How many 200" deer in KS are there?
Kansas
The constant focus on that number, and "scores" in general perplexes me.
I have hunted KS for over 35yrs, mostly upland and waterfowl, but for the last 10+yrs Whitetails have been my passion. I am not necessarily a "smart" hunter, have some decent spots...but not so focused on finding a "giant" or on all the details that others adhere to, just like being "out-of-doors". I hunt in 4-5 counties each year, have 10 or so farms I can hunt, and run 8-10 trail cameras pretty much year round. I have literally spent 50-60 days afield hunting WT for the last 10yrs. I've hunted almost every day this Fall with the exception of maybe 3wks...not all WT...it's a long story ;?)
In all of this time, 1,000's of hours in a stand, 1,000's of trail cam pics, 10's of thousands of miles driving to and from, and lots of walking on farms from 40-14,000ac...I have only picked up one buck that I would say was possibly in the 200's and I never saw him on the hoof.
I see the comments, and read posts about the "200's", and yea I've seen a few posted various places each year that would make that mark. My question is...have you really seen one in the flesh? I just gotta say...if you have no pics I have a REALLY hard time believing the story...a REALLY hard time.
I have 2 bucks I have been after the last 2 years. Here is one. Not nearly 200 inches but a very nice deer.
Here is the other. I saw him 3 times last year. Once at 25 yds chasing a doe. Never could get him stopped. I was at full draw but just not a good shot opportunity. Well every one else saw him crossing the road a time or 2. I ended up loosing permission to hunt that property this year to a fellow with deep pockets from Texas. A local found the sheds and every one was screaming 200 inch deer. A watched him with bino's all summer last year and saw him 3 times hunting. Lots of trail cam pics. I guessed him in the upper 170's. I have permission to hunt the property again now that rifle season is over. Don't know if he made it again or not.
So Jeff, I know you've got access to some great places, and have killed some big mature deer...have you seen what you would consider a 200" WT on the hoof?
Appreciate the honesty, but I know it's a given with you!
Here's the one I say "might have been close", and it was way back in 2008. Never saw him on the hoof, or even "hard-horned".
I’ve been bowhunting in Kansas since 1990. In that time I’ve never gotten a picture of a 200+” buck (of course, I believe the hunting was better long before trail cameras came along). We did get video behind our old house in 2006 of a buck that would push that mark. I’ll see if I can get a good picture off the tv of it. Interesting thing is we never saw that buck again, if I didn’t have the video I’d think I was dreaming.
I’m assuming we are talking “gross”.
I’ve been whitetail hunting since 1994. Started running cameras back in 2005 I believe. Never had a 200” on camera.
As far as seeing them. I’ve seen two, one was nowhere near where I hunt back in probably 1996 or 97, and I have the other on my wall;-)
The one I have on my wall never showed on my cameras the year he was killed. The year before I had 2 photos of him... and he scored around 145”. No joke.
As for gross “booners”... I’ve only had 4 ever on camera. One I only got a handful of photos. Of those 4, two of them were 180”+.
I’ve got some decent ground to hunt, and a decent amount of acreage, but when I do the math it’s close to one gross 170”+ buck every 7 to 10 years.
To make that 200” mark a lot of things need to happen. Obviously genetics and nutrition, but age is the hardest to achieve. Ive seen several bucks I believe COULD have hit that mark if they made it past 4 years of age. I had a buck on camera a few years back that I know was pushing 170” as a 3 year old. Never lived to see 4 unfortunately.
Takes a special animal under special circumstances to get there. I see a lot of 5 year old bucks that never break 150”.
Well bummer, there just aren’t any good stills I can get off the video. It was an old camera at the time and it was zoomed out too far. Watching the video you get the picture of just how big he was. He looked like a really big mule deer and that’s not exaggerating.
I am 50 years old and have bowhunted since I was 15. I have never seen a 200" deer and very few I think would go over 160". Saw a video a guy got once of a nontypical that was a little over 220" that was later shot by a rifle hunter.
In 32 years of bowhunting i can honestly say i have only seen one. It was back in 96 and i was hunting a friends farm. Came through following a doe at 40 yds and i wasnt confident enough at that distance. Told my friend and his dad was lucky enough to shoot it. Think it went typical gross at 201 and netted 191 and change. Helped drag it out and it looked like a steer. Its funny when i talk to a lot of hunters and they tell me about the 200" they see, they just dont know!
