55 Hours on Stand for a Canada 12-Pointer

Paul Beasley with Canada in the Rough is all about big game hunting, especially for trophy whitetails. It comes as no surprise that he recently bagged another big buck. The latest comes out of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Traveling to hunt with Dean Kypers and Buck Country Outfitters, Beasley expected a great hunt. His brother Keith hunted in the area last year, and shot a great deer on his second-to-last day. Up to bat this year, Paul was targeting a massive 6x6. Kypers had pictures from multiple seasons, and even had some sheds from the deer. With that kind of history, Beasley hoped to get an opportunity at it.

The area consists of solid bush country with mixed forests and thick cover. Much of it is deciduous trees and blowdowns. His blind was situated on some high ground along a river bottom. The river really funnels the deer, and they like coming up to the high ground, Beasley said.

Beasley saw the target buck four times during the six-day hunt. The first time, it came by at 15 yards, but it was behind the blind. Beasley couldn't tell what deer it was, and once he identified it, the deer wouldn't offer a shot opportunity. At the time, he was holding his crossbow, and decided not to take the marginal shot.

The second encounter was later that afternoon. It chased a doe through the clearing, but never stopped for a shot opportunity. Beasley wondered if he'd see it again. Next time, he'd have some firepower in his hands.

He did see it again. The third encounter was with a rifle at the ready, but once again, the deer offered no shot. It stayed too deep within the cover, effectively shielding its vitals.

On November 18, 2022, day number five of a six-day trip, the buck appeared for a fourth time. But it was a long day in the blind before it happened. It was -17 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) with heavy snow on the ground and strong winds.

Tucked into his ground blind, Beasley battled the elements and peered out into the 50-by-75-yard clearing. However, he could see about 100 yards to the left, 150 yards to the right, and 200 yards in front of the blind; but the thick cover created by the blowdowns prevented him from shooting beyond that.

The day started off slow. Deer didn't move early. Around 10:30 a.m., when the sun started to warm up the atmosphere, the action started. A 125-inch buck eased through the area. Others filtered in and out.

About an hour and a half before dark, a doe came in and kept looking behind her, but nothing was there. Eventually, the doe left. The anticipation evaporated and sucked the wind from the sails of the hunt.

Finally, 30 minutes later, and with 45 minutes of daylight remaining, Beasley spotted the big deer walking through the timber. It approached from the direction the doe appeared a half hour earlier. After several minutes, the buck offered an opportunity. He steadied his aim and took the 80-yard shot. It connected, and the buck took off. It jumped a fallen tree and dashed straight up a hill.

After giving the deer some time, Beasley started the track job. Initially, the blood was great, but it quickly faded. Fortunately, just as Beasley topped the hill, he spotted the buck. The deer died on the peak of the hill, Beasley said. There was snow, and you could tell he died mid-stride. He crumbled right there. In total, the buck ran about 100 yards before expiring.

It was an exciting hunt, Beasley said. All-day hunts can be mind-numbing, but it was very exciting because we kept getting glimpses of him. But the real takeaway was patience. I was kicking myself for not taking that shot with the crossbow, but I'm glad I didn't rush it, because I could have wounded him, and he came back and gave me another shot.

Everything worked out, though. He took home a 157-inch Saskatchewan buck because of the five-day effort. This deer wasn't patternable, Beasley said. It was the rut. This deer came through whenever he wanted, but there was no rhyme or reason. I hunted 55 hours for this deer. I knew he was in the area, and I just had to wait for him to come through.

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