earlier that I found while researching.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Quartermoons said:


> I'm off to try and kill the world record coyote, so if I get zinged with a good one and I don't reply for a while it's not that I haven't thought of a response yet. I've listed my demands to yield, and will not compromise! I see them as more than reasonable.


Not trying to "zing" you at all but just trying to correct the misinformation that still spreads. Not your fault I guess but the fact that you keep repeating that no scorer saw the skull plate is a perfect example of how this thing got to the point it is now, where all this misinformation is taken for fact, and many people are convinced of something based on that misinformation. 

Once again, all first-hand accounts say it's real. Not one person who has seen it says it's fake. How can anyone, including Craig Calderone or Larry Huffman, know better than those who have seen, touched and scored the rack?


----------



## the reaper (Aug 13, 2006)

tiny52 said:


> Anyone?


Yes in michigan you have to slit how many points are on each side of the rack on the kill tag.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

That's it. End of argument. If a LEO said it's real; it's got to be! You can't question the integrity of a LEO.


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

the reaper said:


> Yes in michigan you have to slit how many points are on each side of the rack on the kill tag.


Thank you.

SO....

Wouldnt it be pretty easy to start the investigation on that point?.
Seems to me that he got it


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

newview said:


> That's it. End of argument. If a LEO said it's real; it's got to be! You can't question the integrity of a LEO.


Man and to think you turned over a new leaf and were not being a tool anymore. Two LEO's and three guys that scored it along with half a town that actually saw the deer. We already know your disdain for LEO's you have made that known in your previous posts on other threads. Some LEO's need their integrity questioned but it is a very small percentage I assure you. Part of my duties are Internal Affairs investigations statewide so I see the bad and the good all the time brother from LEOS. Your attitude is horrible hope you find a little Christ in your life as I told you earlier.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> Man and to think you turned over a new leaf and were not being a tool anymore. Two LEO's and three guys that scored it along with half a town that actually saw the deer. We already know your disdain for LEO's you have made that known in your previous posts on other threads. Some LEO's need their integrity questioned but it is a very small percentage I assure you. Part of my duties are Internal Affairs investigations statewide so I see the bad and the good all the time brother from LEOS. Your attitude is horrible hope you find a little Christ in your life as I told you earlier.


Get a life!


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

DV1 said:


> Really guys, come on now. I’ve seen plenty of deer die just like that one. If you haven’t in all your years of experience, just shows you haven’t seen enough to judge this as a fake now have you.
> 
> Here are just two, I have plenty more if you really need to see them. Little to no blood at the site, few drops here and there but nothing you can see from a photo or grainy video, and yes, the legs are sticking out the back of the deer. These pictures of deer where they fell look exactly like that video. The deer are real, the scene not staged.
> 
> ...



your deer look nowhere the same the legs on these deer are bent....look again at the footage....straight as can be ,as if hanged.


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

WeeGEE in the video, the buck's legs are back and wedged against a log or a bush it is hard to tell which, you can see that if it had not come to a stop in that position, it would have rolled down the hill. I don't think that the postion of the legs (in the video or in the pictures) is really a viable argument anyway since there is so much more compelling evidence.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

snoman....here we meet again!


you posted this ( The only article that was even remotely hinted at was the one that Calderone was a part of and I for one would not trust anything he had to say due to the feud that he had with MR.)

if you take that for a bases for your opinion......then you go look at MR public record and then you'll realize, an argument or a disagreement is just that.

if public records show a bad subject(his life before the deer came to town) isn't that in itself worse?
wasn't this guy charged with some pretty bad things before? i mean some folks already stated he wasn't to be trusted.

this was just a thought on why you think one is creditable over another.....


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> We already know your disdain for LEO's you have made that known in your previous posts on other threads.


I've never made a comment about LEO's before this thread. I believe i have made comments about people who think they know it all because they read it some place. Maybe this habit and LEO's go hand and hand?


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

hey w&s

you posted this( a viable argument anyway since there is so much more compelling evidence.)

which way is this evidence leaning?
no one can tell me how blood got in that ear if some think that deer fell right there in the video and lets just say it did ,for the sake of a disagreement.and the rack won't let him roll over...shot with an arrow ...what happened to the ear to get that much blood in it just laying there?
what possible reason can you come up with to convence me that something isn't right.
besides those legs are both straight as can be not one ,but both.out of the hundreds i've killed .the only time i see them like that, is after they come off the meat pole.

i'm sorry you guys ..i like you ,but you'll never convince me,in that video, of a kill site, wasn't staged.
no blood ,no dirt,no leaves,no blood in the nose/mouth,legs straight and blood in the ear....sorry.

but then again it doesn't really matter what i believe .i don't live next door to him!


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

WEEGEE said:


> hey w&s
> 
> you posted this( a viable argument anyway since there is so much more compelling evidence.)
> 
> ...


Didn't I just give you a plausible reason for the legs being straight out? Looks really obvious to me in the video why they are like that. And once again, what a pitiful little argument this is in the overall scheme of things. I do agree on the one point that I bolded in your post... No one will ever convince you because you aren't willing to be convinced.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

ok W&S
tell me your reason for the bloody ear.....
and again i'll say in 47 yrs i've killed hundreds and never seen the legs like that,or blood in the ears.

i'll listen ,if it's a reasonable responce.

i went back and really looked close at the legs and there's nothing against them at all they're not being held there at all.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

If the King buck was indeed scored bigger than the Hanson buck would MR be able to come forward puclically?


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

LvToHunt said:


> If the King buck was indeed scored bigger than the Hanson buck would MR be able to come forward puclically?


I think the King buck is still bigger then MR's, then he might come forward and say "I'm second". that woudl be a blow to Hanson, go from first to third.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

WEEGEE said:


> ok W&S
> tell me your reason for the bloody ear.....
> and again i'll say in 47 yrs i've killed hundreds and never seen the legs like that,or blood in the ears.
> 
> ...


Well here is what I say about the blood in the ears, where is it on the recovery video ? thats why i say the video is staged. Those pictures of the droppy bloody ear ( is this like the bloody glove and OJ? ) must have been taken right after the kill. That would explain why the recovery site is so clean and neat. Thats all I say about the recovery video, its staged, not saying the deer is real or fake, just that the pictures of him and the buck do not look like the same in the video.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

I see recovery footage all the time on hunting shows. It's so obvious that they've already found the deer before they started videoing. That doesn't prove or disprove anything. As for the bloody ear, that could've come from anywhere. I believe DV1 posted a picture of a doe w/ a bloody ear and nobody's trying to say he(DV1) staged that. The blood got on the ear , so what.It's no big deal but some guys on here say the bloody ear or how straight his legs were are conclusive proof the whole thing is faked or staged. It's really pointless to try and prove the legitimacy of this buck from photos and videos. It can't be done w/ 100% certainty so why keep trying? What's it prove anyway?We weren't there.There are those who believe and those that don't and those sitting on the fence waiting for some CONCRETE evidence saying one way or the other the status of this potentially great buck.Hopefully one day something will happen and the REALtruth(There are some holes in Mitch's stories over the years) will come out and put this debate to an end. But until then I will put my faith in 3 reputable scorers and and honest LEO. None of whom (by all accounts) have nothing to gain or lose by declaring that Mitch's deer is legit.