I know guys who say they are seeing 180”+ deer every year. Literally every single year, for years.
Not happening.
I ended up seeing a photo of one of these 180’s... might have been 160. Maybe. They either refuse to attempt the math or their ego gets in the way, I’m betting the latter.
There was a deer killed down here at the Ammo Depot about ten years ago. Was 180 and something. Was big news. Don’t know that they’ve killed one that big since and that place has the deer. People over exaggerate deer antlers all the time. I’m with one arrow, nobody sees deer that size on a consistent basis....
Hard telling. The taxidermist that is doing my deer from 2 years ago has been brought 5 deer over 200" this year. He also said he has a bunch over 170" and that archery season was very good.
32 years bow hunting I’ve seen one on the hoof. My uncle killed the same deer during rifle season o1996, officially scored 228 NT.
Have you ever seen one on the hoof guys? That was really my question.
It's pretty easy to say a deer scores "X", but until it's officially measured...it scores "0".
Ive only deer hunted since 2016. No.
I don't think I've ever seen a 200 on the hoof. I passed a buck several times over a 2 year period that ended up getting shot in rifle season. They told me it measured 187. I was "saving" him in hopes that I would get a chance at a true giant in a couple of years. I really would like to shoot a 200 someday but don't have realist expectations of it really happening. No trail cam pics and no off season sightings indicating that I have anything where I hunt that comes close to that.
We hunted a ranch in south ks in 4 years my friend killed 196, 200. One was a muzzleloader kill the other a bow. And yes those were officially scored. This guy was a lot like Sito he could hunt for months and not leave.
To answer the question asked, there is one behind every tree in KS. Just read the hunting rags that are out there. I personally have seen a few nice deer in KS, but nothing close to 200". Maybe next year.
1998 buck
1998 buck
I have been bowhunting since 1978. During that time I have seen one buck that I thought would score net in the 190's. It was in the mid 1990s an I am almost over that experience. He came in at a trot typical of a rutting buck. I finally had to yell whoa to get him to stop. When he stopped there was a three inch sapling covering the rear part of his shoulder. I was shooting a longbow instinctively, so I said just behind the sapling. You guessed it. I dead centered the sapling. I had to saw the sapling down to get my arrow out.
Here is a picture of a buck I hunted in 2008. I hunted him hard that year and found out he was taken on a neighboring property in early November by a good ethical hunter the first 30 minutes of his hunting season. I was told he scored 194. I do not know if this was gross or net or even accurate. I did see a picture and it was the same deer.
I also attaching a picture of one I have hunted this year. The picture was from August and I have not seen him. He appears to be a 6X6 and will surely score in the 190s.
This buck grossed 192” (officially scored). He broke a non typical point off of his right g4 that was about 6” long. I had tons of trail cam videos of him, but never saw him until the evening that I killed him in January. I was pleasantly surprised when we scored him. I estimated him in the low 180s. He was deceiving to me. 43.5” of mass measurements and 26” + main beams.
Edit: Sorry sitO. I didn’t fully read you thread title properly. This buck was killed in Iowa, not Kansas.
Big 6X6
Big 6X6
Here is the buck from this year.
I started bow hunting in 1971. I cant for sure say that I have ever seen a 200 buck.
I am sure not all deer are registered in the state for trophy classifications. I did look on KDWPT site for any deer scoring 200". There are zero deer under the category of typical deer in the rifle or archery category scoring 200". I am sure there are some out there that have been reported being 200" but I am also sure that those are all gross green scores as well. On the non-typical side all the deer in archery and rifle categories exceed 200". So are there some out there? Yes. Will you ever see one in your lifetime? Maybe. If it is a typical deer doubtful.. I hunt every year hoping one will show up.
I have scored two Non-Typ for hunters who were lucky enough to kill them. One was a 218" with double drops. The other was a 7 x 8 with double drops 213". As for myself Sito I use to run cameras on 24,000 acres of prime ground from Great Bend to Ness City. Only two deer would have ever been close. Both were typical 12 pointers one was shot on Uncle Terry's ground not 100 yards from my boy and I as we sat in the ground blind. They loaded the buck into a truck with Utah Plates and took off.
I've hunted deer here since the 1990's and guided and leased some really good ground and I've never honestly seen one that I could call 200". I shot a typical 6x6 in 2001 that I believe a neighbor found that would be 180"s-190" and I've seen quite a few others about that size. I know a guy that works on a big ranch owned by Koch and he said he's never seen one over 180"s and the place is strictly managed.
