The Biggest Bucks of 2023

Each fall the editors and writers of Outdoor Life receive reports of hundreds of giant bucks taken by hunters across the continent. These trophy bucks come with unique and thrilling stories that never grow old.

These stories go beyond just measuring antler size. They capture the highs and lows experienced by each hunter before they tag the buck of a lifetime. What’s amazing is that most of these hunters are not professionals or experts; they are everyday deer hunters who seized a golden opportunity and made it count.

Now, let’s take a look back at the biggest bucks covered this year from different regions of the country.

The Hardy Shed Buck

Mike Reitz shot this massive Wisconsin nontypical buck at a mere five yards. This buck, though not a state record, has become a local legend. Reitz took down the deer with a 20-year-old PSE bow while hiding in a brush blind. The buck was later scored by Steven Ashley, editor and co-founder of Pope and Young Ethic magazine. Its gross nontypical score reached 212 and 4/8 inches. Interestingly, this buck is responsible for the “Hardy Sheds” found in 2022, about five miles from where Reitz killed it in 2023. According to Reitz, that set of antlers scored 236 inches. The sheds, without counting the spread, scored 219 7/8 inches and had 28 scorable points (18 on the right, 10 on the left). These sheds could possibly be the largest pair found in the state last year. Read the full story here.

Oklahoma 230

Ethan Kile succeeded in tagging a buck he had chased throughout the 2022 season. On the opening day of Oklahoma’s bow season, Kile took down the enormous buck on a small, 40-acre private land in Gavin County. Unofficially, the buck scored 229 7/8 gross inches and had 30 antler points. If the official score comes close to 230 inches, Kile’s buck will rank among the top 10 archery bucks ever taken in Oklahoma. Read the full story here.

Maine’s Great 8

Maine hunter Tim Elsenheimer harvested a giant 8-pointer buck with a green score of 180 1/8 inches and a net score of 176 1/8 inches. According to the Maine Skull and Antler Club, Elsenheimer’s buck will likely be registered as the largest 8-pointer ever taken in the state. The current state-record 8-point buck, taken in 1973 by Don St. Pierre, scored 168 6/8 inches. Read the full story here.

East-Texas Giant

Reili Brewer patiently waited through a cold, rainy day to hunt this enormous buck that her dad had scouted on the Red River Army Depot. The Red River Army Depot only allows military personnel, veterans, base employees, policemen, teachers, and service officials to hunt on its premises. Eventually, the buck emerged to feed on acorns, and Reili made a 40-yard shot. With a green score of around 240 inches, this 31-point buck might set a new state record for the highest-scoring whitetail ever killed by a young hunter. Read the full story here.

Empire State 180

Jeremy Williams encountered a rare 180-class buck in New York state. During archery season, Williams missed the deer clean with his first shot due to shaking nervously. However, he made the best of a second chance during gun season and took down the buck at close range. The buck has a classic, wide 12-point spread and a green gross score of 181 1/7 inches. Williams believes there’s a chance it could be a new Tioga County record. Read the full story here.

South Dakota Moose

While the score of this deer might not break any records, its unique palmated antlers make it a standout. Shauna Woodward, a South Dakota hunter, nicknamed the buck “Moose” and successfully shot it with her bow in a cedar grove. The buck, estimated to be 6.5 years old and weighing around 175 pounds, had an unusual palmated rack with at least a dozen points. Although the deer hasn’t been officially scored, Woodward believes the numbers are not as important as the experience. Read the full story here.

Iowa’s Public Land 210

J.D. Vandenburg’s buck is truly impressive in a state known for big bucks. Despite the scarcity of 200-inch deer on public land in Iowa, Vandenburg managed to shoot a buck that would score over 200 inches. Vandenburg describes the buck as a main-frame seven with remarkable tine length. He can’t believe a deer like that exists, let alone having the chance to encounter it. Read the full story here.

PA Record

Autumn Pierwsza and her dad Erik knew there was a big buck on their hunting property north of Pittsburgh. On October 9, Autumn, a 16-year-old who had taken several bucks before, finally had the opportunity to take down the deer in range. Her well-placed shot with a crossbow earned her Pennsylvania’s No. 1 buck taken by a woman with a crossbow. Autumn’s buck also ranks number three for crossbow bucks in the state. Erik is proud that Autumn and her two sisters are passionate hunters. Read the full story here.

Alleged Poaching Cases

Unfortunately, not all of this year’s remarkable bucks have happy tales behind them. The hunters who killed the following two deer face serious poaching allegations and investigations.

The CJ Alexander Buck

CJ Alexander claims to have killed this buck with a crossbow on his sister’s 30-acre property in Ohio. However, the exact location where the buck was killed is now in question. The state’s Buckeye Big Buck Club secretary, Mike Rex, gave the buck a green score of 206 7/8 inches. If the score holds up to a B&C scoring panel, Alexander’s buck would rank as the No. 3 all-time typical whitetail in North America and the No. 1 in Ohio. However, due to poaching allegations, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources confiscated the deer from Alexander and launched an investigation. Read the full story here.

The Hollywood Buck