----------



## Ben 154 (Feb 13, 2012)

There is a lot of talk about the legs and lack of blood in the recovery video. Is it really a big deal if he did stage the recovery? Maybe he scored the deer himself and thought about the money he could get for the recovery video of a potential WR buck. So he cleaned him up some (to make him fit for tv) and got his camera and shot some video. Not saying this is what happend, but it could have.

I for one wouldnt hold that against him. I could care less if the recovery was staged. I only want to know if its real! Besides, I see recoverys staged everytime I watch a hunting video. The guys act like their tracking a deer, look up and yell, THERE HE IS!!!! Run up to the deer which has no blood on the mouth, no blood where it was shot, and no tounge hanging out.

I dont know if this deer is real or not. I been on both sides of the fence over the years. I was leaning toward fake til I read all the posts on this thread. Now, I think it might be real again.

By the way, I just joined the site a few days ago and this was my first post on AT. Dont beat me up to bad!!...lol


----------



## Ben 154 (Feb 13, 2012)

LvToHunt, 

Lol...must of been posting at the same time.


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

Ben 154 said:


> There is a lot of talk about the legs and lack of blood in the recovery video. Is it really a big deal if he did stage the recovery? Maybe he scored the deer himself and thought about the money he could get for the recovery video of a potential WR buck. So he cleaned him up some (to make him fit for tv) and got his camera and shot some video. Not saying this is what happend, but it could have.
> 
> I for one wouldnt hold that against him. I could care less if the recovery was staged. I only want to know if its real! Besides, I see recoverys staged everytime I watch a hunting video. The guys act like their tracking a deer, look up and yell, THERE HE IS!!!! Run up to the deer which has no blood on the mouth, no blood where it was shot, and no tounge hanging out.
> 
> ...


I agree about the video , they get staged all the time and thats why on my stupid videos I do not stage anything. however it does add another tick to the growing list of weird things surrounding this deer.Kind of like the OJ trial, evidence kept piling up, after several you begin to wonder. I personally don't care one way or the other, it doesn't affect my life one bit

As for the blood, I'm sure a deer has similar sinus canals as a human and the blood probably went up the esphogus and entered the sinus cavity and drained out the ear. Some one with more knowlege can correct me but thats what I come up with LOL


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

DV1 said:


> Not trying to "zing" you at all but just trying to correct the misinformation that still spreads. Not your fault I guess but the fact that you keep repeating that no scorer saw the skull plate is a perfect example of how this thing got to the point it is now, where all this misinformation is taken for fact, and many people are convinced of something based on that misinformation.
> 
> Once again, all first-hand accounts say it's real. Not one person who has seen it says it's fake. How can anyone, including Craig Calderone or Larry Huffman, know better than those who have seen, touched and scored the rack?


 Just where in the world are all the first hand accounts that at the very least are not contradicted in a published article? I promise you that if someone contradicts me, it will not just end there. Especially if I've taken the time to be a certified scorer. 

I don't have issues with the recovery video, blood or where there is not. But you and anyone else know full well a few accounts of something that can easily be verified now, many, many times over is not unreasonable. At the 13 day mark you absolutely have nobody who saw that skull plate. It is covered, no question of that in my mind. You go back and look at the explanations for that. If you are good with it, no skin off my nose. But I am not now, nor will I ever be. It absolutely defies reason to obscure the most critical element of any rack less than 1/4 of the way through the drying process.

Very well documented that many people believe it to be fake based upon the distance between the burrs. And yet this same man has quite a few more with the same thing. I see it as nothing more than common sense that if you were to give some transparency to those skull plates, you by default remove that question from this deer. So please show me where that has ever been done. Or explain just how difficult it would be to do so. I'd really love to hear that. 

And I did kill a coyote, so I'm looking for someone to help me score him.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

WEEGEE said:


> snoman....here we meet again!
> 
> 
> you posted this ( The only article that was even remotely hinted at was the one that Calderone was a part of and I for one would not trust anything he had to say due to the feud that he had with MR.)
> ...


I think that Mitchs personal life may have some issues because he is a strange type of dude. I also realize this guy is great deer hunter and has killed great deer in a couple of different states for many years. I also know that guys that are really into anything whether it be sports, golf, fishing music stars, movie stars they all are pretty weird and have messed up personal lives (see Tiger Woods, A-rod, charlie sheen, mel gibson, whitney houston). people that are that passionate about things do some really weird stuff in their personal lives but it does not take away that they are great in that one thing that they do in this case with Mitch, Killing Mature bucks in places where no one else kills them.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> Just where in the world are all the first hand accounts that at the very least are not contradicted in a published article? I promise you that if someone contradicts me, it will not just end there. Especially if I've taken the time to be a certified scorer.
> 
> I don't have issues with the recovery video, blood or where there is not. But you and anyone else know full well a few accounts of something that can easily be verified now, many, many times over is not unreasonable. At the 13 day mark you absolutely have nobody who saw that skull plate. It is covered, no question of that in my mind. You go back and look at the explanations for that. If you are good with it, no skin off my nose. But I am not now, nor will I ever be. It absolutely defies reason to obscure the most critical element of any rack less than 1/4 of the way through the drying process.
> 
> ...


Quartermoons it has been posted many times in this thread that the skull plate was seen and inspected before it was encapsulated in the bondo material. I believe that story that was told by one of the scorers not the guy with an axe to grind in the post in his article on his website where he pimps out deer racks because he is a rack collector that has a relationship financially with Hanson.


----------



## CarpCommander (Feb 5, 2003)

Anyone who believes this buck was real is a complete MORON. 

Seriously-think about this. Mitch was narcissistic, egotistical, chest thumping 'big buck slayer' who put himself in the spotlight whenever he could. Hell, he put his STATE RECORD buck out there, didn't he? If he was against P&Y or Commemorative Bucks or whoever, then why did he score his state record buck? And why hasn't he had THAT deer removed from the books? 

