Antelope Island Mule Deer 2013: 247 Giant Buck

Antelope Island Mule Deer 2013: 247 Giant Buck taken by Denny Austad

In early 2013 Denny Austad stunned the hunting community when he bid a staggering $310,000 for the Antelope Island Mule Deer permit at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. The winning bid was a new record for a price paid for a mule deer permit, the previous amount being $265,000 for a statewide hunting permit.

Denny was hunting with Mossback Guides & Outfitters once again for 2013 and landing this beautiful buck on the island. The buck has a green gross score of 247 B&C and has unique matching crown points on the front end.

Denny is no stranger to monster mule deer and has taken some of the biggest mule deer for the state of Utah. He is also no stranger to hunting on Antelope Island. Last year in 2012, Denny was the winning bid for this same tag and landing a monster 287 inch buck.

There is no doubt $310,000 is a lot of money, so how will it be used and for what? Ninety percent of the money will go back to Antelope Island State Park to be used on habitat and conservation work to benefit mule deer and other species on the island. The other 10 percent goes to the Mule Deer Foundation, a Utah-based nonprofit with the mission to restore, improve and protect mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat.