Legendary Washington state bucks

[borntoslay]

No, but I just bought a copy on Amazon.

You get your book@griiz

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[Griiz]

No, but I just bought a copy on Amazon.

You get your book@griiz

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Not yet.

[bearpaw]

I would like to know how many big of bucks have been taken that aren't legendary?

When I was young I saw pictures of quite a few absolutely huge bucks taken by old timers that never even had them mounted and in some cases didn't even keep the horns. There were many bucks taken in the northeast that were between 30 to 40 inches and there's no public record of them being taken, most people who got these huge bucks have passed on, I have to wonder what bucks were taken that have disappeared and what happened to some of the photos and horns, if they were kept by family members or thrown out?

[hunter399]

I would like to know how many big of bucks have been taken that aren't legendary?

When I was young I saw pictures of quite a few absolutely huge bucks taken by old timers that never even had them mounted and in some cases didn't even keep the horns. There were many bucks taken in the northeast that were between 30 to 40 inches and there's no public record of them being taken, most people who got these huge bucks have passed on, I have to wonder what bucks were taken that have disappeared and what happened to some of the photos and horns, if they were kept by family members or thrown out?

The story's probably died with the hunter.
Although I'd love to here some NE Washington buck stories.
Some things are better left unsaid.
With stories,pictures,ect ,the whole area turns into a clown show. Three ring circus.
People don't tell there hunting spots,just like fishing holes.
I believe all of NE have potential to produce some nice ones.
Certain areas have certain characteristics.
Sometimes I can just look at the antlers and make an educated guess of the area it came from.

I'll just put this out there and I firmly believe it.
Some of the biggest in our area live right under your nose.

[buckfvr]

I would like to know how many big of bucks have been taken that aren't legendary?

When I was young I saw pictures of quite a few absolutely huge bucks taken by old timers that never even had them mounted and in some cases didn't even keep the horns. There were many bucks taken in the northeast that were between 30 to 40 inches and there's no public record of them being taken, most people who got these huge bucks have passed on, I have to wonder what bucks were taken that have disappeared and what happened to some of the photos and horns, if they were kept by family members or thrown out?

More than we will ever know, long gone in the rear-view mirror.

[Kamo2112]

Here is two photos of a buck harvested here in Washington from a guys dad that my family works with! I do not know much about scoring so open to any guesses from these photos.

Sorry boys but this is an Idaho buck shot in 1956  just North of Sun Valley  Scores 263 3/8"

Well I apologize I was going off word of mouth and it is in his house haha! Still a dandy buck but anywhere you can point me to that shows it was from Idaho I would love to read about it.

Picture and short story from the book zwickey mentioned. Awesome book.

[Griiz]

Here is two photos of a buck harvested here in Washington from a guys dad that my family works with! I do not know much about scoring so open to any guesses from these photos.

Sorry boys but this is an Idaho buck shot in 1956  just North of Sun Valley  Scores 263 3/8"

Well I apologize I was going off word of mouth and it is in his house haha! Still a dandy buck but anywhere you can point me to that shows it was from Idaho I would love to read about it.

Picture and short story from the book zwickey mentioned. Awesome book.

The body on that buck is a tank.

[Griiz]

Washington

[Griiz]

Biggest of two bucks from Washington in The Mule Deer by Jim Bond. Many impressive bucks from other states.

[bigmacc]

I would like to know how many big of bucks have been taken that aren't legendary?

When I was young I saw pictures of quite a few absolutely huge bucks taken by old timers that never even had them mounted and in some cases didn't even keep the horns. There were many bucks taken in the northeast that were between 30 to 40 inches and there's no public record of them being taken, most people who got these huge bucks have passed on, I have to wonder what bucks were taken that have disappeared and what happened to some of the photos and horns, if they were kept by family members or thrown out?

I know I’ve probably told the story a few times but bearpaws statements hit right in my family’s wheelhouse. From 1917 to date my family has killed somewhere between 850-900 Washington mule deer that we can close to varify. Not one was ever scored, not one, at the most a tape measure or yard stick was used to get a width and that was rarely done unless some one said “ man, that’s a big boy”, then out of curiosity someone would throw a “ measurement apparatus “ on him😆. When I was a boy it was always fun to look at the hundreds of racks hanging in my great grandpas shop, hundreds hanging in the rafters from one end of the shop to the other, stacked on top of each other 2-3 deep. More than a dozen or so well over 30” wide that I know of. One year my great grandparents were getting ready to move and asked my dad if he wanted all the antlers, dozens and dozens of which were he and my moms. My dad told grandpa he didn’t have any room for them so grandpa donated them, gave them away etc. I remember as a boy being upset we didn’t take them, I remember my dad saying “don’t worry, we’ll get more”. We did and have gotten more but I sure would love to have those, we have pictures but not of all of them, some were very special and some I know would be in some sort of book, my dad frowned when Game fellas would get wind of some one in camp killing a big deer, he would swear them to secrecy when they would come in to check it out or to weigh them. Most of the time Game guys would just pop into camp a dozen or more times a season to see what we had hanging because they knew everyone in our camp had tight lips. Man I miss those days AND those racks👍