Most important fact here-REPUTATION! Why, WHY WHY WHY, would ANY man let his name be drug through the mud if everything was legit??? All $$$$ aside (which there is literally hundreds of thousands to be made!), any man would at the very least step up and let the rack be examined, THEN announce he doesn't want it scored or whatever. He was called out by Milo and since the whole thing was a SCAM, he tucked tail and went into hiding, with nothing but weak ass excuses to try and hide behind.

The man is a liar, fake, cheat, and should hold his head in shame for even trying to pull this one off. 

There, I'm done now


----------



## MidFlight (Jun 22, 2009)

CarpCommander said:


> Anyone who believes this buck was real is a complete MORON.
> 
> Seriously-think about this. Mitch was narcissistic, egotistical, chest thumping 'big buck slayer' who put himself in the spotlight whenever he could. Hell, he put his STATE RECORD buck out there, didn't he? If he was against P&Y or Commemorative Bucks or whoever, then why did he score his state record buck? And why hasn't he had THAT deer removed from the books?
> 
> ...


Do you have any way to prove this other than opinions formed by yourself?


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

CarpCommander said:


> Anyone who believes this buck was real is a complete MORON.
> 
> Seriously-think about this. Mitch was narcissistic, egotistical, chest thumping 'big buck slayer' who put himself in the spotlight whenever he could. Hell, he put his STATE RECORD buck out there, didn't he? If he was against P&Y or Commemorative Bucks or whoever, then why did he score his state record buck? And why hasn't he had THAT deer removed from the books?
> 
> ...


he doesn't have to prove anything ,look at MR's criminal record!
well there you all heard the fat lady sing.....i agree and i too am done...good post!......c.u.on the next one!


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

CarpCommander said:


> Anyone who believes this buck was real is a complete MORON.
> 
> Seriously-think about this. Mitch was narcissistic, egotistical, chest thumping 'big buck slayer' who put himself in the spotlight whenever he could. Hell, he put his STATE RECORD buck out there, didn't he? If he was against P&Y or Commemorative Bucks or whoever, then why did he score his state record buck? And why hasn't he had THAT deer removed from the books?
> 
> ...


Okay buddy whatever you say evidently you have not read any info in all these pages. Mitchs state record deer was killed before 1988 when he had a falling out with [email protected] and he was still a scorer for them. He got arrested for non hunting related offenses and [email protected] dropped him as a scorer so he made it known that he would never enter another of his bucks. This was many years before he killed his buck. You called us all morons that think this buck might be real.......Humm Pot meet Kettle


----------



## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

its called karma, and its a big B and it will and always does catch up to you.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm sorry, the word of a few people when there never should have been ANY question about it at all it just not good enough. For me. But it is good enough that I will always remain respectful of those than think otherwise. Spend as much time defending as you want. Never should have been an issue. Encapsulating the skull plate was necessary for what reason? Not bothering to bail your supporters out by shoving that argument down the throat of skeptics on numerous other bucks that you, and pretty much you alone have managed to kill? Again, not impossible, I'll agree. But highly questionable to say the least, and so easily resolved.

Gee, I wonder why the Hansen buck seemed to have no problems being crowned as a world record? Been a few other records that seemed to have dethroned somebody else too. We've got plenty of guys here that have faced skepticism, yet their trophies were validated. Every major issue I've taken issue with was caused only by the hunter himself. Some of you don't trust a guy with an axe to grind. Well if I was personally thwarted seeking the same basic information I'd expect from anyone else and had the ability to publicize those irregularities, I certainly would have.

Many pages back there were a few weak theories to enclosing the skull. Hasn't been a single 1 to explain why he wouldn't bother to do a SINGLE thing for any of his supporters by using those other deer. I don't necessarily think the antler themselves are fake. Just the way they come off the skull. I don't believe it on many of those deer. One day I may be proved wrong. 

For all of you guys to think that there is definitive proof that this deer is real, and that there would be no major push to clear this up in the face of a biased writer are showing a very depressing image of our sport. If nobody has ever been willing to push for some of these things to be addressed other than these forums, I'm comfortable with believing there is a great reason for that.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> I'm sorry, the word of a few people when there never should have been ANY question about it at all it just not good enough. For me. But it is good enough that I will always remain respectful of those than think otherwise. Spend as much time defending as you want. Never should have been an issue. Encapsulating the skull plate was necessary for what reason? Not bothering to bail your supporters out by shoving that argument down the throat of skeptics on numerous other bucks that you, and pretty much you alone have managed to kill? Again, not impossible, I'll agree. But highly questionable to say the least, and so easily resolved.
> 
> Gee, I wonder why the Hansen buck seemed to have no problems being crowned as a world record? Been a few other records that seemed to have dethroned somebody else too. We've got plenty of guys here that have faced skepticism, yet their trophies were validated. Every major issue I've taken issue with was caused only by the hunter himself. Some of you don't trust a guy with an axe to grind. Well if I was personally thwarted seeking the same basic information I'd expect from anyone else and had the ability to publicize those irregularities, I certainly would have.
> 
> ...


Our sport has taken a long dark turn brother I am afraid. Horn porn in all its greatness has caused a lot of good people to do wrong things in the name of killing the biggest deer to make $$$ off of. I hate that hunting has become this way but it has. Hunting shows are about pimping products and getting the kill on film no matter what. Poor shots are taken and guys say I smoked him and show the recovery as happening really quick when in fact it might have been several days later. We have become our own worst enemies in a sense in the hunting world. Hunting shows used to have a teaching aspect but not so much anymore, its only about getting a large animal killed on tape.


----------



## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)

Maybe we should just PM MR, to get the 411.

Anybody know his screen name?


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

I'll agree with that Snoman. And one last thing, if and when it comes out that everything is legitimate about that deer and others, the man will have proven himself to be a much better man than I ever could have been. Part of the problem on both sides is that we take our own values and try to apply them to the situation. If it's all on the up and up, he's taken a much better road than I could have and I'm sure guys like me will never be able to adequately apologize. But it would be quite the teaching moment. From that standpoint alone, it would be a great thing.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

newview said:


> I've never made a comment about LEO's before this thread. I believe i have made comments about people who think they know it all because they read it some place. Maybe this habit and LEO's go hand and hand?


