SCDNR releases 2019 deer antler records program results
COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 1, 2019) — Each spring, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Wildlife Section personnel make a concerted effort to measure deer racks throughout the state, with a major session during the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic in Columbia.
Of the 483 sets of antlers measured this spring, 242 met the minimum score for entry on the state records list including 232 sets of typical and 10 non-typical racks, according to Charles Ruth, Big Game Program coordinator for SCDNR.
This figure was up from the 232 records entered in the spring of 2018. Although all of the records were not taken during the 2018 season, 198 were taken during the 2017 or 2018 season. Racks must score a minimum of 125 points typical or 145 points non-typical to qualify for the South Carolina state records list. Records are based on the Boone and Crockett Club scoring system, which measures the mass and symmetry of deer antlers in two categories—typical and non-typical.
The top typical buck was a 160 2/8-inch buck taken by James Sims in Fairfield County in November. Sims’ buck qualifies for the Boone and Crockett Club’s Three Year Awards Period and is the new Fairfield County typical record. The second and third highest scoring typical deer in 2018 were a 154 6/8-inch McCormick County buck taken by Russell Porter in November and a 154 1/8 inch Aiken County buck taken by Mike Johnson in November. With both deer netting 162 7/8, there was a tie for the top non-typical buck between Daniel Barnhill’s November 2018 Horry County buck and a buck taken in October of 2017 in Abbeville County by Joseph Hozey.
The purpose of the Antler Records Program is two-fold. First, because of the great interest in deer hunting exhibited by sportsmen, it is a way to recognize outstanding white-tailed deer taken in South Carolina. Second, it provides management information that allows DNR wildlife biologists to identify areas that produce quality deer. When particular areas stand