How many 180 bucks do you see?

S

schoolhousegrizz

Very Active Member
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I would love to shoot a 180 gross mule deer. I have a 176 and a 171. How many bucks do you see that are 180 in your GENERAL season area? How often do you see them? I honestly have never seen a buck that would hands down gross 180 in my general unit in Northern Utah. Last year alone I scouted and hunted for nearly 40 days. The biggest one I have ever seen with my own eyes is my 171 buck. I thought he would go 175ish when I spotted him in the velvet. I'm not sure how many 180 bucks are even on public land in my unit. Maybe none? Maybe 1 or 2? There are some on the Private land for sure. What has been your experience?
 
How big of bucks are you guys hunting every year in your general unit? I would say every year I find something that for sure grosses 160.
 
Perty POOR out this way!

They've Pounded the Slope for so many Years it's Un-Believable!

I Seen 2 Bucks We'd Seen on many occasions Hit the Dirt this Last Fall!

They needed another year or two!

3-1/2 year old 22" Bucks & they went on the Wall!

It's what it's become!

SAD!!!










I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-15-18 AT 06:13PM (MST)[p] I would absolutely be shocked if I didn't end up seeing a couple while out scouting, before my hunts start.
I do every year.
Last year I hunted a unit I hadn't been to in years but still, I saw a couple that were real close to 180" and caught three others on trail cams that were probably 170"+
I've already seen one buck this year that's a 3x4, he's pushing 30" but won't score 180"
I saw a buck yesterday that may hit 180" if he can put another 3" on his G-2 and G-3s. It looks like he'll be at least an 8x6 and about 28" wide.

In the past 6 years, the group of guys I hunt with have killed a 226", 200", 199" 195" and 193" all general season, public land Utah bucks.
Funny how a few on this forum liked to run their mouth and call us lucky. When year after year 180" bucks are produced.

schoolhousegrizz, they are out there but in very hard to reach or overlooked areas.
PM me if you like, I'd be willing to share a few ideas with you.








(Get ready for change because it's going to happen!)
 
We have an honest 200? typical where we hunt... But once the archery brigade begins he's never seen again until December...
 
I always find a few 180s each year. Usually see them more during the bowhunt, but can usually turn one up in a few days during the other hunts.

Now if it's my wife?s tag, she's just lucky like that. Opening morning the first year she had a tag, within the first half hour of light, we had seen 5 bucks bigger than the one she killed and he grossed 183?. One of which I know was quite a bit over the 200? mark. It was unbelievable
 
I usually see a couple of 180+ bucks. Usually every year I can find 1 or more 190" bucks.

Last year I was lucky enough to see more than usual, including one buck that as a solid 4x4 was well over the 200" mark.
 
I have seen maybe a dozen 180"+ deer in my life. I think a lot of people that throw that number 180" out there want the deer to be that big. It's easy to forget how big that really is.
 
We can usually turn up a few 180+ deer here in Wyoming. I know I'm lucky to get to hunt a good general unit or two every year. In 2015 I figured I turned up one that was over 180 and another that was over 190. A buddy and I teamed up to kill him and he turned out to be right at 200 gross. 2016 was by far the best year that I had seen in Wyoming in some time. I figured I turned up 7 bucks that were right at 190. Last year was tough, but I did happen to find two bucks that were 180+. I hate to be "that guy" but I do think these scores are pretty accurate. I've shared some scouting video before, but if anyone is interested, here is some video from 2016-17. Obviously not all of the deer on the video score 180 but I know some do. I leave tomorrow to start my 2018 scouting, hopefully we'll turn up something good.

 
Boomer, thanks for the video.
That one buck was definitely past 30" wide.


(Get ready for change because it's going to happen!)
 
I think it's safe to say that every Utah unit holds a few 180" and up bucks, but not all units are equal when it comes to big buck numbers. Some units hold fewer deer, but have great trophy potential. Other units have more deer, but get hunted harder. I have hunted the same general unit now for over 10 years as a dedicated hunter. In that time I've seen and hunted a handful of bucks in that category but I've never put my tag on one and it seems that at least in the area we hunt, the trophy quality is declining. As others have mentioned, if I locate a toad buck (180+) it's almost always during archery season, but rarely if ever after their velvet is gone. I know they are still there but the country swallows them up.
Yet I keep after them because...it's fun.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-16-18 AT 10:46AM (MST)[p]Ive hunted the same ground since I was a kid, I have 4 brothers, countless uncles and relatives that have hunted that ground since the 50's. Ive heard stories, but in my 25 years on the mountain, all of them combined have killed maybe 1 or 2 legit 180" deer. Its not known for deer, but every once in awhile you can catch a needle in a haystack. Last year was that year for me, Gross 186 in that same poor area. All it was was luck and a lot of miles, but it came together on my last evening out.