I think I may have confused you with someone else on a post that said that LEO's were the worst trespassers and poachers in a thread about some hunting going on in a park that was closed to the general public. I will apologize if you did not make that comment. You have bashed me so many times for having a differing opinion than you it starts to run together. As far as a know it all that is definitely not me. I have a lot to learn and ask a lot of questions and offer food for thought to others. Can you admit when you are wrong? I have not seen you do that and you come across as the know it all in my view. You have a habit of bashing quite a few people and I pray for people that have bad attitudes because in the end we are all hunters and brothers in Christ whether we believe or not.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Quartermoons said:


> I'll agree with that Snoman. And one last thing, if and when it comes out that everything is legitimate about that deer and others, the man will have proven himself to be a much better man than I ever could have been. Part of the problem on both sides is that we take our own values and try to apply them to the situation. If it's all on the up and up, he's taken a much better road than I could have and I'm sure guys like me will never be able to adequately apologize. But it would be quite the teaching moment. From that standpoint alone, it would be a great thing.


Agreed brother. I think rompolas buck was a test case in a sense because it was the next great deer killed with the advent of the internet being in a lot of homes and mass media bringing something to people that they would not have known unless they subscribed to certain hunting magazines. Mitch's case showed all, that now we will all have to prove the legitimacy of a large deer we have killed because of all the jealousy that used to be localized but is now everywhere with the advent of the internet being in most homes. I for one will never enter a deer in [email protected] or [email protected] because i do not agree with their rules. I have killed several deer that would qualify for the Florida record book that are in my profile pictures but I have never entered them. I like some people do not care about recognition. My recognition is in my memory of the hunt and the mounts on the wall.

If rompolas buck is proven at some point to be a fake I will also apologize to all that I think it might be real, as I said earlier when this thread started I was 70 to 30 that it was fake with all the info posted and that I found and posted I am now 70 to 30 that it is real. I want it to be real because it would be awesome to recognize such a great animal that would not only be a World Record but killed by a dyed in the wool hard core trophy hunter that worked for it and did it with a bow after many years of knowing the animal existed. His chase if real is an awesome story that deserves to recognized if it is true.


----------



## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

All i was pointing out in my earlier post was the recovery area seemed very staged and artificial. Deer don't die with their back legs both sticking straight back like a bird in flight. And if he was staging the recovery what else did he stage? Some of you guys keep referring to all those people that saw the buck before it was caped and mounted but where did they all go? Surely these guys can still talk and be interviewd about what was seen and inspected and what was not. I would say if MR is thumbing his nose at B&C and P&Y over a spat a few years earlier he is doing it poorly. What better way than to have the buck scored and then not enter it? Tell them to stick it after they score it. MR has a lot to hide no doubt and the fact that he has been a media whor* for several years prior and still likes to show the bucks he kills tells me he has something to hide. He is hiding from something all right but it is not the stardom. Just my view and i ALWAYS side with the hunter over rumors. But this one just smells too much.


----------



## DenCMSC (Jul 30, 2007)

He say's it is real because blah blah blah...
She say's it is fake because blah blah blah.....
He say's it is fake blah blah, he agrees blah blah, he disagrees blah blah blah....

Mitch Rompola, and likely he alone, knows the absolute truth concerning this buck. ANYTHING else is pure speculation and he said she said ramblings from folks who THINK they know but have NO PROOF to support their claims. Opinions are like bung-holes. Everyone has one, and at least some of the time they stink....Just let sleeping dogs lie, for crying out loud. Does anyone REALLY CARE?


----------



## Fortyneck (Oct 8, 2010)

DenCMSC said:


> He say's it is real because blah blah blah...
> She say's it is fake because blah blah blah.....
> He say's it is fake blah blah, he agrees blah blah, he disagrees blah blah blah....
> 
> *Mitch Rompola, and likely he alone, knows the absolute truth concerning this buck*. ANYTHING else is pure speculation and he said she said ramblings from folks who THINK they know but have NO PROOF to support their claims. Opinions are like bung-holes. Everyone has one, and at least some of the time they stink....Just let sleeping dogs lie, for crying out loud. Does anyone REALLY CARE?


What about the others to see and handle the deer and rack?

The truth will out!


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

Why is it people have to try and take down other people? Even w/o proof. I don't mean to hijack the thread but long story short my hunting partner killed the largest buck in the state about 20yrs ago in Jersey. One day this guy from the neighboring property shows up and in the course of converstion proceeds to tell us how the buck was shot at night and over bait w/ a rifle.(It was shot at 11:15 am w/ Muzzleloader,no bait.) He went on to say he knew my friend well and that he was known poacher. All this time my friend is just sitting on the tailgate w/ his mouth shut taking in all this guy's BS. At the end we formally introduce ourselves and the dude's eyes got so big and he left ASAP because he knew his story was BS. My point is a big buck is killed and some people right away try and tear them down w/ no FACTS just bs CSI crap and rumors. We had to listen to rumors for quite awhile even from our own members about my friends buck and not single shread of those rumors was true. He was just a hard working deer hunter who hunted every day and I mean EVERY day till he killed that buck on Christmas Eve. I don't know if it's jealousy or what but sometimes I swear some hunters are worse than women when it comes to gossip because they just can't accept that someone killed a bigger buck than they or their buddies did and if it was bigger right away he must have been doing SOMETHING illegal or not legit. Now I know Nobody on AT would do such a thing.LOL But if you do then PLEASE get your facts straight. Sorry for the rant. I'm done now and BTW just for the record I'm NOT a moron and I don't feel scammed in anyway. I just tend to give people (The scorers and the LEO ,not MR)the benifit of the doubt and to take people on their word.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

DenCMSC said:


> He say's it is real because blah blah blah...
> She say's it is fake because blah blah blah.....
> He say's it is fake blah blah, he agrees blah blah, he disagrees blah blah blah....
> 
> Mitch Rompola, and likely he alone, knows the absolute truth concerning this buck. ANYTHING else is pure speculation and he said she said ramblings from folks who THINK they know but have NO PROOF to support their claims. Opinions are like bung-holes. Everyone has one, and at least some of the time they stink....Just let sleeping dogs lie, for crying out loud. Does anyone REALLY CARE?


What he said!


----------



## tiny52 (Dec 31, 2010)

I have seen the same thing and I think everyone that posted on this thread should read the story below.
The thing that gets me is the question of why do people act this way?.





