Photo right: Measurers present at the Pope and Young special panel were (L to R) Keith Dana of Wyoming, Bruce Capes of Utah, Chuck Adams, Brett Ritter of Wyoming, Tim Rozewski (P&Y Director of Records) of Oregon, and Drake Atwood of Idaho.
On Dec. 6, 2021, a special panel of judges from Pope and Young convened in Rock Springs, Wyoming, to authenticate the measurement of a potential world record velvet typical Sitka blacktail deer, shot by well-known bowhunter Chuck Adams.
Adams’ velvet Sitka blacktail scored 109 7/8 inches and is now the largest bow-killed velvet typical Sitka blacktail in North America. This amazing deer was shot on Kodiak Island in Alaska, on Aug. 12, 2021.
With a final score of 109 7/8 inches, Adams’ velvet typical Sitka Blacktail Deer was confirmed as the new Pope and Young world record. This deer surpasses the previous world record velvet typical Sitka Blacktail taken by Allen Bolen in 2020, measuring 108 1/8 inches.
Adams has been a bowhunting icon to many hunters, and when asked about this hunt he said, “I have been blessed to hunt Kodiak Island for 17 years; it is one of my favorite hunts to do. Amazingly, as luck would have it, this buck was the very first buck I saw on this trip. There was never a doubt that this was a buck of a lifetime.”
"This is a prime example of a truly symmetrical typical antler configuration on a tremendous animal, as it only had 2 7/8 inches of total symmetry deductions," said Roy Grace, records chairman for Pope and Young. “Once again, this amazing animal is a true testament to the success of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and supports all science-based conservation programs across North America. Congratulations to Chuck Adams on his incredible typical velvet Sitka Blacktail Deer and to the Alaska Fish and Game Department for its management of its wildlife resources."
You can see this animal on display at Pope and Young’s Biennial Awards Convention, in Reno, Nevada, April 13-16, 2023. One of the largest displays of North American, bow-harvested, big game animals (velvet and hard antlered) will be assembled for viewing.
Pope and Young extended a special thanks to Brian Forbes and DR Griffin & Associates for allowing the organization to conduct the special panel judging at their premises in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Editor’s note: Allen Bolen, who previously held this world record, and Chuck Adams were guests on the Pope & Young Podcast to relive their hunts and talk about passing of the record torch. You can listen on YouTube or Apple Podcasts .
