For many, deer will be the largest game animal they’ll see (or hit while driving) in their lifetime. Washington state is home to two species of deer: whitetail deer and its subspecies, Columbian whitetail deer, and mule deer and its subspecies, Columbian black-tail deer. Mule deer, the largest species, ranges east of the Cascades, and this species is easy to identify. First, their ears are, dare we say, mule-like, meaning they are large and almond shaped and are about three-fourths the size of the head. Second, their tails are white with a black tip. And, third, male mulies can grow to weigh as much or more than 250 pounds.
Washington hunters pursue these ungulates through open forests and sagebrush meadows for their high-protein meat, the chase, and a potential trophy. The Boone and Crockett Club sets and maintains big game trophy records, and the state’s biggest—that is to say, the mulies with the largest racks—have reigned for a few decades.
Racks? Plural? Yes, awards are handed out or recognized in two categories. Antlers in the typical category are defined by their symmetry and evenly spaced tines. Non-typical racks have some symmetry, but these sets of antlers deviate quite dramatically from the standard in rather unusual and unique ways, often racking up very high scores. A typical and non-typical rack scored above 190 and 230, respectively, are in all-time record territory.
Various elements of the antlers are measured, then added together to give a gross score. An additional step in the formula provides the net score, and it is this score that can put you and your trophy in the Boone & Crockett record books.
The largest species of deer in Washington is the mule deer, so named for its large mule-like ears.
©iStock.com/Kerry Hargrove
Washington’s Record Deer
Thomas E. Adrian harvested his record typical buck in 2004 with a Boone and Crockett score of 203-7/8. Adrian’s buck is the only one harvested in Washington that has scored above 200 in the 21st century. Furthermore, the 10 entries behind his record span the period from 1913-1982. The record from 1913 for a buck with a score of 200-1/8 stood until 1970, and it was also the first to have a score above 200.
The world record for typical mule deer belongs to Doug Burris Jr. who bagged his buck in Dolores County, Colorado, on the third day of the 1972 season. It scored 226-4/8
Many have tried, but all have come up short to Ray Grow’s 1943 Evergreen State record for his non-typical buck that scored 283-4/8 inches. The top 10 of Washington’s non-typical bucks have several that scored in the 250s and 260s, even one with a score of 274-6/8 from 2003, but Grow’s record is now in its eighth decade at the top of the Washington state record books.
The world non-typical mule deer record is preparing to celebrate its centennial since it was bagged in 1926. Edmund Broder and two friends were hunting near Chip Lake in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, when Broder spotted two sets of deer tracks, followed them to a clearing, and then shot the larger of the two deer with his .32 Winchester Special. His mount remained unknown to the hunting world until after his death in 1968. It was scored 355-2/8.