LvToHunt said:


> Why is it people have to try and take down other people? Even w/o proof. I don't mean to hijack the thread but long story short my hunting partner killed the largest buck in the state about 20yrs ago in Jersey. One day this guy from the neighboring property shows up and in the course of converstion proceeds to tell us how the buck was shot at night and over bait w/ a rifle.(It was shot at 11:15 am w/ Muzzleloader,no bait.) He went on to say he knew my friend well and that he was known poacher. All this time my friend is just sitting on the tailgate w/ his mouth shut taking in all this guy's BS. At the end we formally introduce ourselves and the dude's eyes got so big and he left ASAP because he knew his story was BS. My point is a big buck is killed and some people right away try and tear them down w/ no FACTS just bs CSI crap and rumors. We had to listen to rumors for quite awhile even from our own members about my friends buck and not single shread of those rumors was true. He was just a hard working deer hunter who hunted every day and I mean EVERY day till he killed that buck on Christmas Eve. I don't know if it's jealousy or what but sometimes I swear some hunters are worse than women when it comes to gossip because they just can't accept that someone killed a bigger buck than they or their buddies did and if it was bigger right away he must have been doing SOMETHING illegal or not legit. Now I know Nobody on AT would do such a thing.LOL But if you do then PLEASE get your facts straight. Sorry for the rant. I'm done now and BTW just for the record I'm NOT a moron and I don't feel scammed in anyway. I just tend to give people (The scorers and the LEO ,not MR)the benifit of the doubt and to take people on their word.


----------



## Rick Hodges (Nov 3, 2008)

Lets head in a different direction. I have heard that the Hanson buck was poached...group hunted...shot and run over with a PU truck, breaking its rack. Milo got out shot it again with his rifle...glued the thing back together and it is now the WR Typical Whitetail. Milo's buck wasn't exrayed...the local that said he ran it over with a truck sure didn't get the traction that the photo of the "funny looking" deer Mitch shot did.

If Milo's buck got the scrutiny of the MR buck...would the Jordan Buck still be on top?


----------



## Rick Hodges (Nov 3, 2008)

Let me add something here. The important thing is the MR buck was never entered. It couldn't be the P&Y or B&C record buck because it was never entered. Heck there was practically no documentation on the Jordan buck either. The whole issue just shows what a farce the whole scoring system/record buck worship big antlers cult is. If that was Mitch's purpose I think he suceeded.


----------



## mikerry (Dec 28, 2004)

It is a sad day when we honor a road hunter with a rifle that kills a deer with admittedly a bad shot,and demonize a bowhunter ,i dont blame the guy for going underground,just look at what you a------- are doing.everytime a guy puts a picture of a big buck on here it is (photoshopped).i agree with the above post it is immature jealousy.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

> I would say if MR is thumbing his nose at B&C and P&Y over a spat a few years earlier he is doing it poorly. What better way than to have the buck scored and then not enter it?


I'm pretty sure that is exactly what happened. 



> Why is it people have to try and take down other people? Even w/o proof. I don't mean to hijack the thread but long story short my hunting partner killed the largest buck in the state about 20yrs ago in Jersey. One day this guy from the neighboring property shows up and in the course of converstion proceeds to tell us how the buck was shot at night and over bait w/ a rifle.(It was shot at 11:15 am w/ Muzzleloader,no bait.) He went on to say he knew my friend well and that he was known poacher. All this time my friend is just sitting on the tailgate w/ his mouth shut taking in all this guy's BS. At the end we formally introduce ourselves and the dude's eyes got so big and he left ASAP because he knew his story was BS. My point is a big buck is killed and some people right away try and tear them down w/ no FACTS just bs CSI crap and rumors. We had to listen to rumors for quite awhile even from our own members about my friends buck and not single shread of those rumors was true. He was just a hard working deer hunter who hunted every day and I mean EVERY day till he killed that buck on Christmas Eve. I don't know if it's jealousy or what but sometimes I swear some hunters are worse than women when it comes to gossip because they just can't accept that someone killed a bigger buck than they or their buddies did and if it was bigger right away he must have been doing SOMETHING illegal or not legit. Now I know Nobody on AT would do such a thing.LOL But if you do then PLEASE get your facts straight. Sorry for the rant. I'm done now and BTW just for the record I'm NOT a moron and I don't feel scammed in anyway. I just tend to give people (The scorers and the LEO ,not MR)the benifit of the doubt and to take people on their word.


Wow, very similar thing happened to me in NJ with the state record Non-typical archery buck. That deer was killed on a property my brother hunts, and he had the sheds from it the year before. After it was killed, all the rumors started. The farmer trapped it in his greenhouse and F&G sedated it and left it in a field, then the guy put an arrow in it. The antlers aren't real but the hunters taxidermist friend affixed some more tines to it to give it so many points (it has alot of points sticking out all over the place, no other deer ever seen like it before), it came from another state and he was saying it was killed here, etc. It was very controversial in NJ for a while, not as big as Rompola of course, but the biggest controversy we had. 

I looked into it, talked with everyone involved, including F&G, the landowner/farmer, found the story to be on the up and up (I investigate things for a living and am pretty experienced at smelling a rat if one is there). Looked at the rack, compared it to the sheds, all legit. I wrote the story up for North American Whitetail. A little over a year later, it was in the magazine sitting on the rack at a large sporting goods store in Central NJ, lots of people in there. While standing in line, two guys were flipping through the magazine and talking about the article. They began with the same BS rumors that I heard before and this time said the writer must have been part of it to hide the scam. I entered the conversation without telling them I wrote it, playing along some, playing devils advocate some as well. Soon, about 12 people were standing around and I was doing more defending than agreeing, and they ALL just KNEW the deer was poached, came from another state or the antlers were fake. Seemed alot like this post, but face to face, everyone just knew it wasn't legit, even though they had no real facts, only speculation. When I finally told them I wrote it, the "oh sheet " looks were everywhere. 

That's why I know how foolish all these rumors and speculation seem, when weighed against the fact that everyone who has seen the deer say it's real. For all your fake theories to be true, he would need alot of people to help him: the 3 scorers, the two conservation officers, a taxidermist with the skills to do the job, someone to provide a huge bodied deer, several people to help him move that deer from the meat pole (if it was hanging as some insist) to the woods without disturbing the area, and then everyone else who saw it to go along with the scam.

I'll give you the possibility that could have happened but what is even less likely than anything about this deer, is the idea that all those people would keep quiet this long. That is more unbelievable than any questionable physical trait this deer has. That just doesn't happen and is even more rare than a world record from Grand Traverse County Michigan or 4 inches between burrs.


----------



## gambino (Dec 7, 2009)

:darkbeer: 22 pages and still no answer:beer: Interesting facts or hypothesis...and the mystery continues


----------



## Freelance Bowhunter (Sep 7, 2010)

Well it has been a very good discussion and thought provoking. But we are at the point now where nit picking and name calling is starting to take over. Plus we now have people who read the first page an then put up posts that make them look dumb for not having read the discussion.

So I will leave with the same statement I made at the beginning: We do not know if the buck is real or not and in fact we may never know. I hope that is not the case, for those of us that are fascinated by the amazing natural phenomenon of antlers. In the end, for me it is not about any of the persons involved, it is about the possibility that Nature may have produced the largest typical whitetail deer in history and we have been denied the privilege of knowing about it. Thanks for the good things to think about, I hope I have contributed in a positive way.

