Hunter Tags Famous Nontypical Buck in Wyoming. Could It Be a New State Record?

Dawson Hallows of Heber City, Utah, posted photos Sept. 18 indicating he killed the massive nontypical mule deer that went viral after Cowboy State Daily reported it could 'obliterate' Wyoming's record for biggest buck ever. The standing record nontypical, 293 7/8 inches, has held since 1924, and Eastman estimated this buck was knocking on 300.

The story underneath the story is the modern trophy economy: a local paper profiled the live deer, 10-12 hunters worked the same public-land corridor all summer, and the reveal still broke on Instagram before any agency confirmation. Record deer now live their entire lives on someone's phone camera.