I think there are 180 bucks in every general unit personally. Big bucks are just smart. They have to slip up or you need to have luck on your side.
 
Not many, not many at all.

A few years ago, I cashed in 14 P-Points for a December deer hunt on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, on a military base, with a reputation for producing some really big bucks.

In 9 days of hunting, I did not see any 180 or better bucks, several 160-170, and quite a few 150's. I was determined to hold out for a 190+ and came home without a buck.

In 38 years of hunting Colorado, I've only seen 5-6, and then only when I was hunting something else.

In a case like this, I think I'd rather be lucky, than good, lol.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-17-18 AT 01:13PM (MST)[p]My scouting for ML general last year turned up bigger bucks than I saw on the Vernon the year before. One I named Ol' Red was a old looking buck and obviously bigger than my 168 Vernon deer. I never saw him during the season but a young gal that worked for me had the rifle tag and got him. 181 gross with one crab claw fork. He was with a group of 7 bucks similar in size but I'm sure he was the biggest.
 
31726065036_79bf4240ea_t.jpg

My current situation precludes me from caring about your opinion but go ahead and give voice to it anyway...

And I think it is dismal here with our DOW...

You guys are depressing! I start bitching if I don't have more than one opportunity at a 180 in a week of hard looking.

I think it would be interesting to find out what exactly the general population of hunters wants (besides to hunt every year for a month straight and shoot a 200" deer every year)

The CPW cherry picks opinions to suit their agenda, it would be nice to have independent surveys done without printing of more money as a motivation behind the scenes.

I followed closely the PA experiment on antler restrictions and it was a cluster of the highest order. Hunters were just to stupid to "get it" and shot everything that moved then sqawked about no deer...
 
Depends which scoring method you're using.....the B&C system or the Monster Muleys inflated system. :)

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
The biggest buck I ever saw was 178 up until 2013. I thought he would break 180 but didn't. In 2013 I saw 1 possibly 2 that would break 180. In 2014 I saw 1. In 2015 I saw 2. In 2016 I saw 2. In 2017 I saw none. Maybe 2018 will be good.
 
I usually see several every year. But remember that a 180 net typical is a Boone and Crockett deer; a big buck. I'm lucky enough to have access to some high quality private property here in Wyoming, and I hunt Colorado every year. I also try to hunt NV, and UT when I can and go to Alberta once in a while.

Last year, I only saw one 180 buck, which is way low. We killed him; an old 6X9. Year before, we killed three, and I saw several more. Not sure why last year was short.

I've seen at least one that's going to make 180 this year. I'll start looking really hard in August.

I will say I have not seen a 180 buck on a hunt in Colorado for at least 6 years. I burnt my points on a 4th season license last year and never saw a really good buck. Same for Nevada. Never saw a 180 last year. Year before I saw a couple of 180's and a buck that was right at 200 in the same area in Nevada.

I try to shoot a 180 buck or a really mature old buck with mass and character. If I can't find one of those big old bucks, I eat tag soup. Then I will shoot a whitetail doe or a cow elk or two for meat. I just like seeing those good three and 4 year old bucks get another year before they get shot.

Hope everyone sees some good ones in 2018. Best of luck.
 
10 years ago and longer, we never saw 180 bucks. In fact we really didn't see many bucks period. With time we've gotten to be better hunters and know our area really well, now we see a gross 180 buck in most years, and have been fortunate to take a couple of them home.

I think there are enough of them around that you can find one with hard work, but I also think social media causes us to believe that there are more of them then there really are.
 
>but I also think social
>media causes us to believe
>that there are more of
>them then there really are.
>


31726065036_79bf4240ea_t.jpg

My current situation precludes me from caring about your opinion but go ahead and give voice to it anyway...

U aint kidding about that... % of public land success on 180 gross deer would be way to the right of the decimal point...

SHgrizz... U have to hunt big deer where there are big deer. I know it sounds obvious but i became a hell of a big whitetail killer as soon as I married the dowry ranch princess and got access to a premium chunk of the world to put stands on. Before that I was just another pisscutter killer extraordinaire.

All of a sudden i was passing 140-150" bucks like they were common, cause they were...

Widen your horizons and give it hell!

There are places you can hunt every year and get a 170" gross buck every year with quite a few going 10" bigger when the weather gods smile.
 
As many others have already stated, a 180 deer is a great deer. Kind of stinks that often times people act like 180 inches isn't that big. It really is a good buck if it makes the 180 mark. nothing drives me crazy quite like a guy killing a stud 180" - 185" deer and then someone saying "he's ONLY 185"

I hear of many 180" bucks being seen in my part of NW New Mexico but I only believe about 10% of those to actually be 180" deer due to people's inability to judge deer and desire to be "the cool guy" that sees big deer.

