Skip to main content

Huge Utah Mule Deer is Typical Velvet Bow World Record

Killed in 2012, 218-plus-inch buck certified in new Pope and Young category.

Huge Utah Mule Deer is Typical Velvet Bow World Record

Pictured (left to right): Jason Rounsaville, Executive Director, Larry Streiff, Roy Grace, Records Chairman, Stan Zirbel, David Neilsen, and Tim Rozewski, Director of Records. (Photo courtesy of Pope and Young)

A world-record-sized mule deer killed by a Utah bowhunter a decade ago is finally an official world record.

Bowhunting authority Pope and Young announced the certification Wednesday, determining that Bowdy Gardner’s 2012 buck “is now the largest bow-harvested Typical Velvet Mule Deer in North America."

The buck’s incredible score of 218 2/8 inches was upheld by a special panel of measurers who convened this past weekend to consider the buck's merits. When Gardner’s buck was originally entered in the Pope and Young records program, the organization did not recognize velvet-antlered bucks for world-record consideration. Pope and Young reversed that rule last year.

"This is a tremendous mule deer that has been awaiting this moment since it was taken in Kane County, Utah in 2012. When Pope and Young changed their stance in 2021 and allowed velvet-antlered animals to be eligible for world-record status within their own respective categories, we were finally able to authenticate this buck," Pope and Young Record Chairman Roy Grace said in a news release. "It also demonstrates how sportsmen’s dollars, coupled with oversight from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, can properly manage these incredible animals and provide opportunity for sportsmen to pursue them."

The 218 2/8 score was confirmed by Grace, Larry Streiff, David Nielsen, Stan Zirbel, Pope and Young’s Director of Records, Tim Rozewski.

More from Pope and Young:

"This World Record Typical Velvet Mule Deer was originally entered into the 28th recording period which represented entries accepted into Pope and Young’s Records Program from January 1st, 2011, to December 31st, 2012. As previously stated, Pope and Young changed their policy in 2021, allowing velvet antlered species to be eligible for World’s Record status within their own velvet categories. As such, nearly ten (10) years later, this incredible buck is now crowned as the new velvet World’s Record. At the close of every biennial recording period, numerical awards and honorable mentions are awarded to the most outstanding bow-harvested animals in each species category that have been entered during this two-year recording period. New World’s Records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented to these outstanding animals during Pope and Young’s Biennial Convention and Awards Banquet."




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Cashion Icon Bait Finesse Rod

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Dryshod Evalusion Hunt Boots Keep Whitetail Hunters on Top of Their Game

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Tackle Junkie: Lew's Custom Pro Gen 3

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Other

Light up the Salt

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Fishing

Caring for the Catch

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Fishing

Snook on the Hook

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Guns

TriStar Cobra III Field Pump Super Compact .410

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Federal Premium Freight Train Copper Sabot Slug

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Fishing

Saltwater Setup

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Fishing

Jacks to the Max

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Beilue's Best from ICAST 2024: Baits & Tackle

Rod builders continue to gravitate toward accommodating lighter finesse techniques. Here's a small sampling of the best ...
Gear

Beilue's Best from ICAST 2024: Rods

Game & Fish Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Game & Fish App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use