About us
The Mission of Bucks-Bears-Stags is to celebrate the long-honored heritage of recreational hunting in Maryland. Excellent habitat, fertile soil and science-based wildlife management have given us a world-class White-tailed Deer herd, a robust and expanding American Black Bear population and a unique "Maryland-only" residency of Sika Deer. We celebrate the success of Maryland's wildlife management by acknowledging the successful hunters and by honoring the finest examples of those legally harvested Maryland bucks, bears and stags. We also believe that the future of hunting rests with the young. We encourage Youth participation and the continued participation of men, women and seniors in our noble pursuit of wild game. We also believe it is our Mission to support the non-profit organizations that promote and protect our publicly-owned sustainable resources.
meet our team
Robert Newton III, Cecil County
Robert is the Scoring Director for Bucks-Bears-Stags from northeast Maryland. Robert is an Official Measurer for the Boone And Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club as well as the NMLRA Longhunters Society. He is passionate about shed hunting, Native American artifact hunting and metal detecting – all with constant companion - his teenage son Mason.
Mason Newton, Cecil County
Mason is the youngest member of our BBS team. Exposed to measuring animals since a young age, he will become an authorized scorer next year when he turns 18. Currently Mason helps out at events with setting up and handling trophies as they are brought in. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing, deer and turkey hunting, artifact hunting and shed hunting.
Doug Wigfield, Wicomico County
Doug Wigfield is the Sika Deer Scoring Director. He is an official measurer for BBS and the Pope and Young Club. He has been measuring since 1981. He is a retired, Maryland wildlife biologist and is the owner and maker of the Sika Seducer Call. He avidly pursues sika deer, whitetails and the wild turkey.
Steve Keithley, Calvert County
Steve Keithley began hunting small game in Maryland in the early 1960's with his dad. In the 1970's he began a gradual transition to bow only hunting. Steve became President of Maryland Bowhunters Society, a position he held from 1995-1997. During this time, Steve met Allan Ellis and a long-term friendship developed. With an interest in measuring North American big animals, Steve was certified as an Official Measurer for the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club during the mid-90's. He was honored to be chosen as a Panel Measurer for the 2001 Pope and Young Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Steve felt Maryland hunters were deserving of a state record book. After many discussions amongst the team, Bucks-Bears-Stags was launched.
Charles “Chuck” Wilcox, St. Mary’s County
Chuck is an active member of BBS, Pope and Young Club, Boone and Crockett Club, Maryland Bowhunters Society, and the National Rifle Association. He grew up in Michigan and spent 22 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“I’ve been hunting for well over 30 years doing my part as an active conservationist. It is my goal that this hunting heritage be passed along to future generations.”
“When I retired to Maryland in 2009, it was here that I experienced some of my fondest years hunting and fishing. Maryland is truly an outdoor paradise. In 2016, it was an honor to have my first record book eligible whitetail deer, from Maryland, entered into the BBS and Pope and Young record books. In July of 2019 I became a certified Official Measurer by the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young organizations. Soon after that, I was certified by BBS. It is an honor to be invited and certified as an Official Measurer for Bucks-Bears-Stags recognizing Maryland’s Finest.
Steve “Doc” Homyack, Kent County
Steve has been an Official Measurer for the Boone And Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club since 1988. Also, he has been an active officer in the Quality Deer Management Association (now National deer Association) since 1994. “Maryland has been my favorite hunting grounds since the 1970’s,” Homyack said, “I enjoy measuring trophy big game animals and hearing the stories that the successful hunters have to tell.” His usual greeting to fellow hunters is “Shoot a big one”.
Matt Pyle, Berlin, Pennsylvania
Matt lives in Berlin, Somerset County, Pennsylvania and teaches in Garrett County, Maryland. He is an Official Measurer for Bucks-Bears-Stags and OM for the Pope and Young Club.
Larry Myers, New Freedom, York County, Pennsylvania
Larry is an Official Measurer for Bucks-Bears-Stags and the Boone and Crockett Club since 2008. He lives in New Freedom, York County, Pennsylvania.
Brianne “Bri” Willey and Jason Willey, Caroline County
Without Bri’s data entry skills, Maryland’s Finest would not have come to fruition. She hand-entered every entry from the 1988 through 2017 public DNR records. She organized the BBS scores and spent copious hours fine-tuning the database so that these charts would be as accurate as possible. Her husband Jason was crucial in setting up BBS exhibits at scoring events and kept us all entertained during the downtimes. Jason is always quick with an idea to improve BBS and the occasional venison stew he cooks for everyone is always a hit.
Jennifer Kniceley-Ledfors, Queen Anne’s County
Jennifer is the graphic designer for Maryland’s Finest. She created and populated all the charts of all those entries. She formatted the stories and placed the photos. Working with the publisher was no easy task because the parts of the puzzle were scattered throughout emails and files from two different computers and pulled together from years of files. Long hours and lots of back-and-forth communications paid off. Bucks-Bears Stags is proud of her design work.
Allan Ellis and Robynn Ellis, Talbot County
Allan is a longtime publisher and broadcaster with a focus on hunting and the outdoors. Robynn grew up in Queen Anne’s County and enjoyed fishing with her father, Dr. Ron Franks, former Secretary of Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
John Melvin, Kent County, delaware
John is an active member of Pope and Young Club, Boone and Crockett Club, a Life Member of the National Rifle Association and a member of Whitetails Unlimited Delaware Chapter. He grew up near Henderson, Maryland and spent 10 years in the U.S. Air Force followed by 19 years as a civil servant retiring as an Assistant Fire Chief at Dover AFB.
“Although I live in Kent County Delaware; our family farm splits between Kent County, Delaware and Caroline County Maryland and is but a short drive to Queen Annes County.
I’m an active hunter who enjoys deer and turkey hunting. I especially enjoy mentoring young hunters.
In May of 2022 I became a certified Official Measurer by the Boone and Crockett Club and Pope and Young Club. I am truly excited to join BBS as a measurer and hear about your trophies!”
other members of the team include . . .
Fred Horn
Former OM for Boone and Crockett Club, and Pope and Young Club (retired). “Maryland’s Finest” First Edition was dedicated to Fred because of his history of measuring Maryland’s big game animals for over 30 years.
Carlton Vacek, Taxidermist, Queen Anne’s County
Authorized to measure for Bucks-Bears-Stags.
John Sagal, Allegany County
Owner of Mountain Maryland Firearms Training – Authorized to measure Maryland Black Bears
Taxidermist Mike Travis, Cecil County
OM for Pope and Young Club
MARYLAND'S FINEST: THE RECORDS AND THE LEGACY
2nd Edition
This book is a compilation of more than 30 years of the best and biggest Maryland Whitetails, Black Bears and Sika Stags ever recorded. It's not just names and numbers. True, we honor the animals and recognize the hunters. But we have also included history, photos and stories; all to promote Maryland's outstanding science-based wildlife management with the overarching theme of conservation.
Maryland’s Finest is packed with stories and pictures along with the highest scoring bucks, bears and stags across Maryland.