The Eastmans’ Trophy Deer Tour is currently in Great Falls.
“Every year, we try to find the biggest deer in the country,” owner and operator Dan Woodbridge said.
The tour hits ten to twelve locations every year in western America. For the second year in a row, they’ve stopped at the Halftime Sports Bar and Casino.
“The Halftime has always been a big supporter of the deer tour. Come on down and see it. You have to see it in person,” Woodbridge said.
Woodbridge says the tour is a unique opportunity.
“These heads are all the original antlers. A lot of people think that they are reproductions. They are the real deal. We never take any reproductions at all. It’s the only time that you will ever see these 12 heads. After this year, it will be an entire new line up,” Woodbridge said.
It’s all word of mouth and a lot of research.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘How do you find these heads? A lot of it is talking with the public,” Woodbridge said. “I get questions from, how much they weigh to where do I find them. If you could even dream up a question, I’ve probably been asked it.”
Woodbridge jokes that he has even been asked, “What elevation do deer become elk?”
The tour will be on display at the Halftime Sports Bar and Casino until Thursday at 2 p.m.
“I’ve been brought up hunting and fishing. That’s all I really ever wanted to do. I’ve been a shed hunter and an active hunter my entire life. It’s beyond a passion, more of an obsession if you will,” Woodbridge said.
The tour's next stop will be in Bozeman at the Sportsman Warehouse.
“Sportsman’s Warehouse is our biggest sponsor and we do a lot of the big trade shows as well. We do about anywhere from 10-12 Sportsman’s Warehouse stops a year. Every year prior to the stops you can get on Eastman’s and see where we are going to be,” Woodbridge said.
