Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Caught in Indiana

The state of Indiana is beautiful and filled with lots to see. It’s exciting and also known as the “Racing Capital of the World”. While it’s known for its Indy races, you can also find some fascinating forests with animals like whitetail deer. Indiana was the 19th state added to the United States. It was also Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home. When you visit this stunning state, you won’t run out of things to see and do. Indiana also has a healthy whitetail deer population, and although they run from the sight of humans, you can still spot them while on walks.

Deer season in Indiana is also popular and runs from Sept. 15, 2022 – Jan. 31, 2023. However, the dates vary depending on the weapon. You can imagine just how large some of the whitetail deer caught are, but how big was the largest whitetail deer ever caught in Indiana? Keep reading to find out!

About Whitetail Deer

Whitetail deer, also known as Virginia deer or white-tailed deer, live in South America, Central America, and North America. They are very common in Peru, Mexico, and multiple U.S. states. Whitetail deer have been introduced to Puerto Rico and Jamaica, but they aren’t native to the islands. They live in forests and mountains, using the woods and trees to blend in and hide from predators. There are also about 30 to 40 subspecies of this animal, including the Florida Key deer, which is endangered.

Size and Appearance

Whitetail deer’s size and appearance vary depending on their subspecies. However, they are most commonly spotted by white under their tail. Whitetail deers have thick red and brown coats which turn to a grey-brown in fall and winter. The biggest exception is the white deer, a small group of deer in New York with all white coats. Male whitetail deer have large antlers, some grow branching antlers. About 1 in 10,000 females grow antlers, but this is usually because they are born infertile.

Whitetail deer can get pretty big, but it depends on where they live. Their growth follows Allen’s rule, which states that the average size of an animal is larger the farther they are from the equator. Male deer in southern and central states weigh about 150 to 300 pounds. However, in very northern regions like Minnesota and Manitoba, male deer, also known as bucks, have been recorded at over 400 pounds.

Diet

Not surprisingly, these animals eat a lot of food. They are large animals that forage for plants, including legumes and grass. If available, they also look for corn, flowers, fruits, and acorns. Do you know whitetail deer also eat poison ivy and mushrooms? Although they are poisonous to us, whitetail deers can digest these two plants with ease because of their multi-chambered stomachs. Mature whitetail deer eat about 2,000 pounds of vegetable matter every year.

Behavior

Whitetail deer protect themselves by running and camouflaging, which is why their coats change color as the seasons change. Sparring is also very common. Male whitetail deer fight other bucks for the chance to mate with as many females as possible during their rut. During mating season, they lose a lot of energy since they rarely eat or rest. Since they lose energy quickly, bucks travel fewer miles when the temperature is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Caught in Indiana

The largest whitetail deer ever caught in Indiana was recorded in 2021! On November 4 at 6:40 p.m., Dustin Huff shot a large buck in Indiana that scored 211 and 4/8 inches, beating the previous record and creating new wins! The previous first place belonged to Dave Roberts when he caught a whitetail in 1995 that scored 195 and 5/8 inches. Dustin Huff caught the large whitetail deer with a crossbow in a 3-minute showdown.

Other Common Animals in Indiana

Indiana is a midwestern state with many different environments like rocky hills, grassland prairies, and thick forests. There are 13 native bat species in Indiana. Cardinals are also very common, and they are the state’s official animal. You can see many of these animals in Indiana Dunes State Park, Chain of Lakes State Park, Tippecanoe River State Park, and Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area. Indiana also has some wonderful lakes you can hunt for impressive fish, including Monroe lake and Patoka lake. Listed below are more common animals in Indiana:

• Bobcats
• Newts
• Frogs
• Squirrels
• Black Bears
• Timber Rattlesnakes
• Raccoon
• Snapping Turtle
• Opossum
• Wild Turkey
• Red Foxes
• Muskrat
• Largemouth Bass
• Coho Salmon
• Brown Bullhead
• Brown Trout

Up Next:

• Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Recorded
• What is the White-Tailed Deer Population by State?
• White-Tailed Deer vs Black-Tailed Deer: What Are the Differences?
• 8 Types of Deer: Learn About All of the Major Deer Species