Hypothetical situation

[muddy]

A spin off the "would you give sheds away" thread...

Hypothetically speaking... you shoot the new world record deer, typical or non typical it doesn't really matter. A big name offers you $500,000 for the rack and will give you 2 replicas of the rack for you to do with what you want.

All other stuff aside like hunting show appearances, potential endorsements from bows or equipment, replica selling, etc...

Would you sell the rack, yes or no.

With all the theft of deer antlers (at least in Iowa) I'd sell it in a heartbeat after I got my ducks in a row financially. I remember a few years ago a kid shot a 260+ here in Iowa and it got ganked out of his house a few weeks later. There are several members on iowawhitetail.com who have had 200+ non typs ganged out of their house as well.

In my world, sold, done deal.

[Black Squirrel]

I guess I can be bought, because I'm selling.

[huntinfool14]

it would be hard to give up the real horns but for $500,000...i do it in a heart beat! you can buy many things with that money..with the replicas these days they look identical to the real thing

[dan]

1st I would shop around and make sure its the best price... Then SOLD!

[Cash 18]

Ummm. definitely sold. I would rather have a replica and lots of money than real bone. If you didnt tell anyone it is a replica they would never know.

[dan]

, if I could find a store that would put my mounts on display right now, I would happily do it for free.
I used to have them at Stokes archery in Madison but they went out of buisness. It was a win / win situation. They sold my DVD's there and a lot of people stopped there to see them and bought stuff or started coming regularly.

[muddy]

1st I would shop around and make sure its the best price... Then SOLD!

Yeah, that's why I put $500K because I am not sure what a world record would go for. I've heard that Cabelas or Bass Pro always offers "a million bucks" but from anyone I've ever talked to "in the know" at the Iowa Deer Classic no deer head/rack has ever gone for anywhere near that sum.

[dan]

no deer head/rack has ever gone for anywhere near that sum.

Collectors used to pay million dollar payouts, but those days may have come to an end unless you had the world record for archery or something extreme.
When there were payouts that high the collectors used to have signed "no tell" agreements on the payout.
Also, it used to be only 1 or two deer a year would be in that size range. Now with bucks getting bigger and bigger and more common someone is taking more of a gamble that the deer he purchases is not going to hold its title long.

[Dewey]

I'm with Milo Hanson and not selling my World Record. I might accept money for appearances but as far as putting the original mount in somebody elses hands it's not going to happen.
Call me stupid for not taking a large sum of money but I guess I am just stubborn that way and stand up for what I believe in.

[muddy]

For the sake of conversation did you "hear" about the million dollar pay outs from a buddys buddy's buddy or did you hear it from a legitimate antler dealer? If I had a dollar for every time I heard of something selling for a million dollars I'd be retired with a million dollars!

I'm going off what I read in NAW awhile back on what antlers have sold for recently. Nothing was anywhere close to a million dollars. I'd like to think that I saw 290+ racks were in the $300,000 category. Maybe all the high fence operations that grow 3.5 year old 400 inch deer have "flooded the market"? Of course to me that would mean a legit wild rack that goes over 300 inches SHOULD be worth a million.

[muddy]

I'm with Milo Hanson and not selling my World Record. I might accept money for appearances but as far as putting the original mount in somebody elses hands it's not going to happen.
Call me stupid for not taking a large sum of money but I guess I am just stubborn that way and stand up for what I believe in.

Hey, I can respect that, no questions asked. In your situation I'd talk to the best house security I could find and ask them for an endorsement after they wire your joint top to bottom!

[dan]

Yes for the record I heard it from collectors. But, like you said, not recently. Not since the late 80's.
I wouldn't doubt that the high fence freaks are the reason the price dropped. Still, if the world record was only worth $100,000 I would sell it in a heart beat unless I could make more with appearaces and selling replicas... For gods sake, its only a deer

[Wrinkleneck]

I really don't know what I would do until the day it happens, but I'm really leaning in one direction (selling)

[Casper]

Selling in a heart beat. Replica's look just like the real thing, so why not take the money and use it for yourself or your family. You still get all the endorsements and appearance money.

[tim]

casper when you sell the deer im sure you sell all rights to it. im with dewey on this, im keeping it.im also a very stubborn person, besides im sure by keeping it there is plenty of money to be made. i fee like selling would cheapen my accomplishment. i respect everybodys decision on this though, it is a lot of money. money does not define me or sway me . i can always make more of it. like i said before if i waanted to make money off it there would be plenty to be made, then someday my son could sell it. hope i get into this position someday. it would also mean most if it came off the land i saved all those years and purchased with my hard earned cash. which brings me to my last point most people think im nuts for paying all this money to buy land just to hunt deer, againg its not about money for me and my son can sell someday.