Seems Luce invested in some German breeding hinds from New Zealand, and a stud stag from Yugoslavia, intending to breed red deer for a variety of markets, including velvet antler production, meat, breeding stock, hard antlers for art projects and furniture and a limited number of hunts. Most of those efforts required the production of large antlers, so Luce has focused on enhancing trophy quality the last few years.
So, what is the hunting experience like? According to Lawson, the stags here are the most skittish animals he has ever hunted. After 20 years of hunting whitetails, mule deer and elk, he characterizes this as a challenging and well-rounded hunt. He says Luce placed him and several friends in tree and tower stands near travel lanes and feeding areas around dense timber. He says the property is a mix of hardwood and softwood forest and thickets cut with deer trails. Since Lawson and his friends hunted during the rut, he says they were able to hear the stags roaring and watch them chasing hinds. He says several trophy stags came by his stand before he finally shot a 12-pointer. He says his two hunting buddies also took 12-point stags.
Lawson says the guides provided them with walkie-talkies to call for help when they shot their deer and that Luce took care of all the field dressing and trophy preparation as well. He says he also had a butcher and local taxidermist lined up to take care of the meat and trophies for........(continued)
