All sportsmen not the kingmen

[Killergaurd]

All public land hunters. I know in mt public land is pounded. Dont know how else to say it but truthfully. I get it those with money will have there play ground. I drew a limited tag this year and focused on that everyday but one. I ate my tag best buck i could of shot was,160. I was looking for 170 to 180. Maybe unrealustic on the tag but some few maybe 1 or 2 there. Will apply for same tag again. Found myself alot thinking i should be hunting a big bull elk since my fav unit got hit with snow. It was nice to think hey next year i can hunt elk but truth is a 280 bull is a great bull public land in the unit. Grew up since i could walk in the hills with my dad and loved it. I just see a bad future for the public land hunter. Maybe it was the fact that most mature muleys rut low which happens to be private but it is more than that. Love hunting elk every year but only buy a deer tag to apply for limited entry. Looking forward to hunting for the big elk next year but as most know its like winning the lottery. Any thoughts on making more quality on public. I always think of my sons just had baby boy 4 months old future. I hope than can experience half of what i did growing up.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Here in Utardia we have amazing quality on some of our public land. It is accomplished by only letting a few hunt every year. Ever hear of the Henry Mountains? If you started applying now there's a good chance you could hunt by 2173.

 

[Carnage2011]

I'd say you need to look at some other units. There is some great public land hunting in Montana. There are a lot of variables when it comes to "good" hunting. If 280 is a top end bull for your area then I'd look elsewhere. Between two general units in the area I spend the most time, I can name 5 Bulls that friends of mine shot that were over 300". Two were over 350. This is obviously the exception, but we chase 300" Bulls every year on public land.

As far as the deer hunting goes...meh its poor.

 

[Gerald Martin]

It's all about perspective and how you define success. Numbers and score don't mean squat if you are able to appreciate time in the woods for what it is. I shot a 340" bull and a whitetail doe this year. It was just as fulfilling to watch my daughter blood trail the doe as it was to pack out my bull. Both were milestones, my biggest bull, her first time hunting with me. Both were moments in time that were special and fleeting. I treasure them both and look forward to many more days on our public land.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Places that used to get little pressure around here are now crowded start to finish, Washington also has pretty short seasons making it tougher. I usually hunt Montana because of more places to hunt and the season dates working better with my work schedule. This year with some health issues, work issues, etc., I never got out even a single day in Washington or Montana (or anywhere else) - it's going to be a very long off season. I know you enjoyed being out hunting, sometimes just being out there is enough.

 

[hank4elk]

After passing on 340 bulls & bucks that were short of the 30" mark,I stopped a few years ago.
It was a short phase,maybe 10 years.
Too many unfilled tags. Too many came close but no cigar lit encounters too.
NM's 5 day hunts & the decline of the deer herds has changed my deer hunting big time.
I can see huge bulls just driving to town some days, so that is just common place life where I live.
Like watching antelope on my own place.

 

[LopeHunter]

My grandfather used to drive for 12 hours to hunt Colorado. A trophy buck and bull were when it weighed a lot more than average. Meat was why he hunted for elk and deer. Was the depression then the war years and meat was something you could eat and trade for other items you either could not afford or were restricted for the war effort. Bullets were not plentiful so you were not touching off rounds at long distances. Woodsmanship skills were valued and respected.

I shot a 225 pound whitetail doe in Missouri. Field-dressed 225 pounds. Think about that. But, everyone at the check station wanted to look at the buck I got which was also quite nice. Times have changed with horn porn. No one called from the SLC welfare Expo asking me to display my big doe. No, just like the upper deck homerun in baseball gets people more excited than the much rarer no-hitter, the large antlered-buck or bull is the sizzle now. The big-bodied critter is the steak but you sell the sizzle if your target audience cares more about the sell than the meal.

Find a unit that meets your needs and go hunt. For sizzle or steak. No law against the sizzle. I prefer the steak.

 

[hank4elk]

My grandfather used to drive for 12 hours to hunt Colorado. A trophy buck and bull were when it weighed a lot more than average. Meat was why he hunted for elk and deer. Was the depression then the war years and meat was something you could eat and trade for other items you either could not afford or were restricted for the war effort. Bullets were not plentiful so you were not touching off rounds at long distances. Woodsmanship skills were valued and respected.

I shot a 225 pound whitetail doe in Missouri. Field-dressed 225 pounds. Think about that. But, everyone at the check station wanted to look at the buck I got which was also quite nice. Times have changed with horn porn. No one called from the SLC welfare Expo asking me to display my big doe. No, just like the upper deck homerun in baseball gets people more excited than the much rarer no-hitter, the large antlered-buck or bull is the sizzle now. The big-bodied critter is the steak but you sell the sizzle if your target audience cares more about the sell than the meal.

Find a unit that meets your needs and go hunt. For sizzle or steak. No law against the sizzle. I prefer the steak.

A full freezer is the trophy now. It was growing up. I was taught you eat what you kill...game/ animal wise.
I really want a way to get the picture of the huge cow I took a few years ago off my phone. I was way more pleased with her than any bull I have taken.

 

[onpoint]

I hope than can experience half of what i did growing up.

Pretty timely and interesting stuff in my not so humble opinion. That child may have half the experience you had, maybe not. You most likely got to experience half what your gramps did. As it keeps getting halved, think of the lessening of the experience. These are the good old days. The 50's were, the 70's were, the 90's were........
Where I live, the the late 80's early 90's were spectacular for great good bull elk hunting up the Gallatin Canyon - that ain't so much the case anymore. In the eighties, I rarely ever saw another blue grouse hunter while hunting within sight of Bozeman - not the case anymore.
Hunting may be on the downturn nationwide, but where hunters want to live and play, it is getting more crowded. More hunters, less accessible private land, hell - the internet advertising stuff all day, everyday - and ever increasing human population in general. The tragedy of the commons really rears it's head when it comes to public land hunting. Limiting opportunity may be one idea - but then you are, well, limiting opportunity. Some will like it, many won't.
I try like hell to appreciate every moment I have doing this stuff. Sometimes it's a struggle because I have a case of the "remember whens". Then I think of a guy in his twenties who thinks this stuff is really cool and great right now.
Perceptions........

 

[TBass]

My grandfather used to drive for 12 hours to hunt Colorado. A trophy buck and bull were when it weighed a lot more than average. Meat was why he hunted for elk and deer. Was the depression then the war years and meat was something you could eat and trade for other items you either could not afford or were restricted for the war effort. Bullets were not plentiful so you were not touching off rounds at long distances. Woodsmanship skills were valued and respected.

I shot a 225 pound whitetail doe in Missouri. Field-dressed 225 pounds. Think about that. But, everyone at the check station wanted to look at the buck I got which was also quite nice. Times have changed with horn porn. No one called from the SLC welfare Expo asking me to display my big doe. No, just like the upper deck homerun in baseball gets people more excited than the much rarer no-hitter, the large antlered-buck or bull is the sizzle now. The big-bodied critter is the steak but you sell the sizzle if your target audience cares more about the sell than the meal.

Find a unit that meets your needs and go hunt. For sizzle or steak. No law against the sizzle. I prefer the steak.

At a time when nobody cared about shooting big bucks, they apparently were everywhere. Now that more and more only want to shoot a big buck, they're nowhere. What scratches the "big" itch this year, likely won't in subsequent years...

 

[TBass]

Limiting opportunity may be one idea - but then you are, well, limiting opportunity.

Opportunity should be severely limited. As long as my son and I get to go every year...

 

[LuketheDog]

I drew a limited tag this year and focused on that everyday but one. I ate my tag best buck i could of shot was,160. I was looking for 170 to 180. Maybe unrealustic on the tag but some few maybe 1 or 2 there. Will apply for same tag again. Found myself alot thinking i should be hunting a big bull elk since my fav unit got hit with snow. It was nice to think hey next year i can hunt elk but truth is a 280 bull is a great bull public land in the unit. Grew up since i could walk in the hills with my dad and loved it.

Did your dad teach you to quantify experiences only with antler score? Or, are there other important aspects to being in the field, like putting meat in the freezer?

I suggest you read this recent thread: https://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?279600-Freezer-Fillers-from-our-annual-KY-rutcation

I've had a few great big game hunts this year, and I have meat in the freezer. BUT, my absolute favorite moments from this season was taking my little girl out dove hunting for her first hunting experiences, where I shot ONE and ZERO birds those evenings, probably about 3 hours of hunting total. She had the time of her life, I'll never forget it...

 

[Lefty315]

My grandfather used to drive for 12 hours to hunt Colorado. A trophy buck and bull were when it weighed a lot more than average. Meat was why he hunted for elk and deer. Was the depression then the war years and meat was something you could eat and trade for other items you either could not afford or were restricted for the war effort. Bullets were not plentiful so you were not touching off rounds at long distances. Woodsmanship skills were valued and respected.

I shot a 225 pound whitetail doe in Missouri. Field-dressed 225 pounds. Think about that. But, everyone at the check station wanted to look at the buck I got which was also quite nice. Times have changed with horn porn. No one called from the SLC welfare Expo asking me to display my big doe. No, just like the upper deck homerun in baseball gets people more excited than the much rarer no-hitter, the large antlered-buck or bull is the sizzle now. The big-bodied critter is the steak but you sell the sizzle if your target audience cares more about the sell than the meal.