Uh huh, for four years I saw him.
Don't ever know what happened to that one. I have pics 14, 15 and 16. He would be 7.5 if he is still alive.
Saw only one with double drops that might have made 200, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. I have seen a couple on the ground that would measure. It would be interesting to know how many make it to 200 ....one in a thousand maybe?
Seen one several times that was well over 200” years ago, saw another and had pic 4 or 5 years ago..... hell nowadays it’s hard enough to see a fully mature deer let alone one that has the genes to make it to 200”.
I saw a definite 200 inch deer in SE KS about 10 years ago. I shot under him. Haunts me regularly. That's the only one I've seen in KS.
I saw my friends trail cam pics of a 200 inch deer he was hunting for 2 years. It was in the same area I hunt. He shot it when it was 8 years old and it was 192 at that point, having regressed.
Interesting, but much of what I thought as well. Matte, is the buck you posted a pic of one of those above "200"?
Lee I sure hope you see that tall 6x6 again...ain't over yet!
Yes that double drop my buddy shot is 213" here is the other at 218"
Took this net 200 Nov 2017 in N.E. Kansas... on a WIHA :)
Been hunting Whitetails in Kansas for 11 years now and have never seen one over 200 on the hoof. Just started using trail cams last year so nothing there either.
That's an amazing specimen Chad...and a guy from TX getting it done without corn is almost as amazing ;?)
Thank you Kyle, It was an awesome hunt that came down to being at the right place at the right time between 2 bedding areas off a wheat field in a tigh pinch of timber on the down wind side of the bed. Believe it or not I was distracted by another hunter scouting the field about 300 yards back to my north when he came through the pinch from behind me. If it wasn't for my decoy I would have not gotten a shot. He grosses 215 6/8 and nets 202 1/8 Me and a good friend started going up in 2010 and started on walk in only but have gained a little private over the years. Its completely do it yourself, scout ,hang and hunt all bait free!
Doesn't get any better than that! Congrats sir.
I saw one, my son missed him that year and the land owner killed him in Dec. We helped him cape it out. Now this is with no deduct and green around 215.
Chad that is a nice deer. A deer that you would instantly guess at 200 inches. Troy that is a giant. A legit 200 inches that impresses. Maybe this buck I hunted is closer to 200 than I thought. Here is another pic.
Bottom line, as Hillary said "what difference does it make" :)
Sito, My guess would be about 10-15 per year all non typical in our best years.
I have bow hunted since 1986. I have only seen one over 200 inches, hunted him for 3 years, found his sheds one year, he was killed on down the road, he scored 239. There are more mountain lions in the state than there are 200 inch deer, everyone that sees all the 200 inch deer are the same that see these deer.
Early 80"s. Seen it once, shot it once, 7 yards, perfect hit, to close no penetration, and did not find it. DAMN IT!!!!!! I may never recover... -)))))--------> :(
I've been hunting for 31 years all the time here in Kansas. I can't say I've even seen a 200" deer on the hoof. These 3 all score around 170". Mine is on the right gross's 186 and net 176. It is the biggest that any of my group has harvested. My dad on the left has a few that are close but just not B&C. The nephew who is in the middle got this one on his very first hunt. I think it gross's around 170. I think it just goes to show that it takes one heck of a deer to score over 200".
I've seen 3 on the hoof that went 200 all 3 were killed by other hunters. 2 were gross typical over 200. No pics of any of them. One was a 225 nontypical and we saw him several times the year he was killed. The most impressive one was a typical 6x6 that grossed 206 and netted 192 official killed in 2007 all 3 were killed between 2000 and 2007. The 2 typicals were killed off the same 160 acres 7 years apart. Sito I know of a 230 inch nontypical that was shot very close to where you hunt by Milan this year.
^^^ I kind of wondered if that deer was the impetus of this thread...
Some awesome deer on this thread!
I heard about him, after the fact...but never saw him or had any pics and still haven't.
Wasn't thinking of that buck when I started the thread.
Sito, I never have scored this yet but he is up there. Taken down yonder by where you hunt.
Been hunting in KS since 1974 and spent 18 years as a P&Y scorer. I have personally never seen a buck that would net over 180 typical, but I have seen 4 that would net 170. A net 200" typical is almost as mythical as Bigfoot. I used to hear guys saying they saw one, but the same guy could count 14 points on a running deer at 200 yds.
