Mistaken Identity: Even Big Bucks Can Have a Doppelganger

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Have you ever heard the term “doppelganger?” For those who haven’t, a doppelganger — and I’m paraphrasing from modern dictionaries — is a human being or animal’s non-biological twin, either in appearance or in spirit.

I know I have a doppelganger, and this is why.

Years ago, a former co-worker at Bowhunter called me back to his office and showed me a picture in a feature article that had been written by a friend of mine and published in a competing magazine. As I was examining the photo in question, my co-worker remarked, “Dude, you know you can’t be in anyone else’s magazine!”

I immediately called the author with the intention of scolding him for using my image in said rag, when he interrupted and said, “Brian, that’s not you. It’s L.T. [a mutual industry partner].” Long story short: The fact I couldn’t tell the difference between L.T.’s face in that photo and my own mug was proof-positive to me that human doppelgangers truly do exist — and L.T. was most definitely mine.

But what about animals — whitetail deer in particular? Is it possible two bucks could bear enough resemblance as to cause this bowhunter to once again fall victim to a case of mistaken identity?

The answer is yes, and it happened on my 2023 hunt in northern Saskatchewan.

A Bit of Buck Country History

I was introduced to Buck Country Outfitters (BCO), located in the small town of Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, by my friend and industry partner Dustin “Shed” Whitacre, who invited me to hunt deer with him there in 2015. I was not only impressed by the hunting, but also by the staff and accommodations.

The lodge itself is beyond wonderful, and no detail in its design was neglected. Each bedroom has comfortable beds plus a bathroom with shower, with hunters able to access their room from both inside and out. Throw in a “great room” complete with pool/poker tables, a shop/social area where harvested animals are taken care of while hunters recount the day’s events over cocktails and fantastic food prepared by outfitter Dean Kuypers’ wife, Janda (her homemade soup, made daily for hunters to take to their blinds, is off-the-charts good) — well, let’s just say this place will spoil you.

Since that initial whitetail hunt, I have returned to BCO to bowhunt deer four times and was successful on each trip, taking bucks scoring from 130-162 inches. My success with spring black bears at BCO was just as good, with six bowhunts resulting in six bruins — four of them Pope and Young record book caliber. I would have enjoyed even more time and great hunting with Dean and the boys had it not been for the Canadian border being shut down for two years due to the “VID.”

Getting There

Before I continue, I feel I must first talk about traveling from the United States to Canada, hopefully offering a few tidbits to alleviate headaches along the way. If you are one of the lucky ones who is willing and able to make the drive, I’m jealous, because it enables you to take as much gear to Goodsoil as your vehicle will hold, not to mention shaving shipping costs off the price of your trip (if successful) as far as bringing meat, antlers and hides back home.

I live in Pennsylvania, so I’m forced to take the airplane route. That said, there are two airports equidistant to Goodsoil — Edmonton and Saskatoon — and both are roughly a four-hour drive to BCO. I use Edmonton because of cost and flight availability.

If I’ve learned anything from more than two decades traveling here, there and everywhere with my bowhunting gear (especially when going international), it is this: Give yourself an extra day to get there, if possible, in case things go sideways (delays, cancellations, lost baggage). My last but most important tip when flying to Canada is this: Avoid ANY connections through Toronto! While I appreciate their hockey team, the same cannot be said for their appreciation of hunters. I speak from experience and am far from alone when it comes to the list of nonsense that happens to hunters traveling through Toronto.

Hunting the Saskatchewan Bush

Saskatchewan is vast and sparsely populated, but the quality of its hunting and animals is unmatched. How vast? Well, here’s an idea: Kuypers and his BCO operation have exclusive hunting access to 500,000 acres, which brings us to the next topic — baiting.

I’ve always believed that if a hunting method is legal, then who am I to complain? Still, the first time I bowhunted whitetails with BCO was also the first time I did so over bait. Skeptical at first, I quickly learned why BCO and most other Saskatchewan outfitters do it, and it goes back to the vastness of the wilderness, as well as giving hunters the best opportunity to capitalize on the money they’ve spent while also providing them with an ethical shot.

Dean uses a mix of peas, oats and alfalfa, and he sets his blind/treestand setups roughly 18-25 yards away from the bait for his bowhunters (double the distance for gun hunters). All sites are monitored by trail cameras, but don’t be fooled into thinking that the bucks showing up on camera in regular fashion are the only ones coming to feed, as you will soon find out.

Lastly, while all-day sits in the States are usually reserved for the rut, in Saskatchewan they are the norm — no matter what the calendar says. The reasons for dark-to-dark vigils are many, and while these marathon sits can be mentally taxing, trust me when I tell you that “hanging in there” usually pays off in the long run.

