Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 4, 1993 TAG: 9310070419
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
During the recent 54th annual Virginia Big Game Contest in Williamsburg, Russell's buck scored 256 12/16. That was good for first place in the firearms category for the 1992-93 season and seventh in the state's all-time records.
Even so, Russell's accomplishment pretty well was overlooked, because every trophy show this season, including the state competition, has been dominated by the massive 31-point buck killed during the muzzle-loading season by Jim Smith of Front Royal. Smith's trophy scored 296 in state competition, becoming the all-time, No. 1 buck in Virginia's record book.
``If he hadn't killed that one, I would have been top in the state this year,'' said Russell, who lives in Max Meadows.
Smith's buck isn't just the largest ever measured in the state, but also is expected to become the national muzzle-loading champ and place in the top 15 of Boone and Crockett's all-time North America whitetail trophies. It has been scored 259 7/8 under the national measuring system.
The mounted trophy is so big that Smith has had to rent a van to haul it to big game shows.
It has been widely publicized in national publications, including the current issues of North American Whitetail and Big Buck magazines.
Smith killed the deer the first day of the muzzle-loading season on property he owns near the Shenandoah National Park in Warren County.
``I first watched a doe come down, then the buck came down shortly after, following along about the same trail,'' Smith said.
``I figured he had a nice rack, maybe eight or 10 or 12. I didn't concentrate so much on horns. I just knew that buck had horns and I was going to try to get a shot at him.''
The buck was dropped at about 45 yards with a .54-caliber Thompson-Center Renegade.
``I went up there to see what I had, and I guess I was amazed more than anything,'' said Smith.
Russell killed his buck from a ground stand about 9:15 a.m. while hunting in Conners Valley.
``I was sitting in a pile of logs that I'd fixed up like a blind, like a fox hole,'' said Russell. ``A doe came through behind me and stopped up above me. I was sitting there watching her and heard a bunch of commotion, and the big buck and two more bucks came off the ridge behind the doe.''
The top archery season buck of the 1992-93 season was an 18-pointer killed in Montgomery County by Darren Pettus of Shawsville. Its 210 score ranks fifth in the all-time records for bow kills.
The contest winners:
See microfilm for results.
by CNB