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Muzzleloader Madness In 2002!
Muzzleloader Hunters Across the Northeast Scored Big Last Year
By Jeff Brown

Hunters across the northeastern U.S. experienced fantastic hunting conditions in 2002, particularly during the regions’ muzzleloader seasons. In contrast to the 2001 season when New England’s hunters faced unfavorably warm and rainy conditions, hunters in 2002 were blessed with fresh snow and cold temperatures on a regular basis. And the results were exactly what you might expect during such a perfect year! Our records show that muzzleloader hunters harvested more than 40 bucks that made the NBBC record book! And a new state record typical buck fell to a muzzleloader hunter in Rhode Island! It was quite a year for the regions’ blackpowder hunters, with excellent bucks taken in every northeastern state. Here is a roundup of the best typical and non-typical bucks taken during this past muzzleloader season.

As of August of 2003, the Northeast Big Buck Club had already scored more than 40 blackpowder trophies from the northeast’s 2002 season. Of those entries, more than half scored 125” B&C gross or better, and many bucks topped the 150” mark. Unlike the 2001 season when a large percentage of record book bucks were harvested during the various gun seasons, 2002's muzzleloader seasons did produce some of the best bucks of the year, including a new state record typical in Rhode Island, and a new muzzleloader record in Maine and New York!

As you can see from these scores on the right, when viewed as a “region” the Northeast produced some very impressive bucks during this past muzzleloader season, particularly when compared to the best bucks from the previous muzzleloader season. Here is a state-by-state roundup of the best bucks!

MAINE - No state in the Northeast can match Maine’s longstanding reputation as a prolific producer of 200 pound “Boone & Crockett caliber” trophy bucks. This state has more entries in the B&C record book than any other in New England. Each year many heavy racked and heavy bodied bucks are taken by Maine’s hunters, and it is generally a safe bet that most of the big bucks are taken during the November rifle season. Occasionally Maine's blackpowder hunters connect on some whoppers during the December muzzlelaoder season as well. Kerry Small took a phenomenal non-typical this past season in Cumberland county. The Small buck (which was anything but “small”) scored 183” net Boone & Crockett, and grossed 191”, making this the biggest buck of 2002’s muzzleloader seasons in the region. This buck boasted a 23 1/8” inside spread and had more than 38” of abnormal growth. What a great muzzleloader buck! (This buck currently has been registered with MASTC but not the NBBC). Other big bucks fell in this state as well in 2002. Great tracking snow paid off for Carl Lieser. Carl travels to Maine each year from Connecticut to track bucks in the back woods of Aroostook county, and his tracking skills paid off this past season. Carl walked up on a bedded 156 3/8" 8- Point, and shot it in the neck at a mere 8 feet away! Imagine that! Another great 150-class buck was taken by Jeff Tremblay in Somerset county. This typical 9-Point scored 151 3/8" and dressed out at 212 lbs.

NEW YORK - New York hunters did very well in 2002 with one top 10 muzzleloader buck from the Northeast, and several very nice bucks that just missed the top 10. Given the size of this state (compared to others in the Northeast) and the vast and varied whitetail hunting habitat, we expect great things from this state each year. And 2002 lived up to expectations! Mike Dupell Sr. of Massachusetts traveled to New York in October to take what would become the state's new #1 muzzleloader non-typical and one of the biggest muzzleloader bucks in the northeast in 2002! The Dupell buck scores 176" as a 16-Point non-typical. This great buck from Hamilton county has unique and impressively long brow tines with a number of abnormal points on or near the brows. Other excellent blackpowder bucks from this state include F. Wayne King's 138 3/8" 9-Point from Herkimer county and Dennis Marcy’s 129 4/8” 8-Point from Dutchess county.

MASSACHUSETTS - During a 2002 hunting season in which Bay State hunters took two different 200-class bucks during the shotgun season (Whitey Sovinski’s 204 1/8” typical and Pete Kiendzior’s 203 2/8” non-typical) you aren’t likely to hear much about the bucks taken during muzzleloader season. Thanks to the extended late December season and the excellent snow cover, blackpowder hunters had a very solid year putting a dozen new trophies in the NBBC record book, though nothing that would challenge the state record. However many quality bucks in the 120-140" caliber were harvested. The biggest of the year belongs to Thomas Neils, who connected on a 149 2/8” 9-Point in Worcester county. The Neils buck had an 18” inside spread and two tines in excess of 11”. I think hunter Kevin Long was more than pleased with his outstanding 142 1/8" 10-Point non-typical from Middlesex county, and Don Kosiewski was happy with his 142 3/8” typical 10-Point from Worcester county.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - Like the other northern New England states, New Hampshire had an outstanding harvest in 2002, with many fine bucks taken by archers, gun hunters and muzzleloaders as well. In fact, according to Roscoe Blaisdell, President of NHASTC, several new Boone & Crockett entries will come from this state's 2002 harvest. While there were not any huge blackpowder bucks reported by NHASTC or NBBC for this past season, there were several good bucks in the 120-150” category. The best muzzleloader buck of the year was taken by teenager Ross King. This outstanding Typical scored 156 7/8" and is the 4th largest muzzleloader buck harvested in the Northeast in 2002. Also worthy of notice - Fred Martin connected on a Cheshire county 9-Point that scored 138 3/8” and dressed out at 210 lbs.

CONNECTICUT - Unlike the 2000 season when this state posted two incredible bucks that grossed over 200”, including Henry Konow Jr.’s 206 3/8" monster non-typical that was harvested by muzzleloader, Connecticut hunters experienced fairly “un-inspiring” muzzleloader seasons in both 2001 and 2002. Some outstanding bucks were harvested by the state’s archers, and several very respectable whitetails were taken with shotgun and rifle, but overall the number of trophy bucks taken during the muzzleloader season was down a bit. However, this state did produce some quality blackpowder bucks worth mentioning. The best was taken in Litchfield county by James Lucas II. His Typical 10-Point scored 140 1/8" and currently ranks #8 overall in that state for all Typical/Muzzleloader bucks. Other bucks of note in this state from 2002's blackpowder season include Ed Bleau’s Fairfield county 8- Point that scored 137 1/8”.

VERMONT - While Vermont is not the “trophy whitetail hotspot” it used to be, hunters continue to harvest a number of big-bodied, big-racked bucks. During the 2002 season the state recorded many bucks that field dressed over 200 lbs. taken throughout the archery, rifle and muzzleloader seasons. But the big news came on December 7, 2002 when Vermont hunter William Atwood took the new #1 Muzzleloader buck by dressed weight, according to the states' Fish & Wildlife Department. The Atwood buck, taken in Bolton, dressed out at 232 lbs., beating the previous record by more than 25 lbs! Now that is a big bodied buck, particularly when you consider that he was harvested in December after the rut! Of course, some other nice bucks were taken as well. Muzzleloader Jeremiah Packard took the best rack of the year with a Windham county 8- Point that scored 116 5/8” and weighed in at 187 lbs.

2003 Outlook - 2002 was one of those magical seasons when the weather conditions across the region made for great hunting opportunities. Several northeastern states set new muzzleloader records in 2002, with increased record book entries in every state. If the weather conditions are favorable for the regions’ November and December muzzleloader hunts, we have every reason to be confident that the results in 2003 will be just as good (if not better) than the results we saw in 2002! The growing popularity of muzzleloader hunting, the improving technology, and liberal seasons make it almost a sure bet!