I have never seen a big non-typical, but I have scored at least 5 that I remember that netted over 200". One of them was the Ken Fowler buck at 257".
Awesome deer at 257". I seen a 7x7 with trash at the taxi that will make 200" as a non typical this year.
Know I’ve seen one that typical grossed in 2teens. Netted 199 and change.
I've never personally seen one that would go 200". Over the years I've seen a few that would push the 180 mark but nothing over. My dad killed a 191" in 2010 and that was the biggest deer he had ever seen and he has been bow hunting since Kansas first allowed people to hunt deer. I got this picture 2 years ago and it's the closest I have to something pushing the 200" mark, I don't even know what he would score to tell you the truth. After getting the pictures I hunted for him pretty hard without ever seeing him. Unfortunately, the piece of ground I was hunting was sold and I lost permission to hunt it. Not sure if thats a wound on the top of his back from an arrow or what but I would love to hear the story if it is!
I’ve never seen one, but a guy shot one near Tyro this year. They’re around.
TheTaxidermist,
That is awesome! What an incredible buck and to be taken on WIHA in NE KS is the icing on the cake. Congrats. I'm assuming that buck could of came off a highly managed large property where it lived for 99% of it's life just to desperately chase does? What do you think? That's what's great about hunting in KS as you never know what may show up.
Got any more pics of that beauty?
Sito to answer your question I'd say very few 200" deer in KS.
I'm very fortunate to have access to around 50,000 acres of private in western KS between numerous landowners. I have never seen a 200" whitetail in 17 years of hunting it. I have only seen 2 bucks at 170", one of which I hunted for 5 days on the ground in vast, wide open pastures last November but never killed. ( It must be because I'm a shitty hunter according to Thornton and Slate)
I like this thread as there are many really good KS bowhunters better than I that can agree they have never or may of only seen 1- 200" WT ever.
I would say they exist but are few and far between. I've have been lucky enough to have seen two that were easily 200+. One of them walked right into my wind and gave me a shot at 17 yards. This was 6 years ago to the day. Dec. 20th 2012. This one scored just a bit north of 239" and I can say without hesitation, I will never shoot one bigger! (Note: My wife just reminded me that it was actually 12/21/12)
nice! December 20th???????? As Paul Harvey would say, it's time for the rest of the story...
Incredible buck Windy, I have had the pleasure of seeing 2, 200"+ bucks from the stand. I missed one of them and the other hung up 75 yards out looking at my decoy, then took off knowing something was up! The one I missed I know was a 200" buck because the other guy that hunts the property picked up the sheds. He is a taxidermist and mounted the sheds, very impressive deer. The sad thing is it was poached the next year according to our local game warden!! Personally I think there are fa r more 200" deer that die of old age then get harvested legally!
It was a bitterly cold day after a fairly recent snow. I settled in a stand over a winter wheat and oats food plot for an all day sit. Trail cams had shown quite a bit of activity in the area but this buck was completely unknown. Lots of does and fawns throughout the day but no bucks until early evening. I had a decent 8 pt show up about 40 minutes before dark and he busted me on the draw. 15 minutes later, this guy walked in directly into my wind. I was completely shocked. He came in without a sound. My eye caught some movement straight down to the left of my stand and there he was. He didn't give me a shot for what seemed like an eternity but finally turned broadside at 17 yds. He was moving intently from left to right and there was a big bushy cedar on my right limiting the shot window on that side. I had to draw, settle the pin and touch the release all in a matter of about 2 seconds. Oddly enough, all my adrenaline was already spent 15 minutes earlier on that 8 pt so I was as calm as can be. It was a pass through double lung and a 90 yard recovery. 6 years later, I'm still in a state of shock from that hunt. I’m not a trophy hunter by any means but on that night 6 years ago, I shot my buck of a lifetime.
Wow! Awesome thread and stories. I particularly love this last one from Windy. That is what the late season dreams are made of and somewhat of what my observations and trail cameras have shown possible over the years. That hot food source and the right does or particularly young does coming in that first cycle can pull in. Every year I seem to get a new face or two in the late season. That can be frustrating but also rewarding if you still have a tag and the optimism to keep after it.
I have seen a few bucks that would go over 200" in my years. One was a for sure over 200" Non-typical around this time of year when I was in high school and after a bird hunt with family. This buck was a take your breath away type of buck with flyers going everywhere. Never heard of anyone shooting him but he was on his feet on a very cold evening in December that year and with plenty of daylight.
