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Big whitetail antlers measured at Duluth boat show

Jeff Mohr of Burnsville, Minn., brought these deer antlers to the Duluth Boat, Sports and Travel Show last weekend. They were measured by a member of the Minnesota Official Measurers and scored a net 182 5/8 as typical antlers. (Sam Cook / scook@duluthnews.com)

     The antlers held by Jeff Mohr (above) of Burnsville, Minn., were one of the highlights of the Duluth Boat, Sports and Travel Show held Feb. 17-21 at the DECC. The antlers, which Mohr inherited from his father and grandfather, scored a remarkable 182 5/8 as typical whitetail antlers.

      They had been in Mohr's father's home for many years, and then were passed down to Mohr. Mohr's sister, Marcie Keppers of Proctor, also was on hand at the show on Saturday when the antlers were measured by official measurer Rod Dehart of Bemidji, Minn.

      "It's almost perfect," said Dehart of the rack. "That's what they're supposed to look like."

      The buck was shot in 1967 near Port Wing, Wis., as near as Mohr can determine. Mohr's grandfather was Ed Mohr, who died about 10 years ago. The antlers had never before been measured.

     "It's amazing. I knew it was big. But until you have it scored, you don't know how big it is," Jeff Mohr said.

     He plans to have taxidermist Mike Bong of Harvest Moon Taxidermy in Saginaw mount the antlers on a deer head, Mohr said.

     Bong was at the show Saturday and saw the rack.

     "It's got mass. It's got width. It's got long tines -- everything," Bong said.

     For perspective, a score of 182 5/8 would rank the rack 55th all-time among Minnesota's typical whitetails as listed in the "Minnesota Record Book, Sixth Edition," published by the Wildlife Heritage Association in Minneapolis. Minnesota's all-time record typical whitetail scored 202 0/8 and was taken by John Breen in 1918.

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