Whitetail Buck Records Needs 3 Categories
This year is bringing it to the fore front that the record posting using Boone and Crockett scoring works fine but the location the animal was killed needs to be categorized. We need 3 distinct categories for trophy whitetails. Without these categories then the true record bucks are kind of like college football and the BCS charade of who is number 1. I am not against any of the hunting area’s and I understand the need for all 3 of them and here they are for discussion.
Number One 1. Free Roaming whitetail bucks that are born and raised in the truly wild areas of this country. That includes, all federal, state, and private acreage that whitetails occur naturally in North America and Mexico.
Number Two 2. This area is anything over 10,000 acres that is fenced in and whitetails are managed on either inadvertently or on purpose for trophy potential. This means all Military installations, Wildlife Refuges, Private Ranches and Resorts over 10,000 acres. I know people will say a Military Base? Yes, a Military Base. It is an area that receives minor pressure compared to a public hunting ground and usually has 30% or more off limits to hunting due to civilian population and housing areas. These deer are protected and helped to reach trophy potential more than a public whitetail buck.
Number Three 3. Ranches, Military and Federal Refuges, and High Fence deer hunting operations of 10,000 acres or less, plus the new Metropolitan Bow Only areas. These areas’s all protect the whitetail bucks and allow them to receive better feed and protection from predators in varying degrees in each category.
I believe that any Whitetail buck killed deserves trophy recognition and the hunter that harvested him also deserves credit for his skill. But I also know from experience that the odds of the bucks reaching trophy potential and being harvested legally in each category is dramatically different. There are four examples this year so far that I am aware of that point this out. The monster Amish buck from Ohio killed on free roaming farmland.
The monster Amish buck from Ohio killed on free roaming farmland. 
The massive Iowa buck killed in a high fence operation. Timber Ghost
The Kansas beast taken first of November. Free roaming farmland 
The Maryland monster buck the shot last weekend in November. Indian River Military Installation 
All of these are true trophies in any hunter’s mind when looking at them and all deserve recognition for what they achieved in antler growth and hunting skill to harvest them. It is just that the different diverse environments that they were born into and survived in are dramatically different. This country and our sport has changed dramatically since the first State records and World records were established and the criteria for hunting them. I also am starting another discussion on hunting methods and the diverse laws allowed practices tht vary by state. Should they also categorize our record deer? I.E. hunting around feeders or baits? I mean to me these methods are much more significant than the let-off of a bow which is used to categorize and exlcude archery trophies.
NICE BUCK, WHAT COUNTY WAS THE DEER TAKEN IN?
It says it was killed at the Indian River Military Base. Do you know where that is T.J.?
I can’t say i do i live in northern Indiana.