Entry Standards Lowered for Non-Typical Whitetails
Pope and Young Club has lowered the entry requirements for its Non-Typical whitetail deer category, and the Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club, as always, will follow the same standards and procedures for the state record book.
Two numbers changed:
- The minimum entry score dropped from 155″ to 145″.
- The abnormal-point requirement dropped from 15″ to 10″.
The change was announced by Pope and Young on February 3, 2025, took effect January 1, 2025, and is retroactive, it applies to trophies already on the books, not just new entries.
Why the change?
The 15-inch abnormal-point requirement had been in place for 24 years, and many measurers and members long felt it was set too high compared to other deer categories.
“When we implemented the fifteen inches of abnormal points required twenty-four years ago, many of our members and measurers felt that number may have been too high, especially when compared to our other deer species,” explained P&Y Records Chairman Roy Grace. “So, with twenty-four years of additional data to review and analyze, the committee concluded that it was, in fact, too high. The data suggested that ten inches of abnormal points was a more appropriate number, with the minimum score of 145.”
Trophies already in the Pope and Young records system that meet the new criteria will be moved to the Non-Typical category automatically, and the trophy owners will be notified.
Crossbow entries
The Crossbow Non-Typical category will also carry a 145″ minimum. There is no abnormal-inch requirement for crossbow entries, the hunter decides whether the trophy is entered as Typical or Non-Typical.
Think your buck qualifies now?
If you have a whitetail that fell short of the old 155″ Non-Typical minimum, or a buck entered as Typical that carries 10 inches or more of abnormal points, it may now qualify. Contact one of our official measurers through the Find a Measurer page to have your trophy scored, or reach out to our Records Director at recordsdirector@www.wi-buck-bear.org with questions.
