The pinnacle for most deer hunters is a “Booner,” a buck that makes the Boone & Crockett record book. These bucks aren’t behind every tree in the woods. In fact, with nearly six million deer harvested annually in North America, your chances are one in 20,000 to take a Booner. I’ve known many serious deer hunters who have harvested hundreds of deer and have made it their life mission to make the book and come up short. But on the other end of the spectrum, there have been instances of a first-time hunter bagging a Booner their first time out.
Hunting for a Record – Boone & Crockett
The Boone & Crockett Club keeps the record book for all North American trophies in 38 different categories. For Whitetails, there are two categories, typical and non-typical. What does it take to have a buck entered into the book? To be entered into the club, it must have a score of 160 typical and 185 non-typical.
The Records
In 1993, the number 1 typical buck was harvested by a hunter in Saskatchewan. The Hansen buck, named after the man who harvested it, scores 213 5/8.
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The number 2 typical buck, the Jordan buck, also named for the hunter who harvested it, scored 206 1/8. This deer was taken in 1914, long before TV, deer shows, and whitetail management. Back then, deer weren’t taken for sport but rather to keep a family alive.
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Dead Heads
Not all the deer in the book were harvested by hunters; in fact, the current number 1 and number 2 non-typical bucks are “pick-ups” and were found dead. The number 1 whitetail was found dead in St. Louis County, Missouri, with no apparent bullet or broadhead injuries. The Missouri Monarch, as it has been named, scores an incredible 333 7/8 points. The 2nd largest non-typical buck in the book, the Hole in the Horn buck, scores 328 2/8. This deer was found in 1940 and hung in a sportsman gathering club near Kent, Ohio, for decades before an antler collector spied it and purchased the antlers, bringing the notoriety the buck deserves.
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While a look at the record book will give you a snapshot of where the trophies have been taken through Boone & Crockett’s 194-year history, recent years have tracked some interesting data. Twenty percent of the top 20 largest bucks in the record book have been taken in the past seven years. This includes the 3rd largest typical buck taken by Dustin Huff of Indiana with a score of 205 6/8 and the Brewster buck, the largest non-typical buck taken by a hunter, scoring 327 7/8.
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Where’s the Booners?
If you think you are up for the challenge to take a Booner, where do you go? A Booner can come from any state or province; however, not all states are created equal. The B&C Club has listed the top states where B&Cs have been taken.
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| 1. Wisconsin, leading the B&C count, boasts 1822 entries in the B&C record book. |
| 2. Illinois has 1445 entries, including the Brewster buck. |
| 3. Iowa has 1330 entries and has laid claim to big bucks for decades and shows little sign of slowing down. |
| 4. Minnesota lays claim to 1194 entries into the book, and it’s not just history with the 9th largest buck ever taken from the state within the past decade or so. |
| 5. Ohio just keeps producing big bucks with 1049 entries. The list just keeps growing. |
| 6. Kentucky, with 1048 entries, is the furthest southern top-producing state, mainly due to whitetail management practices. |
| 7. Missouri is home to the No.1 buck overall. Missouri, with 896 entries, has not rested on its laurels, putting top quality in the book year after year. |
| 8. Kansas has 867 entries and is also on the rise, producing top-quality bucks. |
Wildlife Museum
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, MO, has one of the most extensive displays of Boone & Crockett trophies, not just of whitetail deer, but many other game animals open to the public. If you are interested in seeing some of these bucks in person, take a drive to see the awe and magnitude of these giants. It is part of an exhibit called the Bulls and Bucks exhibit.
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For more information, visit here.
