January 3, 2004

Decision delayed on local hunter's deer-rack record
By RICHARD DEGENER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6711, E-Mail

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - The antler rack is drying, so the Atlantic City man who
might have shot a state record buck in a local swamp will have to wait for
two months to see what his 50-caliber musket ball brought down.

That was the word Friday from David Burke, a research scientist with the
state Division of Fish and Wildlife. In the somewhat strange world of
scoring the antlers of white-tailed deer, Burke said the rack must dry for
60 days before the process can begin.

But Burke said the deer shot by Warren Brown on Wednesday was something
special.

"It would be the deer of a lifetime for most people. We see a deer like
that every year or so," Burke said.

While the hunting season is still going on and deer are still being brought
in, Burke said the buck has a good chance of "being No. 1" for its category
- the type of antler and the weapon used to take it, a muzzleloader - and
could make the all-time record list.

Brown shot the buck Wednesday afternoon in swampy woods near a golf course.
His brother Chris Brown wounded the deer earlier in the day. The prize
specimen brought a constant stream of hunters to see it on Thursday. Brown
had already received an unofficial score from outdoorsman Frank Bruce of
175 Ã and this was extremely high. The previous winner in this category had
a score of 138 À.

Burke said he knows Bruce, and the rough score is probably accurate, but
antlers do suffer shrinkage as they dry.

"If 175 holds up, it scores higher than anything taken in 2001," Burke
said.

Antlers are scored using what is known as the Boone and Crockett Club
system. It takes into account antler length, spread, the number of points
and other factors. Burke said Brown was given advice on the taxidermist
process and will get paperwork to apply for any records or prizes. The
Division of Fish and Wildlife, in conjunction with the New Jersey State
Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and the United Bowhunters of New Jersey,
recognizes outstanding deer. The program began in 1964.

Brown brought the deer to Burke over at Nacote Creek on Friday morning. He
did not know the rack had to dry for 60 days but said he would follow the
process.

"He is getting the paperwork together so I can get it in the state annuls.
I took it to a taxidermist and he looked at it and was amazed," Brown said.

Burke said it normally takes about 20 minutes to score deer antlers, but in
this case it will take "a couple hours." The category in this case is
"non-typical antlers," which means they are not symmetrical. The points go
every which way.

Burke said development patterns in New Jersey are benefiting deer and
allowing them to live longer, which results in better antler racks. The
better racks take between four and five years to develop, while they peak
for deer that are between five and eight years old. Most bucks are killed
between the age of 1 and 2 years, but Burke said more of them are living
longer. Swampy terrain in the Pine Barrens often allows deer to reach older
ages.

This deer was shot in a fairly developed area, but Burke said when bucks
are in rut, they often take some chances.

"It was probably chasing a doe," Burke said.

To e-mail Richard Degener at The Press:

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