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Exclusive Video: Is This the Walking Record Whitetail?
Now with sharper, cleaner video ...
Can this Buffalo County, Wisconsin, behemoth challenge Milo Hansen’s world record typical buck that scored 213-5/8”? Several whitetail experts think it’s possible. Last week Scott Kirkpatrick, owner of Buffalo County Outfitters (715-533-0943) asked me and a small group of whitetail fanatics to view footage of a giant deer he’d filmed while driving between several of his hunting properties. After picking our collective jaws off the floor, we all agreed this tremendous, free-ranging whitetail certainly has a shot at toppling a record that has stood since 1993.
Among the viewers was Ted Marum, a former outfitter and whitetail fanatic. “Scott had told me the buck was ‘closer to 220” than it is 200,’ before I saw it,” Marum said. “But after I saw the video, 220 inches is selling him short. He’s way bigger than that.” Iowan Steve Snow, who has shot two bucks grossing over 200”, says the buck “will gross over 230” in its sleep.” After adding up the estimated tine-lengths, beam measurements and spread, we’ve arrived at a gross-score for this amazing buck around 240”. Interestingly, this buck was likely filmed by one of Scott’s former guides two summers ago, just across the road from this property. At that time, Kirkpatrick felt the buck would gross-score around 200” and was at least 4-1/2 years old.
Assuming someone actually kills the deer, will a buck that grosses around 240” be large enough to reign over the B&C book? Naturally, it will come down to deductions. Kirkpatrick filmed the buck at a distance of over 400 yards on the evening of August 16th at 8:00 p.m., near a property he leases. Even with a window-mount to steady his Canon camera, Kirkpatrick’s footage is just distant and grainy enough to make a detailed estimate difficult. But if our little group of deer freaks is even close with our guess, the buck is a contender. And regardless of net score, he’s certainly among the largest free-ranging bucks ever caught on tape.
For a more detailed discussion of this buck’s story, check out my deer column in the upcoming November issue of Field & Stream magazine.
Editor's Note: Please keep your comments clean, and on topic. Thanks.
I have nothing against does, other than the fact that I have hit them with my car, and they do contribute to the over population, which in the long run hurts the herd. And as far as women hunting, my money, and all the other women hunters' money, goes the same place as a man's money does.
Posted by: Donna | November 19, 2008 at 06:16 PM
My bonus tags, which I paid for, and they offered because there are too many does, covered the does that I took, and they taste as good as a buck, plus I don't have to pay $400 to mount any antlers.
Posted by: Donna | November 19, 2008 at 06:34 PM
Hurts the Herd! That is a good one. Whether they starve to death, get eaten by coyotes, hit by cars or shot by you, they all end up at the same place........DEAD! That Herd crap is the DNR brainwashing you people. They are in cahoots with the insurance companies and want every deer on the planet exterminated. Chronic Wasting Disease is another bunch of crap. Let nature run its course. DNR wants your money for your license but is out at night themselves while you are sleeping exterminating deer with night vision and high powered guns with silencers. I know because I busted them in the act in late spring. The jerkoff warden told me that they didn't shoot Bucks but the deer had already shed. I went from finding an average of 12 shed antlers from my area to 0 after their little doe hunt! I now Hunt at night as well without a license. Whats fair is fair!
Posted by: Skin Head | November 19, 2008 at 06:46 PM
Is it true that someone shot the Big Boy?
Posted by: Purple Haze | November 20, 2008 at 08:31 AM
It's true. We also landed on the moon if you haven't heard.
http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/news/2008/11/special-report.html
Posted by: | November 20, 2008 at 08:54 AM
It's sad if game wardens are actually out doing that. That is certainly wrong, but what I am doing is legal and I am okay with it.
Posted by: donna | November 20, 2008 at 11:56 AM
dumb blonde
from what i've read up above, YOU didn't show up at bass pro? what's up with that?
Posted by: | November 20, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Wow...I thought this thread was about a buck of a lifetime, not racism, sexism and politics. Jake, I just read your post and totally agree. Great buck and congrats. To everyone else who finds it necessary to destroy threads like this, grow up or find something better to do with your time.
Posted by: Spacc86 | November 24, 2008 at 05:01 AM
Outstanding buck, Bob Decker. I wish you lots of peace when this is all over. The attention, all well deserved, must be consuming you and yours. It's a beautiful deer, awsome bow shot!!!!!
Posted by: | November 24, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING THROUGH A SCOPE NOT A VIDEO CAMERA!!!!