One I was fortunate enough to shoot from the ground at 12 yards back in '05, which is an experience I will probably never top. At least I know there will never be a hunt like it. From the ground in a natural ground blind and videod the hunt and crazy after shot encounter with another buck coming in and attacking him after he was dead. Any buck at that range is an experience, but that one was intense and still has the fading memories of a dream.
I made the ethical decision not to shoot on another that would have grossed just over 200 typical. He broke off about 20" and was taken by a rifle hunter later that season and was not officially scored but went in the mid 180's. I had put the puzzle together on him and slipped in with a stand on my back on October 18th 2007. Everything happened like it was supposed to and I'm still a bit hesitant to admit what initially cost me that deer. It was the first year of running trail cameras and I nicknamed the buck "Ivory Towers" due to his apparently white 6x6 typical rack with 12+ inch brows to boot. Obviously, now I know they all appear white with the infrared images. I know its hard to believe but when the big bodied Canadian chocolate racked buck strolled by and through my 30 yard trail opening to meet another nice 9 for a fight, I didn't realize it was him until he was past it and into the field out of range. I was looking for a white racked buck like the pictures had all shown. Duh! I'll never let myself live that costly mistake down.
I was fortunate that after the fight, a younger buck and the 9 came around next my stand and he slowly worked my direction stiff-legged walking all the way in. He came on the West side and it was getting dangerously close to the end legal light. I came to full draw and he stopped behind the only 3 inch sapling in the area perfectly. I struggled to hold it back and after about a minute he caught me quivering and turned directly in line with that small tree and he dropped into a little ditch when he finally cleared the tree. It was still plenty light if he had came on the East side I would have been fine, I hope that makes sense. Those of you that know what I'm saying know how tough it can be on a clear day with that blinding horizon and difficult adjustment in that direction. He was still exposed but I couldn't pick an exact spot, or patch of hair, like I like to and I decided to not shoot.
I still hear him in my dreams as he sparred with another buck for the next 30 minutes up the draw. I waited an hour to get out of that stand in fear of tipping him off, but I never got a good wind for that stand again before I shot a 170 class buck that I shot on my first day of vacation that year on Nov.1st. That's one that I wish I could have back. Don't get me wrong, I was more than happy with the buck I shot, I have just learned you only get so many opportunities at a deer in that class and going back I would have held out for him only. P.S. I changed his name to "Twin Towers" after that hunt.
I saw one other buck a few years ago that was in my headlights scent checking on the gravel road very close to where I was hunting. He needed to take a right, but he went left and I dreamed of him in my stand all morning only to get a picture from another buddy who shot him almost two miles from there later that morning. He went 226 and change NT. So, I do believe they are out there..
That's amazing. Congrats! Cool story, too.
I've seen two in Kansas since 1996. I've got video of one but it's pretty poor quality and on 8mm.
Quinn, Yes, I believe it was a rut buck and had just come off a doe and was searching. He was cruising and when he saw my decoy is went nuts and provided me a great shot opportunity. Here are a few more pictures and a write up I did for another forum I frequent and can also be found in the August/ September issue of Rack Magazine: November 10, 2017 is a day this will be engrained in my mind until I leave this earth. Me and Anthony have made this trip to Kansas since 2010 so with 6 years under my belt and not much to show from it from a trophy perspective I was eager to hit the ground running. I have made a turning point this year in my life this fall getting remarried to the most awesome woman on the face of the earth and getting our new life started. This year was my year to get it done. I rolled into town early Saturday morning and got started scouting. There was a new piece of WIHA I wanted to get in on before I hit my usual spots. This property was “Lights Out” as Anthony would say and as I was walking the back I jumped a bedded doe and a mammoth buck in a strip of heavy cedars on just up from the pinch area I had scouted from google earth. I knew it was good. There was bedding to the east and west side of a couple acre wood lot that fed down a drainage onto the private property to the south that was attached to the nastiest cedar ditch you can imagine. I got in there and hung a stand and backed out. I made a couple sits there with marginal winds and saw deer but no shooters. Anthony killed his buck on Wednesday so I was able to move in and hunt his private property was hot with sign but only saw a bunch of young bucks and doe. We had a south east wind forecasted for Friday and that wind was idea to hunt that set. The trek to this set was challenging. There was only one access point with the lay of the land. This property had a very large ridgeline and to get to the back and top of the property you had to walk on the switchback access road the farmer has cut to the top, which lead to a large ag field sewn in wheat. It was approximately 8/10 of a mile from my truck to the stand. I hunted this set on Wednesday and it was really cold…..really cold like 18 degrees on the truck thermometer. I was sweated out when I got to the stand and I like to froze to death, needed to dress light and pack in all my gear plus I really needed my decoy as most of the bucks