North American Whitetail first broke the news of The General sheds in 1996. Nearly 30 years later, it has been discovered that the sheds were altered. (NAW STAFF Photo)
By Dan Cole
As many of you have found, it’s not uncommon for giant whitetails to have controversy surrounding them. In fact, intrigue and controversy are commonplace for those who chase these animals, whether for hunting purposes, for their antlers, or for their story. Most who are involved have come to expect it.
The world of top-end whitetails has always had its share of intrigue and controversy. Whether it be allegations of poaching, score shopping, or alteration, the bigger the antlers are, the more vulnerable they become to unscrupulous dealing. We've become accustomed to reading high-profile poaching cases in the news. We know of giant-antlered deer that cannot be entered into record books because someone thought they could game the system, so they cheat in various ways to get a higher score and a higher ranking, which equates to a higher monetary value for the antlers.
Even with most of the cheating getting exposed, it may take years before the truth comes out. The latest whitetail scandal could be the most egregious and blatantly deceitful deception yet pulled on the whitetail-hunting community.
Recently discovered photos reveal that the world record for typical whitetail deer shed antlers, commonly known as "The Nebraska General," was altered to increase their typical score. Cody Idol discovered the photos by chance during a recent photo shoot that included the shed antlers of The General.
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G-3 Stickers a Sticking Point Cody Idol discovered the historic photos, which show The General antlers having abnormal tines. (Photo courtesy of Dan Cole/Cody Idol) Some may not be aware that The General shed were antlers recently sold from a private collector to a person in West Virginia. The new owner, who requests anonymity, asked that the photos be shown to the public. The photos show the original antlers had a sticker point that grew on the third point on each side of the antlers, commonly referred to as the G-3s, as referenced on the score sheet.
The alteration and removal of the two points causes the typical net score to increase, because the points would be a deduction on a typical set of antlers, such as The General. The length of the removed points is estimated to be between four and six inches combined. The sheds are recorded as being found in 1959 and have a record book net score, without a spread credit, of 195 1/8 inches. In second place is a set of sheds from Missouri, scoring 187 net typical. So, even with the points being present and after deducting them from the known score, The General Sheds would still be the world record set.
So, what's the big deal if the antlers are the current world record and would still be the world record even after deducting the point lengths? The big deal is this: almost all record books refuse entries of antlers that are known and proven to have been altered. There is no denying that someone removed the points from the antlers, which makes them "altered." The North American Shed Hunters Club, which maintains the shed antler record book, will decide whether to keep the antlers in the record book and as the world record, or to remove them from the book because of the alteration.
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It's a serious matter but not one that is unprecedented. In the 1990s, a set of shed antlers from the Illinois Damery buck was found to have abnormal points removed. The Sal Ahrens buck, a behemoth 6x6 killed in Minnesota in the 1950s, was in the process of becoming a new world record for B&C typicals. It was about to displace the Jim Jordan buck as the largest typical ever known (at the time), until a photo surfaced that showed abnormal points on the antlers that were no longer there. Thus proving that it, too, had been altered.
The Culprit? Altered trophy whitetail racks are not a new phenomenon. The Sal Ahrens buck, a behemoth 6x6 killed in Minnesota in the 1950s, was in the process of becoming a new world record for B&C typicals. It was about to displace the Jim Jordan buck as the largest typical ever known (at the time), until a photo surfaced that showed abnormal points on the antlers that were no longer there. (Photo courtesy of Dan Cole/Cody Idol) It is not yet determined who cut the points off The General sheds. Still, we know it was done in the early 1990s before the antlers were shared with the public through a 1996 North American Whitetail article written by Dick Idol. We won't speculate on who may or may not have removed the points until it's known with certainty. Also, there is always the chance we may never know who did it, such as with the Sal Ahrens buck. However, it is essential to investigate these scandals and expose those who are guilty.
This scandal has set the whitetail communities on fire. The General was considered an icon among the giants. For most hunters and antler enthusiasts, The General antlers were looked upon with reverence. It was the one set of antlers many compared all other giant bucks against—a legend with a legacy that could live on for centuries. Why someone would and could do this is hard to fathom. Sadly, the decision to cut those points off will now end its legendary status for many enthusiasts. Despite the controversy, The General sheds are among the most beautiful and largest sets of shed antlers known. Their beauty has not changed. Their eye-catching configuration and beam sweep are still there. They still are among the elite of the elite.
While the alteration may disqualify The General Sheds from the record book and world record status, it does not diminish their inherent beauty and grandeur. Despite the controversy, we hope that The General will continue to be admired as one of the all-time favorites in the hunting community.
Although The General sheds will still likely net-score higher than the No. 2 typical sheds (even after the newly discovered tines are deducted), it is unknown if the North American Shed Hunters Club will recognize the altered rack. (Photo courtesy of Dan Cole/Cody Idol)