Today vs. The Glory Days

El_Matador · Dec 18, 2011

So much talk about how to improve the quality of deer hunting lately. Everyone wants it to be "the way it was". I've seen quite a few pictures of big deer taken back in the 60s, they just make me think it was an era of big bucks aplenty! In reality was that really the case? My grandpa hunted deer every year for the most part until he became too old for it in 1988. I watched him kill his last deer when I was 12. In all those years his best buck was a gnarly old bruiser that probably scored in the high 160s. I believe that with all the hunting shows and high-dollar hunts going on today that our expectations have gotten a little too high. People go on a general hunt and expect to see huge deer - when they don't, they complain that the DWR sucks and deer herds are struggling. While I agree that is part of the problem I believe people are just setting their sights too high. Huge bucks are smart if they live on public land and they know how to hide from hunters! If I want a big deer I either need to pay more or work harder than 99% of hunters out there. Those who get off the beaten path will see bucks. I hunt a pretty popular area and I see on average about 4-5 bucks a day during the general hunts. But I hike 2+ miles from the road. Maybe we are taking for granted the good deer hunting that we have right now and complaining too much that things aren't like they used to be...when in fact they are!

Here is a pic of my grandpa's deer, its the buck on the right. I still have these antlers. I plan on getting a shoulder mount with them once I kill a deer with the right cape.

TheElitehornhunter · Dec 18, 2011

BIG · Dec 18, 2011

Here is an old glory days pic of my grandpa, southern utah somewhere. Just some meat bucks and a good time.

goofyelk · Dec 18, 2011

I've lived, and hunted, in the same mountain area for 35 years.
Watched what was 1000s of deer dwindle to 100s into the 1990s.
Over the last 10 years, watched 100s drop to dam near ZERO!

Trust me, anyone thinking today's deer number are OK,,
Hasn't hunted deer in Utah very long!

Compared to even 10 years ago,,,,WOW..

cannonball · Dec 19, 2011

I'm getting to that age I would almost rather talk about it than do it. I've hunting the whole state of Utah (Promontory to the Waweep) (East Canyon to Indian Peaks). I've hunted Utah since 1958 and the Pauns that first year in 58. Goofyelk is right the number of deer has declined so bad that it is obvious - MOST OF OUR BASE HERDS ARE GONE. The number of doe a person would see during the season was astronomical.

A real trophy was as hard to come by as it is now, but who really knew, who really cared. Most everyone was after a meat deer and not a trophy. A trophy is more game'y tasting and who would want that. I can't count the number of 18" to 24" horns that went to the dump. Taxidermy back then was sick. A poorly tans hide over a saw dust filled skull. The taxidermy quality those first years of my hunting was as bad as the products that were used. The first few years of my hunting was for ten days and then the deer hunt was over. The elk herd in this area you could count on your hands and toes and that is not much of an exaggeration. Then the archery hunt started, it gave a person more time to hunt, but not the extended hunt they get now. One year in the 60's I saw forty buck in one herd on the archery hunt and then you could go to the next drainage and see a bunch more buck and so it would go.

buglinbilly · Dec 19, 2011

I was born and raised in Southwest Wyoming and back in the early 50's and through the 60's the deer hunting was unbeilable I started to bow hunt in 1959 and I was the only one around, that bow hunted in those days, in my area.

The archery season was only five days as I recall and I killed a buck the very first time I went hunting deer with my bowl It was not because I was good hunter, but rather because there were so many deer in those days.

In those days I had very little money, so I could only afford 1/2 dozen arrows with broadheads and I was so careful with them, at point in time,that I often would not shoot at a 30 plus inch buck, because I felt that if I missed, I would loose my arrow. So I would wait until I had a shot, where if I missed, I could be sure to find my arrow.

Here's a buck I took back in the early 70's down by Gateway, Colorado. In those days there were many bucks like this running around. Boy have things ever changed, and its been very hard for me, since I witnessed and lived the the good ole mulie days.

In those days a guy could see from 50-100 bucks on a morning hunt if he was hunting in a good spot. It takes years now for me to see that many out hunting

If you look close at that buck, it has cheaters on each side. It's outside spread was 34"

It's hard to believe how many nice racks went to the dumps in those days, just as someone above mentioned.

Merry Christmas to all. BB

nontypical · Dec 19, 2011

The "reality",El Matador,is that is EXACTLY the way it was back then.It's just as buglinbilly said it was.I can guarantee if your gramps would have been trophy hunting,you would have seen many more big bucks brought home!This subject has been beaten to death over and over.I'm glad you are satisfied with your hunting,and I KNOW that your G&F dept is!They hope everyone forgets how good it once was,so they can continue on thier present management course,which doesn't seem to favor deer survival in many states.

piper · Dec 19, 2011

If only it were 1960 and you had a razor 4x4, a rangefinder a fancy spotting scope a 800 yard rifle and a month or two off. Its hard to believe that people could think this is the good old days for mule deer, its the good days of high tec hunting gear and information technology, thats about all.