Hoback Buck Trophy Mule Deer
The Museum collection holds several beautiful record head mounts including the No. 3 Elk and No. 1 Shiras Moose records. Both can be seen on display in the current exhibition “Art of the Hunt.” The third mount is the No. 3 Boone and Crockett World Record Mule Deer which recently returned to the Museum after traveling with Eastman’s Trophy Deer Tour.
Known as the Hoback buck, this deer has an impressive history. We know it was shot in the 1920s for meat in the Hoback Canyon, hence the name. The hunter, however, is unknown. Since animals were used primarily for sustenance in Jackson Hole for so long, it was decades before it occurred to anyone that it might have greater importance than simple decoration. Though its impressive size was obvious, the head was on display or in storage in various places for many years until eventually coming to taxidermist Lewis Ray. Being in the business, Ray had an inkling about the potential importance of the rack so he sent it to Boone and Crockett to be measured. At that time, it came back to Jackson as the World’s Record Mule deer. The spread of these impressive antlers is just under 31 inches and the length of the main beam is 28 1/2 inches. The Museum’s founder, Slim Lawrence, purchased it from Ray wanting to preserve such a specimen for future generations.
