I wouldn't take that bet....
My buddy is huge into QDM and manages around 800 acres of his family farm in central WI. Early on they had the same mentality you do about the bucks rack. After sending them in for years at the beginning they were shocked to find out the majority of the "mature...
I've never personally met Mr. Shockey. But I've looked up to him as a hunter since I was about 10 and could understand what he was doing. Prayers from my family to yours Mr. Shockey. I can't imagine losing my wife. He clearly adored her and his kids and wasn't shy about it.
Not a lot of...
Getting the right people in charge is the key.
But I think many, many people are perfectly happy shooting a forkie or a 2 year old of any kind. I'm more interested in getting the kids deer than I am getting one for myself these days. So I'm fine with a freezer pleaser (doe) and helping them...
3.5 or 4.5. Leaning on 3.5.
He's not big and bulky in the front like the old boys are. It wouldn't matter to me. My outcome would have been the same as yours if I saw it.
Rumor has it that The Hanson Buck was a 3.5 year old.
I like to hunt for the experience, time with my son and friends, beautiful country. If I don't feel like shooting something, I don't and have had tag soup many times. But if it's legal, and want to shoot it....then I'm going to. Couldn't care less what someone thinks about it. Don't like it...
I have a Mesa in .308 Win and it seems to be fine. Shoots nice, handles well. If I had to complain about something it would be the ejection port has a really sharp machined edge on it that has cut my finger while loading/unloading from the bench.
The only thing I've shot out of it so far is...
I've seen them almost every year I hunt in MN. There are plenty, ask the moose. lol
Between the 5 of us that hunt in WI, we'll generally see one or two over the course of 9 days. I hear them a lot more than I see them in WI. I'll say I've only seen more than one at a time in WI on 1 occasion.
Has he ever been to WY? For anything? I didn't want to hunt elk until I went to elk country for a vacation. It's worth it just to go be in the woods and mountains.
I'd be surprised if there are 500 but could be. I'm with you on the moose. I saw one last fall while grouse hunting. It had been 5 or 6 years since I'd seen one.
The "folks" that love them have moslty only seen pictures of them and have seen them in zoos. I think they're awesome animals. But MN needs about 80% less than they have.