By Louie Stout
Record Buck
If you like looking at heavily antlered bucks, head to Michiana Monsters Fifth Annual Big Buck Contest Saturday at the Claywood Event Center in Nappanee, Ind.
Some of the biggest whitetails harvested in Michiana will be on display, including the new Buckmasters crossbow world record (shown above) taken by Seth Hernandez in Stark County. The deer scored at 285 inches!
Entry is $20 and the public is welcome. Hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A pulled pork dinner with baked beans and cheesy potatoes is included. Youth hunters eat for free.
There will be a contest for Michiana Monsters members and one for the public.
Hunters who are members of the Michiana Monsters group will be competing for prizes. There will be categories for men, women and youth with top five (gross) scored deer awarded prizes in each division.
Anyone who joins the club will be eligible to compete for the prizes.
Organizers say they may have prizes for non-members competition as well. Regardless, they encourage non-members to bring in their deer to be scored.
There also will be drawings for hunting equipment door prizes.
To enter a deer, it must have been taken in 2024 and from one of the Michiana Monsters counties. Indiana counties are Starke, Kosciusko, Noble, LaPorte LaGrange, Elkhart, St. Joseph and Marshall. Michigan counties include Berrien, Van Buren, Cass Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Calhoun.
The Claywood Event Center is located at 13920 N. 1100 W, Nappanee. For more information about the event or Michiana Monsters, call Chris Reynolds at 574-220-4236 or email michianamonsters574.269@gmail.com.