Posted by: JB | November 25, 2008 at 09:31 AM
Looks like the DNR is well on their way of totally screwing up Wisconsin's Deer Hunting. This is the worst gun season I can ever remember! I used to see 40 deer opening morning in Buffalo County from my stand. This year.......0! KEEP SHOOTING THE DOES YOU DUMMIES and there are no deer left to breed. Years of special seasons and Earn a Buck have taken their toll. I talked to several people at the Waumadee House who were spending big bucks for leases and weren't seeing any Deer either. On Sunday the Town of Waumadee was like a ghost town at the check station. I don't buy the winter was hard, corn is up theory.... the deer just aren't there. If we as Hunters were smart, we would boycott the next two seasons and not Hunt at all to get numbers back where they should be. Who the F- - - is the DNR to determine what deer numbers should be? The Department of No Reasoning (DNR) is a joke made up of city slicker Beaurocrats who have no idea what they are doing! We used to pay for extra doe tags and does were protected, now it is 180 and you have to kill a doe first. Think about it, it is insane! Your thoughts on this subject are appreciated. By the way, who does the DNR answer to?.....No One. They make their own rule like the Nazis did.
Posted by: Wiscosin Flop Season | November 25, 2008 at 05:28 PM
welcome to the same shit we are putting up with in P.A.bUT THE SPORTSMAN GROUP I BELONG TO FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINTS OUR GAME COMMISION.wE ARE HEADING TO COURT.
Posted by: deer | November 25, 2008 at 07:43 PM
Right on deer! So PA is a mess too? I heard there are no Big Bucks there anymore. Why do you think that the Wenzels got the Hell out of there and relocated to Iowa.
Posted by: Wisconsin Flop Season | November 25, 2008 at 08:46 PM
I agree. The DNR has declared war on does for over a decade now. They have decimated our deer population. Opening weekend kill down 22%, car vs. deer motor vehicle accidents down 34% (big decline for the second year in a row). Yeah, I remember the days when you had to apply for "Hunter's Choice", and if you got lucky, you drew a doe tag. We used to see upwards of 100 deer on opening weekend, and we never heard from the DNR then about "the burgeoning deer herd" or how "overpopulated the herd is and needs to be trimmed". But, we hear that now and WE ARE SEEING NO DEER! ARE YOU LISTENING DNR???? Nowadays, they give you 2 doe tags when you buy your license and you have to use one of them to get the honor of hunting a buck. What a joke. The DNR has literally ruined deer hunting as we knew it in Wisconsin.
Posted by: Angry Old Man | November 25, 2008 at 08:46 PM
It looked like a pen-raised deer to me. Broad daylight just looking at the guys in the truck filming it. Feeding like it was used to seeing people close-up.
Posted by: wishnman | November 25, 2008 at 09:40 PM
The story said it was filmed from 400 yards away so that is not up close. A lot of late summer bucks are not too spooked. It is actually the best time to see/scout them before they get out of their summer feeding patterns. Every area has different deer concentrations. Where I hunt in unit 22A, there are a lot of does. Last year between the neighbors shooting crop damage tags and during bow and gun season, 23 adult does were taken in our square mile section. This year there has been 19 taken.
Posted by: Rob | November 26, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Still has the actions of a pen-raised deer to me!
Posted by: wishnman | November 27, 2008 at 11:14 AM
WOW!!! what eles can you say.
Posted by: iowadeerhunter | November 30, 2008 at 10:47 AM
This buck is nowhere close to being a world record typical. That is because of the deductions. And it is not close to being a world record non-typical, clearly. It is a very awsome big buck, though. Contratulations to the hunter who harvested it.
Posted by: bob | December 01, 2008 at 04:50 PM
The first time I saw the video and read the artical about this buck I was both amazed about the size of the buck and the fact that an outfitter submitted it. Not to take anything away from Mr. Decker, but I think it was a planted buck by the outfitter to drum up business. Why else would they make it public. Its really a sad thing that I dont believe Mr. Decker was a part of. The more I think and read about the whole story, the more convinced I am of Buffalo outfitters having planted this buck for their own gain. What does everyone else think???
Posted by: ron | December 02, 2008 at 08:52 AM
WOW! Great point! I am sure it was planted. Probably dropped into the bluffs of BC by the outfitter with a helicopter or UFO(onto someone elses property)! Also thanks for the official boone & crockett scores bob, you must have put a tape on him. These pen raised deer are so darn easy to kill. Oh yeah, did you here the deer in this video was shot?????
Posted by: conspiracy theory | December 03, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Conspiracy theory,
no shiit. It's been all over the news.
Nate
Posted by: I'm in school right now | December 03, 2008 at 11:49 AM
I will put money on it that Heath Tschumper's Buck blows Deckers Buck away score wise. It has much more mass and less deductions!
Posted by: Alien | December 03, 2008 at 03:11 PM
I have been hunting in pennsylvannia for 2 years im 14 and i killed a 16 point first day first hour. But when looking at this deer that 16 point looks like a spike lol
Posted by: ryan | December 04, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Nate- you cannot be serious. Read the thread you *****
It's a joke!
Posted by: conspiracy theory | December 04, 2008 at 11:47 AM