Milo Hanson, the Saskatchewan farmer who harvested the world-record typical whitetail deer, has died at the age of 81.
Hanson shot the legendary buck, which scored 213 5/8 inches net typical under the Boone and Crockett scoring system, on Nov. 23, 1993, near his home outside Biggar, Saskatchewan. Taken with a .308 Winchester Model 88, the deer remains the largest typical whitetail ever recorded.
The deer’s inside spread measured 27 2/8 inches, while its greatest spread exceeded 29 inches. Each main beam measured 28 4/8 inches, and six of the 10 main antler points surpassed 11 inches in length, highlighting the trophy’s remarkable size and symmetry.
In Boone and Crockett scoring, a “typical” deer is one with antlers that are symmetrical and follow the species’ standard pattern, unlike “non-typical” bucks, which may have extra or irregular points.
More than three decades later, Hanson’s record still stands. His buck surpassed the previous world record, a 206 1/8-inch net typical taken in 1914 by James Jordan in Wisconsin — by 7 4/8 inches.
During the 30th anniversary of the hunt, Gordon Whittington, former editor-in-chief of North American Whitetail, revisited Hanson’s achievement, writing:
“I didn’t think Hanson’s record would last this long. I assumed that by now some other typical would have usurped him. Maybe even more than one.”
Hanson’s record has been challenged several times. The most notorious claim came from Mitch Rompola, who said he had harvested a typical buck with a bow on Nov. 13, 1998, that scored 218 5/8 inches with an outside spread of 38 inches.
Rompola later revised the score to 216 5/8 inches. He refused to have the deer officially scored and apparently signed an agreement not to claim it as a world record, avoiding a potential lawsuit. Many hunters consider the buck a hoax.
What adds to Hanson’s legend is that he didn’t realize what he had shot. Unfamiliar with antler scoring, he had no indication the deer might be a world record. The buck hung for more than a week in a farm building, unprotected and without a lock on the door.
Recalling when he first heard about a possible new world record, Whittington said he boarded a plane within two hours. When he arrived at Hanson’s home, the cape and head were lying on the floor.
“We were there more than 12 hours, and never did I even reach for a measuring tape,” Whittington said. “I didn’t need one to know we were staring at history in the making.”
Interest in record-breaking deer was as intense then as it is today. Whether the Hanson Buck will ever be surpassed remains an open question — it could stand for another 30 years.
Either way, Hanson’s record-setting legacy will continue to inspire the world of whitetail hunting for generations.