As hunters, there is often an overwhelming excitement as the sky lightens on the opening morning of deer season. Anticipation that maybe, just maybe, this is the year that you will get a chance at a real trophy…a wall hanger that shatters the record books.
Unfortunately, most of us will walk up on a buck praying that the “ground shrinkage” (when a bucks’ rack is miraculously smaller than it appeared when you squeezed the trigger) is minimal, but reality usually sets in, and we realize there is always next year.
While there are many respectable bucks taken every year, only a hand full of hunters have ever had the privilege of walking upon a true record class animal. A bucks’ rack that grows bigger as you approach it, a rack that exceeds all expectations and leaves you speechless.
With bow season in full swing and the anticipated arrival of the rifle season, I thought it appropriate to highlight the best whitetails that have been taken in the Keystone state both by arrow and by rifle.
Pennsylvania has produced some of the most impressive whitetail deer ever recorded under the Boone & Crockett (B&C) system. Between typical (symmetrical antlers) and nontypical (with abnormal points, extra tines, etc.) entries, the state holds several entries that rank nationally among the best. Below are five of the top whitetails from PA in each category with their scores, year taken, and county that they were harvested.
Typical Entries (Rifle)
1. The Frederick Kyriss Buck
• Score: 2046/8 Boone and Crockett Points. (1962)
• Taken In: Montgomery County sometime in the late
1950s to early 1960s.
2. The Fritz Janowsky Buck
• Score: 1890 Boone and Crockett points. (1943)
• Taken In: Bradford County (1943)
3. The Ivan Parry Buck
• Score: 184-6/8 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Greene County (1974)
4. The Chester Allison Buck
• Score: 182-5 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Blair County (1951)
5. The Jeffrey Sitling Buck
• Score: 182-0 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Daupi County (2010)
Non-Typical Entries (Rifle)
1. The Edward Dodge Buck
• Score: 238-6 Boone and Crockett Points.
• Taken In: Erie County (1941)
2. The Michael D. Ambrosia Buck
• Score: 230-2 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Lawrence County (2001)
3. The Edwin Tokarcik Buck
• Score: 224-3 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Westmoreland County (2016)
4. The A.L. Prouty Buck
• Score: 213-6 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Lycoming County (1949)
5. The Frank Cafardi Buck
• Score: 209-582-0 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Crawford County (2016)
Typical Entries (Archery)
1. The Ronald Shaulis Buck
• Score: 184-4 Boone and Crockett Points
• Taken In: Westmoreland County (2017).
2. The Cory Gulvas Buck
• Score: 181-7 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Tioga County (2020)
3. The Michael J. Nicola Sr. Buck
• Score: 178-2 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Allegheny County (2004)
4. The Dennis Andres Buck
• Score: 177-2 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: McKean County (2019)
5. The Joseph Repasky Buck
• Score: 176-2 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Crawford County (2017)
Non-Typical Entries (Archery)
1. The Eric Carns Buck
• Score: 228-6 Boone and Crockett Points
• Taken In: Clearfield County (2016)
2. The Gerald Simkonis Buck
• Score: 209-1 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Allegheny County (2007)
3. The William Andrews Buck
• Score: 204-7 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Perry County (2017)
4. The Craig E Krisher Buck
• Score: 203-3 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Lehigh County (1988)
5. The Jordan Poploskie Buck
• Score: 203-2 Boone and Crockett points
• Taken In: Northumberland County (2024)
