A former Michigan antler-scoring official today came forward with bombshell claims on the Rompola Buck, perhaps the most infamous deer in the history of whitetail hunting.
Randy Rhoads is the first person since John Eberhart’s appearance on the Deer Talk Now Podcast to offer new insights on the Rompola Buck scoring controversy since this story broke nearly 25 years ago. In a message posted today on the Deer & Deer Hunting YouTube page, Rhoads went into great detail on what went down with the scoring panel who claimed to have panel-scored the rack.
“I have been a measurer, regional director and on the board of directors for Commemorative Bucks of Michigan throughout the years,” Rhoads wrote. “No one has the right story yet.
“No one ever asked (back then) the CBM’s board of directors what would have happened if Mitch (Rompola) ever wanted to get this deer measured. (So), CBM had a special board meeting to address this.
“I was on the board then, regional director of Region 6, when this took place,” he continued. “We, as a board, decided at the meeting that when Mitch would ever want to get this deer measured there would need to be a Pope and Young Club measurer, a Boone and Crockett Club measurer, a member of the CBM board and myself – being the regional director of where this deer came from – all present. Well, that never happened!
“Mitch took it upon himself to call around for measurers, and the buck was scored without anyone knowing about it – in secret! However, two of the measurers that did show up (for the secret scoring) knew that CBM had (met and set a policy for measuring), and they did nothing. I never received a call from Mitch or any of the other measurers, but I knew what he was doing that night. It did not set well with me.”
Earlier reports of the scoring session cast further doubt on the rack’s authenticity when eyewitnesses said they were not able to examine the rack’s skull plate because it was encased in a Bondo-like material and already mounted to a taxidermy form and covered by a whitetail cape.The story took another interesting turn when the rack was reportedly “burned up in a fire” not long after questions arose about its authenticity.
The Rompola Buck was allegedly a free-range bow-kill of a 220-inch typical 12-pointer — with a 30-inch inside spread — from Michigan in 1998. Rompola claimed the buck had a field-dressed weight of 264 pounds and that he dragged it out of the woods by himself that day.
In two podcasts with Deer Talk Now, Eberhart sheds light on his work with CBM and his past dealings with Rompola. Eberhart has long claimed the story and circumstances surrounding the buck was “complete and total BS.”
D&DH has attempted to track down Rompola and the Rompola Buck scorers numerous times over the years, and those who remain have refused to talk about it.