Wisconsin DNR to investigate 300-inch nontypical offered as state record – Outdoor News
Wisconsin Dells, Wis. — A 49-point, 300-inch nontypical buck that emerged March 29 at the Open Season Sportsman’s Expo was entered with the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club as a potential new state record.
According to a source close to the situation, the hunter signed affidavits that the buck was a free-range whitetail that he shot with his muzzleloader in December 2024. According to those affidavits, the buck was shot in or near a swamp close to the town of Harrisville, which is about 4.7 miles east of Westfield in Marquette County.
Attempts to contact the hunter have been unsuccessful. Deer and Deer Hunting is not naming the hunter at this time, as this is a developing news story.
In an update to the story on April 10, Deer and Deer Hunting staff wrote that the Wisconsin DNR will investigate the legitimacy of the deer, and board members of the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club will meet on Monday to discuss the recent scoring and acceptance of the buck.
Deer and Deer Hunting also published a story on April 7 with an image of the buck side-by-side with a separate photo they received of an alleged pen-raised Wisconsin buck in velvet. The images show similar features between the racks.
There are two large swamps east of Westfield, including the 1,000-acre Comstock Bog-Meadow State Natural Area, and the 2,400-acre Germania Marsh State Wildlife Area. Comstock Bog-Meadow is owned by the Wisconsin DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1975. The Germania Marsh property offers outdoor recreational opportunities, including public-land deer hunting.
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Much speculation has surrounded the buck since March 29, as the ivory-white rack is unlike any other wild deer killed and entered into the record books in recent memory.
The 49-point rack appeared nearly unblemished – no broken tines and no signs of staining from rubbing on trees and native shrubs.
Thousands of deer hunting enthusiasts saw the shoulder mount of the head on display at the deer expo that weekend. It was part of the annual room of trophy heads scored and displayed by the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club (WBBC).
In addition to signing the WBBC entry form indicating the buck was a fair-chase kill, the hunter also had two individuals corroborate his story by either signing papers or appearing at the expo in person.
Open Season Sportsman’s Expo took place at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on the Deer and Deer Hunting website and is printed with permission.
