(Photos courtesy of Antlers by Klaus)
December 11, 2024
By Josh Honeycutt
Most big deer we see fall at the hands of hunters. But not all of them do. Some die other deaths, and the public never sees them. But some of them are discovered by hunters, shed hunters, and other people. Of those, a few even make headlines. These are huge dead head bucks picked up long after they died.
The Missouri Monarch The Missouri Monarch (shown above) was found dead. Klaus says most believe it died from natural causes, but that isn’t a surety. Perhaps it was hit by a vehicle. Regardless, on November 15, 1981, the deer was discovered alongside a Missouri road. Dave Beckman found it, and now it’s the current world record non-typical.
Incredibly, this deer surpasses that rare 300-inch mark. In fact, it has 44 scoreable points, and scores 333 nasty inches. Not to mention its 25 1/8-inch inside spread. It’s a non-typical for the ages.
The Hole in the Horn Buck Equally famous, the Hole in the Horn Buck has made waves for decades, too. This Portage County, Ohio, deer is the No. 2 non-typical in the world. It gets its name from the small hole in the right antler. Some claimed it’s a bullet hole. However, more accurate reports suggest a hole was drilled so a wire could be used to help secure and balance the mount where it hung on a wall. As for its death, it was found dead in 1940 by a railroad crew along a train track.
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It’s overall look is nothing short of the epitome of impressive. It sports 45 points. Regarding score, it measures 328 2/8 inches, and 192 7/8 inches of those are abnormal points.
The Montana 229 A lesser-known deer, but still incredible in so many ways, the Montana 229 is a spectacle. Not much is known about its origin other than it was picked up in Montana. A hunter discovered it dead. The buck scores 229 2/8 inches as a non-typical. Down-turned main beams and double drop tines on each side give it a unique pizzazz.
The Kirk Klohs Buck One of the most impressive typicals around, this big main-frame 10-pointer with short G4s showcases a couple sticker points. Other than that, it’s a clean-racked buck. In 1952, it was found dead in Plymouth County, Iowa.
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The massive deer scores 196 3/8 inches. That ranks it quite high on the records listings. It sports 28 7/8- and 30 5/8-inch main beams, and that’s rare, because few whitetails — even record-class deer — surpass the 30-inch mark. Tack on heavy mass, a 22 1/8-inch inside spread, and it’s a high-caliber buck.
The Kick-Stand Buck Another wide deer, the Kick-Stand Buck is another big-time whitetail. Not much is known about its story, but according to Klaus, it was discovered face down in a mucky swamp. It comes out of Wisconsin, but the year in which it did, is unknown. This wide buck scores well, too. It displays 215 inches of bone.
The Crawford Buck The Crawford Buck comes out of Henry County, Kentucky. It was picked up on November 12, 2004. Chris Crawford found it dead after hunters hunted the deer for numerous years. Ultimately, it won the game, lived a long life, and likely died a natural death.
The deer tallies 276 2/8 inches. Drilling down on measurements, the right main beam is 23 7/8 inches, left beam is 25 inches, spread is 17 5/8 inches, and mass measurements are nearly 7 inches.
The Dead Head Buck Virtually no information is available for this deer . All that’s known is it hails from Iowa. That said, it’s a spectacle. This buck has main beams “for days” and towering tines. A G5 on the left side and some junk around the bases give it a little something extra, too. It scores 205 inches.
The Lobster Claw Buck This Illinois deer just might be the coolest whitetail on the list. The Lobster Claw Buck has quite the unique drop tine. Of course, it gets that name from the massive drop tine that splits off into a neatly shaped lobster claw. That thing heads southward 15 inches. In November of 1990, the deer was discovered by Mitchell Hoffman in a slough. Klaus says it’s believed to have been wounded by a hunter.
In addition to the split drop tine, it has a massive 10-point main frame. Beams measure 27 4/8 and 29 inches. Several tines exceed 12 and 13 inches. It scores 217 inches.
The Gorges Buck This big fellow sports a cool frame with a lot of extra points. In 2012, it was picked up in Wisconsin. Main beams measure 27 and 27 2/8 inches. The massive non-typical has 43 4/8 inches of non-typical “junk.” It scores 239 6/8 inches. It’s a non-typical deer any hunter would’ve love to tag.
The Ohio Mystery Buck This buck, referred to as the Ohio Mystery Buck , gets its name accurately. Not much is known about it. However, in 1975, it was found dead. A man came upon it while rabbit hunting.
The monster non-typical scores 288 inches. With a typical frame of 209 1/8 inches, and 85 inches of abnormal tines, it ranks high on the records list. It even has a 33-inch outside spread. Toss in the “cool” factor with the drop tines and extra points atop a somewhat “typical looking” frame, and it’s beyond awesome.
The Heartbreaker Buck The Heartbreaker Buck is a beast, plain and simple. Hailing from Iowa (but looking more like an Oklahoma or Texas deer), it carries a lot of cool points. In 2008, it was found dead along a fence line close to water by a shed hunter named Adam Jordison. This buck lived on the family farm, and Adam even has the buck’s 2005 sheds from three years prior.
Unfortunately, despite Adam and his father’s efforts to bag the deer, they never did. They saw it one time in person from a great distance. It’s believed the deer died from hemorrhagic disease (HD), either the blue tongue virus or epizootic hemorrhagic disease strains, which are very similar.
This Iowa deer scores 272 3/8 inches. As a wild-looking non-typical, it sports 37 scoreable points. Of those, it has 101 3/8 inches of abnormal inches.
Have You Discovered a Big Dead Head Buck? The above bucks are massive, and noteworthy, even though they weren’t bagged by hunters. They’re impressiveness goes without saying, and finding ways to share them with the world is important.
Each year, a lot of hunters find big dead head bucks. Have you ever discovered one? If you do, check your state’s regulations surrounding these. Oftentimes, a salvage tag (or similarly named tag) issued by a conservation officer is required to possess these. In some states, it’s even required for the officer to come to the sight, inspect it, and deliver the tag before the deer carcass is moved. Make sure you follow all intricacies involved in finding dead bucks.
