The author took this photo of Zeus in 2024 with a 30-point antler rack!
If you want to see what a whitetail buck looks like on the hoof with a huge set of antlers, you can do so at the Deer Ranch in St. Ignace. Each of the last two years, the exceptional buck has grown monster nontypical antlers that would score well over 200 inches at 3 ½ and 4 ½ years old.
During 2023, the special deer grew antlers with 33 points, 13 on the left side and 20 on the right. He was a 30-pointer in 2024, with 11 on the left and 19 on the right side. Both sets of shed antlers are on display in the gift shop at the Deer Ranch.
The buck is currently in the process of growing a new set of antlers at five years of age. It will be interesting to see what those antlers end up looking like.
What’s unique about the whitetail besides its big antlers is it’s white in color. He has a pink nose and hooves, but lacks the pink eyes of a true albino.
The buck’s name is Zeus.
“Every year, we let our young staff pick a theme for naming our fawns,” Connie Cullip explained. “Zeus was born the year the theme was Greek Mythology.”
Connie owns the Deer Ranch with her husband, Chuck. The ranch has been in operation for 75 years. The Cullips bought the ranch from Harold and Sally Kriesche in 2011.
Even though no one knew what that buck’s antlers would be like when he was named, he has lived up to the name. He is an example of how phenomenal antler growth can be among whitetails with the right genetics and excellent nutrition, even at a young age. The buck has the largest antlers by far among the whitetails at the ranch, but there are also other bucks with impressive headgear.
Zeus was born on May 29, 2020. He was a twin. His sister was also white in color. His parents were a white buck named Jack Frost, which also had impressive nontypical antlers, and Jasper, a piebald doe. Jasper was three years old when she gave birth to Zeus.
Zeus was bottle-fed as a fawn, like most fawns at the Deer Ranch are.
“Zeus has always been easy going for a buck,” Connie commented. “He’s one of our favorite deer. We had no idea how big his antlers were going to get. We are amazed at how large they have been during recent years.”
The amazing whitetail has had impressive nontypical antlers since he grew his first set in 2021, based on photographs provided by the Cullips. It is difficult to count all of the points on the deer’s first set of antlers from the photograph, but there are at least 16. Most people would have a hard time believing a 1.5-year-old buck could grow such a large set of antlers.
As a 2-year-old, Zeus’ left antler had a typical configuration, with what looks like five long tines and a sticker point off of the second point. The right antler remained nontypical, however, with too many points to count from the photograph.
By 2023, Zeus grew a drop tine on his right antler, and both beams were palmated. His antlers from 2024 had even more palmation. The drop tine on his right antler was much longer and had forked. A short drop tine appeared on his left antler that year. The buck’s antlers should be even more impressive this year than those he grew the last two years.
The Deer Ranch is on the south side of Highway U.S. 2, a short distance west of St. Ignace and is open through mid-October.