Peace out.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> I think I may have confused you with someone else on a post that said that LEO's were the worst trespassers and poachers in a thread about some hunting going on in a park that was closed to the general public. I will apologize if you did not make that comment. You have bashed me so many times for having a differing opinion than you it starts to run together.


Look it up; then apologize. You have the time to research everything else, but let the fingers fly to flame someone without basis. Again that screams (know it all) to me! I thought LEO's were salaried. How many hours a week do you spend in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, etc? It's a wonder you have time to do your job in Florida.


----------



## zyxw (Feb 19, 2007)

gambino said:


> :darkbeer: 22 pages and still no answer:beer: Interesting facts or hypothesis...and the mystery continues


Didn't take 22 pages, it was answered in the 6th post. well actually it was answered several years ago unless you believe in the easterbunny and tooth fairy too. lol


----------



## Northwoodslayer (Sep 6, 2007)

Because, like the age old question asked,"Why does a dog lick his n%&s? Cause he can!" Mitch really doesn't give a rip about his name 'cause he has the world record. He looks at it everyday and thinks to himself, "Boy, Milo Hansen is the *****." "All I gotta do is unleash this baby and turn the whitetail world on it's ear". He was called out by Milo? Milo tried to pay him off so he could keep "earning" his payday for a lucky shot. Along with the rest of the Rompolagate gang who offered to pay to have it x-rayed,etc. At least Mitch earned all of his trophys! Envy is a mutha!



CarpCommander said:


> Anyone who believes this buck was real is a complete MORON.
> 
> Seriously-think about this. Mitch was narcissistic, egotistical, chest thumping 'big buck slayer' who put himself in the spotlight whenever he could. Hell, he put his STATE RECORD buck out there, didn't he? If he was against P&Y or Commemorative Bucks or whoever, then why did he score his state record buck? And why hasn't he had THAT deer removed from the books?
> 
> ...


----------



## Northwoodslayer (Sep 6, 2007)

I want to debunk the whole blood in the ear theory. In order to be a true forest Ninja, one must be able to sneak up on their prey unsuspecting and pierce their brain with an icepick. Make for a nice cape!:wink:


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

DV1 said:


> I'm pretty sure that is exactly what happened.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm pretty sure I read the article about this deer in Bowhunter Magazine. Down in your neck of the woods if I'm not mistaken.They took it from him and he went to court and lost? Sounded like he got railroaded to me. I can just picture the store because I used to work there!(TSC). BS strolled into that place all the time.I tried to correct it whenever I could but after a while you just realize your wasting your breath.(Which I'm probably doing todayLOL)Some people just make up their mind w/o facts. The BS that people come up w/ is amazing.Some of our own members bought into the BS people were saying because they couldn't believe a buck like that lived on our property and if he did live there then he only came out at night and even then only to a bait pile not a field. So in their minds they just couldn't accept the fact that Jack was actually good enough to kill him in the daylight. He actually passed the buck up once during SG week because he didn't want to cause hard feelings w/ the club. We were driving the piece he was sitting in. Jack normally liked to hunt alone and some members felt he should have went w/ us instead because we were shorthanded. I'm here to tell ya if he killed that deer that day it would have cause a ****storm (club politics). So he let him pass out of respect for his father(senior member) and took a chance that he would get him during ML season. Which he did! In ALOT of ways Jack is exactly like MR(He is a quiet guy who keeps to himself and mostly hunted alone and hunted hard everyday of the season. He also would do things that made perfect sense to him but not to alot of others. He didn't care because it made sense to him and that was all that really mattered.) and I could see him doing the same thing as MR! So when people say a guy from Michigan can't kill big bucks because nobody else killing them cause they don't grow there. BS! Big bucks grow EVERYWHERE!To prove my point just look at the recent thread about a monster buck in Detroit.BTW For all you nay sayers that's in Michigan. DV1 you of all people know that 140-150" bucks don't grow in the Pines everybody knows that. I'm here to tell ya my friends deer came from the Pines and the state record NT 200 plus" was shot near New Lisbon(another story) which is in the heart of some of the poorest habitat there is in Jersey but that's where he was shot. They're rare but that's what a WR is. Rare! They're supposed to be rare w/ Unique characterisics. So I'm w/ ya because there is probably no way that that many inside people could pull off a world class hoax and keep their mouth shut for that long especially on a deer of this caliber and this day age of public scrutiny and the internet. I do have my own theories but I'm not going to put them out there as fact. Beside they don't take anything away from the deer or the hunter. I don't know why some people have to make up BS or go along w/ other people's BS (Because it must be true). If people would just listen to the facts and take the high road I think there would be alot less rumors out there and less damage to good people's reputation.( I'm not talking about MR's just people in general.)


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

tiny52 said:


> I have seen the same thing and I think everyone that posted on this thread should read the story below.
> The thing that gets me is the question of why do people act this way?.


Tiny I have no idea why but when your on the inside of one of these rumors it's just UNBELIEVABLE what people come up with. I swear the look on that guys face was priceless when we introduced ourselves. I even asked him if he knew who the poacher was and he said he knew Jack well and that he was known poacher who hunted a night over bait w/ a rifle. The whole time Jack was sitting 3' from the guy eating his lunch and he didn't even flinch or say a word. For the most part Jack said it didn't bother him but I think on some level it did and he wouldn't admit it. If it was me I know it would because it bothered me then and I didn't even kill the dang deer. Some guys would probably have knocked him out but we just sat there letting him hang himself and get in deeper by the minute. I can still see his face even 20yr later. He bugged outta there and I never did see that guy again but he probably was still spewing the same BS even though he met the supp osed poacher face to face and basically had lunch w/ us.Who knows I could be wrong but I doubt it.


----------



## trz (Oct 9, 2011)

WEEGEE said:


> he doesn't have to prove anything ,look at MR's criminal record!
> well there you all heard the fat lady sing.....i agree and i too am done...good post!......c.u.on the next one!



Right, he doesn't have to proove anything....but unless he did it's just an opinion!


----------



## 202gwg (Feb 22, 2011)

LvToHunt said:


> Tiny I have no idea why but when your on the inside of one of these rumors it's just UNBELIEVABLE what people come up with. I swear the look on that guys face was priceless when we introduced ourselves. I even asked him if he knew who the poacher was and he said he knew Jack well and that he was known poacher who hunted a night over bait w/ a rifle. The whole time Jack was sitting 3' from the guy eating his lunch and he didn't even flinch or say a word. For the most part Jack said it didn't bother him but I think on some level it did and he wouldn't admit it. If it was me I know it would because it bothered me then and I didn't even kill the dang deer. Some guys would probably have knocked him out but we just sat there letting him hang himself and get in deeper by the minute. I can still see his face even 20yr later. He bugged outta there and I never did see that guy again but he probably was still spewing the same BS even though he met the supp osed poacher face to face and basically had lunch w/ us.Who knows I could be wrong but I doubt it.