Find a unit that meets your needs and go hunt. For sizzle or steak. No law against the sizzle. I prefer the steak.

Great point. I've never put a tape measure on anything except a piece of wood I'm going to cut. And yet I've had some tremendous hunting experiences. Like the time a few years ago hunting elk with my muzzleloader. I was coming out of the timber getting ready for the 2 mile hike out when I spotted a mountain goat. It captivated me and I watched it for about 10 minutes. I happened to glance down and saw elk feeding. Made a hasty stalk and shot a nice big cow at 30 yards. Had it not been for the mountain goat my freezer would've been empty. That was Thanksgiving evening. A cold, crisp, frosty evening with a sky full of stars set in while I was was quartering the elk. My Thanksgiving dinner consisted of trail mix and Gatoraid. I wouldn't trade that hunt for anything!!!

 

[onpoint]

Did your dad teach you to quantify experiences only with antler score? Or, are there other important aspects to being in the field, like putting meat in the freezer?

I've had a few great big game hunts this year, and I have meat in the freezer. BUT, my absolute favorite moments from this season was taking my little girl out dove hunting for her first hunting experiences, where I shot ONE and ZERO birds those evenings, probably about 3 hours of hunting total. She had the time of her life, I'll never forget it...

The OP stated that he was looking for a nice buck in a limited draw district. Most folks don't apply to limited draw units in order to put meat in the freezer. The threads on here that get the most views are usually ones with a pic of some guy holding his big whatever. He also closed with hoping his grandson gets to maybe have the experience you just described.

 

[BigHornRam]

I grew up in a poor family in the 70's and my parents didn't really have the money for us to hunt. One thing my father did was to take my 2 brothers and I on at least 1 good summer backpack trip starting when I was 8. Crappy gear and cool places like Emigrant Basin, the Beartooths, and Wind River Range. When my brother and I wanted to trap, we bought a canoe and traps with money we earned. When we wanted to bird hunt we bought our own gun. Do I feel deprived? Hell no.

Every day I get a chance to be in the great outdoors in this great country, I feel like a Kingmen. Perspective I guess.

 

[LuketheDog]

The OP stated that he was looking for a nice buck in a limited draw district.

Sounds like he had an opportunity for a 160" buck, that qualifies as "a nice buck" for most people I think. Just because a unit is limited draw doesn't mean there's a 160"+ buck behind every tree...

 

[Gr8bawana]

Perhaps the type of buck you were looking for was there but you just didn't happen to find it simply because they are few and far between.
To go out hunting and set a goal of shooting only a buck which scores xxx and nothing else even in a limited entry area will lead to a lot of disappointment and tag soup. Limited tag areas do not guarantee monster bucks behind every rock. A buck needs to be able to reach maturity to grow its biggest headgear if the genetics are there. Tags would have to be limited enough for that to occur which would then cause people to complain that it is too hard to draw the tag.

 

[el unit]

I grew up in a poor family in the 70's and my parents didn't really have the money for us to hunt. One thing my father did was to take my 2 brothers and I on at least 1 good summer backpack trip starting when I was 8. Crappy gear and cool places like Emigrant Basin, the Beartooths, and Wind River Range. When my brother and I wanted to trap, we bought a canoe and traps with money we earned. When we wanted to bird hunt we bought our own gun. Do I feel deprived? Hell no.

Every day I get a chance to be in the great outdoors in this great country, I feel like a Kingmen. Perspective I guess.

Yes.

 

[onpoint]

Sounds like he had an opportunity for a 160" buck, that qualifies as "a nice buck" for most people I think. Just because a unit is limited draw doesn't mean there's a 160"+ buck behind every tree...

Once again, the perception thing.
I kinda' homed in more on the public land issue and his concern for his grandkid's opportunity.
Seems the big buck thing, which is really a matter of perception and personal choice, may have caught your attention.
I have stuff hanging on my walls that I like a lot. Never taped anything, never will. Don't particularly care for B&C, P&Y, SCI. But I do wish people would shoot fewer sub 4 year old muleys - just because I like big muley bucks.
Perceptions............

 

[MTGomer]

Some things are on the decline. Some are as good as they’ve ever been. There are places and species in Montana right now that are currently in the ‘good old days’. Others are dismal at best. Unfortunately it seems there is more poor muley hunting than good.

I don’t bird hunt, but there were thousands of Canadian Geese in the sky between Billings and Laurel last night. And shotguns booming all around. I don’t know what it was like 50 years ago but i can’t imagine it getting much better.