THE BRYCE FRIEDEN BUCK
Scorable points....18(9R,9L)
Tip-to-tip spread.... 10 5/8
Greatest spread..... 24 2/8
Inside Spread..... 20 7/8
Total length of abnormal points: 16 3/8
Areas Measured	Right	Left	Difference
	27 7/8	28 7/8	1 0/8
1st point (G-1)	4 1/8	4 6/8	5/8
2nd point (G-2)	13 6/8	8 3/8	5 3/8
3rd point (G-3)	12 3/8	13 4/8	7/8
4th point (G-4)	10 1/8	7 7/8	2 2/8
5th point (G-5)	2 4/8	--	2 4/8
1st circ. (H-1)	5 5/8	5 4/8	1/8
2nd circ. (H-2)	5 0/8	4 6/8	2/8
3rd circ. (H-3)	5 2/8	5 0/8	2/8
4th circ. (H-4)	5 0/8	4 3/8	5/8
Totals	91 7/8	83 0/8	13 7/8
Gross typical score.........................195 6/8
Subtract side to side differences........... -13 7/8
Add abnormal points......................... +16 3/8
FINAL NET NON-TYPICAL SCORE..................198 2/8
Taken by: Bryce Frieden
Date: Nov. 5, 2007
Location: Pike County, Illinois

Earlier that season, Bryce had arrowed a dandy 10-pointer on a property owned by Scott and Anita. Scott maintains a 140-inch minimum for bucks taken on that property. Walking up to the 10-pointer, both Scott and Bryce realized the buck was at least five inches less than the 140-inch minimum. Nothing was said, and Scott heartily congratulated Bryce.

Bryce knew he had not misjudged this second buck as he eyed its lifeless body in the ravine below. Fifty minutes had passed when Scott called Bryce and told him, "If you're sure he's dead, go down to him, but keep an arrow nocked just in case."

Bryce inched down to the giant whitetail and stood there in amazement. A short time later, Scott arrived and sat on a log next to Bryce and the huge deer. He said, "Man, Bryce, I think this is a 180-incher!" Bryce touched the rack and inspected it for the first time. Scott added, "I think this buck might even be a 200-incher." Bryce's only response was, "There is no ground shrinkage this time!"

Black Feet carried 6 abnormal points on his massive 5x6 frame. His main beams measured an impressive 28 7/8 on the left side and 27 7/8 inches on the right. The hefty Illinois buck's live weight was well over 300 pounds, making it a colossal chore to pull him out of the ravine. The field-dressing chore took place an hour later, when it was decided not to do a full-body mount of the deer.

BLACK FEET IS NO MORE
The following day, Scott made the call to outfitter Tom Ware and announced that Bryce had tagged Black Feet. Although Tom and all of the deer hunting community around Pittsfield could not have been more proud of Bryce, it was amazing to Scott and Bryce how quickly the untrue rumors started getting back to The Archery Shop. Soon people were saying that Bryce had killed a new world record! Welcome to the world of giant whitetails, Scott thought upon hearing the erroneous reports.

While interviewing Scott and Bryce for this article, I could not help but ask Scott what changes he has seen in Pike County hunting over the last decade. His first comment dealt with the price of property and deer hunting leases in the area.

"We've seen property that once sold for $1,000 per acre go for over $5,000," Scott said. "Leases have gone from $10 per acre to over $75. Though this has been great for landowners, it has driven some of the best outfitters out of business."

Scott continued, "If it weren't for private landowners and outfitter/deer managers, there would be no big bucks in west-central Illinois. This state's government is sorely lacking in sound deer management. The politicians need to turn the deer herd back over to hunters. Something needs to change!

"It's incredible how many non-resident deer hunters have come here to hunt big whitetails and eventually pulled up stakes and moved to Illinois or bought hunting property here. My employee, Shannon King from Mississippi, is a good example. Shannon moved his family to Illinois for the express reason of hunting big whitetails."

Shannon tagged a dandy 153-inch buck during the 2007 firearms season. "He is so passionate about whitetail hunting that his eyes welled up when I told him Bryce had taken a 200-incher," Scott's wife Anita said.

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