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Georgia hunter Josh Pfeiffer killed his first buck with a bow on Sept. 21, and the whitetail’s rack green-scored nearly 188 inches, according to the report. The deer could exceed Georgia’s 177 1/8-inch typical archery record, but it cannot be officially scored until its antlers complete a 60-day drying period.
Georgia hunter Josh Pfeiffer has taken his first buck with a bow, and the whitetail may challenge the state’s typical archery record after receiving a preliminary green score of nearly 188 inches, Outdoor Life reported Oct. 13. The score is not official: the antlers must complete a 60-day drying period before they can be formally measured.
Pfeiffer, 46, bought a small farm in Macon County four years ago and watched a buck grow there over several seasons. He had considered letting the animal reach six years old, but trail-camera images showed a notable increase in antler size from the previous season. A leg injury before bow season prevented him from hunting from a tree stand, so he made a ground blind beside a field where the buck had appeared on camera.
On the afternoon of Sept. 21, Pfeiffer entered the blind at about 5:30 p.m. He saw the buck in timber around 7 p.m.; it moved into the field and stopped about 20 yards away. Pfeiffer said his arrow passed completely through the deer. After waiting before tracking it, he returned with his wife, two daughters and friends. His 9-year-old daughter, Maris, followed the blood trail and spotted the buck.
Pfeiffer brought the head and cape to taxidermist Tim Knight in Dublin, Georgia. Knight told him the rack appeared to measure about 180 inches and could be a state archery record. Pfeiffer said the preliminary green score came in at nearly 188 inches. The rack may lose about an inch as it dries, according to the report, which still projected a final score of at least 180 inches.
A Possible New Archery Benchmark
If the official score remains above 177 1/8 inches, Pfeiffer’s buck would exceed the current Georgia typical archery record listed by the Pope & Young Club. That mark belongs to a whitetail taken by Manny Kaloyannides in DeKalb County in 2018. The preliminary measurement therefore puts the buck within range of a recognized state benchmark, while leaving the record claim unconfirmed.
The distinction between a green score and an official score matters: antlers are measured after a drying period, and the final figure can differ. The report also notes a separate state benchmark: Boone and Crockett Club lists a 191 4/8-inch typical whitetail, taken with a rifle by Buck Ashe in Monroe County in 1961, as Georgia’s largest overall typical whitetail. That is a different category from the archery record.
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From Farm Trail Camera to Blind
Pfeiffer told Outdoor Life that his family had hunted the farm but had taken only a couple of deer there during the four years they owned it. He had seen the buck on the property and planned to let it grow. After the deer noticed movement during Pfeiffer’s first outing in the ground blind, he waited several days. Trail-camera images showed the buck had returned before Pfeiffer hunted the spot again.
Pfeiffer had previously taken does and wild hogs with a bow, but this was his first buck with archery equipment. His own Hoyt bow was in storage, so he borrowed a friend’s bow and arrows after testing the setup. The reported account describes the hunt and preliminary score; it does not say the final record determination has been made.
““I was shaking, and called some friends, and my wife, Desiree.””
— Josh Pfeiffer, speaking to Outdoor Life
Final Score Still Pending
The buck has not been officially scored, and the 60-day drying period must pass before that can happen. The reported green score is preliminary, and the antlers could lose measurement as they dry. Whether the final score exceeds the state archery mark will depend on that formal measurement. The report does not provide an official scoring date or say that a record has been certified.
Pfeiffer estimated the deer was about five years old and weighed roughly 220 pounds, but those are his estimates, not a formal age or weight determination. The report also does not provide an official score sheet or independent confirmation of the preliminary measurement.
Formal Measurement After Drying
The next milestone is the buck’s official score after the required 60-day drying period. That measurement will show whether its rack clears the Pope & Young Club’s listed Georgia typical archery record of 177 1/8 inches. Until then, the possible record remains a preliminary assessment rather than a confirmed result. Pfeiffer told Outdoor Life he plans to have the buck mounted regardless of its final score.
Key Questions
Did Josh Pfeiffer set a Georgia archery record?
That has not been confirmed. The buck green-scored nearly 188 inches, but an official score is pending after the antlers complete a 60-day drying period.
What is Georgia’s current typical archery record?
The report identifies the current Pope & Young Club record as 177 1/8 inches, for a whitetail taken by Manny Kaloyannides in DeKalb County in 2018.
When and where did Pfeiffer take the deer?
Pfeiffer took the buck on the afternoon of Sept. 21, from a ground blind on his Macon County farm. It stopped about 20 yards away before he released his arrow.
Why is the green score not final?
The antlers must dry for 60 days before formal scoring. The final measurement may differ from the preliminary green score.
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