The Arkansas Triple Trophy Award is awarded to hunters who can harvest a whitetail deer using three methods: a bow, a muzzleloader and a modern gun. For Garland Craigg, this deer-hunting season offers the opportunity to achieve something great. Craigg, already a two-time Triple Trophy Award winner, is hoping to take on the challenge of earning the award for the third year running. While his accomplishment is no doubt impressive, some hunters focus more on harvesting the largest and most impressive deer they can find as trophies. (Hunting big game will never be the same with these cartridges.)
When you think of “deer,” you’re probably thinking of the whitetail and blacktail deer you might see running through your back yard. But the deer family actually encompasses a broad range of species, from whitetail and blacktail to mule deer, reindeer, moose, and elk. With all of these subspecies included, North America is home to approximately 58 species of deer. For the hunters who manage to bag an elusive record-breaker of an animal, their name lives down in hunting history. 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 15 largest hunted deer ever documented in the United States, representing a variety of species. To create this list, we referenced sources from record-keeping sites and publications highlighting significant achievements. Every effort was made to ensure that each record took place in the United States. Additionally, each record includes information such as the hunter’s name and the most common trophy metric, often measured in inches.
Why You Need to Know About Deer Hunting
The industry of hunting brings in approximately $55.4 billion to the economy annually. Hunting provides for 854,000 jobs, including game wardens, biologists, taxidermists, and butchers. The sport of hunting has been around since the 19th century and breaks down into four categories: big game, small game, migratory birds, and other animals, like feral pigs. Understanding the biggest deer ever hunted highlights how people participate in this sport and why these accomplishments are so empowering.
These are the 15 biggest deer ever bagged by U.S. hunters:
Whitetail Deer
Whitetails are among the most common species in the United States.
Whitetail deer are probably the most ubiquitous deer in the United States. Their range extends across most of the country, and in many cases, they have interbred with the other species (mule and blacktail), creating hybrids around species’ borders.
1. David Beckman – 333-7/8
Some people claim the largest whitetail on record was pen-raised.
- Date: November 1981
- Hunter: David Beckman
- Location: Missouri, found on the side of the road within someone’s property limits. This deer was taken with permission of the property owner.
- Measurement: 333-7/8 – the rack weighed more than 11 lbs.
- On Display: Missouri Department of Conservation
2. Dick Idol – 328-2/8
A hole in the skull gave this record its famous nickname.
- Date: 1940
- Hunter: Dick Idol
- Location: Ohio, found after a train hit the deer
- Measurement: 328-2/8
- Nickname: “Hole In the Horn Buck”
3. Luke Brewster – 327-7/8
The Brewster Buck is the largest typical trophy on record.
- Date: 2017
- Hunter: Luke Brewster
- Location: Illinois
- Measurement: 327-7/8 – recognized by Boone and Crockett as the largest hunter-killed whitetail and by Pope and Young as the World Record non-typical whitetail
- Nickname: “Brewster Buck” or Mufasa, after the “Lion King”
Mule Deer
Mule deer live in the western half of the United States.
Mule deer are indigenous to western North America and get their name from their ears, which look like a mule. Technically, two mule deer subspecies are grouped under blacktail deer. On average, mule deer are larger-bodied than whitetail deer but have many similar features, such as coat color, and even similar diets.
1. Doug Burris Jr. – 226-4/8
The largest typical mule deer on record was taken in Colorado.
- Date: 1972
- Hunter: Doug Burris
- Location: Colorado
- Measurement: 226-4/8
- Nickname: “Burris Buck”
2. Anon., Wyoming – 217
The second largest entry was anonymously found in Wyoming.
- Date: 1925
- Hunter: Anonymous
- Location: Wyoming
- Measurement: 217
- On Display: Jackson Hole Museum (the head)
3. Steve Stayner – 216-2/8
- Date: 1994
- Hunter: Steve Stayner
- Location: Arizona
- Measurement: 216-2/8 – bones were discovered and the rack was measured by a Boone and Crockett recorder
- Nickname: “Arizona Pick Up”
Blacktail Deer
There are two species of blacktail deer, Columbia and Sitka.
Blacktail deer are technically related to mule deer but are usually split into two categories: Sitka and Columbia. Between them, Columbia are slightly larger and range from northern California up through Washington. Sitka are smaller and range from British Columbia up through southern Alaska. We tried to incorporate both into this list.
1. Lester H. Miller – 182-2/8
Blacktail deer live in the northwestern portion of North America.
- Date: 1953
- Hunter: Lester Miller
- Location: Washington
- Measurement: 182-2/8
- Standing: World’s Record Columbia Blacktail
2. William Steele – 134
Sitka deer get their name from the Tlingit and Russian cultures. Pictured is Sitka, Alaska.
- Date: 1987
- Hunter: William Steele
- Location: Prince of Wales Island, Southeast Alaska
- Measurement: 134
- Standing: World’s Record non-typical Sitka Blacktail
3. Charles Hakari – 116-3/8
Sitka (whitetail pictured) are found in a few select regions of Canada and Alaska.
- Date: 1987
- Hunter: Charles Hakari
- Location: Prince of Wales Island, Southeast Alaska
- Measurement: 116-3/8
- Standing: Pope & Young Record for Largest Sitka Blacktail Deer
Moose
Moose are the largest members of the deer family in the entire world.
Moose, while not commonly viewed as deer, are scientifically part of the deer family. In fact, they are the largest species of the family, not just in North America but all over the world.
1. Rex J. Nick – 266-4/8
The Yukon region in Alaska and Canada is home to the largest moose in the world.
- Date: 2010
- Hunter: Rex J. Nick
- Location: Alaska
- Measurement: 266-4/8
- Standing: “Largest Moose Ever Taken”
2. Eric Arnette – 264
Packing out a moose is extremely difficult in the deep woods of the north.
- Date: 2004
- Hunter: Eric Arnette
- Location: Alaska
- Measurement: 264
- Standing: “Biggest Moose Ever Shot”
3. Jack Frances Nelson – 255-1/2
Jack Frances Nelson was only 10 when he took down one of the largest moose ever recorded.
- Date: Unknown
- Hunter: Jack Frances Nelson (he was 10 years old!) – his dad helped him track and shoot the moose, giving detailed instructions the whole time
- Location: Alaska
- Measurement: 255-1/2
- Standing: “World Record”
Elk
Elk only live in North America and select regions of Asia.
Elk are the second-largest members of the deer family, right behind moose. They are sometimes known as “wapiti” from the native Shawnee and Cree word, which translates to “white rump.” They primarily live in North America, although a population does exist in East and Central Asia.
1. Denny Austad – 478-5/8
The largest ever elk was taken in Utah and is nicknamed the “Spider Bull” for it’s weblike antlers.
- Date: 2008
- Hunter: Denny Austad
- Location: Utah
- Measurement: 478-5/8
- Nickname: “Spider Bull” (for its weblike antlers)
2. Alonzo Winters – 442-5/8
Winter’s bull may not have been recorded if it weren’t for some keen eyes from a collector.
- Date: 1968
- Hunter: Alonzo Winters
- Location: Arizona
- Measurement: 442-5/8
- Standing: World’s Record typical American elk
3. John Plute – 442 3/8
When hunting was done for survival, trophies weren’t as important to record.
- Date: 1899
- Hunter: John Plute
- Location: Colorado
- Measurement: 442-3/8
- On Display: Crested Butte Museum
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