Rompola Buck?

[rural17]

Hey All, Just was wondering what think about the Rompola Buck or if anybody out there saw it in person?

Jeff in Calhoun Co.

[gooser]

 Never seen it in person,but WOW  what a buck.

[rural17]

Gooser do you think it is real? He seemed to be so elusive about it that it makes me wonder if he was trying to hide something?

Jeff

[Graybeard]

I've not seen it in person but do know a person who did. Rick Hatton who used to be the Moderator of our Trapping Forum is a friend of Rompola and he saw it not long after it was killed with the head still on body and had photos taken of himself and Rompola with the buck at that time. Rick is a man I trust as truthful and he assured me the buck is real and so is the rack.

I am told by sources I am not at liberty to disclose but whom I trust that the rack was old to a weathy collector in CA for a sum of approximately $250,000. I cannot verify that but trust the source.

[rural17]

Well that sheds a little light on it for me I guess. I just still can't understand why Rompola acted the way he did, but I also do not know him personally. I guess everybody acts to situations differently.

Thanks for your input GB

Jeff

[Graybeard]

I was never able to get Rick to say what but I'm pretty sure there was something about the taking of the buck that would have prevented it from being listed in B&C records. What I dunno but I sure got the impression there was a story there to be told. Rick lost a lot of money and time he put into the promotion of it when Rompola refused to submit it. He told me if someone would give him $100,000 he'd tell the full complete story. I asked why he needed so much. He claimed he'd need it to defend himself against the lawsuits his story would bring on him.

I gotta believe there is a story there somewhere but what it is I have no clue. Still Rick assured me he held it in his own hands shortly after it was killed before the rack or hide was removed from the deer so I do believe the deer is real but have to believe there was something not just exactly Kosher in the taking of it for B&C book purposes.

[rural17]

Thanks GB that's good enough for me. I'll just keep dreamin of seeing his offspring in the woods someday 

Jeff

[Cap'n Jon]

I was stationed at the USCG Airsta in Traverse City, Mi. during Mitch's hay-day's. He hunted that buck directly behind the airport in a nice cedar swamp.  It's pretty much sectioned off now and the hunting isn't as good but his buck has never sparked so much controversy as that rack!  He did a few things in life that he wasn't proud of (like most of us too) but I think his past and the publicity this buck generated was too much.  I remember when he got video of the buck walking around that swamp! I haven't heard from him since my buddy who owns buck fever sythetics used Mitch and the buck for advertising back in the late 90's.

[WoodyP]

Edited out by Graybeard

[Graybeard]

Now where did THAT piece of gossip come from? Give us a reliable source to back it up or it goes to the trash can. That's one I've never heard of and have a hard time believing.

[Cap'n Jon]

Thats the story I also heard when living down there.  He got in trouble a couple times, not sure exactly, but afterwards he pretty much dropped out and just kept to himself.  He is one heck of a bowhunter though.  Got a lot of big bucks hunting that swamp.  I also heard, don't know if its true, you know how rumors are, but that same buck was supposedly raised on a buck farm in Mo. 

[WoodyP]

Well, I guess you could substantiate it by going to the postal inspector, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan State Police.  I got it all from the local CBS affiliate channel 9 news. Saw live news coverage of Mitch in the courtroom talking to the judge on TV making hunters look like asses.   If you have a hard time beleiving THAT, then don't.
Woody