Big Whitetail From Illinois in Basement for over 30yrs

[Maxhunter]

This buck was shot in 1991 by a guy that was mainly a bird hunter. What a stud!

Lost For 30 Years: New Potential #3 Whitetail and Illinois State Record Entered

A typical whitetail scoring 207-7/8 was stashed in an Illinois basement for 32 years until some electrical work needed to be done. When the electrician saw it, he “went bonkers.” After a long day of hunting pheasants in Lasalle County, Illinois, Sam Aiuppa put the dog away and climbed into a...

www.boone-crockett.org

 

[Billy Goat]

I like to think these ghosts are out there.

My FIL knows of some deer that people don't showcase. Not records, but B&C stuff never recorded from years ago when we got age class.
They were likely close offspring of introduced deer for the time frame.

 

[wildwilderness]

That was in the golden years for whitetails. Probably went into the early 2000’s

Those were pre-internet days, the beginnings of trophy management. Trail cameras were an expensive idea. Land was cheap and accessible.

With the social media world now and the relentless comparison to always look better and kill something to post, not many bucks get to live long enough to reach full potential. Hunters have way more advantages as well with equipment and technology.

 

[SloppyJ]

Today I learned there are people that drive around and buy other people's deer. I find that odd. Must be a new York thing.

 

[Timberline001]

Today I learned there are people that drive around and buy other people's deer. I find that odd. Must be a new York thing.

Definitely not a New York thing. Lots of guys out west that collect mule deer antlers.

 

[Rich M]

My uncle has a big buck like that but from Maine - big heavy 10 pt, 24 inch spread. He's also got a handful of 120-140 buck racks on the wall for 200#+ bucks.

What folks start saying when they see the antlers some guy has in his basement is "poacher" "he shot it illegally and now wants fame" etc. What they can't possibly understand is that the antlers aint all that to a whole lot of older folks who could give 2 chits about what people think.

Personally, if i shot a real big buck I'd sell the horns to the highest bidder. They aint all that but if some guy wanted to buy em, sold!

 

[Headwaters]

What kind of money are these heads bringing? 5,10, 20 thousand? I'm sure it depends on the head but does anyone have an idea?

 

[WCB]

Funny we used to hunt a place in ND for Archery. Pulled up to one of the Ranchers house and he had legit 170+" racks laying in the rocks outside the house. Then we walked in and for hat racks basically he had 3-4 180+" bucks just on plaques one buck was over 190". Not a #3 in the world but Top 10 or higher for ND I believe the typical record is just under 200".

I'm sure there are a ton of giants nailed to a barn wall or in basements. Tons have probably been chewed up by rodent or pets.

 

[TheHammer]

What kind of money are these heads bringing? 5,10, 20 thousand? I'm sure it depends on the head but does anyone have an idea?

The disaster from Ohio this fall was 50g. So one like this I’m guessing with the story would be 37,500-50

 

[Yoder]

The disaster from Ohio this fall was 50g. So one like this I’m guessing with the story would be 37,500-50

He probably gave the old guy $100. He had no idea what they were worth.

 

[TheHammer]

Funny we used to hunt a place in ND for Archery. Pulled up to one of the Ranchers house and he had legit 170+" racks laying in the rocks outside the house. Then we walked in and for hat racks basically he had 3-4 180+" bucks just on plaques one buck was over 190". Not a #3 in the world but Top 10 or higher for ND I believe the typical record is just under 200".

I'm sure there are a ton of giants nailed to a barn wall or in basements. Tons have probably been chewed up by rodent or pets.

I know a guy locally, refuses to submit his deer into b&c. He’s in a similar mindset. He cherishes the pictures and the story/memory. His son on the other hand has several b&c entries. Just a really good property.

 

[Boarmaster]

There are very likely record deer racks hanging all over the country in basements , garages and barns.
Some probably burned up or trashed when the hunter died and the kids cleaned out the property.

 

[Rich M]

I know a guy locally, refuses to submit his deer into b&c. He’s in a similar mindset. He cherishes the pictures and the story/memory. His son on the other hand has several b&c entries. Just a really good property.

That's pretty much what it takes to produce big bucks - the right property and time to grow big.

I find it funny that is what it all comes down to. The better properties produce the better racks over and over again. Less than favorable properties produce nice bucks but not real monsters - even with all the deer "farming" we have going on.

I was on a lease and guy wanted a feeder going at all times, minerals, and protein. Bucks in the area might hit 130-140 but he wanted to try and push em over the limit. The same guy travels out west about every year and is still looking for a 150 inch buck. Some properties produce several every year.

Less places are producing 150 inch bucks cause more people are traveling and shooting sub-150s, stopping the age & grow process. Shoot themselves in the foot but can't see it cause they justify shooting smaller bucks in their heads.

 

[toddrod]

I see the pictures from the 50s of my great grandfathers group and there were bucks that had to be 190 plus. Now all the racks are gone I don’t even think they kept any.

 

[MallardSX2]

A guy I went to high school with in northwestern PA discovered a barn full of racks several years back. They were all shot by his dad with a spotlight. Everyone in the area wondered for YEARs where the biggest bucks in the area kept disappearing around the first week of archery season. 30 years later, after the death of his father, they were discovered in his barn. I figured the son was involved for more than a few of them.

Not saying that's what happened here, just saying that odds are that a lot of deer that disappear are in fact poached. Few people (and I mean .001% of the hunting population) are able to kill a deer that big and keep it a secret...

 

[Pony Soldier]

I wish it was illegal to sell antlers. As soon as you can put a price on antlers, you have degraded our lifestyle. I have many sets of antlers in my barn. Each one brings back the memory of where, when and who I was with. When I die the antlers will go away to the dump, never have been measured, put on display, or bragged about.

Putting a price on them degrades the antlers and our lifestyle. Much like farming your wife out.

 

[Long Cut]

There are very likely record deer racks hanging all over the country in basements , garages and barns.
Some probably burned up or trashed when the hunter died and the kids cleaned out the property.

This^

Great grandfather caught a record class Marlin back in the 60-70’s down in South America. Had it mounted and shipped to New York.
After they both passed, that record Marlin ended up in a dumpster because his daughters cleaned shop.

 

[S-3 ranch]

This buck is sitting hidden from view, the owner just doesn’t care about publicity

 

[pacoalcracker]

I shot a 170 green score 5 years ago and picked up a shed 150 4 years ago...Pa whitetails...... not much left of them now since I left the squirrels and chippies in my yard have those minerals. I have a mounted 150 Montana whitetail from 1993 in my garage...inches don't mean much to me.

 

[Redthies]

While I respect the work that goes in to finding the big ones, I 100% prioritize meat for the freezer. If I have a clean shot on a legal animal, I’m probably taking it. I’ve passed on some before, and won’t shoot does or tiny bucks if I can avoid it. Nice 3x3 bucks are fine for me. If the first one that wanders past my scope is a cranker, he will hopefully be tasty…