Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 20, 1993 TAG: 9310150350
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Taken on land owned by Smith in Warren County, the buck scored 296 in the Western Regional Contest of the 1993 Virginia Big Game Trophy Show in Harrisonburg. It advances to state competition in Williamsburg on Saturday and Sunday.
The buck dominated the Western show, where no one questioned whether it would be the state winner. Instead, seasoned hunters were wondering if anybody ever would be able to top it.
``There are probably other big deer out there,'' said Smith, who added that he never expects to see another one like it coming toward his stand.
The current record is a 22-point buck killed by Edison Holcomb in Wise County during the 1987 season. It scored 272 10/16 under Virginia's system.
Smith's buck isn't just destined to be the Virginia champ, but also is expected to be the world-record black powder whitetail deer. It has been scored 259 7/8 under the national measuring system used by Boone and Crockett and by the Longhunters Society.
That could put it in the all-time top 15 of Boone and Crockett whitetail trophies in North America. The highest ranking Virginia buck in Boone and Crockett is a 38-point Buckingham County animal killed in 1986 by James Shumaker of New Canton. It scored 232 4/8 nontypical.
Smith has yet to register his buck with the national organizations, but says he intends to.
The Western regional results:
\ See microfilm for complete results.
by CNB