Photo Gallery & Stories | Deer Hunting & Management

New Nebraska State Record Typical Buck?

The state of Nebraska is known for some big-bodied, big-antler bucks, but nobody, not even deer hunter Kevin Petrzilka, was expecting to bag a potential Nebraska state buck just outside of the town of Loma in Butler County, Nebraska. However, that’s exactly what he did on his last hunt.

And if the measurements hold up the big buck looks to rank at least number 6 on the Boone and Crockett Club’s all-time list of whitetails with typical antlers taken by a firearm. To say this 17 point whitetail buck is big would be a serious understatement of an animal of remarkable proportions.

Kevin Petrzilka - Potential Nebraska State Record Typical Whitetail Buck

In fact, the Petrzilka buck is sizing up to be the largest buck taken by firearm in North America since 1993! An official Boone and Crockett Club scorer put the preliminary score at 203 4/8 inches over the weekend, but the antlers must go through the mandatory 60 day drying period before they can be officially scored for the record book. For those keeping score, the current Nebraska record for a typical whitetail buck is 199 1/4 inches on a buck taken in 1983 in Saunders County.

Potential Nebraska Record Typical Whitetail Buck 203 4/8

Potential Nebraska State Record Typical Whitetail Buck 203 4/8

Butler County is West of Omaha, Nebraska

Deer antlers usually shrink when hunters walk up on their kill. However, that didn’t happen to Petrzilka. The inside antler spread on Petrzilka’s deer was 21 inches and the heavy mass followed the tines from the base all the way out to the ends of the beams. The antlers have eight points on one side of the rack and nine on the other. “My boy got there first and all I heard him say was, ‘Big! Big! Big!” Petrzilka said. The local taxidermist had this to say about the antlers of this potential Nebraska state record typical buck:

“If the buck stays as a typical, because there is a concern that his G3’s may count as non-typical, he will rank near the top in the world. No matter what happens with this buck as far as scores go, he is a once in a lifetime trophy and will be in a few magazines, no doubt. I have physically seen a couple bigger non-typical deer in person, but this is the biggest typical by far.

Milo Hanson’s world record typical buck is 213 inches just to put into perspective, and Nebraska’s #1 typical is 199 inches. Time will tell, but I had to share because talk of a Nebraska state record buck is all the buzz in this part of the state.”

Mr. Petrzilka said he knew the buck was big, but did not take time to notice the buck’s rack before he fired at the deer, which at the time was 150 yards away and on a dead run. “It was there, I shot and it was over with,” he said. “I sort of wish I’d missed and Dillon got it, but it worked out.” I’d say so. A Nebraska state record buck is nothing to snort at.

Three Bucks Found Locked, Dead

A big part of deer management is maintaining promising bucks in healthy condition until they are mature and ready for harvest, so there is nothing worse than finding a dead buck that you did not shoot, but how would you feel if you found not one, but three dead bucks on your property? Okay, it gets worse. What if those three bucks totaled 450 inches of antler?

That is exactly what a hunter in the mid-West found on his Ohio farm while walking through the woods. Apparently, two bucks were fighting for the right to breed area deer when a third buck jumped in to kick both of their butts. That didn’t happen.

The three whitetail bucks were found dead, drowned in a creek on the Ohio property. This is not the first time three bucks have locked horns and died, but it’s the first I’ve heard about this phenomenon year. And the quality of the bucks involved is impressive, so you know the guys hunting this property had to have been more than a bit deflated. I know that I would have been sick to my stomach. Here is what a staff member of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wrote after being called out on the 3 dead bucks:

“Wow, 3 bucks locked together, wow! Wish I could have walked up them alive. This is the result of three bucks all fighting for one lady. They had the bank of this creek all tore up. All together, I estimated the deer to score well over 400 inches of antler. The biggest one was a massive 6×5, approximately 165 inches. The other two were around 130 to 140.”

The bucks were all green scored and the 9 point went 130-ish, the 10 point went 140-ish, and the big 11 point went 169 inches. It looks like the young guns will get to do the breeding on that Ohio property this year. That is why it’s important for anyone serious about deer management to keep quality bucks of all ages on a property at all times. Simply amazing!

New Non-typical Whitetail Deer Record

Back in mid-August of this year I wrote an article that touched on conducting deer surveys and how the abundant rainfall received during 2010 really set up most of Texas up for a great year of white-tailed deer hunting. I had a feeling that a lot of the bucks carried over from last year would be looking good this fall.

That said, really was not expecting a new Texas non-typical white-tailed deer record to be harvested on the first day of the 2010 deer hunting season! By the way, I’m talking about over 300 inches of native buck antler. That’s awesome!

