The Rolerson buck netted 170 2/8 Boone and Crockett points and ranks as the biggest buck ever taken in Maine in 2002. Photo courtesy of Bryan Rolerson

By Jeff Brown

As the saying goes, anything worthwhile in life takes hard work, commitment, perseverance and determination. Take hunting as an example. Most of us will likely hunt for a lifetime in hopes of crossing paths with a monster buck. Season after season, we know that if we hone our skills, work hard, log hundreds of hours in the woods and gain that all-important experience that comes with years of success and failure, we might get our one opportunity to shoot that buck we have always dreamed about. That is what keeps us going, year after year, in a quest for whatever each of defines as that "buck of a lifetime."

Sometimes we pass that passion for "the quest" on to our children and their children in hopes that they, too, will dedicate themselves to roaming the woods of New England in search of a dream buck. Most of us go to great lengths to impress upon new hunters the fact that they can't expect to just walk into the woods one day and kill a big buck. They need to work hard at it, pay their dues . . . but then, once in a while, some kid comes along and blows the whole persistence and patience theory right out of the water!

Bryan had carried his .30/30 earlier in the day, but this time his dad told him to him to grab the trusty 12-gauge shotgun and a few loads of buckshot because he thought that this terrain and their style of hunting would be better suited to a shotgun than a rifle.

He also advised his son to take an old tote road and walk it until he got to the top of the hill. He said he would radio Bryan when he got into position. Bryan followed his father's advice and did just as he was told.

Walking up the old road, Bryan saw fresh tracks, rubs and scrapes. He figured his father had sent him to a good spot and was excited about the possibilities. He got to the top in about 20 minutes and was "just standing there" in an old chopping for about 10 minutes when a deer suddenly jumped up in front of him.

One quick look told our young hunter that this was a nice-looking buck . . . in fact, a very nice-looking buck!

Bryan shouldered his shotgun and fired, but the buck ran off, and it didn't look like he had hit him with the buckshot. As Bryan shoved another shell into the gun, he was amazed to see the big buck come running back, right toward him! Bang! He fired again and this time thought he saw the big buck go down.

In all the excitement, Bryan just couldn't be sure exactly where the deer fell, so he got on the radio.

"Dad! I got him! He's huge! Get up here quick!"

Bryan's dad will not soon forget the excited chatter crackling over the radio waves. He rushed over to help his son, but at this point had absolutely no idea about the size of the buck his son had fired at or even if the buck was down.

Father and son searched together for the buck. They had been looking for a good 15 minutes before Dad finally spotted the downed buck at the edge of the chopping, about 3 feet into a thicket. He yelled to his son, who came running down to see his first buck.

When he got there, Bryan started shaking because the buck was a lot bigger than he thought! (In fact, Bryan didn't know how big it really was until it came back from the taxidermist and had it scored. Then, when everyone started making a fuss over the deer, he realized it must really be something special!

The buck was so big that the pair decided to go to the car and get the four-wheeler. They couldn't lift the deer onto it, so they tied a long rope to it and tried to drag it. This turned out to be more challenging than it looked, and in fact, they flipped the four-wheeler over at one point. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and eventually they got some help to get the monster out of the woods, ending a very good day that Bryan (and his dad) will not ever forget!

The final tally on Bryan Rolerson's buck was 185 5/8 gross for the NBBC (before deductions) and 170 2/8 net Boone and Crockett points (after deductions). Bryan also registered his buck with the Maine Antler and Skull Trophy Club (MASTC).

A quick glance at the B&C record book reveals that there have been many larger bucks taken in Maine over the years, but Rolerson's deer is certainly one of the best in recent memory. No matter where it ranks, it is one of the most impressive typical 11-pointers to ever come from New England.

Unfortunately for Bryan, his buck was shot during the same season in which Whitey Sovinski took his world-class 10-point, so hunters have heard much less about the Rolerson buck. Even so, make no mistake - this is a special typical buck. In fact, in all of New England only a handful of typical bucks have been killed (or found dead) that have a greater typical gross score.

Without a doubt, the most noteworthy feature of this rack is the length of its tines. This buck typifies the old "picket fence" phenomenon - lots of huge white tines on both sides! This 5x6 whitetail has 6 tines that measure over 9 inches, with the longest (on the left side) measuring 11 5/8. The great length of the G-4s, as well as the G-5 on the left, only add to the buck's massive stature.

The main beams, inside spread and circumferences are all strong as well. The rack is very clean with no abnormal points; however, it takes a real beating on the net score (170 2/8), primarily because of the unmatched 7 5/8 G-5 on the left.

Score and rank aside, it's a safe bet that any hunter in North America would be willing to "hunt a lifetime" to get this buck. Bryan has yet to discover just how special this deer really is!

You can bet that both Bryan and Danielle are "hooked for life" when it comes to deer hunting. This story is a great example of what can happen if we take the time to introduce our kids to hunting (assuming, of course, you could handle your own teenager shooting a bigger buck than anything you have ever seen!).

To learn more about the big bucks taken in 2002 and 2003 throughout New England, visit the Northeast Big Buck Club online at www. bigbuckclub.com or contact them by mail at 390 Marshall St., Paxton, MA 01612; by phone at (508) 752-8762; or by email at jbhunts@aol.com.

Note: The NBBC's fourth annual record book, Northeast Trophy Whitetails IV, will be shipped in January 2004. It contains records, stories and photos of more than 3,000 of the biggest bucks ever taken in the Northeast. Reserve your copy by sending $17 plus $3.90 shipping to NBBC Book IV, 390 Marshall St., Paxton, MA 01612.