Col Allison showcases some of the biggest and best trophy heads from Australia and around the world.
For what I hope will become a popular occasional column, here‚Äôs the first whopping head for hanging¬†in “The Trophy Room”.
This massive fallow buck above – the biggest shot in the South Pacific, ever – was taken by well-known Guyra hunting outfitter and globe trotting hunter, Ray Hammond.
Scoring a huge 316-3/8 points Douglas Score, it runs to 338-7/8 SCI, after drying and being officially measured 60 days from hitting the deck. Carrying 52 points (that’s right, fifty-two!) the rack was 31 inches long by 30 inches wide.
“A bit short,” according to Ray who reckons the big Hungarian heads, from which this animal is descended, run to 36 inches long and wide. But obviously Hammond will live with this shortcoming…
The palms are wider than those on most American Shiras moose – at 26 and 24 inches in length! Extraordinary.
Ray shot his monster using a farmer’s borrowed rifle – a Kimber in .280 Remington at 140 yards – “somewhere in South Australia.”  Unlike some shooters, who would claim this as wild and free, he admits it was farm bred and released long before he stalked and killed it. In American parlance from the SCI record book, it is an “estate” head – born to be shot. Just like most of the big-palmed fallow (and mega multi-tined red deer, for that matter) taken in New Zealand today.
“Could you imagine ever coming across a head like this in the bush that hadn’t been bred and either escaped or been released? I don’t think so,” he added. Even in tremendous fallow range like Tasmania and the Hunter Valley of NSW, heads like this simply don’t exist among the gum trees. I’d certainly love for someone to prove me wrong.
Just to tantalise you further, here’s a second beauty from the trip shot by Ray’s son, Raeme. This 36-pointer is 30 inches long by 36 wide and despite being penalised for excess spread, still scores 301-3/8 Douglas.
Righto, if you’ve shot a memorable head of any species in the world, let me know and I’ll hang it here in The Trophy Room. But I prefer details of who shot it, what with, at what range and where. Good luck. Send your pics via email to csallison@optusnet.com.au.
 
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