Discover the Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Harvested in Idaho

The state of Idaho is home to the deepest canyon in North America. Idaho is a northwestern U.S. state with a lot of protected land. The population of Idaho is roughly 1.9 million, and many of its residents live in Boise. Idaho is stunning and full of things to see. If you are an outdoors lover, you won’t get bored visiting this marvelous state.

Whitetail deer roam throughout the woods in Idaho. They are most common north of the Salmon River, but residents are reporting seeing whitetail deer in Central Idaho. Deer hunting is very popular in the state, especially for whitetail deer. If you are curious about the largest whitetail deer ever harvested in Idaho, keep reading! We will also dive into other common animals in the state and Idaho’s deer season.

About Whitetail Deer

Whitetail deer are easy to spot and live throughout North, South, and Central America. They are medium-sized deer with differences in size and color depending on where they live. Whitetail deer, also known as Virginia deer, can be found in Mississippi, Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, New York, Maryland, and more. There are 26 subspecies of whitetail deer. For example, the Carmen Mountains white-tailed deer live on the Texas-Mexico border in the Sierra Del Carmen mountains. Another subspecies is the South American white-tailed deer which mainly lives in the Northern half of Venezuela.

Whitetail Deer: Size and Appearance

Whitetail deer vary in size and appearance, even within the same subspecies. The size and thickness of their coats depend on where they live. For example, whitetail deer living in cold regions are smaller than whitetail deer living in warm regions. However, on average, an adult male whitetail deer weighs 150 to 300 pounds. Doe, an adult female deer, weighs between 88 to 198 pounds. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, adult whitetail deer from the Florida keys are very small, weighing about 77 to 110 pounds.

Although their appearance varies, there are common characteristics that make these deer stand out. Whitetail deer have white fur under their tail and a white mark around their eyes. Their coat changes color with each season. In summer and spring, whitetail deer have red and brown coats, which change and thicken to a greyish-brown. Male whitetail deer, also known as bucks, have antlers. Some antlers are branching, while others are spikes. The healthier a deer is, the more ‘branches’ their antlers have, but this also depends on its environment and age.

Whitetail Deer: Diet

Whitetail deer aren’t picky eaters, but their tastes change in winter when food is scarce. They graze on grass and look for nuts, berries, and seeds. Whitetail deer eat a lot of food, which helps them keep a healthy and thick coat during winter. Deer have strong stomachs, which help them digest foods toxic to our stomachs, like mushrooms and poison ivy. Whitetail deer are almost entirely herbivores, but scientists have observed some whitetail deer ravishing trapped and nesting birds, and field mice. More commonly, they eat woody plants, hay, and wildflowers.

Whitetail Deer: Predators

Whitetail deer have many natural predators. They use their thick coats to blend in with the forests and are fast runners. This is why we often see whitetail deer running quickly after spotting movement or hearing sound. Whitetail deer are often hunted by animals like:

• Bobcats
• Jaguars
• Wolves
• American Alligators
• Cougars
• Wolverines
• Black Bears

The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Harvested in Idaho

How Records Are Calculated

In 1887, with growing concerns over the possibility of losing hunting privileges and wildlife populations such as bison and elk being hunted to the brink of extinction, Theodore Roosevelt and others founded the Boone and Crockett Club for the purposes of conservation and wildlife management. This group also sets guidelines for and maintains trophy hunting records for big game animals, including whitetail deer.

When it comes to determining what garners a trophy record for whitetail deer, the focus is not on the body size or weight of the animal but rather on its antler size and complexity. Furthermore, there are two categories: typical and non-typical.

Scores are then given to individual elements on the antlers, and those are based on a combination of the number of points on the antlers, the width of the main beam spread of the antlers from tip to tip, the inside spread, the length of the main beam, the length of the points, and the circumference between points.

These measurements are calculated according to a formula outlined on the score chart to provide a final score. A score above 170 is in all-time record territory.

Consequently, hunters do not always report an animal’s weight as it is not a factor taken into account by Boone & Crockett for the organization’s trophy hunting records.

The Largest Harvested Whitetail Deer in Idaho

In 2001 while hunting in Bonner County, Ronald M. McLamb shot the record-setting whitetail deer in the typical category with a score of 186-7/8. Four years later, Mark A. Schilling missed the record by three-eighths of an inch when he bagged a whitetail deer that scored 186-4/8.

The record in the non-typical category has held for 70 years. In 1955, Herman Lunders harvested a whitetail deer that scored 267-4/8.

Other Common Animals in Idaho

You can find snow-capped mountains, beautiful clear lakes, and steep canyons in Idaho, which provide homes for thousands of animals. Idaho impressively contains several stretches of the Rocky Mountains, which have diverse wildlife. Interestingly, 38% of Idaho’s land belongs to the United States Forest Service. Some of the wildlife creatures are dangerous, like grizzly bears. There are also caribou, bald eagles, wolverines, and prairie rattlesnakes. You can also fish in many of Idaho’s vast and beautiful lakes and find cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass.

One of the Rarest Animals in Idaho

Northern Idaho ground squirrels are so rare that they can only be found in two Idaho counties – Adams and Valley. It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 of these squirrels are left in the wild and the future for them looks uncertain. Fire prevention methods have caused the animal’s habitat to become fragmented – leaving the surviving populations to live in an unconnected range. This inability to travel the traditional range has left isolated islands of these ground squirrels.

In coats of dark reddish gray with reddish brown spots, the Northern Idaho ground squirrel has a short, narrow tail, tan feet and ears, and a creamy white eye ring. This rare little squirrel eats large amounts of grass seed, stems, and other leafy green vegetation to store enough fat reserves for its eight-month hibernation period – lasting from late August to early May.