I believe the deer is legit. Like the article states, if it wasn't, why would Hanson want him to sign an agreement???
World’s largest typical whitetail
- Thread starter TX300mag
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To prevent any further fraudulent attempts. Hanson was only protecting himself in the way of status and income generated from holding a world record. Rompola was absolutely trying to unseat the legitimate world record without any willingness to prove his buck was real. He was all about the attention until it meant he may be sued and/or charged with felony fraud. Then suddenly he crawfished in monumental fashion, caved to Hanson's demand, and claimed he didn't want all the attention.
IMO Hanson saved Rompola from prison. Once Rompola signed away his claim and disappeared into obscurity, Hanson dropped his pursuit. Had Rompola collected significant money from his buck and the FBI investigated claims of fraud, he'd have been screwed if anything wasn't right with that buck. I'd guess that's why it played out the way it did. If the buck is real then none of this story makes any sense at all. But if it's fake then it explains everything about how it played out. Dude was riding high until proof was required, proof that was easy to provide if it existed. But I don't think it did exist and neither did Hanson. Hanson's waiver for Rompola was a legal "put up or shut up", and Rompola shut up.
It was measured by several official scorers and they said it was legit but he never entered it.
Why wouldn't he allow it to be X rayed?
No idea. He is an odd fellow. Not saying I know it was legit, only two people know for a fact, and I am neither one of them.
ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER
Well-Known Member
He was offered $10,000 on the side just to x-ray it and he refused, he wanted the fame and it caught up with him.
I read in one of the articles that it was $10,000 to his favorite charity.
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
It's shrouded in mystery because it's likely not legit in some way and to keep anyone from ever finding the truth, it's supposedly got burned up in a fire.
The Hansen buck is the legit world record! A record that likely will be broken someday just like the Jordan buck.
The Hansen buck is the legit world record! A record that likely will be broken someday just like the Jordan buck.
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
Why was it measured by several official scorers? They don't measure bucks for funsies. They measure a buck that's entered don't they?
Its in the story
Because each buck that's scored doesn't just have one person scoring. Usually a panel. 3 people were there the day it was scored.
Lincoln Co Archer
Well-Known Member
I remember listening to a podcast where part of the mystery is supposedly the area where some of his biggest were killed simply did not add up per the locals to the area. Supposedly the deer he was killing were so far away from the mean bucks for the area that it raised a lot eyebrows. All this adds to the uncertainty.
Brow tines, AKA eye guards, protrude directly above the eyeballs. Even on non-typicals. Doesn't matter how big the buck is. Brow tines begin directly above the eyes.
But not Rompola's. Brow tines are grossly misplaced to the point of impossibly unnatural. Every wide buck he's pictured with is like that. You can Google a thousand pictures of the biggest or smallest bucks ever and the brow tines all jut up from above the eyes. Except Rompola's.
But not Rompola's. Brow tines are grossly misplaced to the point of impossibly unnatural. Every wide buck he's pictured with is like that. You can Google a thousand pictures of the biggest or smallest bucks ever and the brow tines all jut up from above the eyes. Except Rompola's.
Ridgeline300
Well-Known Member
him and his supporters try to play it off as if he was just this weird/odd guy that didn't like attention and when the attention got to be too much he walked away. There was controversy over several bucks he killed not just that one. If it was legit he should have just let them X-ray it to prove to the world he's not a liar then he could have walked away and went back to being his odd little self. Like others have said only two people know the truth but if I was a betting man I'd bet he had something to hide.
morgancountry
Well-Known Member
All the circumstantial evidence points to fake…
I have no idea if it's fake or not, but the guys that actually scored the deer say it's legit. If anyone would know it would be them, having examined the horns much closer than a picture.
Hardwoodmaterials
Well-Known Member
I remember seeing that big deer and thinking how it didn't look right with the antlers sticking out the sides of his head and splayed out in an odd way.
Here is an interview done in February of this year with the regional director of Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and local at the time Rompola was claiming to kill all the giant bucks. https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/.../secret-rompola-buck-panel-knew-what-they-did
Here is an interview done in February of this year with the regional director of Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and local at the time Rompola was claiming to kill all the giant bucks. https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/.../secret-rompola-buck-panel-knew-what-they-did
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
Pretty good video on the deer and on Rompola here .
Pretty damning testimonial from the man who was supposed to officiate the scoring but was excluded. John Eberhart's story falls in line with this one. This wasn't the only controversial buck Rompola was involved with. He'd had a history of it before "the" buck and apparently continued after. For a private guy who avoids the spotlight, he sure does have a way of putting himself right in the middle of it.
