by Duncan Dobie

Add another chapter to the file of things that make you say, “Huh?”

Although each deer rack is different and should be scored on its own merits, you can’t help but compare the potential world-record Johnny King Buck to other similar situations. For instance, in November 2010, Kevin Petrzilka shot a massive 17-point buck in Nebraska. Without much fanfare or debate, the rack was measured as a typical 7X7 and was accepted by the Boone and Crockett Club with an entry score of 202-6/8 typical. In all likelihood, the deer will be invited to B&C’s next awards period in 2013 to be panel scored. If the score holds, the deer could be one of the top 15 typicals of all time. It has already been dubbed as Nebraska’s new No. 1 typical. Whatever the score turns out to be at that awards period will be the “final” score.

The Petrzilka Buck’s left G-3 and G-4 tines are very similar in configuration to the right G-2 and G-3 tines on the Johnny King Buck. From photos, they appear to be common base-points. Already there has been much talk on several Internet websites expressing fears that the G-4 might be ruled as abnormal by a panel of B&C judges. This, of course, would drop the net score by 15 to 20 inches. It was even rumored that Mr. Petrzilka was reluctant to submit his score sheet to B&C for fear that the typical score would be rejected like the King buck was. Fortunately for him, it was not.

But the bigger question is: How could B&C rule the tines on the Petrzilka Buck to be typical and not do the same thing with the Johnny King Buck?

— Duncan Dobie is a D&DH; contributor from Georgia.