Interestingly, two of the top five bucks from the Northeast's 2006 archery season came from New York.

In addition to Mastroianni's trophy, Joe Ebel's 16-point non-typical gross-scored 174 1/8.

Paul Buccacio's great 10-point typical buck was by far the most impressive deer of the season, a new state-record archery typical for Massachusetts.

Stephen Ponte's Rhode Island 10-point typical was also a new state record for typical archery bucks in that state, with a gross score of 166 7/8.

Stephen Ingrassia's Bay State 16-point non-typical also made the top five.

How did 2006 compare to the previous year? In 2005, New York's archery hunters took some monstrous bucks.

Topping the list was Rex Taft's monster from Steuben County that gross-scored 203 7/8 and netted 198 4/8 B&C points. This was the biggest non-typical archery buck shot in the entire Northeast in 2005.

Other great archery bucks from New York's 2005 season included Peter Cillione's Dutchess County 13-point non-typical with a gross score of 162 7/8, and Brian Doyle's Oneida County 9-point typical that grossed 161 7/8.

BIGGEST GUN BUCK
The Cuozzo Buck
Year after year, shotgun and rifle hunters take the vast majority of deer in this state. And many of the biggest bucks fall to a bullet, ball or slug.

Gun hunters have been roaming the woods of the Empire State for centuries and they are shooting as many quality trophy whitetails now as at any point in history.

As if having shot the top archery buck of the year wasn't enough, James Mastroianni went on to shoot a 163 6/8-inch 0-pointer during the gun season in Schoharie County!

In last month's issue of New York Game & Fish, I brought you the story of the year's best gun buck -- a monster 225-pound, 15-point non-typical taken in Chemung County by hunter Bob Cuozzo.

According to the NBBC and New York State Big Buck Club, its gross non-typical score is 215 3/8. The buck nets 209 6/8 B&C points after asymmetry deductions.

The rack has a 6x6, 190-class typical frame complemented by seven abnormal points -- 3 on the right, 4 on the left -- that add 21 inches of abnormal growth.

This rack's tine length and mass are its most obvious outstanding features. This monster has four tines over 12 inches long (the G-2s and G-3s on each side) and outstanding brow tines at 9 and 8 3/8 inches.

The bases measure 5 6/8 and 5 4/8 inches, and all eight circumference measurements total 44 2/8. (Anything over 40 inches is quite impressive!)

The seven abnormal points are primarily sticker points, except for impressive split brow tines on both sides.

In short, this buck has it all! It now stands atop the list of New York non-typicals killed in 2006, according to Northeast Big Buck Club records.

As often happens during a year when a giant buck is killed, other very impressive bucks can go unnoticed. Let's look at several other great firearm bucks from 2006.

In New York, two huge 17-point non-typicals fell this past year also -- the first in Wayne County to Stephan Bailey. Its rack had a gross score of 183 2/8 and a net B&C score of 177 1/8. The big-racked buck had a big body too: 215 pounds field-dressed.

The second 17-point non-typical, taken in Oneida County by hunter James C. Doyle, scored 181 6/8 gross and 176 7/8 net B&C.

Another great non-typical worth mentioning was Jeff Robinson's 169 5/8-inch 12-pointer from Steuben County.

Some great typical bucks fell to gun hunters as well.

Charles Farney's 11-pointer topped the list at 174 7/8 gross B&C points, or 162 0/8 net.

Other very good typical gun bucks include Marvin Vahue's Monroe County 10-pointer, which scored 166 7/8 gross B&C, with an inside spread of just under 20 inches.

And how about Jesse McNitt's 163 6/8-inch 9-pointer from Oswego County, with its huge 24-inch inside spread?

Of course, the Mastroianni typical gun buck scored 163 6/8 as well.

How did 2006 compare to the previous year?

In 2005, New York's gun hunters took some monstrous bucks. Heading the list was Andy Hall's huge 17-point non-typical from Ontario County, which gross-scored 201 6/8 and netted a whopping 192 6/8 B&C points. It was one of the biggest non-typicals shot in 2005 in the entire Northeast. Interestingly, two of the top five bucks from the Northeast's 2006 archery season came from New York.

