What you see in this picture is 6 respectable Michigan bucks. Actually four of them are pretty darn good bucks, and what most of us hunters would love to put our tag on someday. The biggest buck in this group has a Boone and Crockett score of around 130 points. Most guys that I know could care less about what a buck officially scores, but when a deer’s rack starts drawing alot of public attention size does matter. Truly large once in a lifetime bucks bring the lucky hunter fame, notoriety, and sometimes money. World class bucks could mean tens of thousands of dollars, and world record bucks can fetch upwards to seven figures by way of endorsements, reproductions, and public appearances.
Some states like Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana, and even Missouri are well known for their monster whitetails. Deer hunting outfitters, for a few thousand dollars, will guide their clients in a quest to down “The big one!” You don’t always have to have a guide as several Michigan hunters can testify.
Michigan has more licensed hunters than any other state, and has a long heritage concerning the outdoors and sportsmen. We are not know as a hunting destination when it comes to “big bucks!” If this season is any indication that could be changing in the future. At least six deer were taken this season that fall in that “world class category,” and are an impressive display of what Michigan has roaming it’s forest.
Bill Rushford took a Upper Peninsula buck that scored 192-5/8. Chris Hiltunan tagged a 16 pointer that scored 187-3/8 in Washtenaw county. Several other deer in the 165-180 range were taken this season, with a couple of them coming from public land. Let’s not forget Bob Reits monster 19 pointer from last year that scored 205-5/8 (new archery state record) and Tom Brittenfields 2007 muzzleloader giant that nets 190-6/8. (new state muzzleloader record) These are impressive deer coming from a state that is hunted to the max. That’s good news, and could even get better, now that a statewide ban on baiting is in effect.
Most of the hunters that down a buck of these proportions will tell you that they passed up several 130-150 class bucks in order to have a shot at “hunters fame!” Now that takes some kind of serious commitment. I am not there, nor do I want to be. Sure I like the looks of those big racked monsters, just like everyone, but I “love” the taste of venison. I’ll take a nice rack for the wall, if I get a chance, but like my dad used to say “you can’t eat horns!”
Mike
Hi…I had the buck officially scored yesterday by a scorer from Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and a scorer from Boone and Crockett. The antlers scored higher then the previous green score. The green score was completed outside on the tail gate of a truck in cold weather, so that may explain the discrepancy. The antlers gross was
199 7/8″ and the net non-typical score was 197 3/8″.
Bill Rushford
Thanks Bill for sending me an update on your Michigan Monster. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buck. Congratulations again.