Mississippi state-record bow buck certified

DeSoto deer tops Magnolia Records’ archery category.

Kevin Medlin didn’t have time to think about such things as rewriting Mississippi’s archery record book when a monster buck walked out of a thicket 50 yards from his stand on Nov. 11 in DeSoto County.

“I didn’t even have time to get nervous,” Medlin said. “It all happened so fast. I guess from the time I saw him to the time I watched him crash down in a thicket wasn’t much more than a minute, if it was that long. It all happened that quick.”

A green score that day produced over 190 inches gross, beginning a long wait for the 60-day drying period to pass. Friday, the wait ended when the 13-point — a mainframe 10 with three sticker points — was proclaimed the new state record for typical deer by bow. Biologist Rick Dillard, co-founder of the stae Magnolia Records, officially scored it at 173 2/8 inches Pope & Young.

It replaces Will Rives’ 172 4/8-inch buck taken in 2010 in Jefferson County. Click here to read the full story of Rives’ buck, or listen to Rives tell the story of the hunt in a video by clicking here.

“It is the new record, by less than an inch,” Dillard said. “The main beams are the best characteristics of Medlin’s deer. At 28 2/8 (right) and 27 5/8 (left), it is ridiculous — and I mean really ridiculous. I may have scored one or two deer in my life with main beams like that, but not many. It was also wide, with an inside spread of 21 7/8 inches.

“I’ll be honest with you. The net score and even the gross typical score of this buck do not reflect just how big and pretty this deer was. It is remarkable.”

Click here to read the full story of this incredible deer.

About Bobby Cleveland 30 Articles
Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam.