Wayne Pike

Wayne Pike shot this nice 10 pointer in the Rangeley area on Thanksgiving week last year. Wayne's buck scored 152 MASTC and weighed 192 lbs. There was about 6 inches of fresh snow. From what I gathered from Wayne's story he had been hunting that area all week because there were does hanging there and at that time of year with the rut swinging, bucks will be coming to visit that area sooner or later. Hal has spent many, many seasons guiding and hunting bucks in the North Country and he spends 6 days a week in the woods the whole month of November and usually the first week in December. He has been able to conclude by tracking 100's and 100's of bucks over the years that Nov 15th through the 30th is when the rut occurs. It can be a few days earlier or trickle into the 1st week in December but because he tracks bucks day after day through the month of November, he has all the facts necessary to tell you what happens. Chasing behind him for the past 3+ years, I have also been able to witness the activity ramping up and peaking in that 2 to 2 1/2 week period. Last year we had a good snow storm in Jackman on Friday of Thanksgiving week and on Saturday we cut a really nice track at about 6:30am and chased that buck all day. He led us from one doe group to the next and although we did not kill that buck, we saw lots of deer, chasing tracks and I even videoed a place where we think he mounted a doe. We are going to try to include that footage in our next DVD which should be out in late winter/early spring of 09. I don't think some people realize this but Hal and or his clients don't kill a buck everyday they get on a track. It is through hard work, persistence, consistency and oh yes his uncanny ability to track and predict a buck's next move that he has consistently guided to a kill and/or he has killed lots of mature bucks. Hal has become an extraordinary tracker because of his natural ability but more importantly practice. He has basically paid the price. Hal has also concluded bucks in the North Country have about a 3 day span in which they complete their circuit. It could be 2 or 4 days depending if the buck gets hung up with a doe but generally bucks complete their circuit in 3 days. Because Wayne and his friends hunted around does all week, it was a pretty good bet a buck was going to check that group of does at some point during the week. Like Hal always teaches, it is 2 points connecting. Well congrats to Wayne on a beautiful buck and good luck on future hunts.

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