Legendary Comstock Buck Becomes a Whitetail Controversy

The giant Comstock Buck was the buzz of the Wisconsin community's hunters for years. Upon its demise Thanksgiving night in a vehicle crash, locals were more than happy to get photos made with the giant and social media is abuzz with different images. (Photo: Jeff Lane)
The giant Comstock Buck was the buzz of the Wisconsin community’s hunters for years. Upon its demise Thanksgiving night in a vehicle crash, locals were more than happy to get photos made with the giant and social media is abuzz with different images. (Photo: Jeff Lane)

This is one of those weird, crazy, “you may not believe this” stories that could end up with you on one side of the fence but maybe seeing both sides.

Clear as mud? OK, let’s begin with some bullet points from this far more in-depth, better researched and well written story from Dennis Anderson in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I’ll try to hit the highlights and suggest you read Anderson’s piece, too. Sort of like getting a whiff of the pot roast here but getting all the meat and taters there.

— Legendary buck with a huge rack is known within the Comstock, Wis., community. Huge buck, like a true once-in-a-lifetime nontypical buck that folks talk about regularly.

The Comstock Buck is a giant notypical that had the Wisconsin community abuzz for years. Hunters and others are posting images of the big buck on social media.
The Comstock Buck is a giant notypical that had the Wisconsin community abuzz for years. Hunters and others are posting images of the big buck on social media.

— The deer, known as “the Comstock Buck,” is hit on Thanksgiving night by a 14-year-old Chevy Astro van whose driver leaves the deer and drives to a house to get help. The driver is from Wisconsin. The family helping him sees the van destruction. The driver mentions the antlers. Family freaks out, goes to find the deer and news already is spreading.

—By the time the driver and his Good Samaritan family have returned, a passerby from Minnesota already has called the Wisconsin DNR to get a roadkill tag confirmation. He claims the buck as his and has the tag. Discussion ensues about who owns, or who should be able to claim ownership of, the big buck.

— Sheriff’s deputies are contacted. More discussion takes place. Finally, a sheriff’s deputy states the fact, even if it’s kinda sucky in the end: the deer can only be claimed by one person, the guy from Minnesota called and got the claim confirmation, and it was his.

Whew. Social media has been abuzz with the news of the deer and controversy. Although things probably will simmer down eventually, it’s not going to go away in Comstock. That buck was, and always will be, legendary.

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Now, you’re probably going to be in one of three camps:

— The buck should belong to the Wisconsin guy who hit it with his van, since he hit it and had damage and figured he’d get help first instead of worrying about a deer.

The Comstock Buck is a giant notypical that had the Wisconsin community abuzz for years. Hunters and others are posting images of the big buck on social media.
The Comstock Buck is a giant notypical that had the Wisconsin community abuzz for years. Hunters and others are posting images of the big buck on social media.

— The buck should belong to the Minnesota guy who got the DNR roadkill claim number, even though that, well, maybe seems a little, y’know, not right. Technically right, though.

—Don’t care, what time is supper and who’s playing football this weekend?

It’s been suggested that a replica or two could be made to hang in some Comstock area establishments since the buck is now across state lines in Minnesota.

I think this would be, honestly, a gracious gesture. If everyone in Comstock loved this buck and hunted it for years — it’s the modern day version of the Ol’ Swamper Buck from days of yore — maybe creating a replica fund and everyone chipping in could get it done.
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