Gallatin resident Stephen Tucker, 26, bagged a new state record buck in Sumner County, Tennessee on Monday, there’s no questioning that. At 47-points, this is an impressive deer; the only question is whether or not it will also be the new world record.
“There’s no doubt it’s going to be the new state record; I mean, that’s an absolute,” Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency District 21 captain Dale Grandstaff said. “As far as the world record, (the rack) is about an inch over the world record.”
The only thing that stands in Gallatin and world record status is 60 days. The rack must go through a 60 day dry out period before it can officially be measured. The score for the rack could slightly change, and since the rack is only a half inch bigger than the current world record, it may shrink enough to not measure up.
“I realize there’s only a possibility that it’s going to be a world record; all we’re worried about right now is that it’s the state record,” Tucker said. “If it is the world record, that would be great. But I’m not getting my hopes up on that.”
Using the Boone and Crockett scoring method, the rack came out at 47-point non-typical at 313 2/8-inches gross. After deductions the rack netted 308 3/8 points.
Tucker estimates the deer weighed around 150 pounds, but he didn’t have it weighed before being processed.
The current state record grossed 256 points and netted 244 3/8. It’s safe to say this new rack completely obliterated the old record, held by a buck killed by Dave Wachtel in Sumner County in 2000.
Tony Lovstuen hold the current world record for a 38-point buck he killed in 2003 that scored 307 5/8 net.
“When we panel score it as a group we could come up with a similar score right at what it is now,” said Grandstaff . “It may be an inch less than what I have it at. It may be an inch or two or three more. It just depends on how we as a group decide it needs to be scored. Right now it’s a green score because I just wanted to give (Tucker) an idea because I knew he would get a thousand phone calls once word gets out and they’re all going to say, ‘What did it score?'”
Whatever the final score ends up being, Tucker should be pleased with his kill because it’s incredibly rare to bag a buck of this magnitude.
“A deer like this deer doesn’t come along very often,” Grandstaff said. “The field pictures don’t really do it justice. You would have had to actually see it to understand the amount of non-typical growth it has.”
