Syracuse.com - Upstate NY deer hunter hits 'world class' buck with his truck on way home

[HuntingNY-News]

It's a "world class deer, no doubt," said the taxidermist.

One of the most impressive Upstate New York bucks taken so far this fall was not downed with a hunter's bow, crossbow or firearm.

It was hit by a truck.

James Murphy, 27, of Fabius, said he was driving his truck home back from a day of deer hunting up on Boonville Sunday evening when a 15-point buck darted in front of him on Route 173 just outside of the village of Manlius in Onondaga County. He said he was going about 40 miles per hour. It was about 5:30 p.m.

"It was probably chasing a doe. Hit him square on. He went underneath my truck and trailer and died quickly," he said. Murphy called the Manlius police, and then his wife to tell her he'd be home late.

Murphy told the officer he wanted to keep the deer and got the proper tag. He field dressed it, brought it home and hung it up his barn overnight. The following morning, he brought it to G & B & Sons Deer Processing in East Syracuse, where it was cut up and processed.

"We didn't weigh it. Our scale is broken," said Barbara Wurster, owner of G & B & Sons. "That rack was really big. We've been in business for 38 years and I've never seen a rack as big as that."

"The body, though, was average size. He did get a lot of meat from it."

Gary Wurster caped out Murphy's buck for a trophy mount and posted this photo of himself with the deer on the G & B & Sons Deer Processing Facebook page.Special to NYup.com 

Her son, Gary, "caped it out" for a shoulder mount and posted pictures of it with himself on the G&B Facebook page.

Today, Murphy said he brought the cape with the antlers up to Converse Taxidermy in Booneville. Converse will handle the shoulder mount. He also contacted an official antler scorer and said he would have to wait some 60 days for the antlers to dry before they were officially scored.

The taxidermist, Bob Converse, said the gross rough score of the antlers using the Boone and Crockett scoring system is nearly "200 inches."

It's a "world class deer, no doubt," he said.

"It may be the biggest deer taken this year in the entire state," he said.

The photos of Murphy and Gary Wurster with the huge buck have drawn a lot of attention on a number of Facebook pages that tout big bucks. "It's gone viral," Murphy said.

Murphy said he's been humbled by all the attention, congratulations and comments online about what many would consider a deer of a lifetime. He insists, though, he did nothing impressive and is just some guy who hit a deer with a truck.

"I grew up hunting. It was never about the animals we brought home. It was always for me about being together and enjoying time together," he said.

He posted the following statement on the New York Antler Outdoors Facebook page:

"This isn't another hunting story...

"People often forget that hunting is about the HUNT not what you bring home. Think of your own hunting stories you love to share. If the were just an endings would they even be considered stories? Good stories are full of content; challenging terrain, less than ideal conditions, but most importantly the people who were there to enjoy it with us.

"We should appreciate and respect the wildlife we seek. I have always been a responsible and ethical sportsman. That fact that I hit and killed the remarkable and extraordinary animal seems like an undeserving outcome for both of us.

"We must honor an animal of this magnitude. His intelligence and instincts allowed him a long and notable life. This beautiful deer will be preserved not as a trophy but as a tangible reminder that life is not a guarantee.

"Things can happen in a instant beyond anyone's control. We must appreciate and enjoy life and the people in it.

"To my fellow hunters: remember that hunting is a privilege, not a right. I would like to thank Gary Wurster of G and B sons deer processing for being my stand in for the viral photo.

"His impressive beard is a better match for a rack of this clout."

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