We do however have a lot of big deer around and I don't think we give those class of deer enough credit sometimes. We don't see them yet there are big sheds found each spring which tells you they are for sure out there. Big public land muley bucks are one of the hardest trophies to take and it's even harder to take them consistently.

I think more of those types of bucks exist than it appears at first glance. But most of us don't have enough time to find them. Give Jason Carter most of the units we hunt and time and I would bet he turns up big bucks that most of us never knew about.

No they are not around every corner or under every tree, but I firmly believe they are out there in most units that are considered decent or better.

I used to guide deer hunters on 100,000 acres of private land that was prime Mule Deer country. We would locate 4-5 a year typically but when it came time to kill them they seemed to disappear only to show up later right where we thought they were. I know we would have found more bucks over the 180" mark but we spent most of our time hunting the open farmland and chasing deer that were easy to see. Those big bucks act different and without a doubt we would have found more of them if we spent more time in the trenches where most deer were not. But most hunters wanted to see a lot of deer and didn't want to spend all week hunting spots that the big guys hole up in.

Big muleys are the best dang animal the big man upstairs ever created and I hope your hit your mark of killing a 180 class buck. I have the same goal as I have helped many people kill 180" bucks but never have been able to punch that ticket either. had some chances but fell just short each time.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-18 AT 02:41PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-18 AT 02:32?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-18 AT 02:28?PM (MST)

In Utah, where I live, in person, I have seen about a dozen bucks that would hit the 180 mark. (In northern Utah)(General season units)
That is in a 10 year span. Only one that I know would go 200?
I still have not harvested one of them but have had some close calls. But I usually see at least one per year. Killing one is even a harder feat. Them big boys are smart, sneaky, and live in some unforgiving country.

I've scouted northern Utah twice this year and have found one already. 2nd scouting trip could not relocate him. Between friends and family tags, along with myself, it will be a long season of hunting opportunities to hopefully relocate him and have multiple chances to put him down.

Wyoming, hunted it once on a general season tag. Scouted it 4 days and hunted for 10 days. Altogether, I saw
I saw about a dozen 180 bucks and bigger.
That was all in one year!

Regardless to my lack of accomplishments harvesting one, I've had a blast chasing them and I'm sure once I finally do harvest one, it will be an emotional moment that I can't wait for.
I have 10 bonus points and have yet to hold a premium tag.
My biggest buck harvested is a 2x3 back in 2008. Last deer harvested was in 2009. I've been chasing big bucks ever since. I think I'm overdue



"Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I have Hunted this unit in Northern Utah for over 20 years. My family and my in-laws have hunted it for this many years or more. Some of them have hunted it for 40 years. We have a really good collection of deer from the unit. I'm sure there are families that have a better collection but I honestly don't know of any. All of these upper end bucks score in the 170s. I think a mature Buck on this unit that has good genetics gets in the 170s and not much bigger. I know of a few bucks that go over 180 that have been killed on the unit over the last 40 years. However, they are very far and few between. I know of about three or four total. Remember this is public land we are talking. I know a couple places that are private that I could go and look at a 180 buck tonight. We live on the unit we run trail cams, we can glass lots of the unit from our yards. I like hunting the unit because it is close to home. However, like was mentioned above you have to hunt big deer where big deer live. We have made the decision to switch units for 2019. Any suggestions on units in Utah? We have lifetime licenses so we can hunt any unit we want. We have decided on the Monroe unit as of now.
 
I have only hunted northern Utah but from what I have gathered, the bigger deer or number of bigger deer are south. I'd say anything south of SLC.
There?s a reason the units south are harder to draw. I will continue to stay north and hunt units close to home where I have experience, knowledge of and can scout more often.

Good luck on Monroe. It seems popular so you might be in the right spot.



?Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt
 
To answer the op's original question: in the general unit that we hunt, I'd say in 10 years or so that nary a single 180"or + buck has been seen on the rifle hunt and luck has to be on our side to see one during archery season.
With that said, I must be a pizz-poor hunter compared to some of the above guys...or my area sucks!

In my mind, a true 180" buck on public, general season is about the toughest critter to find a place in your backpack or truck!

Zeke


#livelikezac
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-18 AT 03:37PM (MST)[p]I agree Zeke, my area must be the pits, or I can't spot worth a cent. Also, I have recently switched over to archery and have only gotten 1 buck with my bow. I have never got a velvet buck. Its not like I am going to hold out for a 180 buck. I will not be picky at all when they are in the velvet. I just like looking for deer and scouting even if I am not holding out for the biggest buck.
 
