Wyoming question...

ssrhythm

New Member
Nov 22, 2020
5
2
Does the state of Wyoming keep/have trophy game record books? I've been here for nearly three years, and this is the first year that I put serious effort into deer hunting here. That said, after not much effort at all, I killed my biggest whitetail on Oct 18th with a rifle a mere month after blowing an up-close, nearly perfect opportunity at one in the same ballpark size-wise with my self bow. The one I killed was 157 7/8 gross and was bigger bodied than a 280# 8pt I killed in 2009 in Ohio...he looked like a Canada deer. I grew up in SC and have hunted with friends in Ohio since 2008, and I'm truly blown away by what this year revealed to me here in Wyoming. Either I was just extraordinarily lucky, or I have been underestimating whitetails here. I am not hunting big pieces of private ground, and the cover on where I am hunting is fairly limited. I'm stunned to have seen the two I shot at, and from what I have seen, there's a good chance that there are bigger deer on the ground I'm hunting, and I have pics of multiple 115'-130" relatively young bucks. I started looking for the Wyoming record books for whitetail deer to see where my deer stacked up and to try to get a better grasp on just what kind of big deer potential is actually around me, and I can't find any state of Wyoming trophy game record books. That may be why whitetails here are such a well kept secret?! Anyway, if they do keep records and y'all know where to locate them, please let me know. Thanks.
 

WY ME

Very Active Member
Feb 4, 2014
549
47
Wyoming
Congrats on your buck, it sounds like you found a good one. Generally speaking the deer in WY are small bodied and not too big in the rack but there's always exceptions. Many of he deer out here get a chance grow to their full potential as most western hunters will pass on the little ones. There's no "buck & bull club" that I'm aware of in WY.
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
I dont know about no record books but "That John Denver's is full of shit man" lol
 

ssrhythm

New Member
Nov 22, 2020
5
2
He bottomed out a 220# scale rapidly! I’m a SE guy, so I don’t field dress animals unless it will significantly help with getting the animal out of the woods. We only had to drag this one about 40 yards...which 2 grown healthy men had to break 4 times to do...and we looked like asthmatics in a perfume shop when we were done. After bottoming out my scale on the Ohio deer and having to take him to a buds to weigh on a drive on scale, I said I was going to buy a scale that can measure 300lbs...but never did thinking I’d never need one again. I’m going to try to find one now. There are drive on scales at some ranches out here, but the two guys I contacted about weighing it didn’t seem too enthused, as it was nearing 9pm by the time I realized that I’d need something more than the 220 scale I own. I’m 225lbs and I’m in an XL set of Sitka bibs in that pic. There is no corn or ag crops within 2 miles of this guy, and it was well before rut/chasing...he was not rutty. It amazes me just how big grass grazing creatures get out west...and he eats better than any tender young eastern acorn eating doe I’ve ever killed snd cooked. I absolutely love it out here.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,075
4,301
82
Dolores, Colorado
Typically whole deer (ungutted) are not weighed much, at least around here in SW Colorado. I hunt Wyoming a lot too and have never seen it. Normally the first thing everyone does id gut the animal. This helps get blood, damaged tissues and innerds out, whivh IMHO keeps the meat from being tainted. That being said, a deer weighing 250# on the hoof, is not too rare. Most of the deer I've taken (both whitetail & mulies from Wyo) will go around 150# + field dressed. Your Whitetail looks about right (size wise) for a big mature buck.

He is a great buck....congrats.
 

RICMIC

Veteran member
Feb 21, 2012
1,966
1,706
Two Harbors, Minnesota
I just read on a Minnesota DNR website that the largest deer killed in the state weighed 500#. There was no supporting info, so I don't know if it was gutted or not. The record black bear was over 800#. A guy I went to high school with was close to 600# when he died, but that isn't even close to a record. There's some bigguns out there.
 
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ssrhythm

New Member
Nov 22, 2020
5
2
Thanks y’all. I was mostly curious about records keeping here in Wyoming. In SC, 125” makes the books...Ohio, I think it’s 150”. It’s a good indication of what you typically see with grown bucks...ie I’ve seen a lot of 130-145” deer while hunting in Ohio with the occasional 150-160 incher. Hunted SC for 40 years, and have had 3 opportunities at deer >125”...but you see a bunch of 115-124” deer killed annually. When I moved here, I was expecting to have mule deer and elk take over as far as my favorite big game to hunt; I knew there was good whitetail hunting, but I didn’t expect to luck into two true bigguns in the couple of spots I was lucky enough to find. I’m glad they don’t have records out here, because folks around here don’t seem to care too much for Whitetail and there aren’t droves of folks coming here targeting them....which is just fine and dandy, because they are, have been, and always will be the big game animal that cranks my scooter the most. Thanks again for the replies snd info.
 

mosquito

Active Member
Nov 1, 2012
305
422
NE ohio
Most of my ohio buddies have a few 130 to 155 mounted , myself included. I wouldn't say their common but if you hunt hard enough it probably every other year possibility . I have seen 2 170+ deer lifetime and didn't get a shot on either. Im really not into the who scoring thing . I will say this i hunt corn feed deer in ohio ALOT . In southern ohio and in flatland where i live . Im not sure ive seen one one with that big of a body. He is a brute
 

ssrhythm

New Member
Nov 22, 2020
5
2
Yup. I have hunted one or two weeks per year near Athens, Ohio every year but 2017 and this year starting in 2008. I have a good friend with some good land there, and I sit daylight to dark when weather permits it. I’ve had golden opportunities at 135” and bigger deer all but one year, and I’ve found interesting ways to screw it up on all but two of them. I had a 160 -170” 10 at 35 last year...the year I decided to switch back to a trad bow🙄! And I’ve seen a bigger one at 60 yards that wanted no part of my grunting/bleating/snort-wheezing/praying! Ohio is ridiculous, and I love it. I love big bucks...no lie...but I’m not a horn hunter; I want meat and enjoy sitting in the woods and the challenge of getting it done whether it’s a doe or a basket rack or a giant. While I love Ohio, hunting here on the ground with a self bow this year was awesome...I just have to get better with my hide/blind making and placement. Figuring it out is going to be fun. I’m actually worried about going after the elk...my wife my divorce me!