In addition to Mastroianni's trophy, Joe Ebel's 16-point non-typical gross-scored 174 1/8.

Paul Buccacio's great 10-point typical buck was by far the most impressive deer of the season, a new state-record archery typical for Massachusetts.

Stephen Ponte's Rhode Island 10-point typical was also a new state record for typical archery bucks in that state, with a gross score of 166 7/8.

Stephen Ingrassia's Bay State 16-point non-typical also made the top five.

How did 2006 compare to the previous year? In 2005, New York's archery hunters took some monstrous bucks.

Topping the list was Rex Taft's monster from Steuben County that gross-scored 203 7/8 and netted 198 4/8 B&C points. This was the biggest non-typical archery buck shot in the entire Northeast in 2005.

Other great archery bucks from New York's 2005 season included Peter Cillione's Dutchess County 13-point non-typical with a gross score of 162 7/8, and Brian Doyle's Oneida County 9-point typical that grossed 161 7/8.

BIGGEST GUN BUCK
The Cuozzo Buck
Year after year, shotgun and rifle hunters take the vast majority of deer in this state. And many of the biggest bucks fall to a bullet, ball or slug.

Gun hunters have been roaming the woods of the Empire State for centuries and they are shooting as many quality trophy whitetails now as at any point in history.

As if having shot the top archery buck of the year wasn't enough, James Mastroianni went on to shoot a 163 6/8-inch 0-pointer during the gun season in Schoharie County!

In last month's issue of New York Game & Fish, I brought you the story of the year's best gun buck -- a monster 225-pound, 15-point non-typical taken in Chemung County by hunter Bob Cuozzo.

According to the NBBC and New York State Big Buck Club, its gross non-typical score is 215 3/8. The buck nets 209 6/8 B&C points after asymmetry deductions.

The rack has a 6x6, 190-class typical frame complemented by seven abnormal points -- 3 on the right, 4 on the left -- that add 21 inches of abnormal growth.

This rack's tine length and mass are its most obvious outstanding features. This monster has four tines over 12 inches long (the G-2s and G-3s on each side) and outstanding brow tines at 9 and 8 3/8 inches.

The bases measure 5 6/8 and 5 4/8 inches, and all eight circumference measurements total 44 2/8. (Anything over 40 inches is quite impressive!)

The seven abnormal points are primarily sticker points, except for impressive split brow tines on both sides.

In short, this buck has it all! It now stands atop the list of New York non-typicals killed in 2006, according to Northeast Big Buck Club records.

As often happens during a year when a giant buck is killed, other very impressive bucks can go unnoticed. Let's look at several other great firearm bucks from 2006.

In New York, two huge 17-point non-typicals fell this past year also -- the first in Wayne County to Stephan Bailey. Its rack had a gross score of 183 2/8 and a net B&C score of 177 1/8. The big-racked buck had a big body too: 215 pounds field-dressed.

The second 17-point non-typical, taken in Oneida County by hunter James C. Doyle, scored 181 6/8 gross and 176 7/8 net B&C.

Another great non-typical worth mentioning was Jeff Robinson's 169 5/8-inch 12-pointer from Steuben County.

Some great typical bucks fell to gun hunters as well.

Charles Farney's 11-pointer topped the list at 174 7/8 gross B&C points, or 162 0/8 net.

Other very good typical gun bucks include Marvin Vahue's Monroe County 10-pointer, which scored 166 7/8 gross B&C, with an inside spread of just under 20 inches.

And how about Jesse McNitt's 163 6/8-inch 9-pointer from Oswego County, with its huge 24-inch inside spread?

Of course, the Mastroianni typical gun buck scored 163 6/8 as well.

How did 2006 compare to the previous year?

In 2005, New York's gun hunters took some monstrous bucks. Heading the list was Andy Hall's huge 17-point non-typical from Ontario County, which gross-scored 201 6/8 and netted a whopping 192 6/8 B&C points. It was one of the biggest non-typicals shot in 2005 in the entire Northeast.