Patience is a particular virtue of bowhunting. It was an ample supply of patience that resulted in the harvest of a potential new world’s record typical mule deer.
Having observed this buck on many occasions and knowing the buck’s home range was particularly thick cover—“as thick as dog hair”—veteran Arizona bowhunter John McClendon knew his best chance would be to carefully hunt the buck over a waterhole. He patiently waited out several days of rain, and then the drying, for the perfect opportunity to hunt that water. The result—a perfect 25-yard shot at the buck of anyone’s dreams.
The current world’s record typical mule deer is: 205 0/8 • Hermosillo, Mexico • 2009 • George Harms
McClendon’s mule deer, from Mohave County, Arizona, has an initial entry score of 207 5/8. The final score is yet subject to Panel Judging verification, which may change the final accepted score for a variety of reasons, including unusual shrinkage, initial mis-measurement, etc. This mule deer is entered into the current, ongoing 29th Recording Period—the biennium representing entries accepted into the P&Y Records Program from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014.
At the close of every two-year biennial recording period, numerical awards and honorable mentions are awarded to the most outstanding animals in each species category that have been entered during that recording period. New world’s records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented to these outstanding animals during the Pope & Young Club’s biennial convention and awards banquet.
Prior to the actual convention and banquet, outstanding trophies are requested to be sent to a designated site for panel judging, a process of verification of the final scores of antlers, horns and skulls of the highest-ranking North American big-game specimen entered during that two-year recording period. A hand-picked team of highly knowledgeable and experienced certified measurers gather for the actual scoring.
Look to see McClendon’s outstanding North American big-game specimen, plus roughly a hundred more of the biggest and best over the last two years, on display at the Pope & Young Club’s National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, April 15-18, 2015.
For more information about the Pope & Young Club, visit pope-young.org.
