Montana public land B&C mule deer

[DFS]

In light of @FoodIsMemories optimism that giants still exist in every mountain range in Montana. I would love to know the last legit Boone and Crockett mule deer someone has seen or shot on public land in Montana. I will go first I have hunted close to 30 years and I have never seen a legit book buck on public land in Montana. I have also shot the biggest buck I’ve seen which is a high 170’s buck. My boots don’t get laced up very tight so I’m sure many of you will give me optimism of the future of Montana’s mule deer.

 

[MTTW]

This is going to be short. Legit B&C is a tall order. I have never seen one in my life, and I don't know of one being killed where I hunt in my life. I turned 60 last weekend.

 

[300stw]

gross or net,,,

 

[seeth07]

gross or net,,,

Do you get a B&C certificate for a gross score? There is your answer...

 

[mtmiller]

Awards or All time?

 

[seeth07]

Awards or All time?

If we need to go back to the 80's to find someone with one, we need to do awards since all time didn't exist back then. And to my point about gross/net, you get a cert for awards and all time.

 

[Beignet]

 

[300stw]

Do you get a B&C certificate for a gross score? There is your answer...

dont know never filled out all the paperwork and took the pics to send in to get a certificate,,,i am assuming you only want to see net score deer that have been officially entered,,,,,,
carry on

 

[DFS]

dont know never filled out all the paperwork and took the pics to send in to get a certificate,,,i am assuming you only want to see net score deer that have been officially entered,,,,,,
carry on

I want to see any big public land deer!

 

[tjones]

In light of @FoodIsMemories . I would love to know the last legit Boone and Crockett mule deer someone has seen or shot on public land in Montana.

,i am assuming you only want to see net score deer that have been officially entered,,,,,,

Thinking the OP used the work "legit" meaning scored.

Lots of internet Boone bucks are scored with a tape having the first 6" broke off.

 

[DFS]

Fair enough I said it

 

[LopeHunter]

Do you get a B&C certificate for a gross score? There is your answer...

I have shoulder mounts in my home of 2 mountain goats, a nice bull elk, a nice mule deer, a nice pronghorn, a nice aoudad and a small Coues whitetail. All public land on draw tags. The Coues is what hunters almost always inquire the most about when first visiting.

I passed on a much larger, almost symmetrical Coues buck fighting with this one.



Some silly, arbitrary decision decades ago that perfect symmetry is better seems the mantra of collectors of precious stones.

Who amongst us upon seeing two mulie bucks will pass on the 4 x 3 dark brown antlers with great mass and 2 small stickers with a split brow at gross 180 vs a net 180 4 x 4 that is bone color with longer tines but less mass and identical width? I know my preference and my buddies mostly want the mature buck with some trash.

 

[seeth07]

Well we can eliminate the BS'ers.... its easy to find on the B&C website.

Here are all the typical mule deer entries:

 

[Deleted member 18333]

So far we have a 170" buck and a Coues deer. I think this is going about like the OP intended.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Greenhorn has a few I believe

 

[DFS]

He is on the list along with @antlerradar. Good for those guys.

 

[mtmuley]

mtmuley

 

[JLS]

I helped pack out and measure a mule deer buck from a limited entry unit that went over 180.

I saw one other buck in there on the hoof that I am confident was a legitimate 190+. I saw a photograph of one other buck the taped out in the upper 180s, confirmed by a trustworthy friend.

Edit all three were public land bucks.

 

[DFS]

Richland county 1960’s I believe. He hangs in redrock sporting goods in miles city. We just don’t have the genetics to grow big bucks.

 

[seeth07]

The Montana records require 180 net to enter. I think that is a more realistic number to judge legit big deer in MT by then maybe we would see some big deer. Net B&C eliminates 95 percent of big deer in mt

Notice that the list I posted starts at 180 - the minimum qualifying B&C score for a book entry