Texas Nontypical Record Buck

You may recall that hunter Marko Barrett harvested a big South Texas buck on the Las Raices Ranch back in 2007. That non-typical deer was a brute in his own right with 34 points that measured out at an impressive 275 7/8 inches.

Well, it looks like his father, Mark Barrett, has raised the bar even higher with his own giant, non-typical whitetail buck. And right from his Facebook page, Marko wrote:

“We’ve been keeping this one pretty tight to the vest, but now that he is down we can share these pictures. He is potentially, by our score, the largest native Texas deer EVER! Rough score in velvet of 311 4/8. Congratulations, Mark Barrett (aka Dad)!”

Managing for Better Habitat, Bigger Deer

The Las Raices has been actively involved in whitetail deer management for many years, so producing high-quality whitetail bucks is nothing new for this family-owned property. With the Las Raices’ commitment to on-going deer population and habitat management, it’s starting to look like they could be their only competition for producing record-breaking native deer into the future.

But what am I saying? Big bucks are produced all across Texas every year.

“The buck’s score is reported as 311 4/8” green gross, in full velvet. This score is not official, but is almost certain to replace the current state record. In Encinal’s own words, “Las Raices is a family owned and operated hunting ranch in Webb County, Texas that has exclusively non-manipulated nor transported native genetics.

This is a 100% native pasture deer that has not been manipulated in any way. Just rain, protein feed and patience…'”

One for the Record Book

Congratulations are in order for Mark Barrett and the Las Raices Ranch for bettering their very own state white-tailed deer record. I don’t think every property can produce a 300+ inch non-typical whitetail buck because, let’s face it, this buck is several standard deviations away from average.

But hey, it does show that anyone can exceed their deer management expectations by managing for good habitat and allowing those buck to get some age on them. And then hoping for a little rain, too!

Two Bucks Lock Antlers

Every deer hunter has heard stories of white-tailed bucks locking antlers while fighting during the rut, but few have actually seen locked-up bucks. Fewer hunters have the photos to prove it — not that we would question the authenticity of some of the seemingly outlandish deer hunting stories heard around a campfire. But for landowners and hunters engaged in deer management practices it’s always difficult to see deer die of natural causes, especially quality bucks. We understand that most natural deaths in deer, including fighting to the death, is a grueling, drawn out process. But it happens before, during, after the rut, and throughout the year.

All of the deer population and habitat management in the world will not stop two bucks from trying to kill each other for breeding rights to a receptive doe. After all, bucks fight for the right to pass on their genes to the next generation of deer, and hopefully the buck with the best genes wins. And they typically do, because that’s the way nature works. But sometimes neither buck walks away. Were they each undeserving? Continue reading “Two Bucks Lock Antlers”

Big Buck Harvested Near Grosvenor, Texas

If you have spent any amount of time driving around Texas then you know that there really are good, native white-tailed bucks scattered across the state. You don’t even have to be a deer hunter to realize that the Lone Star State harbors some photo-worthy whitetails in every region, although some places seem to have more than their fare share.

This triple-beamed, Brown County buck is a testament to Texas’ great whitetail habitat and the many ranches involved in very successful deer management programs. The bucks is a good deer without the extra beam on it’s right side, sporting numerous points and good mass overall.

Brown County has long been a favorite place of many hunters looking to set their sights on white-tailed deer. And deer hunters love Brown County for good reason, because there is some amazing deer country out there! Although this area produces solid whitetail bucks year-in and year-out, it seems one lucky hunter really got even more than he could have imagined this season. Let’s just say the results are, well, non-typical.

Here is what I received via email:

Big Non-typical Whitetail Buck from Brown County

“Attached are photos of a freak whitetail buck that was supposed to have been killed this morning between Thrifty and Grosvenor. I received two calls this morning telling me that the non-typical buck was at Weakley Watson Sporting Goods. Since I was already in town, I stopped and took the attached photos. The buck had been scored at 208 and had 27 points. There was quite a crowd gathered to see this big whitetail buck.”

I believe that big whitetail bucks can be produced just about anywhere where high quality deer habitat is found, Texas or otherwise. Time and time again I’ve helped managers on private ranches increase the antler size of bucks on their property by improving habitat, regulating harvest, and implementing good all-around deer management techniques.

Sure, it never hurts to have a genetically exceptional buck make a place look good, but there are certain things every hunter can do to improve the quality of every deer found on their land. The easiest way to ensure the deer found on your deer hunting property are healthy is to shoot enough of them, but allow the buck part of the herd to attain and maintain good age structure. If there are some old ones there will always be some good ones!