LAST UPDATED: May 1st, 2015
Another possible record breaking eight-point buck – it could be.
During the second weekend of the 2011 Illinois deer shotgun season, hunter Jason Sanders connected on an eight-point buck so big that it may be the largest the world’s ever seen. The story breaking just weeks after the world learned the fate of Mike Kemble’s world-class eight-pointer, which fell short of that same record by less than one inch.
Jason Sanders was able to catch the buck on trailcamera several times. Imagine viewing this picture after checking them!
Two bucks currently hold that top spot, with respective scores of 180 3/8-inches. Those incredible eights fell to hunters Vernon Winter from South Dakota in 1965, and Victor Bulliner in Michigan, 2001.
Just how big is Jason Sanders’s Illinois eight?
The buck’s main beams measure 30 and 32 inches, a mark that places them automatically in the top-five all time Boone and Crockett Club records for longest beam length, and it would be the only eight in that ranking. While the inside spread wouldn’t be considered too outrageous, it still brings in another 22 3/8-inches. Without question however, it’s the buck’s tine length that drives this score, as both G-2’s tape out at 14 and 16-inches, with G-3’s at 12-inches.
Sanders knew the buck was living on the central Illinois farm he was hunting, even choosing to pass on the buck during the first shotgun season because he didn’t like the shot.
The typical eight-point frame reportedly grosses 192 3/8-inches, netting 184 7/8-inches after side-to-side deductions. However, the buck has a ninth-point, a 1 6/8-inch sticker off his right G-2 that slides the score down to 183 1/8-inches.
While it remains unclear on a date set for an official panel scoring, the mandatory 60-day drying period has passed. Hunters of all ages will be able to get an up-close look at the buck, which is expected to be showcased at the 2012 Illinois Deer and Turkey Classic, March 23-25th, in Peoria, Illinois.
The Hunting Network staff will update the story as soon as it gets word if the official scoring was accepted, and if the Sanders buck truly is the greatest eight of all-time.
