Hunting stories about big deer are woven deeply into the fabric of Outdoor Life, and we look forward to hearing and sharing these stories each fall. These tales come from all over North America, and they involve hunters from all walks of life — from the big-name hunters and videographers who film their hunts to the everyday farmers and first-timers who spot the buck of a lifetime in one of their fields.
Some of these giant deer are destined for the record books. Others are never scored, and they’re cherished only for the memories they hold. And although every one of these bucks is as unique as the story behind it, there will always be standouts.
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a closer look at the deer that stood out. These are seven of the biggest and baddest whitetail bucks featured in OL this deer season, and ones we’ll surely remember as we head into the New Year.
A 30-Point Ohio Monster
Logan Urban, an 18-year-old hunter from Northern Ohio, first heard about the monster buck two years ago. Last winter he found one of its massive sheds. And this year, Urban watched the buck almost daily during the leadup to archery season.
On Oct. 4, Urban hunted from the ground near a bean field, and he killed the buck with a crossbow from 30 yards. The Buckeye State monster had a 30-point rack, and it was given a Buckmasters score of 260 6/8 inches, making it one of the biggest bucks killed in Ohio (or anywhere else) this year. Read the full story here.
Tyler Jordan’s Pending Louisiana Record
Tyler Jordan, the son of Realtree founder Bill Jordan, killed a 200-class whitetail in Louisiana this December that could set a new state record. Jordan tagged the buck while hunting at Honey Brake, a well-known and high-dollar outfitter in the Louisiana Delta. He filmed the entire hunt and shared the footage on the Realtree Road Trips YouTube channel.
Jordan said in a social media post that the deer he nicknamed “Stomper Jr.” had a green gross score of 203 inches. It’s unclear if Jordan will have the buck officially scored, and some scoring questions remain. But if the buck’s final score is anywhere close to that unofficial number, it should easily replace the current No. 1 typical whitetail buck for Louisiana, which measured 186 6/8 inches and was killed in 1939. Read the full story here.
The Legendary “Linebacker” Buck
The buck that Dallas Birk nicknamed “Linebacker” had become a local legend in Southeast Kansas. Birk had been hunting the buck for three seasons in a row, and he used trail camera photos from 2023 to pinpoint a spot where he thought the buck was bedding this fall. On Oct. 17, Birk hunted from a ground blind on private property near a bait pile, and Linebacker came in early that morning with a group of does.
After holding on the buck at full draw for at least a minute, Birk had to calm himself down and wait for the right opportunity. Birk finally got his shot when Linebacker started working a mock scrape, and he arrowed the buck when it turned broadside at 25 yards. The blood trail was poor, but Birk was able to recover the deer that evening with the help of a tracking dog. Read the full story here.
The Back Porch Buck
Susie Status’ husband tried to get her to hunt their Mississippi deer lease with him in mid-September during a special, three-day velvet season. She turned him down and said she’d rather hunt their 2-acre home property for a buck she’d been watching since July and had nicknamed “Big Boy.”
The property was so small that Status waited and searched for the buck from inside their house. She never saw “Big Boy” on Sept. 13, but on the second day of the three-day season, the buck showed up just after 6 p.m. It was only 25 yards away from their house, and Status stepped off their back porch to make the shot. She and her husband found the 15-point buck piled up behind their shed the next morning. Read the full story here.
It was the opening day of Ohio’s youth firearms season and 17-year-old Alea Mast had her sights set on a particular buck. She’d recorded a video of the same buck while scouting with her sister Avery two weeks prior. It was easily recognizable by the unusual set of drop tines hanging off its rack.
Mast hunted with her brother on opening morning, and they rattled the buck in from a distance. She shot the deer once with her Winchester .350 Legend and the buck dropped just 30 yards away from where it was hit. The 14-point buck had five distinct drop tines, although two are technically main beams that curve downward, and the rack had an inside spread of nearly 20 inches. Read the full story here.
The New King of Coffey County
A near-perfect 10-point that was killed in Coffey County, Kansas, in late November will likely set a new county record. Local farmer Ben Spencer tagged the giant buck with a crossbow after watching it grow and finding its sheds over the years.
Although the buck can’t be officially scored until the 60-day drying period is complete, Spencer says he had it green scored in December by two people, including a buddy who is an outfitter. It was given a green gross score of 197 inches, and a net typical green score of 190 inches. (Spencer says it would’ve scored better if it had normal brow tines.) If those numbers hold, it’ll be the biggest whitetail taken by any method in Coffey County, as well as the fifth-largest typical whitetail ever taken with a bow in Kansas. Read the full story here.
The Fort Riley Buck
Of all the giant bucks to fall in Kansas this season, one of the most impressive was a 19-pointer tagged on Fort Riley, a sprawling U.S. Army base located west of Topeka. Army veteran Chris Sykes had special permission to hunt on the base, and this was his third year hunting the buck.
Sykes rattled the buck into range during a mid-morning sit in early November, but it quickly slipped away. Instead of waiting and hoping for the buck to return, Sykes stalked into bow range and arrowed it from 17 yards away. The hit wasn’t perfect, but he was able to recover the buck that night with the help of a tracking dog. The deer was given a Buckmasters score of 197 4/8 inches and it was the buck of a lifetime for Sykes. Read the full story here.
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