Before the 2025 deer season gets kicked off for everyone, it’s time to give the big bucks of 2024 one last round of applause. If you were paying attention in 2024, it should be obvious that there are no shortage of big bucks in the south. From Kentucky’s rolling bluegrass to the piney woods of Mississippi, Southern hunters dropped some true giants in 2024. Here are some of the year’s most impressive bucks, in no particular order.
Kentucky Velvet King
After three years of chasing him around northern Kentucky, Jacob Deaton finally tagged this massive non-typical in full velvet on September 7 of 2024. The buck’s green score topped 199 inches, making it a contender for the biggest full-velvet whitetail ever taken in the state. Deaton plans celebrate his harvest by mounting it on a whiskey barrel for display.
North Carolina Muzzleloader Monster
North Carolina hunter Gavin Glance thought he’d blown his chance after missing a shot at a main-frame 5×5 stacked with stickers during his morning hunt. But later that same day, this bruiser gave him a second opportunity at 100 yards—and this time, he didn’t miss. The buck grossed 194 inches and was the kind of rut-driven trophy that rarely offers two shots in one day, but somehow, ended up in Gavin’s hands.
Kentucky Heavyweight
On a limited-quota hunt, Jason Taylor lugged gear deep into the timber before daylight and set up on a spot he e-scouted and had a good feeling about. Hours later, he noticed a big-bodied 17-point behind some cover. With the help of a nearby doe, it stepped out and Jason acted quickly and dropped him at 90 yards. Despite three broken tines and 7-8″ of non-typical being broken off, the buck’s symmetry and kickers scored an impressive 174-7/8 B&C and 180-5/8 gross. Continue reading and you’ll see why 2024 was one of the best hunting seasons for Jason and 99% of any other hunter.
186-Inch Kentucky Beast
On the evening of November 8, 2024, Ross Burton found himself face to face with a Kentucky buck he and his brother-in-law had been after for a long time. The deer was locked on a doe and coming through at just 15 yards. The only problem? Burton was directly in their line of sight.
“I thought I was about to get busted for sure,” he says.
But instead of freezing up or waiting for a better angle, Burton took the shot. The deer barely reacted, and for a few seconds, he thought he’d missed clean.
“He just kind of stood there and then walked off like nothing happened,” Burton says. “I was kicking myself.”
But just 25 yards later, the buck tipped over quietly and without drama. That’s when Burton realized his shot was on the money.. The 186 5/8-inch Kentucky whitetail was down. This wasn’t a random encounter. Burton had done his homework, but the buck had done his too.
“He knew where the stands were,” Burton says. “We’d hunted him hard, and he always wind-checked those setups. He was smart.”
So Burton made a move most hunters wouldn’t risk during prime time: He left the stand behind and set up on the ground in the thick of it, right between two stand locations the buck had been avoiding. That decision made all the difference.
“From a stand, I’d never have seen him,” he says. “It was just one of those situations where you had to do something different.”
The deer had been on Burton’s and his brother-in-law’s radar for some time. Trail cameras showed the buck cruising the area but always managing to skirt pressure. He’d ghost through during the rut, stay downwind, and rarely move in daylight. All of that changed on that November evening. The buck, chasing a hot doe, let his guard down just long enough to give Burton a shot. The crossbow shot connected, and the recovery was quick.
“I’ve hunted a long time, and I’ve never had a deer like this just fold like that,” he says.
The buck scored an official 186 5/8 inches—one of the biggest taken in Kentucky that fall. Burton’s success wasn’t about luck, it was about adapting.
“If you know a big deer is around but can’t connect with him, try hunting differently,” he says. “That was the key here.”
For other hunters chasing a ghost of their own, his story is a reminder: sometimes you have to switch things up. You’re not just patterning the deer, they’re patterning you.
Tall-Tined Kentucky Eight
Eight-pointers rarely break 170 inches. Brandon Burman’s buck was an exception. Taken September 23, the buck’s towering tines carried it to a gross score of 174-1/8 inches despite a modest 14-inch spread. It’s one of the tallest, most proportionate 8-points taken in Kentucky in years.
Mississippi Bruiser
Killed in Madison County, Mississippi, Brad Johnston’s whitetail was a true Southern trophy. Its heavy beams, wide spread, and rut-swollen neck make it easily recognizable as a mature southern whitetail. Mississippi continues to prove it’s home to sleeper trophy country.
Christmas Day Giant
Middle Tennessee’s Ray Gifford received a Christmas gift that any whitetail enthusiast would envy. On Christmas Day, Ray Gifford tagged an 185 3/8 inch 11-pointer with a 22-inch spread and split brow tines. Taken in peak Tennessee rut, it was one of the highest-scoring bucks reported in the Volunteer State for 2024.
Greene County Archery Record
Bowhunter Seth Engle made Alabama history with the new #1 archery deer in Greene County. His buck scored 157-1/8 inches typical and 168 inches nontypical. No doubt, this is an impressive buck no matter where you go. Especially with archery equipment in Alabama.
Picture Perfect Mississippi 10
Just south of Vicksburg Mississippi, Dylan Cadby dropped a bruiser that had been evading hunters for years. Heavy antlers and a nearly symmetrical rack made this buck a picture-perfect Delta trophy.
Massive Kentucky Velvet 8 “Amigo”
Yes, Jason Taylor tagged two MASSIVE deer in 2024. Still in velvet, this was obviously the first buck he shot. Jason rigorously throughout the summer and used trail cameras to determine that the best time to hunt this buck was the morning. After a weary doe nearly spooked Amigo off the food plot, he came into bow range where Jason made the most of a 40 yard shot. What a beautiful buck and what a season for Jason Taylor!
The Georgia Skyscraper
Colquitt County’s “Skyscraper” had been dodging Richard Bynum for three years. Also known locally as “The Ghost,” the buck finally slipped up in 2024, and Richard was ready. A massive frame and unique rack made this one of Georgia’s most talked-about deer of the year.
South Georgia Stud
Gil Meredith’s South Georgia buck taped at 172-4/8 inches—a heavy, wide-racked south Georgia trophy. It’s a deer of a lifetime, even for a region known for big-bodied swamp bucks.