The Doppelganger Buck

Before last year, my previous hunt at BCO was in 2019 (the year I killed a 162-inch buck). So, I was giddy to finally return in October 2023. Joining me on this hunt was full-time Bowhunter TV cameraman Bill Owens. Bill and I had worked together twice before — a Texas hog hunt and a Wyoming deer hunt. Bill is sharp with his camera gear, and even sharper with his wit and dry sense of humor.

Bill and I overnighted at a hotel in Calgary, both thankful to have all camera and hunting gear arrive with us and intact. The next morning, we took the 30-minute flight from Calgary to Edmonton, loaded up the rental vehicle and headed north to Goodsoil.

I called Dean when we were less than an hour from camp to give him a heads up and ask what rooms we were staying in so we could park accordingly and unload our gear. “Bill’s in Room 8 and you’re in Room 7,” Dean said. I was born on Jan. 7, and I’m also a bit superstitious, so naturally I took my room assignment as a sign of good things to come. Before hanging up the phone, Dean also told me that Ty Selk would be my guide and that he’d get together with us sometime after dinner to go over all the important stuff. I’d known Ty and his dad, Skip, for several years and considered them good friends and great guides who had helped me kill two of the aforementioned six black bears.

That evening, with our bellies full, Bill and I sat down with Ty to talk strategy. Pulling out his cell phone, Ty showed us a picture of an 8-point buck. “He’s not a giant,” Ty said, “but he’s a darn good deer and he’s pretty much the only regular at the bait site you’ll be hunting tomorrow. The decision is yours, but I think you’ll be happy with him if you make the decision to shoot him.”

In the dark of the next morning, the three of us made the trek via Ty’s side-by-side to the bait site, where a ground blind had been placed 17 yards from the food. “Good luck,” Ty said, adding that we should have enough cell signal to reach him if needed.

In the stillness that can only be found in the Saskatchewan bush, Bill and I sat quietly waiting for dark to turn to light. When it did, the first visitor to arrive was a big, old doe. She fed for a good 20 minutes before wandering off.

An hour passed without any activity, save for some ravens, two grouse and a few red squirrels. Suddenly, every squirrel in the vicinity started sounding the alarm that something bigger was approaching the bait.

Peering to our left, I quickly spotted antlers — eight points in total — attached to the culprit that had the squirrels in an uproar. I tapped Bill’s leg while whispering, “That’s him, the 8-pointer Ty showed us a picture of!”

Without giving it a second thought, I slowly and quietly picked up my bow and came to full draw as the buck lowered its head to feed. When everything felt as it should, I released my arrow and watched it zip through the buck’s vitals. The buck’s death run was short, as was my breathing due to the adrenaline dump.

Ty arrived on the scene shortly after I texted him news of what had just transpired. Upon recovering the buck, something didn’t seem quite right. “Is it just me, or is this not the same buck from the photo you showed us?” I asked.

Pulling up the picture on his phone, Ty replied, “I’ll be darned, you’re right! It’s a different buck, and the only difference between the two is an inch or two from each point and the slight lack of curvature in your buck’s brow tines. Other than that, these two could pass for twins. Looks to me like you shot your target buck’s doppelganger!”

Despite my case of mistaken identity, I had no regrets over putting a good buck on the ground on the first morning’s hunt — except for not being able to enjoy my Thermos filled with Janda’s delicious homemade soup!

The author is the former Assistant Editor of Bowhunter. He makes his home in Middletown, PA.

Author’s Notes

Equipment used on this hunt included a Hoyt Ventum Pro 33 bow set at a 60-pound draw weight and accessorized with Vapor Trail custom string/cables, Vapor Trail Pro-V arrow rest, Spot Hogg bowsight and a Stokerized stabilizer. I shot Easton 5MM FMJ 400 arrows fletched with Bohning Blazer vanes, fitted with Lumenok HD orange lighted nocks and tipped with Rage Hypodermic broadheads. I also used a SIG SAUER rangefinder and binoculars, Kifaru backpack, Browning clothing and Kenetrek boots.

I’d like to personally thank cameraman Bill Owens, one of Bowhunter TV’s full-timers, for doing a great job of making me look good.

Last, but not least, I’d like to thank the people at BCO, starting with owners Dean and Janda Kuypers and ending with my guide, Ty Selk. The other cast of characters is too long to list. I love and miss you all more than my words can express.

To book a top-notch deer or black bear hunt with BCO, contact Dean or Janda Kuypers at 306-238-7783 or madtrapper74@hotmail.com.

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