seen would skirt the top of the ag field and funnel down toward my stand and wanted ole jack out there to get them stirred up. So I made a slight adjustment to my stand set to get a little closer to the field edge and still have my shooting lane in place. There was the perfect tree in the perfect location with the perfect wind to hunt the spot. The stars were lining up. With my plan set I needed to get a real early star to pack all my gear up the mountain and across the field. Dawning my base layer and a pair of shorts and boots toting a big bag of outer cloths, gear bag with bow attached and my decoy and I head up the mountain. It took me an hour to get up there dress and set up and settled in for the hunt. The overcast skies pushed the daybreak back and about 6:45 I look over my left shoulder and there is another hunter walking in right toward my set. I’m like WTH!... hey there’s a decoy out down here. He gets within 70 yards off me and finally realizes that I’m in my stand and he skirts back to the north up and around the cedar finger that ran up into the wheat field. Just then my phone vibrated…it happened to be my birthday and I had gotten a happy birthday text from my son and I quicky replied to him and stowed my phone back in my pocket. That when he showed up. I glance to my right and there he is…OMG “SHOOTER” where did he come from. He had already worked through two of my shooting lands and was getting through my third and final by the time I got my bow off the hanger. I was beside myself. He had walked right by me at 15 yards through an elm mott and I never heard him. I quickly grabbed my grunt call and gave him a soft grunt and it stopped him. He paused for a minute and started back on his was so I hit him one more time with a little more aggressive and he makes the turn. I get my bow drawn and diligently looked for a hole to weave a shot through but no dice. He is heading got the field edge and I’ll have a clear shot at 40 if he doesn’t decide to circle back. Just as he gets to the edge of the wheat he sees the decoy and his demeanor went from cruising for does to I’m gonna whoop that lil bucks *****. He puffs up and folds the ears and I knew he committed. Here he comes. OMG this is going to happen. He’s closes the distance pretty quick and starts side stepping and posturing and getting close to my shooting lane and I go to draw. I had drawn just a few minutes earlier and I didn’t reset my drop zone and I get drawn and my arrow was wedged between the riser and the rest so I have to quickly let down and reset and get drawn again. By this time he was getting into the clearing and I have drawn and was holding tight behind his shoulder and I give him the “Brrrr” and he stutters for a split sec I I let it fly. My G5 Havoc and Maxima Red drive through his chest. He jumps and kicks and runs back up the hill strait away from me on the green field. I hung the bow up knowing I 10 ringed him and grabbed the glasses. That’s when I realized I had smoked a giant. I could see all the trash on his beams and tines hanging oll off his G2’. I fell apart. Kept telling him to go down ..go down..go down and he get up to the peak of the top of the field and was completely sky lined standing there hunched up and he lays down. BOOM he is going down and in a matter of seconds the head falls. A rush of emotions came over that I cannot describe. I sat down and relished in the moment for a bit. I could see one side of his rack from my stand and I still couldn’t believe this just happened. Then I got on the phone with my wife and I couldn’t contain myself. I woke her up and she thought I had an accident and was laying somewhere in Kansas fallen out of a tree dying. Haha. I was shook up, shaking crying, and could’t even make a clear sentence and I was finally able to get out that I had smoked a giant. While I was on the phone with her, ole dude that walked in on me decided he was going to walk back whee he came from headed across the wheat right toward my buck. I said “baby I got to go theres a guy walking up toward my deer” I dropped my bow to the ground and headed up the hill. He was down but I have to presume that he may not be dead. I did not want him pushed. Getting to the top opf the hill I realize the guy skirted the edge of the hill and didn’t see the buck laying in the terrace channel and he dumped back in the timber where he came from. I was there in the mist of a giant….a monarch that walked into my like on a whim. Just me him and the good Lord. I gave thanks and looked him over in awe. Thank you Lord for the opportunity, ability and the support I have been given to make this hunting trip available to me. Let the celebration commence. I called the kids and was able to do a face time recovery with them before they headed to school, then got Anthony on the phone and said “Dude……..(long pause) I just killed a giant. He’s down. Then the fun began! I have worked real hard for 7 years just trying to take a mature deer up there. I would have never thought that a 200 would walk into my life, but it goes to show you that your life can change in 10 second if you put in the time to make it happen! Official net score by Wayne Cox of Buckmasters…..215 6/8
There are a few around. I've talked to some guys that had permission on the properties they resided and they can be nearly impossible to kill even with a rifle. Not sure if this one was killed or not, but the 1,600 acres it was living on has been home to several over 200". In 2005 I was guiding rifle hunters in Butler County and I watched a buck for ten minutes from the road herd does 200 yds away. I estimated him to be 190". The other guide I worked with put a hunter in a pasture a mile away and he killed it a few days later. It had 15 points and scored 186"
Why BTR? Is that a composite score? Dont take offence, im just curious what he would officially score in P&Y. Great buck regardless, Congrats!
