3 big bucks in 2015

[Muleys24Seven]

Well 2015 treated my very good! I'm fortunate to have the time and support to be able to scout and hunt as much as I do. This year I had 3 deer tags (2 Idaho, 1 WY)...thinking I might be able to punch one. Below is a quick hunt recap. I appologize for the poor field photo's...its difficult taking good pics hunting solo

Wyoming- After numerous scouting trips I ended up finding the same buck I hunted the previous year. In 2014 I hunted him 8 days and was never able to turn him up once the archery and rifle season started. This year he was in the exact same spot AND he was out and about Sept 13th and 14th. I had high hopes but come rifle opener he disappeared again as those big high country bucks do. I hunted the big typ 9 days with no sighting (if anyone has seen pics of this buck dead I'd be interested to know).

On my second to last day I left for another spot and ended up shooting this buck. He's 29" wide, big backs, but pretty squatty up front. He grosses 176" (I'm 155 lbs soaking wet so I can make a buck look giant )

Idaho #1- I scouted this buck up in Aug. To be honest he looked much bigger in velvet and I figured him to be in the 190's.

This is a general season hunt and I was able to turn him up on the 2nd day, Oct 11th, within 1/4 mile of where the velvet pic was taken. I love his long curling MB's and fronts. He's 30.5" wide and grosses ~185"

Idaho #2- A halloween buck also now referred to as "Spook". I shot this buck in thick cover in the rain/fog. He is a toad buck! The pic really doesn't do him justice as his mass, ht, and width are all so great. He's 31" wide and grosses ~195.

Lastly- I want to put in a plug for a great book, Hunting Big Mule Deer, that is recently out. The author is Robby Denning and he has killed some giant bucks. He hunts area's like we hunt...general season or tags that are relatively easy to obtain on a tight budget. The difference is his knowledge, skills, and attention to detail which allows him to consistently kill huge deer. It's a great read and will help you out.

 

[Deerlove]

Great job, thanks for sharing.

 

[muley505]

Very nice deer! Well done.

 

[DW]

That's a good decade for most! Congrats!

 

[cmbbulldog]

Wow - that's a heck of a year. Congrats!

 

[Ruby1]

Great job on three great bucks.

 

[wooldeer]

Great Bucks, what a year!

 

[Snoopdogg]

Way to go, season for the ages.

 

[WhackNPack]

Looks like you did your homework and studied hard for the test and passed with flying colors! Congrats on the great year... I think I need a new book

 

[Hawkeye]

Great work. Let's see if you can hit a triple again next year. That will be tough to repeat.

-Hawkeye-

 

[rmanwill]

Awesome year. three for three with great bucks. Thanks for sharing

 

[wolfhunter]

Got to love Idaho's management theory... The IDFG can not sell the available tags so they offer the ability to the hardcore community to kill two mature bucks a year. Now, if they are trying to destroy the last bit of good hunting left in Idaho, the IDFG is on the right track.

Nice bucks to the hunter, but have you ever asked yourself if the resource can handle this kind of pressure? Do you even care about what you leave for the next generation? Or do you just want yours...?

Reminds me of the TV shows on hunting. Kill as many bucks on camera a year thats possible, with no respect to the animals or meat, just make sure your cool and the only thing that's important is the score.

 

[Country]

One heck of a year, congratulations!

 

[RidgeRunner76]

Absolutely a season for the ages! Congrats and 3 stud bucks!

 

[Camper_A1]

Congrats on a great year, one of them would have been a great year for me!

 

[Muleys24Seven]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-10-15 AT 04:19PM (MST)[p]Thanks all for the positive comments!

Wolfhunter- It would be interesting to see the success rate of 2nd non-res/res tags. Do you think it would be higher than the composite general season success rates?

Can the resource handle me taking 2 mature bucks in one particular year...Yes, I think it can. This year was definitely exceptional. Can the resource handle every resident hunter buying 2 tags at a 100% success rate. No! But harvest statistic where I hunt have a 20% success rate. Me taking two mature bucks in different units on a given year will in no way impact the next generation of hunters.

Over the last 10 years of hunting bucks seriously, in 3 different states (ID, WY, CO), I have taken 10 bucks (including the 3 this year). Most years I have 2 tags, a few of those years 3 tags. My success rate is probably close ~40%.

You should have stopped and not written your last paragraph. Makes no sense how that applies to me!

 

[257Tony]

Good job, and congrats on a great season! Pretty special to be able to take bucks that you had scouted, shows that you obviously put the work in and didn't just "get lucky".

Don't pay attention to the haters, that's just jealousy rearing its ugly head....

 

[wolfhunter]

Have you ever wondered why the units you hunt have a 20 percent success rate?

How long do you think the quality would last in Wyoming if our hardcore buck hunting community started killing two bucks a year...?Not Long! It's really not your fault, it's poor management on the part of the IDFG. Tag sales are more important than management. Two tags in a unit or units, with 20 percent harvest rates is not sound management my friend.

As far as the last paragraph goes... I hope thats not you, because today's trophy mule deer hunter seems to be paying less and less respect to our gift of hunting and the animals they hunt. It seems to me a big majority are all about bragging about inches and posting pictures, rather than a deep respect for that gift.

