Big buck ‘Mufasa’ officially measured, pending world record: Next, panel scoring

“Mufasa”would be king.

Luke Brewster’s freak non-typical buck, “Mufasa,” arrowed Nov. 2 in Edgar County, was officially measured on Saturday. Pending panel scoring, it will be Pope and Young Club’s world-record non-typical whitetail taken with a bow and Boone and Crockett Club’s world-record non-typical taken by a hunter.

“Mufasa’s” official measurement was 320 5/8th inches on 38 measurable points. If that holds after panel measuring, “Mufasa” would top both world records.

Michael Beatty holds the P&Y world-record non-typical taken by a bow (294 0/8), a 39-pointer taken Nov. 8, 2000 in Greene County, Ohio. B&C’s highest scoring non-typical taken by a hunter (312 0/8) is the 47-pointer shot by Stephen Tucker on Nov. 7, 2016 with a muzzleloader in Sumner County, Tennessee.

For record keeping, antlers are measured in inches (fractions of 1/8) by adding and subtracting such measurements as tine length, spread of antlers and main beam circumference. Antlers must dry for 60 days before official scoring.

Brewster could have had his buck officially measured a few days earlier. But Brewster, a former marine, and his dad Jim had to come in from Virginia, Brewster’s three hunting partners also were there.

Tim Walmsley, measuring for B&C, assembled a crew in Macon County that included his wife Bea Walmsley, P&Y measurer Kevin Chapman and state measurer Jim Barry.

Walmsley said measuring took about three hours.

“Kevin was adding it up on a computer program and Bea was adding on a score sheet,” Walmsley said. “Both left the room. When they got to net score, they called me in.”

There were tears all around when he announced the net score.

The gross was 330, which included 178 of abnormals. Walmsley also measured a big drop tine, which broke off on a tree trunk when the buck crashed to the ground.

It was quite the honor for Walmsley, who measured one other 300-inch deer. That was the previous Illinois record non-typical (304 3/8), a 37-pointer Jerry Bryant shot with a crossbow Nov. 15, 2001 in Fulton County.

Walmsley was intensely involved with the B&C and P&Y records chairmen with photos and discussions.

“I feel good about how I measured, but this deer is so big; that is why you have the panel to back it up,” he said. “But I do feel very good about it after talking in detail with both clubs.”

Normally P&Y panels meet every two years and B&C every three. Because this is a likely world record, Walmsley is hopeful that panel scoring will happen before P&Y’s biennial convention in April in Omaha, Nebraska.

More details came on the hunt, part of quite the year for Brewster, who rushed back home to Virginia after shooting the buck for the birth of his daughter.

Afterward, it was found that“Mufasa” walked by a trail camera the morning before being taken.

“They knew the deer, they’re pretty sure it was 7 1/2 years old from pictures the last two years,” Walmsley said.

He said one of Brewster’s hunting buddies had missed “Mufasa” last year and it grew much larger.

“A lot of people knew about him, including an outfitter,” Walmsley said.

Brewster, who made a perfect shot at 25 yards, said “Mufasa” was going to a scrape.

Walmsley was very impressed with the quiet style of Brewster, who let his hunting partners pick their stands first and chose his last, a stand not hunted from in years.