I've heard of things like that happening more than once, kind of funny when people get served crow first hand.

On another note, I shot a 200 class non typ. 10 years ago this coming season. After just a very short time, I started hearing some of the craziest stuff, all the different illegal ways I had shot the buck. The funniest one I can remember. I supposedly shot it a week before archery season, hid it in my basement after carrying it through my house to take it too the basement & packed it full of ice then checked it in on 3rd. day of season....How's that for BS.

That is alot of the reason I give MR the benefit of the doubt, he may very well have the WR.


----------



## DV1 (Dec 12, 2004)

LvToHunt said:


> I'm pretty sure I read the article about this deer in Bowhunter Magazine. Down in your neck of the woods if I'm not mistaken.They took it from him and he went to court and lost?


No, that's a different deer, not even close to the size of the one I'm talking about. F&G Never took this buck, no tickets were issued, everything was on the up and up, people just liked to start rumors, and then everyone else likes to believe them. He stalked it down a hedgerow and shot it from the ground, that's why no one would believe him, that and the size and configuration of the antlers. 



> I can just picture the store because I used to work there!(TSC).


Yep, that was the place. Oddly enough, one of the guys who started to conversation was the police officer who worked there all the time, Frank P. He and I had a little "discussion" there, but became friends afterwards.


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

newview said:


> Look it up; then apologize. You have the time to research everything else, but let the fingers fly to flame someone without basis. Again that screams (know it all) to me! I thought LEO's were salaried. How many hours a week do you spend in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, etc? It's a wonder you have time to do your job in Florida.


If you are going to quote me at least quote my whole post. Again you proved my point Newview I can admit when I am wrong and never said anything about being a know it all, just that you are a basher of quite a few people. Now again I will pray for you because of instead of being gracious you continue to bash. How about I post some of the bashing things you have said in other threads to make you look like a tool? Is that what you want? Adults are trying to have a great conversation here if you are going to be toolish find another thread and flame away. Most posters in this thread have had a great conversation and learned quite a lot from this thread, Archers helping Archers a lot of guys have come together and posted their views and factual information from sources that a lot of us did not know. It sure changed my opinion on the subject of MR's buck. See I can admit I might have been wrong for thinking this deer was fake and this thread opened my eyes and quite a few other peoples eyes too.


----------



## Michael A (Sep 19, 2011)

23 pages...???


----------



## trz (Oct 9, 2011)

You could have proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that the rompola buck was legit and some of the people on this site would still disbellieve it. Some people just refuse to admit there wrong, whether there's proof or not.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

DV1 said:


> No, that's a different deer, not even close to the size of the one I'm talking about. F&G Never took this buck, no tickets were issued, everything was on the up and up, people just liked to start rumors, and then everyone else likes to believe them. He stalked it down a hedgerow and shot it from the ground, that's why no one would believe him, that and the size and configuration of the antlers.Wait you mean tell me there were 3 different deer and 3 different rumors. Now I can't believe that would happen! LOL Seriously though pm me as i would like to read about your deer and the other deer if you have details because I moved out of state by then.
> 
> 
> 
> Yep, that was the place. Oddly enough, one of the guys who started to conversation was the police officer who worked there all the time, Frank P. He and I had a little "discussion" there, but became friends afterwards.


I remember Frank and thats all I'm going to say.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

DV1 I screwed up my post. Read carefully because my post is in your quote.


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

now snoman

(See I can admit I might have been wrong for thinking this deer was fake)

and you can also admit you might be right thinking it was fake too!

jus say'n............we'll never really find out,unless he tells us ,right!

but ,if he doesn't tell us ...........it's fake!
have a good sunday snoman,i love you and so does GOD!
I ALSO WILL SAY A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR MITCH TOO.


----------



## Quartermoons (Oct 14, 2010)

trz said:


> You could have proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that the rompola buck was legit and some of the people on this site would still disbellieve it. Some people just refuse to admit there wrong, whether there's proof or not.


 I would suggest anyone be able to readily be able to provide proof to that level. Method of killing it if not video taped could very well be hard to do that for a buck of this size. Making the skull plate available to be inspected, or the many others you are in possession of if not. I won't be one of those people if and when that ever happens. But I'm not going to be one of those that softens his stance upon the 'word' of people that I'm not even sure what they did or didn't say.

One of you supporters can honestly have a chance at a good return of investment, and I'm not trying to be facetious. You get the right people to go on a PUBLIC record in the form of a documentary with the evidence that many seem positive to exist, I guarantee you it will generate interest. And instead of focusing on the hunter himself and risk legal terms, focus on those eye witnesses and the other deer that have the same traits. I'll pre-order a copy, as long as you are within reason with our pricing.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> If you are going to quote me at least quote my whole post. Again you proved my point Newview I can admit when I am wrong and never said anything about being a know it all, just that you are a basher of quite a few people. Now again I will pray for you because of instead of being gracious you continue to bash. How about I post some of the bashing things you have said in other threads to make you look like a tool? Is that what you want? Adults are trying to have a great conversation here if you are going to be toolish find another thread and flame away. Most posters in this thread have had a great conversation and learned quite a lot from this thread, Archers helping Archers a lot of guys have come together and posted their views and factual information from sources that a lot of us did not know. It sure changed my opinion on the subject of MR's buck. See I can admit I might have been wrong for thinking this deer was fake and this thread opened my eyes and quite a few other peoples eyes too.


But you haven't admitted you were wrong in your statement about my disdain for LEO's have you? So who's the tool? It would be easy for me to start throwing s&# out there about you on a thread, but i haven't. I didn't even address you in this thread. As for your prayers; i will get along just fine with out anything from you. I don't think God listens to hypocrites, but i'm sure you'll have a good line to tell him. Grab another book and start reading. Wish i had a job with that much liesure time.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> I think I may have confused you with someone else on a post that said that LEO's were the worst trespassers and poachers in a thread about some hunting going on in a park that was closed to the general public. I will apologize if you did not make that comment. You have bashed me so many times for having a differing opinion than you it starts to run together. As far as a know it all that is definitely not me. I have a lot to learn and ask a lot of questions and offer food for thought to others. Can you admit when you are wrong? I have not seen you do that and you come across as the know it all in my view. You have a habit of bashing quite a few people and I pray for people that have bad attitudes because in the end we are all hunters and brothers in Christ whether we believe or not.


