patrkyhntr

While I am certain that there are some deer in PA that weigh over 200 pounds dressed (guts out), they are very few and very far between. Usually the person who says he shot a 200 pounder is exagerating a bit. I have seen bucks that I think might have approached 300 pounds, but never in my 52 years of hunting have I seen one in PA, and I hunt the farm/woods country where one might find such a deer. The only places where I have seen such deer are in the Canadian prairie provinces and into Illinois. These are not the same sub-species as our PA deer, but are of the O.v. borialis sub-species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tail_deer
http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Odocoileus_virginianus

Bionicrooster

300#s isn't uncommon in some of the northern states like Maine / minnesota. I believe if a buck lived long enough in PA it could get that big. he also didn't say if the buck was dressed, if not 300# live weight is MUCH more probable. I have seen deer on MD's eastern shore and in De that went 235+ so they would be close to 300 live. Either way these are some HUGE deer we are talking about!

BarnesX.308

Obviouly 300 would be a live weight. My 236lb buck is based on the dressed weight. I think it was about 180-190 dressed. 300lbs dressed would be a decent caribou.

bullmoose38

I agree with Bionicrooster. Deer will get that big if they get the age. I took one a couple of years back in Schuylkill county that field dressed at 225lbs. We weighed it with the guts in and it was right at 255 lbs. That deer was only 3.5 years old. In 2000 my cousin took one that weighed 236 field dressed.(Can you tell QDM is practiced in this area)Its just hard for Pa people to realize how big a deer can get because they usually dont get the age to get that big. 300lbs is rare in Pa but is it possible definitely. Look at some of the people you see on TV 700lbs plus.

RonM

I didnt say it wasnt possible I said we would have heard about it from somebody in Pa. PGC or somebody...

Bill Yox

I guess it depends on the neighborhood youre from. We see a 300 lber here once in awhile, and Im one state over, in NY. Its big, but at least to me, not that unusual. Id love to tag one!

livbucks

My brother shot a huge 8 point that was tooth aged at 7 years
and it was huge bodied. Live weight was 215. I mean to tell you it was huge. I can't imagine a 300 pound buck. I guess they exist.

Bionicrooster

Livbucks, I shot one in MD the other year that dressed over 170, that would have been close to 215 live, and he was only 3 1/2... that shows they can get really big sometimes, and sometimes not, alot is genetic.

livbucks

I guess you are right. My cousin is younger than me and he is huge and I'm not.

bearklr

I believe there was probably more than one 300 lbr shot in Pa. A friend of mine took a doe that dressed out close to 200 lbs in York county last year. With the proper food and the time to grow there are probably quite a few deer that could reach that weight. Another good friend of mine just sold a deer he baught in PA and at 3 1/2 years he weighed 352 lbs on the hoof. Now granted, he was pen raised but take that same deer and put him in the wild he may have reached that size but it would have taken a lot longer. I believe the world record for weight is over 500 lbs. Here's a pic of a 412 lb buck taken in Nebraska.