Great overall length, lots of antler points, large palms and great symmetry all contribute to the score – a trophy that any hunter would be very happy to hang on their wall as a memento of an exceptional day afield. Well done, Matt!
Fallow deer now occur widely across the eastern states of Australia, which is reflected in the origins of the trophies in the Top 50: near equal numbers from New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia with lesser numbers from Victoria. Queensland doesn’t feature, perhaps because fallow deer are temperate-climate animals, not particularly suited to the heat of that state.
Also of note in the Top 50 is the dominance of animals taken this century, with only a handful of bucks taken prior to the year 2000. There are undoubtedly several reasons for this, perhaps the most important being the rapid increase in the distribution and numbers of this species in recent years, the increase in hunter numbers and, perhaps, more emphasis on managing populations under quality management programs.
Featuring great length at almost 20 inches, long brow tines but relatively short inners, matched by classic big hog deer symmetry, this is certainly an exceptional trophy.
Without knowing where it was taken, it is clear that this had to be a mature stag with the genetics to grow impressive antlers and presumably with access to the very best of feed while growing up and while in velvet – all necessary to produce a top-quality trophy.
Hopefully, Australian hunters can look forward to a future where a combination of quality management, inherent genetics and better feeding can make stags of this calibre more widely available.
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