Hopefully you put as much effort into killing predators out of your favorite deer units as you do bucks. If you don't, you should, put your killing skills to work for your deer...

 

[Muleys24Seven]

I think the main reason the success rates are 20% is because the season dates are Oct 10-24. The hardest time to find and kill big deer. Controlled late hunts in Nov in the same units are 75%+

 

[wolfhunter]

I think the main reason for 20% harvest is years of to much hunting pressure on the remaining bucks, late migration hunts in the rut, years of over the counter tags, residents hunters with two tags, single digit buck to doe ratio's, low fawn recruitment, way to many predators, toping it off with shed horn junkies chasing them on the winter range combined with over all poor management. Then having the IDFG (The Experts) blame it all on poor habitat.... Laughable!!!

 

[12point]

Dang, that would be a lifetime for me. Congratulations on those studs.

 

[MuskegMan]

Nice trifecta!

 

[eldorado]

Great bucks. Way to go guys!

Eldorado

 

[idahoforkhorn]

just wondering if the dates were oct 10-24 how was the second buck a Halloween buck? not trying to press the issue just wondering. they are all three stud bucks its hard enough to find 1 let alone 3

 

[fullthrottle]

Congrats on 3 great bucks, but I have to side with wolf hunter on the 2nd tag option in Idaho. It is a crock! Hunt Idaho every year. 10% of the guys kill 90% of the "trophy" bucks/bulls. Not going to degrudge you or anyone else for picking up 2 tags, but it is a piss poor management plan, ecspecially for those who would like to see higher numbers of mature critters.

 

[Gator]

That is a Banner year for sure, You got some nice Bucks,

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[deerhuntr4885]

Why does virtually EVERY thread on here turn into a ##### session! Take your gripes to a different forum. Start your own thread but STFU on someone else's thread.

Mike Henne

 

[carterj16]

I also got 2 good ones 165 and 174 in Idaho this year, good job are you from Idaho Falls?

 

[PointHunter]

What a year! I am jealous. Thanks for posting

 

[IDHILLboy]

Wolfhunter I can tell you the reason for 20% success rate in Idaho.


People do not work hard or leave the vehicle unless they are a hardcore. The fact that the Sawtooth Recreational area shut down travel unless on designated roads has helped a 100% in my opinion. I am a southern Idahoan born and raised 36 yrs old and am currently stoked on current regulations. Hunting since I was 12 years old. I have shot and seen plenty of deer over the 160 mark in my home units that are general OTC units for archery and rifle. I buy a second tag every year with the exception of this year and never fill the tag because I use it for the late bow hunt. I can show you pictures of plenty of 160 plus deer. I can show you the picture of the 216 inch Muley my buddy shot last year in the general rifle or my 180 buck general rifle last year. I almost shot a 233 buck in the general archery this year. Congrats to this hunter who obviously put his time in. Idaho's only problem is making the random draw system more fair which they are working on I am for the random draw and love my second tag. Most hunters are to cheap to buy the second tag unless they are really into it. I saw tons of big bucks and bulls this year in the general, tons last year and every year for the past 10 years. I can show you a few nice bucks I took myself. The status quo is fine. Good job Muley on your season. I had the best season ever and I only shot a bull during archery but was on to the biggest buck of my life in the late archery. This is my first buckles year in ages but I held out on a few decent ones and missed a big boy and blew a stalk on the monster.


Game management has been fine in my opinion they just need to adjust the draw and I am not talking about points either. As for the predators Wolfhunter keep up the good work. There is my 2 cents.

 

[nvbones]

Sorry to dredge up this thread again, first off congratulations to muley24seven. Huge accomplishment killing 3 great bucks this year. I'm sure a lot of hard work and planning went into these deer. I see that Wolf hunter and full throttle are complaining about Idaho's system. I personally love Idaho's system. It caters to the resident as every state should. I don't know if you guys are residents or not but from what I have seen this year idaho put out more big bucks than any other state in the west. The hardcore hunters that buy extra tags are buying them at NON resident prices. What's the big deal? They are paying fish and game for the tags non residents don't buy which I see as a good thing for funding idfg. In idaho it generally takes hard work and lots of time out scouting to kill mature bucks. I rarely hear idaho residents complain about much other than wolves.

 

[CPAjeff]

Congrats on an amazing fall!

 

[sageadvice]

Son, you had a pretty fair year! ;-)

This thread could use a bump and i never said my Congrats!

Thanks for sharing!!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Largebull]

I agree with sageadvice, You had one hell of a year . Congrats............BULLL!

 

[grouseslayer]

Congrats on the great year. I am a Idaho resident and have participated in the second tag system. It definitely is a double edged sword. A friend of mine and I have used it when we have drawn tags. That way if a great buck shows up while archery elk hunting we can go after it. It also allowed me to hunt with my wife and kids and still carry a gun. We didn't lower our expectations just to fill both tags in fact we each shot just one buck when we've had them. The only real gripe I have is that the fish and game should put a realistic cap on the tags. If they truly sold out the non resident deer tags I think there could be long lasting issues with the heard. Congrats again a season everyone dreams of and makes everyone a little jelious.

 

[Mudslinger]

Congrats on an awesome year!!