Editor's note: Today's #TBT video is so old that you might have to click through to YouTube to watch it ... now THAT's a Throwback!
It's human nature; we just have to know who (or what) is the biggest and the best. Conservation organization Boone & Crockett Club (B&C) has kept records about the world's largest trophies for nearly 130 years--or, more precisely, records of animals taken via "fair-chase" means using a firearm or muzzleloader. (Archery records are kept by the Pope & Young Club.) Further, B&C breaks down the records into "typical" and "non-typical" categories.
What's the difference? Well, the thumbnail version is that typical whitetails have symmetrical antlers, while non-typical whitetails are asymmetrical. Boone & Crockett defines a typical whitetail's rack thus: "an unbranched main beam that normally develops from three to seven (sometimes more) unbranched points per antler at roughly spaced intervals. Any other points are considered 'abnormal' and their lengths are deducted from the score if the buck is scored as a typical or added to the score if it is being scored as a non-typical.
So, what's the world-record fair-chase typical whitetail taken with a gun, and when was it taken? That would be the Milo Hanson buck, which has held its record for 31 years. Fifteen years ago, we here at the NRA made a video about the Hanson buck and the incredible story behind it. (So grainy and low-res! How did we even live?) It's every bit as true today as it was then ... so let's #Throwback!
