Biggest deer you’ve ever seen on the hoof?

[Redlined]

I am honestly surprised, make that shocked, that this thread has had so many replies. I've seen a spike buck, once....

 

[1wildcatfan]

I am honestly surprised, make that shocked, that this thread has had so many replies. I've seen a spike buck, once....

All the giants i saw was around your hunting area.

 

[web splitter]

I don't know that I've ever seen one that didn't need another year.

 

[wv67]

We was working a coal mine Out side of Marion Illinois , I think it was called Johnson city , well we was putting in a tie in pump out in a field surrounded by woods and an absolute giant walked out 60 yards or so no worries in the world don’t know how big he was far as score but he looked like something off the cover of a magazine biggest body and rack I e ever seen and had permission to hu t that land and never could get off work to go , it would of been worth the 8 hr drive far as hu ring here in wv I seen a huge ten 10 yrs or so ago hunting our bow only counties that made my heart jump a beat hunted there several years but never got close and it was a far drive 2 hrs one way so I hung it up

 

[supergoat80]

I chased this deer about four years in a row. His best year I think he would have went over two hundred. Found him dead that spring when he didn’t show up on the late season cameras. One shed was over 80 inches the other was 94. I saw this buck only four or five times. He’s also the deer in my avatar.

 

[Redlined]

Three years ago I saw a giant on the farm I was hunting chasing a doe. I was taking a leak and rifle was against a fence post. Literally the two biggest deer I’ve ever seen hunting were under those exact circumstances. Ive killed decent deer but never anything in that heart skips a beat, knees turn to jello seeing it at 150 yards with no binoculars class. Ive only seen maybe four like that while in the woods with hunting on my mind. I passed on 140’s all season after that… almost ruined hunting for me trying to get that stupid deer. Much like this year.

I’m shooting the first thing I see with horns next year 🤣

Sounds like your next stand needs to just be a fence post and stand their with your pants down if that's what makes Booners show up 😉

 

[CRFmxracer]

I saw a giant in illinois up the road from lake of Egypt running away couldn’t tell how big but if I had to guess 160-170. Also the day tumbleweed on the river opened up in Louisville, I was going that way with my buddys family and at the caperton swamp pull off area there was a massive deer, not really wide probably 17” but he had bases like coke cans and looked to be 10-12pt. Just standing on the side of river road watching the cars go by. I’d guess he was 170-180

 

[web splitter]

I saw a giant in illinois up the road from lake of Egypt running away couldn’t tell how big but if I had to guess 160-170. Also the day tumbleweed on the river opened up in Louisville, I was going that way with my buddys family and at the caperton swamp pull off area there was a massive deer, not really wide probably 17” but he had bases like coke cans and looked to be 10-12pt. Just standing on the side of river road watching the cars go by. I’d guess he was 170-180

I've seen several big deer along River rd and on up into Prospect

 

[Redlined]

I hunted Illinois religiously for almost a decade. My little brother played ball up there in the 90s. Seen some giants hunting, but the biggest were always in late summer driving backroads and glassing fields. Nontypicals over 230 and typicals over 190. Seen several of both, different places, different times. We had a spotting scope set up just for the occasion. Also seen a B&C typical one year wearing a telemetry collar, honest to God truth.

 

[INKYHUNTER]

My avatar grossed 182-1/4 and netted 175-3/8.

 

[Teach Deer]

Back in 1993 I saw the largest buck I have ever personally seen...it was totally inaccessible (other side of a relatively large river)...but at 200 yards, its nicely symmetric 12 points were clearly visible...it was cruising a steep bank between the river and a highway a bit before noon...in my opinion it was easily over 200" and probably the state record had it been harvested...

In 1998, I saw the second largest buck...while watching a nice 8 point and 6 point in a knock down drag out fight in front of me (long story), the "man" showed up (the only time I got true buck fever) gave one snort wheeze and scared the life out of the two fighting bucks (they may still be running based on the way they left the wood lot)...he was a monster in every way...live weight would have been in the 250+ category...he carried a massive square bone white 10 point rack with G2, G3 and G4s as large around as my forearm with the longest being easily 14"+...after not being able to settle down on him when he passed at 20 yards, I finally got myself under control and took the only shot I had...quartering away at what turned out to be 46 yards...prettiest arrow flight one ever seen...cut a little bit of hair as it passed underneath...he danced about 20 yards away and then stood there for a couple of minutes "modeling" for me...my estimates were 180"+...

Saw BOTH of those deer from the same stand on a central KY WMA...

The largest buck I managed to actually harvest was off of a different central KY WMA during the December 2013 Quota Hunt...highly symmetric 10 point measuring 148" but an adjacent landowner aged that deer (his #1 hit list deer) at 9 1/2 years old...a total trophy by any measure...

 

[William Hayes4]

As title states, what is the biggest you’ve ever seen on the hoof?

I live in NC, hunt KY and Iowa when I can draw a tag. Have killed a few in the 140s and one that may be 150s but never had it scored. Saw 2 that scored 161 in 2020 (one in KY one in NC) that were killed by friends but only seen two deer of that caliber alive, one in Cades Cove and one in Iowa. Iowa buck I saw 5x in a two week hunt but couldn’t get it done. Have multiple close to booners on cam but never laid eyes on em. A booner was killed on our KY lease by neighbor.

What’s your biggest seen? Biggest you’ve taken? Crazy how many I’ve had on trail cam that no one that I know of killed and never knew where they went to.

My opening week bow kill this year was 260# on the hoof with very nice 12 point rack

 

[xbokilla]

Stories and encounters on here blow me away. I didn’t start deer hunting until the late 90s. I know this is gonna sound like a joke, and off topic, but we used to hunt this place that had huge does. No doubt if you could put antlers on some of these old gals you’d swear you had a giant buck. Not sure what was in the water at that place. LOL. Saw several big bucks come from the area but those does were mind blowing.

 

[xbokilla]

I chased this deer about four years in a row. His best year I think he would have went over two hundred. Found him dead that spring when he didn’t show up on the late season cameras. One shed was over 80 inches the other was 94. I saw this buck only four or five times. He’s also the deer in my avatar. View attachment 108543

Did you ever come close in daylight? Man, what a giant! I’ve never specifically hunted 1 deer…but I would for that! I’m glad you at least got to close the book even though you didn’t get to kill him.

 

[hollandhunter]

The biggest i ever seen was prolly in northern indiana when i was just a little kid. Hunting with my dad on 5 gallon buckets over looking miles of corn fields. He was pushing 200 if i had to guess. Never got close enough though. Then i missed the second biggest deer i ever seen if not the biggest. At 75yards with a muzzeloader twice. Powder i had just bought was wet. My fault. Im still sick years later from it. If he wouldnt push 180-200 i dont know what would. I got pics of him early oct. Waited till muzzeloader to hunt him in fear i would mess it up with a bow. Sure enough cone muzzeloader season i had him pinned due to cameras showing me his movement. He came by right on time and i missed twice. Could have shot a third time but knew something was wrong so i just sat there and watched him walk off. The was the last daylight picture we ever had of him. An shortly after that he was gone forever. Still dont know what happened to him. But i sure as hevk didnt harm a hair on his body. I killed the 3rd and 4th biggest bucks i ever seen in the woods.