HEGINS - From near and far, deer hunters found their way to the Hegins Township home of Ted Wolfgang for what could have been - judging from the spread of food and beverages available - a holiday party.
This was no ordinary party, however, as for the second consecutive year Wolfgang was holding an event he has dubbed "Rackfest" and immense whitetail antlers were displayed on tabletops and echoes of hunting tales filled the air. He holds the event so local sportsmen can celebrate their success in the statewide archery and firearms season.
An avid deer hunter, Wolfgang has seven trophy buck mounts adorning the walls of his game room and four more are at the taxidermist. When not hunting deer, he enjoys talking about deer hunting with other hunters, and both friends and strangers alike bring their deer racks for unofficial scoring, story swapping and the enjoyment of good company.
"It's all about the whitetails," Wolfgang said. "I really enjoy seeing the bucks that everyone shoots each year.
"I thought it would be great to get everyone together to talk about how they got their deer and show off their racks. That gave me the idea to start inviting people over to do just that."
By holding the event the weekend after rifle season ends, Wolfgang gets a diverse variety of sizeable antlers through his doorway. Both archery and rifle bucks were displayed, and the two largest bucks this year were taken in two different seasons in very different manners.
Tim Stehr Jr., of Mount Carmel, took the largest buck Dec. 7, the first Saturday of firearms season, after working in the coal mine all day. His shift at Locust Gap ended with just enough time for him to hunt the final hour of daylight.
As Stehr walked along a lowland path, he spotted a giant buck browsing on the hillside above him. His abbreviated hunt ended almost as quickly as it began with one shot from his .25-06, and the Northumberland County 12 pointer unofficially grossed 173 1/8 inches.
"I couldn't stop shaking," Stehr said. "It was a rush walking up to him and seeing that huge rack.
"I am currently leading in a big buck contest for a free mount. It looks like it is going to hold out as the winner."
Frank Neumeister of Hegins took the second-largest buck in October during the third week of archery season. After patterning the deer and waiting for the right opportunity to hunt a particular stand location, he arrowed the 158-inch Schuylkill County 11-pointer as it passed by his tree while heading to bed at first light.
"I spend about eight months of the year in the woods, monitoring trail cam pictures and searching for sheds," Neumeister said. "I try to really get to know the deer and use patience once I find a good one, and this was a really good deer."
It is evident that the area is producing a representative number of large bucks, as this simple gathering of hunters boasted five bucks that exceeded 120 inches. In fact, 9-of-10 bucks exceeded the 100-inch mark, and this is just one small subgroup of bucks that were taken locally.
"I came here to see what kind of quality deer are out there," Sonny Wiscount of Hegins said. "It is evident that the antler restriction introduced several years ago (by the Pennsylvania Game Commission) is really working."
"Rackfest is about camaraderie and the stories that deer hunters share and enjoy when someone shoots a tremendous buck. That is what it's all about; it's what hunters do." Rackfest Top 5 Bucks
Rank,Hunter Hometown Sporting Arm County Taken Green Score
1. Tim Stehr Jr. Mount Carmel Rifle Northumberland 173 1/8
2. Frank Neumeister Hegins Bow Schuylkill 158
3. Bob Wolfgang Pine Grove Bow Schuylkill 141 1/8
4. Paul Maidenford Tremont Rifle Schuylkill 124 4/8
5. Craig Coleman Hegins Bow Schuylkill 124