[LDennis24]

My brother lives at the Stephens place on Rock Lake. The son who owns the place lived near Olympia until he retired and just had no interest living out in the farm house again. Well his father had shot two big bucks out on the family farm there and kept the antlers. They still have the metal tags on them and are hanging in his house in Saint John. One whitetail, one mule deer. I believe the whitetail has to score in the 190's but the mule deer is your typical "non typical" that looks something like this pic. (Not the actual deer) I don't believe they ever had any interest in scoring them as mentioned above. They were just bigger than usual so they kept those two racks around for displays. I have old grainy cell phone pics of them somewhere. If I ever find them I will post them up for you guys to see.

[LDennis24]

I also know of a very large mule deer rack that was taken in the NorthEast corner. Off the East slope of Gypsy Peak years ago. It's in a house in Colfax. It scores well over 200" non typical. Thick and knobby all over with those neat knuckles that don't quite become points and then some that did become measurable points etc. It's from the mid 70's. There was a huge mule deer buck known as the Tyler ghost that frequented the Tyler area off I-90 outside Cheney. That buck disappeared each year before the hunting season opener but one year he never returned. Someone got it out of season I'm sure. It was legendary. Like Popeye size legendary. Someone poached that deer and knows where that rack is. Another massive whitetail was poached off of 63rd on Spokane's South Hill one time in about 1999. It scored 234" and some change I believe. Saw it with my own eyes on the hoof at the intersection of Hatch Rd and Hangman Valley Rd. Game dept said a guy tried saying he shot it with his bow but it had a .22 round lodged in it's head when they X-rayed it after he suspiciously didn't want anyone else to know he shot it but wanted to submit it for an official scoring. His neighbor had pics with dates that got him in trouble. FYI I have the state record whitetail sheds. This was not that buck. But it lived only two miles away from where this buck was shot. Too many houses around there now. I wonder what the game dept did with that rack?

[borntoslay]

Wow, great stuff and even better stories guys. This is how I envisioned this thread going. Appreciate all the input. I have seen a couple NE monster ghost muleys during late buck way up high. Big non typicals that just make your jaw drop. Biggest overall muley I've ever seen was about 2 miles N/E of Dayton in 2001, spotted right off the highway.  Something looked out of place on the skyline and I thought is was  sagebrush, then it lifted its head, 180-200" non typical all day. Trash absolutely everywhere. I heard some farmer got him later that year but never confirmed. Most of the biggest whitetail have indeed been pretty much right under my nose. I used to have a picture of a 180-190" muley taken in SE Wa not going to get to specific but in the blues. Real nasty buck with a huge paddled dropper if i remember right, but have since lost it. Took a picture of the picture at a custom meat shop near prosser Wa haha. Used to drive truck and deliver to almost every custom meat shop in Eastern wa, Oregon, and alot of western Montana. Some great pictures in those shops. There's still some out there...somewhere...I think...I hope

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[borntoslay]

I also know of a very large mule deer rack that was taken in the NorthEast corner. Off the East slope of Gypsy Peak years ago. It's in a house in Colfax. It scores well over 200" non typical. Thick and knobby all over with those neat knuckles that don't quite become points and then some that did become measurable points etc. It's from the mid 70's. There was a huge mule deer buck known as the Tyler ghost that frequented the Tyler area off I-90 outside Cheney. That buck disappeared each year before the hunting season opener but one year he never returned. Someone got it out of season I'm sure. It was legendary. Like Popeye size legendary. Someone poached that deer and knows where that rack is. Another massive whitetail was poached off of 63rd on Spokane's South Hill one time in about 1999. It scored 234" and some change I believe. Saw it with my own eyes on the hoof at the intersection of Hatch Rd and Hangman Valley Rd. Game dept said a guy tried saying he shot it with his bow but it had a .22 round lodged in it's head when they X-rayed it after he suspiciously didn't want anyone else to know he shot it but wanted to submit it for an official scoring. His neighbor had pics with dates that got him in trouble. FYI I have the state record whitetail sheds. This was not that buck. But it lived only two miles away from where this buck was shot. Too many houses around there now. I wonder what the game dept did with that rack?

Good stuff Dennis, would love to see those sheds. FYI any members in Spokane ever wanna meet up and shoot the sh*t over a drink let me know. I've always wanted to meet some of you guys.

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[borntoslay]

Here's a pic from Father's day, impressive growth for that Early. Not legendary but thought I'd share. He is near a golf course down by the river if you catch my drift   luckily he's safe unless he chases too far this fall

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