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This Might Be the New World Record Whitetail

Records & Rarities

Hunter kneeling beside large buck with massive antlers and crossbow at night

Hunter in camouflage wearing MeatEater beanie, kneeling beside large buck with rifle, holding antlers

Spencer NeuharthSpencer Neuharth is the director of web content at MeatEater, producer of Wired to Hunt, and founder of Rut Fresh. His writing has been featured in over a dozen magazines, including Field & Stream, Petersen's Hunting, and Men's Journal. His work is a reflection of his roots as a whitetail hunter and training as a biologist.Oct 23, 2019

Social media is abuzz this morning as deer hunters fawn over what might be the new world record whitetail. Guner Womack, a teen out of Oklahoma, arrowed this incredible 8×8 buck last night while hunting over a wheat field.

“We’ve had him on camera for several years and watched him grow up,” Womack said. “He was real broken up last year, but we knew if he could make it through the winter that he would be something special. He didn’t disappoint.”

world record buck An initial score by Womack’s dad put the buck at 201 inches net and 214 inches gross. Womack said the 13-inch difference comes from the shorter left G2 and broken main beam on the right side.

Womack’s dad used an electronic scoring device that runs a wheel across the antlers, which only provides a ballpark number. Womack said a more official measurement will be taken later today.

world record typical buck Thecurrent world record typical whitetailis the famous Hanson buck, which has just over 213 inches of net antler. It’d be fitting for the record to fall in 2019, just one year removed from anew world record non-typical whitetail and muley.

Womack has a better shot at claiming the new world record for a typical whitetail taken with archery equipment. That record belongs toMel Johnsonand has stood since 1965. Mel’s Perfect 6×6 Illinois deer scored 204 inches. Even if he can’t reach the Hanson or Johnson buck, Womack will likely beat the current Oklahoma typical record of 194 inches.

world record typical deer Womack’s buck will certainly be close, but he’ll have to wait another 59 days to get an official Boone & Crockett measurement. The Club requires a drying period before taking a final score, which sometimes leads to as much as 5 inches in score lost.

Record book be damned, this is a once-in-a-lifetime free range whitetail. Congrats, Guner.

12/23 Update: The buck has not yet had its 60-day drying period to get an official score, but new estimates put the buck at 209 4/8 inches gross and 192 6/8 inches net. It won’t beat the Hanson or Johnson buck, but will still contend for the new Oklahoma state record.

3/6 Update: The buck was officially scored at 188 5/8 net, beating the old archery state record by 1/8th of an inch.