These Boys Hunt the World's Biggest Deer — You can Too

Old hunting stories come naturally between these two outdoorsmen.

Russell Blair and Steve McCluskey are two Oxford hunters who own and operate a camp in Saskatchewan, Canada, where some of the biggest whitetail deer in the world are prized game.
Blair and McCluskey head up a group of 10 partners who own the camp and who are looking to invite hunters to make the trip to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan to take advantage of the 30 deer and 10 bear tags, which Whitetail International is authorized each year.
The camp is located on 100,000 acres of exclusive hunting rights wilderness and is staffed by professional guides and cooks.
“I had been hunting whitetail for years and really enjoyed the hunting when I travelled to Saskatchewan,” explained Blair, who is an Oxford native and former tennis coach at Ole Miss. ‘When the outfitter and owner of the land told me in 1996 he was getting out of the business and wanted to sell the whole operation, I rounded up a group of hunting buddies and we purchased the business and leased the property. That was also the year that the Canadian government first allowed non-residents to lease wilderness property.”
The hunting season for Whitetail is November. Black Bear tags can be claimed starting in May and running into June. Whitetail International still has tags available for hunters interested in traveling to Saskatchewan for this year’s hunt.
“This is an opportunity for avid hunters to go after the biggest whitetail dear in the world in a pristine, completely wilderness area.,” said McCluskey, who is the former owner of Skymart in Oxford and an avid real estate developer in the area. “The whole atmosphere presents a hunting challenge because when you are in this kind of wilderness pursuing a very large deer you never know what’s going to step out of the forrest.”
Besides 400-pound black bears, those native predators include wolves, lynxes and coyotes. McCluskey explains that where a native Mississippi whitetail might average 130 pounds, the Saskatchewan Whitetails can grow up to 300 pounds.
Although conditions can be austere, with temperatures in the late fall dropping below zero, Blair and McCluskey say the hunts are designed to be comfortable and safe with heated stands, reliable radio communication and a sleeping cabin that features a skilled cook and to-order cuisine.
Bow, muzzle load and rifle hunting are all accommodated. The two hunting seasons last a total of five weeks with each hunt lasting six days.
For more information on Whitetail International, click on the web site whitetailintl.com or call Blair at 702-305-7256 or email him at rblair1229@hotmail.com.
Here are some more images of deer taken in this prize Saskatchewan hunting territory: