Kansas Bowhunter Tags World-Class Whitetail

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posted on January 9, 2020
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kansasbowhunter-world-classwhitetal_lead.jpg
courtesy of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
When Kansas bowhunter Brian Butcher arrowed a whitetail in Chase County last October, it was immediately obvious it was something special. The Boone and Crockett certified measurement on Jan. 3 (following the necessary 60-day drying period) merely reconfirmed what was already readily apparent—this ain't your average whitetail. Butcher's buck earned an unofficial net non-typical score of 321 3/8 inches. If officially accepted and verified by the Boone and Crockett Club, this score puts the deer at fourth in the world for non-typical whitetail deer. For Kansas however, the buck will be the largest non-typical whitetail ever taken, surpassing the current state record for a non-typical whitetail harvested with archery equipment by 57 2/8 inches.

“When I first saw it, I thought it had some branches or grass tangled up in its antlers,” said Butcher. “But when I looked at him with binoculars, I realized it was all antlers.”

Butcher let his arrow fly on the monster just 25 yards from his treestand, and the shot found its mark. According to Butcher, it looked even bigger once it hit the ground 50 yards away, with a grand total of 67 scorable points. 

The score sheet and entry materials on Butcher's buck have been mailed to the Boone and Crockett Club headquarters for verification and acceptance, but the process may take a while. Due to its high ranking, the rack will be scored again by a panel of measurers at the Boone and Crockett Club's next awards ceremony, in 2022. For more on the story, head on over to fox4kc.com. To learn more about Kansas big game records, check out ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/What-to-Hunt, and for more on the Boone and Crockett Club, please visit boone-crockett.org. 

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