Deer hunters with both bow and rifle commit to the activity for both pleasure and sport, but when it comes to bagging that big buck, few have the pleasure of bringing down a deer that becomes part of the Buckeye Big Buck Club family.
Dozens of hunters from throughout Ohio brought their deer racks in to be scored by the professionals at Buckeye Big Buck Club at the recent Northeast Ohio Sportsman Show last weekend at the Mt. Hope Event Center.
The purpose of BBBC is to increase the appreciation of Ohio’s white-tailed deer herd, as they hope to encourage trophy hunting by Ohio hunters. The BBBC also serves as the place where deer hunters can establish and maintain a permanent record of Ohio’s trophy deer taken in fair chase while also promoting a positive relationship among hunters and landowners.
Each year the club honors hunters who harvest typical deer that meet the minimum 140-inch scoring requirement and nontypical deer that meet a minimum 160-inch scoring requirement.
Scores are determined by a series of measurements using the Boone and Crockett scoring system, and BBBC has several members who expertly measure out and record every eighth inch of a deer’s antler rack.
Reaching those numbers invites a hunter to join the BBBC membership club, and plenty of hunters have invested a lot of time, energy and patience in search of a deer that will afford them entry into the BBBC.
Eric Feron said the BBBC has been busy scoring deer, and it is always an honor to come to this show because of the passion for hunting throughout this area.
Feron said the scoring method is spelled out well for scorers, and it’s always exciting to see the reactions of hunters who finally get in. He said in all his years as a scorer, he hasn’t seen anything that has shocked him.
“After 23 years of this, not much surprises me,” Feron said. “I did once have to score a walrus, which was unique. That one turned out to be the No. 4 world record.”
He said common questions are why things are deducted and, of course, what is the final number.
“It’s pretty detailed and tough to do on your own,” Feron said. “But this definitely becomes a contest between hunters for bragging rights.”
Wes Yoder of Saltillo knew coming in that his buck was probably going to make it into the club, having unofficially measured the typical deer at 178 inches prior to bringing it to the event.
BBBC member Chad Dial made that number stand up and more, measuring the buck out at 181 inches.
For Yoder, bagging a buck of that magnitude in Baltic this year was the thrill of a lifetime.
“I almost can’t describe the feeling, and it’s hard to unless you experience it,” Yoder said. “I was nervous. I wasn’t that shaky, but my heart was really pumping.”
Yoder said it was important to him to get it registered with the BBBC because it is a special deer and he wanted it officially measured.
“This might be one or two in a lifetime for me,” Yoder said.
That is a sentiment shared by many hunters who are fortunate enough to claim a buck with a rack worthy of placing them on the BBBC registry.
What qualifies one to be a scorer for the BBBC?
First and most importantly, each scorer must have produced a qualifying deer of 140 inches or more. That means they have experience.
For Chad Dial of Nashville, once he bagged his trophy buck, he wanted to become a scorer because he enjoys seeing other hunters’ success stories.
“I’ve been hunting a long time, and it’s fun and exciting to see hunters bring in their deer to try to see if they measure up to the Big Buck standards,” Dial said. “It’s definitely an honor that a lot of hunters aim for when they go out.”
Feron said when he was fortunate enough to take down a big buck, it took him forever to find someone to officially score it, so once he finally did so, he wanted to become a scorer.
“It took me six months and a 2 1/2-hour drive, but because I had to work so hard for it, it makes me remember and appreciate it so much more,” Feron said.
Scorer Tom Posey of Medina said he had to be patient to join the club and eventually become a scorer.
“In 2000 I shot my first one, and like many hunters, my goal was to get into the BBBC,” Posey said. “That one came up just short, and I had to wait 10 years until I finally got another one big enough to qualify. I like that you have to earn this to become a scorer. It’s amazing how many deer are scored in the 130s.”
Each scorer measures a deer’s rack, but even after measuring out the antlers, there are deductions that can take the score below that coveted 140-inch level, thus imperfections in a rack can be costly.
Darrell Markijohn of Bolivar watched with interest as Dial measured out his deer, which he bagged in 2019. At the time the nation was in the midst of the COVID pandemic, so he couldn’t get it scored.
When Dial was done, Markijohn had made it by several inches.
“I wasn’t hunting a trophy buck when I shot this one,” said Markijohn, who made his kill with a bow. He said he loves sitting in his tree stand at his farm and observing nature, whether he is hunting or not.
He said he knew he had some big deer on his property and saw this one in particular.
“I’m actually pretty tickled to make it in,” Markijohn said.
For those who finally qualified to get into this unique club, congratulations, and for those who nearly missed, may better hunting lie ahead.