3,000 posts in 7 months. I can see the state of Florida is spending their tax dollars wisely on your salary. Is it any wonder the government is broke?


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

newview said:


> But you haven't admitted you were wrong in your statement about my disdain for LEO's have you? So who's the tool? It would be easy for me to start throwing s&# out there about you on a thread, but i haven't. I didn't even address you in this thread. As for your prayers; i will get along just fine with out anything from you. I don't think God listens to hypocrites, but i'm sure you'll have a good line to tell him. Grab another book and start reading. Wish i had a job with that much liesure time.


Humm you are a tool let me repost again what I put in post 640 so maybe you can read it again.....

I think I may have confused you with someone else on a post that said that LEO's were the worst trespassers and poachers in a thread about some hunting going on in a park that was closed to the general public. *I will apologize if you did not make that comment.* You have bashed me so many times for having a differing opinion than you it starts to run together. As far as a know it all that is definitely not me. I have a lot to learn and ask a lot of questions and offer food for thought to others. Can you admit when you are wrong? I have not seen you do that and you come across as the know it all in my view. You have a habit of bashing quite a few people and I pray for people that have bad attitudes because in the end we are all hunters and brothers in Christ whether we believe or not. 

I work long hours some days (12-16) and then have several days off straight so at times I have nothing to do when the kids are at school and the wife is at work. Don't worry about me sir as I am a very upstanding citizen that donates many hours to improving the lives of others. I actually help people on this site can you say the same? I see you bashing others quite frequently. I am done with you as this is off the topic that this thread is about.

The bolded part is an apology if you did not say that in case you were wondering.


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

snoman4 said:


> Humm you are a tool let me repost again what I put in post 640 so maybe you can read it again.....
> 
> I think I may have confused you with someone else on a post that said that LEO's were the worst trespassers and poachers in a thread about some hunting going on in a park that was closed to the general public. *I will apologize if you did not make that comment.* You have bashed me so many times for having a differing opinion than you it starts to run together. As far as a know it all that is definitely not me. I have a lot to learn and ask a lot of questions and offer food for thought to others. Can you admit when you are wrong? I have not seen you do that and you come across as the know it all in my view. You have a habit of bashing quite a few people and I pray for people that have bad attitudes because in the end we are all hunters and brothers in Christ whether we believe or not.
> 
> ...


I still haven't seen a post where you acknowledge that you were wrong in posting that. But then when someone spew's as much garbage as you do; it would be impossible to know what you're saying all the time.


----------



## trz (Oct 9, 2011)

snoman4:
I would go with Proverbs 26:4 LOL


----------



## newview (Sep 28, 2010)

trz said:


> snoman4:
> I would go with Proverbs 26:4 LOL


And i would go with Proverbs 19:5 LOL


----------



## snoman4 (Jul 1, 2011)

Personally I prefer Proverbs 19:1.


----------



## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

This thread was good while it lasted.


----------



## LvToHunt (May 10, 2011)

Come on I had a bet this would last at least 25 pages.


----------



## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

Go away fishing for a weekend and the thread still isn't dead.

Only thing that I've changed a little on after 6 more pages, is how many people are out of their mind. LOL


----------



## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

((Only thing that I've changed a little on after 6 more pages, is how many people are out of their mind.))


WELL WITHOUT A DOUBT ,I KNOW "ONE"THAT IS!


----------



## badfaulkner (Jan 6, 2009)

DV1 said:


> Dan,
> You have some fairly (completely?) accurate info on Mitch Rompola and I definitely understand your thoughts about his shady past (I have had them several times myself). While these thing’s raise suspicion they don’t make the rack fake AND none of this really matters when it comes to the deer itself because the truth is that at least one of the scorers, Gary Berger, did see and inspect the skull plate. I believe this happened during the first scoring, but I do not remember for sure. Gary Berger is a Boone and Crockett scorer from Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and here is truth as told by Mr. Berger.
> 
> Mitch was a scorer for Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and Boone & Crockett. He was a postal worker that was fired for mail fraud. He was arrested for looking up women’s dresses with a camera on the end of a stick. After he was arrested and fired, Boone and Crockett dropped him as a scorer. Mitch has been bitter with them ever since. Mitch won’t under any circumstance have any of his deer scored. (I think this was a misprint and he meant ‘entered’ but I am trying to be as accurate as possible.)
> ...



Gary Berger went on the record. Why would he lie?


----------



## Ronbo 316 (Feb 1, 2009)

There are way to many unanswered questions...... We will never know the truth until MR decides to go on record and provide the proof needed to dismiss the rumours surrounding this buck. 

I think everyone here knows what this is supose to mean.... If you've gone over something again and again and again and again like I have...... certain questions get answered others spring up.... your mind plays tricks on you, you play tricks back.... It's like your unraveling a big cableknit sweater that someone keeps knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting...........
(pee wees big adventure...if ya didnt catch it on your own...lol)


----------



## palmatedbuck04 (Nov 26, 2006)

I remember on there Rompala threads a lot of guys saying “the antlers come out of the side of the deers head that’s not normal it’s had to be split”. Well here’s one very similar must be fake.....


----------



## Dale_B1 (Jan 31, 2004)

palmatedbuck04 said:


> I remember on there Rompala threads a lot of guys saying “the antlers come out of the side of the deers head that’s not normal it’s had to be split”. Well here’s one very similar must be fake.....
> View attachment 7299032


Old old post, but in all honesty his was far above photo shopped, yours looks natural. Not even a close comparison.


----------



## Mr.Coon (Oct 18, 2005)

QS34Reaper said:


> Rompola is the 2nd Unibomber!!! [emoji23]
> 
> If it were legit...you me and anybody else wold do whatever it took to make sure the public knew the antlers were real and not fabricated regardless of wether it would become the next world record or not.
> 
> ...


There are lots of massive deer killed that don't get advertised or scored. It is how you keep from getting priced out of your lease or your favorite public area from being trashed. My last lease even had rules about it and we were not the only ones. 

Not saying that is the case here at all but, Rampola staying to heck with it all doesn't mean anything. Not everyone seeks large deer for glory and praise from others. 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


----------



## Rhino8124 (Jan 29, 2017)

I really started researching this topic after this thread popped up because I didn't remember all the details. I haven't been able to form an opinion on the rompala buck although I do hope it's real. Through all the reading I did B&C sounds like a crooked org. The Milo buck sounds like BS to me, specifically when it came time to score the King buck. There is no way that g3 should have been scored non-typical. Would have been WR. I'm sure it's a non issue but after reading that I won't be entering one


----------

