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New Women’s XBow World Record
By Patrick Dunning
Trisha Lucius was introduced to whitetail hunting three years ago by her husband and harvested her first deer, a spike, and a doe during Ohio’s 2020 season.
“The first deer I ever shot was a spike with my crossbow,” Trisha said. “After feeling that adrenaline rush, I told my husband I’d never get mad at him fo... READ MORE
Early October 190” in OH
By Patrick Dunning
Tyler Stein had a three-year history with this Ohio 21-pointer and a hunch it was bedded on an adjacent property in Tuscarawas County.
He got permission from the landowner to hunt the 40-acre tract, hung a cell camera in early September and got a photo of the 12x9 the first night.
The 30-year-old waited until Oct. 8 and the first major cold f... READ MORE
World Record Typical Emerges After 32 Years
By Patrick Dunning
This 6x7 from November 1991 resurfaced for the first time in 32 years and is the new world record typical in Buckmaster’s shotgun category. The 13-point buck from LaSalle County, Illinois, features 208 6/8 inches of headgear, a 20 4/8-inch inside spread, and officially measured 229 2/8 inches for Buckmasters Trophy Records.
The then ... READ MORE
State Trooper Fells 190” in MO
By Patrick Dunning
I can’t say I’ve ever had a story fall right into my lap like this one did.
I was in Missouri last week visiting my mom and sister’s family and was fortunate to sneak in a couple hunts on public land while I was there. I didn’t have any luck but got to bear the heat and bugs and see plenty of deer.
About th... READ MORE
The Early Bird Gets the Buck!
By Patrick Dunning
Buckmasters Master Scorer Lori Hughes is already tagged out for Ohio’s 2023-24 season, having just taken the state’s #4 spot among women in BTR’s semi-irregular category for crossbow after harvesting this 15-point stud in Marion County.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife named Wyandot, Hardin and Marion counties as CWD surveil... READ MORE
2023 Velvet Stud on KY Public Ground
By Patrick Dunning
Jake’s Kentucky buck is the first deer of the Big Buck 411 Blog’s 2023-2024 season, and rightfully so. He’s a self-taught, self-proclaimed newbie in the dark arts of bow hunting with just two years of experience under his belt. Jake must be living right, because he’s managed to find success lately and has two trophies to be ... READ MORE
200” Bama Buck Biggest at Buckmasters’ 2023 Expo
By Patrick Dunning
Joey Towers almost didn’t pack his deer mount in the truck before driving to the Buckmasters Expo last month, but we’re sure glad he did. BTR Director Emeritus Mike Handley measured 194 2/8 inches of antler and 25 scoreable points on this freak of a buck from Chilton County, Alabama, which drew a lot of eyes after it was displayed ... READ MORE
IL Buck New County Record
By Patrick Dunning
All those years managing the deer population and timber stands on his 250-acre farm in Illinois finally paid dividends for John Wilson in November 2022. “It’s the biggest deer I’ve taken off the farm. We’ve been trying to manage and harvest this caliber of deer and it paid off,” John told Buckmasters. “We le... READ MORE
Bluegrass Shooter Buck
By Patrick Dunning
Lifelong New Yorker Robert Smith Jr. made the nine-hour drive to Kentucky for the last four days of the state’s 2022 muzzleloader season and harvested his first out-of-state buck with an outfit in Washington County.
“I’ve always wanted to go hunting in Kentucky; it’s become a state with a lot of big deer,” Robert ... READ MORE
168" Hoosier on Public Land
By Patrick Dunning
Bow hunting, like baseball, is a game of failure. Major-league hitters with .300 batting averages fail 70% of their at-bats and still enjoy careers worthy of Cooperstown.
Going full draw on a late-season buck can feel a lot like guarding the plate with the bases loaded and a two-strike count in the bottom of the 9th. And whiffing that arrow can fe... READ MORE
KS Strip Mine Buck
By Patrick Dunning
Buckmasters scorer Doug Walden arrowed his biggest buck to date last October in an 80-acre coal reserve. The 5x5 stud from Kansas is Cherokee County’s largest compound-felled whitetail in BTR’s perfect category, besting the previous county record from 1995, also held by Doug, by 6 inches. Doug had little history with this 10-pointer but... READ MORE
No. 1 Bow Buck in GA
By Patrick Dunning
Manny Kaloyannide’s record buck from October 2018 graced the cover of Georgia Outdoor News’ July 2023 issue and reigns as the state’s largest compound-felled whitetail in BTR’s perfect category. The 10-pointer from Dekalb County is also the second largest perfect harvested in the state by any weapon.
Manny received a trail-... READ MORE
My Pronouns Are White and Tail
By Patrick Dunning
Justin Buchanan’s Crawford County 14-pointer made rounds in outdoor media because of the Georgia whitetail’s rack and apparent lack of male reproductive organs. After a thorough check while field-dressing the deer, and a second opinion from his taxidermist, Buchanan was convinced the animal was an antlered doe. “There was no sign ... READ MORE
New VA Record from 1971
By Patrick Dunning
I spend a considerable amount of time thumbing through scoresheets looking for the story-worthy whitetails, which wouldn’t be possible without our Buckmasters scorers throughout the country promoting BTR’s scoring system and volunteering their time to measure antlers.
A 197” Virginia giant from 1971 turned up at the inaugural Sta... READ MORE
Better To Be Lucky Than Good
By Patrick Dunning
Carl Lucky III didn't have an answer when his grandsons, 12 and 10 years old, asked him if he ever killed a giant buck, would he holler?
"I said, 'Luke, I don't know that I would, that's not really my personality. I've been excited about killing nice deer before but never screamed and hollered.'"
After harvesting Missouri's seventh largest compo... READ MORE