The New World-Record Deer
Is the new world record walking around in your backyard? Umm…probably not. But our experts have a good idea where...

Is the new world record walking around in your backyard? UmmÂ…probably not. But our experts have a good idea where he might be found. What It Will Take It will take one incredible animal to best the 213 5⁄8-inch monster that Milo Hanson shot near Biggar, Sask., in 1993. Our analysis of the top 200-inch typical racks in the Boone and Crockett book show that the new world record will have to possess 12 points or more, with the G-2, G-3 and G-4 tines on each antler in excess of 11 inches; an inside spread of 22 inches and likely more; and bases of 6 inches or more, with good mass throughout the 27-inch-plus main beams. The rack will have to be clean and amazingly symmetrical, with few abnormal points and less than 8 inches of deductions. The animal will probably be 5 to 7 years old. Many people believe some lucky soul will see and shoot him soon. Consider this: Of the 392 typical bucks of 170 inches or more that have been entered in the B&C; book since 2002, 12 scored more than 190, and two cracked 200. It would just take a few more inches of spread, mass and tine length to push a world-class rack like that over the top. But one of the country's top whitetail biologists doubts it will happen soon, and he has an intriguing theory why. "Most bucks have non-typical antlers in their genes," says Dr. Grant Woods. "As they age, especially on heavily managed private lands where there is so much nutritious feed, they start to put a lot of junk on their antlers. It's rare for a six-year-old buck to be a typical these days." Woods expects the record for the largest non-typical (currently a 307-incher taken in 2003) to be broken several times before the new No. 1 typical falls. Outdoor Life Online Editor

Led by the famed Pike County, the state boasts 107 bucks taken since 2000 that scored 170 or more, with 5 of them breaking the 190 mark. 2. Wisconsin
Superior genetics and abundant cropland have made Wisconsin home to 13 of the top 50 counties for B&C; typicals since 2000. 3. Iowa
With access protected by a strict draw system and relatively short seasons, Iowa is home to 7 of the top 50 counties for typicals. 4. Saskatchewan
Home of the current world-record typical, many believe the vast land and abundant food make the province ripe for another. 5. Alberta
Though Alberta doesn’t receive the fanfare Saskatchewan gets, its deer have the same strong genetics and terrain in which to grow. Outdoor Life Online Editor

Look to the eastern or south-central regions of Kansas as a serious contender, thanks to the habitat and strong genetics found there. 7. Kentucky
The western part of the Bluegrass State is where hunters have shot 18 typicals scoring 175 or better in the last three seasons. 8. missouri
One of two new hot zones garnering increased attention is found in north-central Missouri, where rolling farmland feeds big deer. 9. Ohio
South-central Ohio is another new hot spot, where 6 of the top 15 typicals in 2004 were taken, including the biggest of the year at 201 1⁄8 inches. 10. Manitoba
along with eastern british columbia, manitoba is a long shot, but remote land and huge deer make it a contender. Outdoor Life Online Editor

What are Your Odds?

What are the Odds-Asteroid
1 in 5,000
_source: usa today

What are the Odds-Dating a Model
1 in 88,000
source: life: the odds, by gregory baer

What are the Odds-Shark Attack
1 in 10 million
source: international shark attack file

Led by the famed Pike County, the state boasts 107 bucks taken since 2000 that scored 170 or more, with 5 of them breaking the 190 mark. 2. Wisconsin
Superior genetics and abundant cropland have made Wisconsin home to 13 of the top 50 counties for B&C; typicals since 2000. 3. Iowa
With access protected by a strict draw system and relatively short seasons, Iowa is home to 7 of the top 50 counties for typicals. 4. Saskatchewan
Home of the current world-record typical, many believe the vast land and abundant food make the province ripe for another. 5. Alberta
Though Alberta doesn’t receive the fanfare Saskatchewan gets, its deer have the same strong genetics and terrain in which to grow. Outdoor Life Online Editor

What the Experts Predict

Expert Opinion: Eric Pawlak
The record could come from Saskatchewan again, but my new secret spot is eastern British Columbia, on the Alberta border. Last year one of our outfitters there took 12 hunters out. Ten of them killed bucks, four of which made the B&C; book; another one missed it by 2 inches.

Expert Opinion: Keith Balfourd
I like Kansas, a state with strong typical genetics and so many private croplands, bottoms and woodlots. Low access means a lot of bucks grow old. Iowa and Illinois are still tops, but there are more non-typical genetics there. Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are all powerhouses.

Expert Opinion: Brian Murphy
It would be hard to bet against any of the midwestern states, from Kansas to southern Minnesota and Wisconsin down into Iowa and Illinois and over into Ohio. all of those states have the genetics, food sources and tremendous soil to produce the next record.

Expert Opinion: Terry Drury
If I had to pick one state, it would certainly be Illinois. It could happen there literally any day. There are a lot of big bottomlands across the state with fertile soils and thick cover. The deer have great genetics as well. I’d bet the monster would come out of one of those habitats.

Expert Opinion: Gene Wensel
In Canada, I’d pick Saskatchewan, Alberta or western Manitoba, in that order. In the lower 48, I’d say Iowa, Illinois or Kansas. There’s a chance a 214-inch buck could be raised inside an enclosure. If someone kept it mum and passed it off as a wild deer, it could make a big splash.

The Knife-Handle Buck

The Knife-Handle Buck
Is the new world record walking around in your backyard? Umm…probably not. But our experts have a good idea where he might be found.