Holy Buck! See a $5Mil Whitetail

Wow.

We all know that, as much fun as outdoor television can be, many of the exciting scenes that we’re watching are really only exciting because of the editing. That doesn’t make them any less fun to watch, but it does mean that we have to suspend a little disbelief … unless, of course, you’re a fan of “Keith Warren’s Deer and Wildlife Stories.” There’s a new episode out that puts its money where its mouth is, and by “money” we mean five million dollars for a single whitetail buck.

How does an ostensibly wild animal wind up with a seven-figure price tag? Well, Warren’s visit to Blackjack Whitetails outside San Antonio helps tell the story. The hottest buck in the deer industry has a name–Blackjack. “We doubt there has ever been a buck on the planet that has what this buck has,” says the description, and they don’t appear to be exaggerating. “Spread, tine length, mass, frame and pedigree are all over the top and his look is incredible.”

In this episode, which you can watch for free here, Warren talks to farm owner Robert Myers about what he’s learned about the deer industry from having a buck this famous. Viewers will learn why there is something known as a deer industry, and how a buck can be worth this much money.

The long and short of it is breeding big bucks is very big business indeed. “Jackpot” the deer represents a genetic jackpot, and his value is determined in much the same way as a thoroughbred stud is–by how many similarly amazing whitetails he can father. But even as we’re amazed at a whitetail with a rack so big you could fit a bathtub in it, we should wonder if this is what we as sportsmen really want. Could an animal like Jackpot survive in the wilderness conditions for which whitetails evolved?

What do you think? Sound off in the comments!