How timely. The following appeared in the editorial titled "True Heavyweights" of the summer 2009 Deer and Deer Hunting magazine. All of the following weights have been verified. The top 4 deer are:
1. 431# field dressed, live weight est 540# killed by bow hunter in Ontario in 1957
2. 402# dressed, live weight est 511# in Minnesota in 1926
3. 355# dressed, live weight est 451# in Maine in 1955.
4. 321# dressed #, no live weight est. killed in Wisconsin in 1938.
The article went on to say that heavier deer have been mentioned, but were not verified.
....I'm not sure why they missed a Georgia Department of Natural Resources verified deer field dressed weight of 355 lbs.on a buck shot down in Worth county. I recall that it was listed as having tied a 355lb. field dressed "Maine" killed buck at that time.
....That one was an extreme rarity here, that's for sure, but bucks in the mid 200's are taken every year.
I believe there was a 509 lb deer taken in NY about 20 yrs ago or do if I remember right. Thats live weight...not dressed.