ps. Virginia has their own scoring system. It can add a lot of inches not measured in P&Y or B&C..
Wayne Cox of Buckmasters hunts in the same area we do and we had met him several times over the years. I messages him and he was able to come and measure it before I left to come home. Buckmasters will officially score them without a drying period. It has been scored for B&C as well as P&Y those scores are 214 7/8" gross and 202 1/8" net book
Met a Farmer out west and he showed me his boys Monster Whitetail. I have not ever seen this deer on any social media again a non typical that would no doubt go 200". So that is two for me this year one at taxidermist and the other on that phone picture. The hunter was a bow hunter as well from out west. I would have asked for him to text it to me but from the sounds of it they have been over ran by out of area hunters and do not want to publicize the area.
There was a 180" 8 point taken nearby. 2 more points and it wouldve broken 200. Yes I know how much bone it takes to hit a 180" 8 point.
Can you get a pic or two of that 180" Matt. Would love to see an 8 point that makes that. Probably lots more 200" than 180" 8 pointers. I don't remember seeing anything even close.
Ive got a pic of it on my phone.
I believe one of the Heartland bow hunters shot a 180”+ 8 pointer this year. Not sure it was in Kansas though.
What's a Heartland Bow hunter, Ray?
Windy1... did you post that deer on here before?
Seems like I’ve seen that one before. Heck of a buck!
Yes he did post it and shortly after some dude got on here accusing him of not having permission
The Taxidermist,
That is awesome. Congrats again on a giant! Thanks for posting. Wow what a buck!
Don't listen to a word Thornton says.
Thanks One Arrow and Ksgobbler, for the PM. That is an amazing, most beautiful 8 pointer I ever laid eyes on.
Thornton is right. Some dude went on a rant and made a lot of accusations. Aaron was fraternity brothers with some of my high school friends at KSU and I drank beers with him a number of times when I visited them in Manhattan. I always found him to be a good dude and dismissed the jealousy rant that individual made on here.
Something like that happened in Oklahoma years ago. Guy gave his buddy permission and his buddy shot a record. The guy turned him in and said he never had permission
I would like to see the score sheet on a 180" 8-point. Not that I don't believe it. I am just curious about the tine lengths and mass measurements.
Ksgobbler, I measured it 3 times from the picture and I got gross,197, 198, and a 190 being conservative, add the NT points and I came up with 207. I ain't off + or - 5 inches I bet. Incredible, beautiful animal! Does not appear there is 15 inches of NT points to score it NT.
My 164" public land 8 pt had 15" G2 measurements
The world record 8 point grossed somewhere over 190” and netted in the 80’s of I remember correctly.
I thought this 8 point was pretty big.
looks like about 150/155 maybe. Very nice for sure Jeff.
Guided my buddy to this one. Big but not even close to 180" deer.
Mine from 2013. Scored day after shot him 201. Had another in 2014 that I was chasing on wiha who was all over the mark as a typical 6x6 with trash, found a shed from him the year previous that went 85 and change. That's it for me in 10 years of traveling to Kansas. Chad and I have been pretty fortunate.
An indisputable male trait is exaggeration. If you look on any spring bear thread stating bear weight or guys discussing antler size 98.4% of the time they say it’s bigger than it is. It’s just our male trait for over estimating reality.
A 200 inch deer is as rare as a 7 foot human. If you sit in O’Hare airport and watch the 1000’s and 1000’s of passengers walk by you may see one 7 footer. A 200 inch deer is just as rare.
IMHO this is why guys don’t get racks officially measured.
