Hey Mike: Hope this gets you as jacked up to hunt as it does me! I thought this deer was an urban legend. I had heard about him living in Sioux Falls, SD, and had met a couple of people who said they had seen him. I asked them to show me a picture and nobody could ... until now. Click here to watch the video.
The deer lives in a big-buck paradise on private property within the city limits of Sioux Falls. He can't be legally hunted and is free-ranging. He is said to be a 12x14 and would gross well over 240 inches. Some say 260 inches. I am a little skeptical of that score from the video. What do you think?
This deer has drawn quite a crowd. A friend of mine went 5 nights in a row to where the buck is being spotted regularly; he is usually one of 10 or more trucks parked on the road trying to get a glimpse of the giant.
I realize this deer is not as big as the rumored "New World Record" from Wisconsin that you posted on a few weeks ago, but I think it could be a new state record. Hopefully he will not suffer the same fate as some of the other huge deer in Sioux Falls over the years. Almost every year there are stories of giants getting hit by cars. He lives within half a mile of a very busy interstate. It would be a shame for a deer of this caliber to lose his life that way.
Poaching has also been an issue in that part of town, along with trespassers looking for sheds. My hope is that with so many people seeing this video on You Tube, he might have a chance to die of old age. Who knows though. What do you think? Good luck this season, I am excited for the new blog site, keep up the great work. Chris M. from SD
Thanks buddy, wow! 260, no...240, not far from it I bet. New state record? Yes, gotta be close.
Since this monster is in a no-hunting zone and so regularly seen and likely videoed/photographed (unlike the WI buck), that lessens the chances of him getting poached IMO. He is so instantly recognizable. Only an idiot would poach that buck, but then most criminals are idiots. You bet, the sight of him fires me up!
BTW, we will have more video capability on the new site, so ya'll shoot and send clips for me to post.