What has hunting become?

[jryoung]

That can't really be the deer after all the hoopla? Man, maybe I'll buy the MT auction permit next year. It should go for about seventy five dollars.

I love hearing the stories about Governors Tag prices plummeting because someone the previous year shot an above average animal.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Eric, no doubt most Montana outfitter websites have pages and pages of young bucks just like that one. Hilarious.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Buying the statewide auction permit, putting ads in the paper for a bounty, shooting a dink in a hayfield on film for Where in the World is Colorado Buck, and posing in a picture watermarked "Mossback Guides and Outfitters"....

I'd rather be kicked in the balls to death.

 

[Eric Albus]

jr...for the state of Montana, that is an above average animal, and I do not think it will drive up the price, unfortunately.

greenhorn, you looked at my web page?

 

[The Hedgehog]

Eric - Just looked at your site. 50 mule deer bucks, a few dandies. About a dozen pretty nice ones. Were those mule deer all from last fall? Are some of those management bucks?

 

[JLS]

I am not sure if I am disappointed or proud.

Disappointed that a hunter with the Gov. tag could only buy his way to a buck of that caliber.

Proud that no one in Montana went for the money and ratted out the location of a bigger deer.

Antlerradar

I couldn't agree more! How many deer a year do you and Scott line out that would dwarf that?

This stuff just never ceases to nauseate me.

 

[mtlion]

Colorado Buck has another pic of the deer on his facebook although with a serious long arm perspective. Looks like the family shells out a ton of money for CB or Doyle to lead them around each fall

The photo they put on facebook definitely shows the true size of that buck. Check it out. It is not an above average animal as has been suggested, rather it looks to be a pretty young deer. It's very slender and the antlers have no mass at all, and tiny little bases to match. In the unit he was hunting it wouldn't get a second look.

 

[antlerradar]

JLS I wish it was the case that I was still finding bucks bigger than that on public land. Fifteen to twenty years ago when you were here I could find 5 to 10 better and one or two much better bucks. This last year on public land I only saw one that was better. Might have been a lot better but I didn't get a good look at him. I see bucks like that or much better on the Diamond Cross every year but they don't come cheap. People may not like what Eric has to say but a lot of the time he comes real close to the truth.
This is why I am disappointed.

I am also pleased not just with the residents hunters but also with the outfitters for selling out there regular clients to a higher bidder. I have know a few that would have but this would have been a big buck for them.

Antlerradar

 

[mtlion]

JLS I wish it was the case that I was still finding bucks bigger than that on public land.

Go take a look at the long arm photo Colorado Buck posted on his facebook page then compare to the one SS posted from the same unit. That deer is not big by any means and you could do just as good or better in many general units hunting publicly accessible lands.

Check out the facebook photo and tell me what you think that deer would score. I'm going to guess in the 150's. I'd call that an average deer for a good hunter in many general units. Any other guesses?

 

[mtmuley]

shoots, saw the guy in the Donaldson's hat with another big buck. He a guide or something? mtmuley

 

[Eric Albus]

Greenhorn, some of the younger smaller bucks come from the Milk River. We can't manage mule deer here, a 5..5 to 6.5 yr. old mule deer is as common as a unicorn. To much public land to manage mule deer here in Reg. 6. There is not one ranch that can consistently grow mule deer to maturity....the ranches here are just not big enough...those that are big enough have to much interspersed BLM w/ access to grow deer consistently(the key word).

The other better deer and obvious management deer come from the Powder River. Here we average 5.5 to 6.5 years of age depending on the year. Every year we take 2-3 7.5 year old deer, and this past season we took a 9.5 year old buck. We average around 170-175 gross on these deer. This is about where we see most of the bucks "max" out, every year we take 1-2 bucks that are right in the 188-190 gross range. In 15 years down there we have never taken a 200. We just do not have the right soil type, woody browse or agriculture to produce 200+ bucks there. If the landowners were farmers and growing soy beans/garbonzo beans/peas, ect, then I think we would see a 10-20 inch jump in antler growth....but this is ranch country, and we take what we get. (the deer are from last 2-3 yrs., no way we could take 50 a year)

JLS is right (sorry you are disappointed I come close to the truth...LOL) The Diamond Cross consistently produces top end 190-200 inch bucks...superior soil types and abundant woody browse contribute to their great management program. The other areas that are consistent about producing top end are Sarpy Creek and the Colstrip areas. Not every area is created equal when it comes to antler production.

The other thing JLS hit on is also correct(imo), 20 years ago, if you hunted hard taking a 170-190 buck was a realistic possibility on public land (at least here in Reg. 6). Now, you if you are lucky you might get one once every 4-5 years.

 

[The Hedgehog]

You must mean 150lbs. It's probably the only mossback photo with less than 12 goatee'd Utards and the client's entire family posing with a carcass.

 

[James Riley]

You must mean 150lbs. It's probably the only mossback photo with less than 12 goatee'd Utards and the client's entire family posing with a carcass.

Look at the ribs on that deer. No insight; just noticed them is all.

 

[shoots-straight]

shoots, saw the guy in the Donaldson's hat with another big buck. He a guide or something? mtmuley

They put in as a party, so a bunch of friends drew the tags. The smallest they shot was about the size of the Newsom buck.

That's the owner of Donaldson Bros. and his son. The year before this the son drew the tag and shot a real nice one with a bow.

There were 2 over 200 that I know of shot. One was with the Donaldson party.

They had a great time hunting those deer.

This was something that our club helped to create, so I take great pride in people hunting these mule deer and the great enjoyment they get out of having these tags.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Eric, all of region 6 is clearly not the same. Some XL deer were taken last fall up north.

 

[mtmuley]

Not a fan of the party draw in that area. I thought the guys looked familiar. The other buck is a monster. I have pics of him alive as I don't live far from where he was killed. I ran into a guy that took a 150 buck on the mountain and was thrilled. Guess everybody isn't after antler with that tag. Is it just me, or does Newsom's deer look pretty old? mtmuley

 

[The Hedgehog]

Eric - I believe this is a region 6 unicorn from last fall.

 

[JLS]

Maybe Darrin should read this thread:

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=7&threadid=437395&MESSAGES=151&FF=7

This is how you enjoy a 270 mule deer tag.

 

[Steelhead]

I'd like to see the pictures of team MB huddled around that lil guy...

 

[ERSS]

That photo Greenhorn posted in ( post #292 ) is hilarious.Its definitely a respectable deer, but the camera work cracks me up. "Ok, now go back about 20 yards and sit behind the deer. I'll frame your face in the antlers". When your head is a 1/4 the size of the deer's ear in the photo.........you are really trying too hard.

Reminds me of a photo of a trophy rockchuck posted here a few years back