Chances better of getting hit by lightning - about 300/yr in USA vs shooting a 200” deer?
Preciously why I started this thread Charlie. There are a few here that make the "mark", some truly amazing animals and in most cases "once in a lifetime" encounters.
We should just enjoy our "blessed time" out-of-doors in my opinion. I feel for those who can no longer...and for those where it seemingly becomes a "burden". I can only speak for myself but it's about the experience...and the ride!
I have a friend who is an official scorer and i cant tell you the ammount of times he has scored a deer that the guy called him and said they wanted it scored and that they green scored at the "200 mark. Only to find out that it didnt even make boone. Dont get me wrong they are great deer and nothing to be shamed at, but their score doesnt even come close. I know of one he scored as a typical that the guy said they green scored at 201". Once he got the official tally of 181" it was like the wind went out of his sails. He sent his story into NA Whitetail and had the score as what he had and not the real score.
I met a gentlemen in NW Kansas in 2015 and after talking a bit and seeing him a few times out hunting, he invited me to his house. I believe he had 3 deer that would all be 200"s. He said none were ever officially scored but told me he does not reach for his bow unless they are over 160"s. One typical 12 pt and a 21 point and a 23 point. The 12 pt was the biggest typical I have ever got to lay my hands on. 14" G'2's and 11" G'3's and brows over 8"s. I also would say the main beams were at least 27"s. Live on the hoof, never seen a 200" whitetail in Kansas but I believe I saw a 200" muley as there were a bunch of locals hunting the deer and they all said he was over 200"s. No pics. of any of the mounted deer as the guy woud not let me take pics. Shawn
I saw 2 muley's west of Norton and south of 36 back in 2012 that were giants.
I think that there’s more 200+ inch bucks in our state than a guy might think...
Well I can say after hunting ks. 10 yrs. so far I have seen 2 over 200" Shot and missed one one yr. and guessed him 160 ish that yr. the next yr. I seen him one morning moved a friend in closer with me that eve. And you guessed it he shot him 4:30 pm. Gross was 215" net 203" I would like to say also no Piles or trail cams used and the hunter never entered P&Y or publish any pics. The next yr. we seen one bigger than this one 2 times then was told by warden it had been poached later that season.
The F&S article is nothing more than #fakenews.
P&Y, B&C, SCI, Buckmasters, etc. Their estimates/statistics are entirely limited & bias to those who enter their club. They have zero factual data beyond the entries of those who "join their club". If 1 in 10 qualifying hunters enters their club, then there is 9 bucks they know nothing about.
Kansas has about 125,000 deer hunters, far fewer than the articles 1,000,000 statistic.. and without a doubt, far more than 1.6 net 200" bucks are killed each year in Kansas.
A while back someone was looking for outfitter recommendations. All I can say is that, from what I’ve seen, if you hunt near or own land next to an outfitter your chances of shooting a 200” drops dramatically. As a matter of fact your chances of shooting a 5 year old deer drops dramatically.
I’ve got some decent property and two local outfitters have completely wiped out the age structure this season. Zero management... every single one of them killed over a big old pile of corn.
I watch their FB pages regularly and one shot a couple of 200” this year. Guarantee you it was either new property or property bordering land that is managed intensively and they put their stands and corn piles on the property line.
I'm told this one made it through season as well as another on the property with drop tines. The kid hunting it truly has an awesome spot!
The highest concentration of 200" deer in Kansas is right here. N 39°7'17.31", W 94°48'55.87"
Is that the Cabela’s store in Kansas City, Matte?!!
I was just there. Headed hunting now with my new chest waders
Wonder if they will keep that Cabela's store in Wichita open? Not much inventory. Walmart has more shot gun shells.
I was disappointed in the lack of sales around Christmas. I was looking for a new grinder and nothing was really a good deal. Looked online for a comparable grinder and found one for $127 less. With camping world coming along and Academy sports the Cabela's Wichita location will have some stiff competition.
They have always had the Wooltimate Fleece on sale after Xmas, except for the year I wanted to buy a jacket, vest and pants. Disappointing!!!!!!!!!
As a kid in the 90's, my grandfather showed me one he'd been after that looked like it had tumbleweeds growing out of its head. We watched it as it was locked down with a doe in a milo field. The next year, my grandfather finally figured out its core bedding area, but a neighbor took the deer in the first hour of the season before my grandfather had a chance. I don't recall the score but it had 15 scoreable points on one side and 17 points on the other.
