This incredible buck was from Wausau, Wisconsin. He frequented an area near the local Walmart and was often seen walking across the store's parking lot. (Photo courtesy of Antlers by Klaus)
February 26, 2025
By Dan Cole
Urban Legends are those big bucks that live and grow up right under our noses in some of the biggest cities in North America. There's a safety level within the city that few deer can enjoy anywhere else. Most urban deer don't face nearly the stresses that one of their counterpart country deer would need to endure for survival.
Some live on the edge of town, while others live within the concrete jungles called downtown. Some live entirely within areas where life's biggest threats come from dodging 30 mph traffic and staying ahead of a Toy Poodle named FiFi.
Although there are many Urban Legend bucks, we chose a cross-section from around the United States and Canada. We know we left some out, but here are seven great whitetails that rarely, if ever, left the security of their city limits, and they became local legends in the process — listed here in no particular order or reason.
1. Buffalo, New York (Photos courtesy of Jamie Martin, Steve Meister, and Jake Fisher) Let's start with one of the busiest areas in North America, Buffalo, New York, and a great buck the locals referred to as "Bosston." This deer began to make a name for himself during the summer and fall of 2020. That's when people began noticing a larger-than-usual buck near the Buffalo Airport.
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For two years, there were frequent sightings of the big antlered deer on both sides of the I-90 Thruway. Although the buck spent most of his days in the safety of the unhunted wooded areas near the Airport, he still showed a natural caution and alertness level that few other deer in the area shared. A trait that didn't go unnoticed by a trio of Whitetail enthusiast friends.
During the two years that the buck was causing traffic congestion, friends Jamie Martin, Steve Meister, and Jake Fisher were boots on the ground, gathering as much insight on the deer as possible. The results of that intell led to several shed antlers found from the big buck, a plethora of trail camera pictures, and the exceptional digital photos that Martin captured with his camera.
With no legal hunting allowed within the area, local authorities occasionally employ professional bait-and-shoot practices that help to reduce the deer herd. "We think this played a role in the buck being so cautious despite living in a no-hunting area," said Martin.
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Late in 2021, the buck got injured by a car or survived a poaching attempt; either way, he was injured badly enough to shed his antlers earlier than usual. Unfortunately, soon after dropping his antlers, someone mistook the buck for a doe, and the great deer fell victim to a herd reduction sniper.
2. Fargo, North Dakota (Photo courtesy of Harvey Schneider) The Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota is known for its nutritionally rich soil and incredibly productive farmland. It's also known for being wide open farmland with few trees. As a result, deer numbers within the cities and towns along the Red River have increased. It's along the Red River in Fargo, ND, where our next Urban Legend calls home.
Imagine looking out your living room window and seeing a giant double-drop tine buck eating from your bird feeder — that's what many people living along the Red River have been watching for a couple of years. This buck has learned to use his taller-than-usual antlers to knock bird feed from feeders, much to the dismay of the homeowners.
As a regular backyard visitor, "Bucky," as known by one neighborhood, has earned a reputation as a ladies' man, having been seen courting through the backyards and streets of several residential areas. These photos are from 2021 when the deer was four years old.
3. Wausau, Wisconsin (Photo courtesy of Antlers by Klaus) Wausau, Wisconsin, was the home of our next Urban Legend. You may have seen this incredible buck if you shopped at the Wausau Walmart around 2012. For a couple of years, a giant buck frequented an area near Walmart and was often seen walking across the store's parking lot.
Located in central Wisconsin, Wausau is a city of approximately 130,000 people, most of whom knew of the Big Buck living near Walmart. For a couple of years, an untold number of people not only saw the deer but were able to capture photos and videos while the deer meandered around the local businesses.
When the buck felt compelled or pressured, he would head for the safety of Rib Mountain State Park. Here, the buck has 1528 acres of security and cover. No hunting was allowed within most of the area where the buck lived. However, he occasionally moved far enough away from town and the Park where he could have encountered hunters during the rightful season.
The downfall to this movement was the buck had to cross the busy Highway 51 Freeway to move between his favored areas. The buck didn't seem to mind risking the highway crossing, as many people witnessed him doing so many times.
Shortly after "The Walmart Buck" shed his antlers in early 2012, avid shed hunter Jason Nieuwenhuis found both sides soon after they dropped. As seen mounted in the photos, the antlers score well over 230 inches.
Although the giant buck had undoubtedly made numerous successful sprints across the freeway during his years, his last attempt in the fall of 2012 resulted in a car collision and the death of Wausau's most famous buck.
4. San Antonio, Texas (Photo courtesy of Jared Markgraf) Our next Urban Legend lives near one of the many Golf Courses in San Antonia, Texas. Known by locals as "Buck Norris," this spectacular whitetail lives a secure life among the shrubbery and trees within three neighborhoods surrounding an intercity golf course.
Jared Markgraf, a San Antonio resident photographer, has gotten to know the buck well after studying his movements over the past four years. "I've been chasing that buck hard for the last four years for photographs and have some decent shots over that time. I've gathered a lot of info on him and his range and even picked up one of his sheds from 2020."
Over the last four years, Markgraf believes the buck grew antlers of approximately 200 inches in 2020, 185 inches in 2021, then ballooned to approximately 220 inches in 2022, then regressed to around 190 inches in 2023.
The photo collage provided by Markgraf shows the buck's incredible aging transformation over seven years. The above photo shows the buck in 2022 with approximately 220 inches of antler.
