Would you shoot this mgt buck?

B

BigMedicine

Guest
Book Cliffs rifle tag, would you shoot this management buck? Pics are from 3 weeks ago, might have put on another inch or two since then. He's a no brainer for me on a general season unit, but one of those that I would have to think about it on a LE hunt. Haven't seen much better so far in our scouting, we don't want another cookie cutter 22-24 inch average 150-160 book cliffs buck. Wife has the tag this fall, if we happen to find him again I might tell her to let the air out of him.

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Better if he were at least a 4 point. I'd pass you'll find something better. Although he still is growing he still has the bulbs at the top.
 
Last day in the Books I would whack him. Hes definitely an older deer and has great character. You said it--general season all day.
 
Not in a LE hunt. But I would have no problems taking him in a general season hunt.
BTW, not having G4's makes the buck interesting and unique.

Eldorado
 
He'd make a great looking mount. He's unique for sure but I'd have to see what else was there before I committed to that buck.

Zeke
 
Don't know the area at all. But those are some sweeeeet bases idk if I could pass him up.
 
passing a big heavy mature buck like that out in the book cliffs on the rifle hunt would be insane on the first day of the season or the last. Sorry but I don't think you will do any better on the rifle hunt. The rifle hunt you should expect a 22-24 inch willow crabby forked 4x4 or 4x3. If you do any better then that then you did good and pat yourself on the back. The bookcliffs isn't managed for high quality... Besides the truly good bucks are taken on the muzzy and archery hunts. IMHO that's just the way it is out there.

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I'd like to see the finished product but (I like mass.) if he eventually looks like I believe he will, I'd shoot him unless I had a truly big deer "scouted up"....which would be my goal if I had some sort of special tag. (Even if they are more vulnerable later (muzzy hunt), they must BE there for the rifle hunt.)


Within the shadows, go quietly.
 
I try not to be aurgumentative on here but.....Au contraire SWB!!
I have been on the Books for the rifle hunt for the last 4 years, and have seen better bucks nearly every day. Only a couple of great bucks, but 24" 4X4s are not that rare.
Granted the buck in the photo has some character, BUT definately not a first day shooter IMHO. I have a Books tag this year, I hope I don't eat my words.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-11 AT 01:57PM (MST)[p]The muzzy hunt in the books is before the rifle hunt. The rifle hunt gets slope thirds. So not much is left for them to choose from. If you see that buck shoot it. Who cares what they score. Im saying id take that buck in the books over any average four point out there. Now if I thought I could do better id hold out. But to tell you the truth scouting for the rifle hunt now is a complete waste of time and money. There either dead or 40 miles away when the rifle hunt rolls around.

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Bingo on that SWB. No use scouting for the rifle hunt now. We always hunt where we always have and hope the bucks come down like in years past. I am going to check a few new areas just for the fun of being out there. I've wanted to take the south route for several years (Hays Cyn) just to see what it's like. I plan to do that in the next couple weeks. We're getting pumped.
 
I'd shoot him in velvet with a bow and mount him (then take him to the taxidermist). That is a cool buck.

Grizzly
 
trix im not trying to be augmentative either. what I am saying is Id take that buck over any average 24" 150 buck in the books. Now if your seeing bucks every day that score better I might hold out your defiantly doing better then the average rifle hunter out there.

I am also saying the rifle hunt in the books sucks imho compared to the archery hunt. I've also been in the books for the last 4-5 years in a row as well on both archery and rifle hunts. Are there big bucks in the books? "yes". but I see way better bucks earlier then later.

Heck if you ask me an average 22-24" buck is a pretty easy task on a general unit in Utah but a big heavy character buck is pretty hard to come by. Nothing looks better to me then to see a room of trophy deer where they all look different and unique. Now if you have a room of 24" four points to me its plain or average.

Nets are for fish!

By the way I wish both of you the best on your hunts. The hard work and time will usually pay off out there. Shoot that buck!;-)

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Ive been down south a few times. Boulder, escalante, dutton.
Mostly hunt northern utah. Closer to home better bucks because I can scout year round.

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I don't know the Books, but, that is a old buck with really nice height and great mass with extras. I'd take this buck over 90% of the bucks that i've seen posted from the Books.

He'd be a really nice trophy in my opinion where a clean 160" 4x4 is just another rack for the pile. Take em!!

Joey
 
Everybody likes different bucks, I am with Joey on this one. Fun to hear different guys take on a buck like this one. For all I know he could be 20 miles away from where I saw him on opening day of the rifle hunt. A fun one to look at, but it is pretty much impossible to scout for a rifle tag out there. I am looking forward to the hunt, we won't be in a hurry, and hopefully we can turn up something unique like this guy or a buck better than your average book cliffs 150" 22-24" 4 point.

BigMeds
 
That's your shortest post ever........

I would shoot him with anything but a great tag. With a bow even better.

"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
 
I like old bucks with character and he's that!

I agree with those who would shoot him over a 24" 160 4x4.

Bill

Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
 
Depends on where I was at in the hunt, last weekend I would take him. He is a cool buck but just don't carry the WOW factor for me looking sideways.
Most likely though I would see him looking straight at me and shoot. Then I would walk up on it and maybe be a little disappointed.
General season.. . . . . Boom, no questions asked. I have seen many better bucks down there.

Side note, I agree with SWB, Archery deer is the best tag for seeing high quantities of big bucks.


I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!
 
Nice buck in my book..... wouldn't make it past my Book Cliffs muzzy tag. Crack...BOOM!
 
There has been plenty of deer studies that say you can't tell what the genetic potential will be in a wild spike white tail deer. More then likely the only reason that buck is a spike is because he was born later in the season. If he is allowed to mature he will probably be just as good as a 2 point buck.

Let the young ones live.

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wouldnt that be classified as a management buck? isnt the whole reason a management hunt is in place is to help weed out the little bucks and bad genetics to ensure the trophy-class bucks are able to breed their genes and also to provide more room for does? which means having more does in the herds will result in more fawns being born which means having more fawns will help ensure that there are more deer for you to kill. (plus its a mule deer not a white tail!)
 
and for that matter my whole reasoning behind the post is to let him know its a hell of a buck even on a limited entry unit let alone on a management hunt! that little guy was found up the main google canyon turn off on the images ridge. sad some people dont understand sarcasm!
 
Pretty sure I have seen that buck's sheds. Almost 8" mass on the first measurement and almost 12" around the burrs (if my memory is correct). He looks like he only has an inch or so between the burrs and might go 25-27" wide with the cheater. I like him better than a 170", 25" 4x4.

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www.sagebasin.com
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pm me where the sheds were found and I will try to get him killed ;-)

Bases almost touch, i bet he would surprise some guys on here if they could put their hands on him on the ground
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-28-11 AT 04:37PM (MST)[p]I could be wrong but I think the tag holder has a LE rifle tag not a management tag. That being said I love the mass and character. I would have a hard time passing that buck. Hope you find him again and Good luck on the hunt.
 
At first I was thinking no way on a LE hunt but the more I looked at him the more I liked his character. Those bases are hard to find. I might look for a hog for a few days before I popped him IF I felt I could relocate him later but I wouldn't have a problem taking him right away either.
 
HELL yes! That deer is awesome, his mass is world class.



"In the breast of every meat hunter there beats the heart of a secret, frustrated trophy hunter."
 
General season that buck would be killed by the first drive-by.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 

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