Where I live in SE MT 180 gross bucks are all but gone on public land. Back in the 80's and 90's I could find at least a couple every year and on good years a half dozen or more. Ended up shooting 6, blew it a few others and passed a few.
My times have changed. I think the last legit 180 I have seen on public was in 2010. Now days I am lucky to find a 170 and a few 160's on public
 
After looking at 175 bucks or more, I finally seen one that I feel confident will break 180. I really thought by now I would have seen something with a couple extra points that would be in the 190 range. Not! They are rare!

50390forum1.jpg


Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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Some years ago, I drove into my campsite on The Flattops in Colorado, for several days of bowhunting.

I proceed to set up the tent and the stove, chop some firewood, etc., then I sat down and had a bite to eat before heading out for the afternoon/evening hunt.

After about 90 minutes,it was time to hunt. I walked about 50yds out of camp and 2 really good bucks jumped up and took off about 25yds from me.

Those 2 bucks just laid there, about 75yds away, all the while I was getting set up. Only when I walked towards them did they expose themselves.

Big Muley's are a far different animal than forkhorns, at least on public land in Colorado.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-18 AT 06:00PM (MST)[p]Somewhere around 1 and 200 going off Founders Wyoming numbers. I bet that is pretty close for some of the better public land General units. Going off of buck to doe ratios. My unit probably has around 1300 bucks. 70% of the land is private so at the very least 70% of those bucks are probably on private land. Not quite 400 bucks on public land. Probably around 1 or 2 180 bucks on the whole unit on public land. Probably around 4 170 bucks.
 
In season (rifle) I have seen 2 bonafide 180 bucks, took one. Seeing 180?s during scouting is another story. I've got to look at a lot of mid 170 bucks in season. It seems like the vast majority of mature bucks top out in that 170 range when they are at their peak, and it takes a buck with some exceptional genetics/age to get to that 180+.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-21-18 AT 10:05PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-21-18 AT 09:58?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Jul-21-18 AT 09:50?PM (MST)

Ok I think a earlier post said it purity darn good when they said there are a lot of deer that make it to the upper 170s but it takes a little something to get bigger and a lot of deer just do not have it (ie) genetics age and food.. I feel most any deer in most normal cases will get into the high 170s low 180s but to get better it needs all 3 genetics, age and minerals (food) I have raised elk and found that not all bulls with high protein grains good water and age class will make 400+ some will only go 380+ but you start watching the genetics great cows to great bulls and pow 400 to 430 but then one in a thousand will hit 500 inches. now I know everyone on here hates high fence but genetically there the same idea to get a big mule deer but even harder by far in the wild. maybe one in a few thousand will break the true 200+ and those bucks that break 220 plus are even rarer!!! I've seen this on are c.w.m.u one deer we chased for 4 years was a 200 plus at about 5 we guess every year after that he was over 200 even on bad years but when he was finally out of luck a hunter killed him and he was almost 240 and super heavy. he ran with other deer that where his same age but non ever got over that 180 class one was always a big 3 point that genetics would always be a main frame 3 point but he also got super heavy never grew like his buddy and never really broke 170s

deer in photo was 7 years old and did break 190. but always had what we called 2 g2s as his G2 never forked off its G2 but down on the main beam.

46218imag0377.jpg
 
Thanks for the opinions and comments everyone. My personal belief is that not all deer hit the 170s. I think most deer with age will get in the 150s. I think it takes age and good genetics to get 170 Plus.
 
Seen a few throughout the years, since 2007 my family has scored on a few. 185, 186, 187, 193 and 230. Most are probably 150-160 class, and like some I would rather let them grow theses days.
 
90% of the people that say they saw a 180" buck are really looking at a 165" buck. Although it's only 15" the difference is night and day. We are lucky to have access to a good amount of ground in eastern CO and have to cover a lot of ground and take many days to find a 180"+ buck. If you do find one you better get on him as most likely you won't turn him up again.

There are some that you want to make 180" but in reality they are 170" bucks. You know almost immediately when you see a 180" buck. If you have to look real hard and try to add up enough inches to get close to 180" you are more than likely looking at a 165" deer.
 
>I have only hunted northern Utah
>but from what I have
>gathered, the bigger deer or
>number of bigger deer are
>south. I'd say anything south
>of SLC.
>There?s a reason the units south
>are harder to draw. I
>will continue to stay north
>and hunt units close to
>home where I have experience,
>knowledge of and can scout
>more often.
>
>Good luck on Monroe. It seems
>popular so you might be
>in the right spot.
>
>
>
>?Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak.
>So
>we must and we will."
>Theadore Roosevelt

BillyB, Don't kid yourself, Monroe is not the place to go after a large buck. Pahvant, maybe for the strong of heart; Beaver, for the strong of foot; Thousand Lake, for the lucky of a couple. Monroe for the story tellers.
 

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