5. Des Moines, Iowa This blurry photo has been floating around cyberspace for several years and, through the course of its time, has been claimed to be from several different states with different stories attached. The buck makes our list because it is a true Urban Legend; it is also here because we want to share the truth behind this incredible whitetail.
During the fall of 1998, Des Moines police officer Paul Little was on patrol near the governor's mansion when he spotted two incredible whitetail bucks running together. One was an impressive eleven-point; the other was a giant non-typical. Being an avid hunter, Little knew he was looking at something extraordinary.
Eventually, Little was able to videotape the bucks at close range. The attached image, the same one that has been floating around social media for so many years, is a screen grab from that famous video.
Little published his video on social media to thwart any ideas of poaching the buck. He figured the more popular the deer could become, the safer it should be. His idea worked.
In January 1999, a homeowner reported finding a dead buck in his backyard. When animal control arrived, they found that the dead buck had already shed its antlers; thinking the sheds could be nearby, the team decided to walk along a nearby ravine for a quick search. Soon, they spotted a large antler sticking out of the snow. Upon closer inspection, they found the antler was attached to the carcass of the big non-typical from the Little video.
Finding both bucks dead in such proximity called for a thorough investigation into their deaths. The results of that investigator's findings were that foul play was not a factor in the death of either buck. The cause of their deaths is still a mystery to this day.
Many feel the shed buck was the big eleven point, often seen running with the non-typical. The non-typical scored 238 1/8 net inches with a monstrous typical frame that grosses 213 6/8 inches. Wildlife Artist Larry Zach produced a beautiful painting of the two bucks titled "Big City Bucks." The Iowa DNR now owns and displays this sensational Urban Legend.
6. Elgin, Illinois (Photo courtesy of Richard Topps) Our next Urban Legend is respectfully called "The Elgin Ghost." After several years of living within the city limits of Elgin, Illinois, and despite countless eyewitnesses, no photos of the live deer have ever surfaced. The buck's existence wouldn't be known if it weren't for shed antlers. However, the buck's popularity began to rise when he was first spotted feeding in the agricultural fields near the K'Mart parking lot, and it took only a short time before the shed antlers began to turn up.
The Elgin Ghost carried at least four years of world-class typical antlers. We know this from the shed antlers that were found. The numbers on some of the sheds were staggering, such as having 32 and 33-inch beams. For a while, one of the single sheds held the temporary status of being the world's largest five-point Whitetail antler.
The highest-scoring set of sheds grown by the buck is shown here and held by Tony Topps. The shed antlers have a gross score of well over 216 inches as a five-by-five, and because of exception side-to-side symmetry, the antlers would net score around 214 inches! That puts the Elgin Ghost among elite company, sitting comfortably among the highest-scoring ten-point Whitetails known to exist.
Although The Ghost lived within the city's relative safety, he occasionally ventured onto private land where hunting was allowed. More than one hunter encountered the buck while hunting. As one fortunate hunter said about seeing the deer up close, "The buck was so big I thought it was a Mule Deer."
This great Urban Legend lived his life among crowds of people. He was frequently spotted as he moved around K'Mart, Home Depot, and the Train Station. He was just as comfortable in town as he was outside of it. However, as with many urban deer, crossing busy roads is what led to the buck's death. Soon after shedding his 2008 antlers, the buck made a fateful attempt to cross a Highway and lost his life in early 2009.
7. Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) (Photos courtesy of Darren Shipp and Clayton Nelson) The next Urban Legend comes from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This buck may be the most famous listed, but he gained most of his fame in an unusual way.
Some knew him as the Assiniboine Forest Buck, named for a city park where the buck spent most of his time. Most referred to him as "Tangles" or "Twister". No matter what the residents called him, what deer was being discussed was easily known.
This easy-to-identify buck was a frequent traveler, often leaving the confines of his favored city forest; the buck would often take trips of more than five miles through the heart of Winnipeg, ending up downtown and near the University of Manitoba. The buck became quite popular among the college students.
However, the buck's popularity would soon explode, but for all the wrong reasons; during the early winter of 2020, while the buck was attempting to cross the frozen Red River of the north, the ice gave way, and the buck found itself struggling for life in the freezing water and ice. Passersby saw the struggle unfold and called 911. Soon, a professional rescue crew arrived and began an attempt to save the buck's life.
Having several television crews, newspaper reporters, and countless people live-streaming the drama as it unfolded, the successful rescue helped push the popularity of the buck into celebrity status.
Overnight, the buck became Winnipeg's favorite feel-good story. Suddenly, everyone knew about the deer with the unusual and twisted antlers. As the buck's popularity hit an all-time high, he made one more attempt to cross the still-frozen river. This time would prove to be his last.
A few months after the dramatic river rescue of the buck playing out on live television, Winnipeg resident Clayton Nelson was enjoying a day of cross-country skiing along the Red River when he noticed something unidentifiable sticking out of the river ice. Skiing closer to the object, Nelson realized it was the head of "Twisty" sticking out of the ice.
It was apparent to Nelson that the buck had expired as the ice had frozen firmly around its head, leaving only the antlers exposed above the ice. Nelson quickly retrieved a hatchet and began the arduous task of chipping the head and antlers of the buck out of the ice. Once finished and with the antlers in hand, Nelson called the Manitoba Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and turned the antlers in.
After recognizing the deer's significance to Winnipeg residents, Wildlife officials decided to have the antlers mounted and put on public display. Darren Shipp of Wild North Taxidermy in Winnipeg had the honor of bringing the buck back to life.
