Hunter’s Chase for ‘Bullwinkle’ Buck Ends with 5 Days Left in the Season
Pankey first caught the buck on trail camera in 2021. In 2022, he found its sheds on his property. By the 2023 deer season, the buck had grown into a wide-racked monster with massive main beams, earning the nickname “Bullwinkle.”
“Bullwinkle was hanging out a lot on neighbors’ land, and they were hunting him, too,” Pankey tells Outdoor Life. “But the deer started showing at night regularly on my property [in October], and that’s when I dedicated the 2023 deer season to getting him.”
Retirement allowed Pankey to hunt for his target buck almost every day between Oct. 1 and early December. After striking out in archery and rifle season, Pankey switched to a .450 Bushmaster rifle during the state’s 10-day muzzleloader season, which began on Dec. 1. On Dec. 5, Bullwinkle finally appeared.
“I had a trail camera photo of Bullwinkle the night before I shot him,” Pankey says. “My grandson Trace and I hunted that next afternoon, getting into two different elevated box blinds about 3 p.m. We were about 100 yards apart, near where we had night photos of [the buck].”
Later that afternoon, Pankey had several does walk into a food plot to feed. Soon after, he spotted Bullwinkle about 120 yards away. It was the first time he’d seen the deer during the daytime.
“I had to calm myself, because I knew how big he was,” Pankey says. “He was walking straight toward me, and I couldn’t get a good shot on him for a while. When he quartered just a bit, I took a shot.”
The buck ran about 80 yards before falling within Pankey’s sight.
Pankey says Bullwinkle was lean from the rut, weighing approximately 175 pounds. One of his friends green-scored the 18-point rack at 192 1/8 inches. Pankey believes the buck will make the Boone and Crockett book regardless of whether it’s scored as a typical or a non-typical. He’ll know for sure after the 60-day drying period is up.
“I’ve deer hunted all my life, and this buck is the best one I’ve ever taken,” Pankey says. “And I’ve got 30 buck mounts from the deer I’ve been fortunate enough to take over the years.”
“I’ve deer hunted all my life, and this buck is the best one I’ve ever taken,” Pankey says. “And I’ve got 30 buck mounts from the deer I’ve been fortunate enough to take over the years.”
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.