Nebraska big whitetails? This first photo was sent to me after the 2007 deer season and shows again the state’s reputation for spitting out contender-sized bucks. Included in the message were details of the hunt, but no confirmed name of the hunter except for the first name Brandon. Sorry Brandon whoever!

From the information in the message the Brandon and a friend set ground blinds overlooking their hunting area spaced approximately 200 yards apart. Apparently the friend briefly saw the buck on Monday as the buck chased a doe down a nearby canyon. Later on Thursday the buck showed itself again and the friend watched it for 10 minutes through a binocular (that will give you a case of buck fever) and although the buck was shootable at 200 yards, it was on the wrong side of the fence.

The story continues that on Saturday at 9 a.m., after nearly 40 hours in the ground blind, Brandon’s luck changed. The buck was again chasing does and passed by Brandon’s ground blind at approximately 80 yards. Two quick shots later with his .300 WSM the buck was down for good. According to the friend’s data the buck is a typical 7x6 with a kicker point and an extra “bump.” The buck grosses 181 3/8 inches. After deductions the buck nets 169 2/8 inches just barely missing the Boone and Crockett all-time listings. The friend ends the details with this quote about the fact that it didn’t make the book. “Who really cares, he’s an awesome buck!” I agree.

The next Nebraska giant was sent in by Jon A. with a simple note: "I killed this buck back in October of 2007 with a bow. It grossed scored 221 2/8 and net scored 212 5/8 it is third in the state for archery."

Incredible buck, Jon. Congratulations.—Mark Kayser