The World's Largest Typical Whitetail KNOWN TO MAN??!

More than four decades ago, a Nebraska rancher stumbled onto the world's largest known pair of typical whitetail antlers known to man. And here’s the story
Throughout the early to mid 1900s, whitetail hunters and antler collectors frequently kept gigantic antlers and old, moth-eaten mounts in attics, basements and other dark of their home."As a result, many of these great racks would remain in obscurity for decades.

As stories of exceptional deer got out, a few pioneer antler collectors constantly chased down the rumors, driving all over the continent in search of great racks that had been lying in barns and closets for years. Such giants did exist, and through the efforts of these collectors, some the most iconic whitetails we know to today are from their endeavors.

That led Tim to the set of sheds that would become known as The General, the largest typical sheds of all time. Details of the transaction which caused those antlers to leave the farmhouse for the first time in 37 years are not known, but the gigantic buck would finally become known to serious whitetail nuts across the globe.

Now Let’s talk about the antlers:

The buck’s main beams are both over 32 inches and mass measurements are as high as 7-1/2. When mounted in a position that they look natural, they have an inside spread of nearly 24 inches. As it is, the buck scored 240 gross typical and nearly 219 net, more than five inches larger than the current Saskatchewan world record held by Milo Hanson. But the shrinking effects of a warm, dry Nebraska farmhouse have taken a large toll.

No one, of course, knows exactly how much, but many antler collectors have some estimates.

Antler collector Dick Idol said about the buck, “It’s hardly fair to compare such a rack to a recently harvested one kept indoors from the time of skinning for the short 60-day drying period and then officially measured for the record book.

Just in shrinkage alone, these Nebraska sheds could easily have lost as much as 6 to 8 inches in total measurement, especially in this type of rack, which still has 32-plus-inch main beams and a conservative inside spread of nearly 24 inches. Another 8 to 10 inches overall, which this buck conceivably lost, would have put him at 226 1/8 to 228 1/8 net, had the antlers been measured soon after being found back in 1959.”

Tim says he feels honored to have "discovered" the highest-scoring typical buck ever known to exist. And get this: The deer was wearing that set of antlers the year Tim was born. Was it fate?

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[roninsixx]

I am fascinated by big whitetail racks.
I have been rescuing them from obscurity for about a year now and have collected quite a few ranging from 160 to 224 inches being the highest officially scored. I just found a 164 inch offset shoulder mount that was acquired at an estate sale at a flea market.. it was literally mounted less than a year before by what was clearly a master taxidermist. It was just leaning against a pile of miscellaneous things. 100 bucks later it was in my truck. I remember staring at it thinking how happy the old fella was that he bagged it and shortly thereafter passed. His wife sold everything. At least it's not in a barn or over a bar in a smokey drinking house.
My love for them started while hunting southeastern Ohio where most mature bucks are titans.
This year I start learning taxidermy and antler replication as a hobby that maybe will turn into a full time gig.

Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life.

[brentbarnett]

Kind of like the fact that this deer was able to elude hunters. A true majestic monarch.

[chadsyl]

The most impressive rack I’ve ever seen in person! Hard to fathom how big this deer is until you see it!!!

[RyanL]

I still have the Dec 1996 copy of North American Whitetail magazine which features the story of this buck. It’s a shame this buck isn’t more well known. I never call it “General”. It’ll always be “The Nebraska Giant” to me.

[johngentilesco]

The best part is there’s a chance the general survived that winter and possibly would’ve scored higher the following year, obviously depending on how old he was the year he shed.

[billycaldwell]

The closing to this was poetry in motion. Awesome video

[rocritz]

"The King" would've been a great name for that buck, that rack looks like a crown that only mother nature could bestow. And like they said, it's the largest whitetail known.

[kitchencreekoutdoors]

I've seen a replica of this amazing buck. He truly is a giant among giants.

[backwoodsbully]

At 2:53 I realized I took that picture of this buck in Cabela's back in 1999 not realizing anything about this deer until right now. I said to myself ''I have that picture" I know I do. Sure enough. 21 years later.

[mattcarter]

Can't wait to get out into the woods this year!

[timothyconn]

Big racks are nice to look at but it's the hunting adventures you'll always remember.

[creed]

I live in Kansas, though I've never seen anything like that but through the years I've seen massive antlers being sold at garage sales and just setting around at farms collecting dust. Dosnt surprise me at all they were just laying their in the farmers house not even giving it a second thought. A rancher I know told me about a big buck he seen and let the neighbor come over and shoot it. He said it was a good one, but only had 8 points. A couple years later I seen the mount and he was right it was only an 8 point but I belive the score sheet said 171 and change, I just chuckled when I remember the rancher telling me about it.

[danelobe]

I saw one like this 8 years ago in Indiana inside the fence at Big Oaks Wildlife Area. I saw him 4X while going to work in the evenings. First time in October second and third time in November and the last time in January, we're he only had one side on. Folks had pictures of him jumping the fence. He was a beast.

[kensalazar]

Curious that there was no conversation about the farmer, or anyone ever seeing the deer alive. I firmly believe that there are many giant ghost bucks running around that are rarely ever seen..if at all. Almost completely nocturnal....super smart ...At the time these were found, would have been a perfect scenario for such a giant to exist unnoticed by man...rural, low populated farm country, in not a very popular place to hunt whitetails...pretty awesome find!

[howlinhog]

In the late fifties my grandfather shot the Michigan state whitetail record buck, and his cousin shot the second place in that same year. They both appeared on Mort Neff's Michigan Outdoors program. I thought that was pretty cool. They were both hunting in the U.P.s Hiawatha National Forest near the St Ignace highway. The area I grew up hunting in until I was in my late teens (I'm 61).

[wormxgas]

So much emphasis put into inches, just enjoy the hunt brothers. In the end that’s what it’s all about.

[donnieking]

Imagine seeing that walking through the woods at you first day of season.

[jerryweatherman]

Back in the 80's....my girlfriend at the time took me to her grandma's farm in NE Neb.... right along the Missouri river. Her uncle farmed the land. He showed me a shed that he found while farming the land. The beam measured 32 7/8 and was a perfect 7 point side. It resembles the antlers on this buck. I asked if he would let me take it home to show my buddies....but he said no. I've never seen a shed like it until now....looking at the Generals sheds.

[jake-hofer]

It's wild what this deer may have looked like the following year!

[francislangley]

The General takes his place, what a commander he is!!!