The biggest buck I've ever walked...

[Os2 Outdoors]

After killing a nice 8 point opening day, I've been hunting hard. Seen more deer than ever.

So this afternoon i seen 11 bucks and 8 does. Buck #8 was a main frame 9 point with trash made him a 12 point. Figured he'd break into the low 140" making him one of the biggest I've ever walked. But with only 1 tag left i couldn't do it. I vowed i wouldn't pick the bow up unless it was a special buck until Christmas in Tennessee. So with this being said let's say that doesn't happen and my standards lower after Christmas and hunting gets tough after the rut along with 6 weeks of gun hunting pressure. I could easily see myself not catching up to one late season. Guess what happens then, 2 bucks just got saved from lowering the limit to 2.

Now do you suppose that's how the the buck limit was intended to help?

Don't want a bunch of bickering anti or pro buck limit changes or any of that BS. I'll ask Ruger to lock the thread if so.

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[muddyboots]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

Yep.

 

[hunttherut]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

Good points


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[WhitesCreek]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I understand. I let an 8 point walk this morning that would easily be my biggest archery kill. I have an entire week of vacation scheduled for the prime chasing phase in my area and I always see multiple wall hangers.

I've been battling with my decision all day.


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[RageBow]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I think you guys are leaving yourself plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the hunting season and the thrill that ensues.

 

[landman]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

Can u text me directions to the tree.....

Hank in there Matt

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

3 buck limit, you kill a great deer, but one that is smaller than others you've killed.

2 buck limit, he likely gets another year bigger.

Good or bad, that's what the lower limit was intended to accomplish.

 

[redblood]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

i don't bow hunt and may not muzzleloader because i want two tags with a rifle during rut. it has amazed me how many bucks (with pictures to prove it) have been passed this year. next year will be amazing and the year after that even more so

 

[catman529]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

it will be a long long time before I let a 140" deer walk, regardless of limit.

 

[Shed Hunter]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

How will this effect your shot choice on the first buck next year? Idk how big the 8 you killed was, but if it was smaller than today's deer will you shoot a buck like the 8 point next year? What if you go all season and don't see another deer over 140" I know you have a lot of time to hunt and a lot of good land so I definitely think you made a good decision. Just seeing if it will make you more selective with your first tag in the future.

 

[TboneD]

The biggest buck I've ever walked...

it will be a long long time before I let a 140" deer walk, regardless of limit.

You and me both, Catman, but the OP is a perfect example of why a two buck limit will help.

The thing is though, I think it's relative to where a guy hunts and his expectations. Someone like myself and hunting public land close to home with not so good soil; we'll still see more yearlings and even two year olds make it to see another season, and maybe more cracks at older deer. Biggest deer I'll pass up, though? Maybe the little fork horn that tempted me at seven or eight yards this afternoon. Lol. Been a good while since I shot anything with a bow and if it wouldn't been such a long drag I MIGHT have drew back on him.


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[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

Your definitely making good choices for your hunting desires.I try and do the same.I myself just liked the opportunity to kill a mature buck with each weapon.due to the limit changes I opted out of this bow season to hold my tags for colder weather.that's when the bigger bucks show up in my area.

 

[fishboy1]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I suspect a lot of those "saved" deer will be "saved" until gun season this year. Then as time grows short a LOT of hunters will figure, "might be my last chance for a deer.... BANG".

The change to a 2 buck limit was designed to create a mentality of shortage. Hunters are supposed to feel that there is a shortage of big/older bucks. They are also supposed to feel a shortage of tags and opportunity. The desire and purpose of the 2 buck limit is to increase the perceived value of large antlered bucks and diminish the perceived value of any buck that does not have high scoring racks. Thus driving up the demand for more and bigger bucks.
Very much like the supply and demand curves from economics. Going to a 2 buck limit is an effective way of creating the perception of shortage and thus creating a hyperinflation in the perceived value of large antlered bucks. Too bad the supply will not satisfy this demand and hunters will end up feeling cheated.

 

[TX300mag]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


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[102]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

After killing a nice 8 point opening day, I've been hunting hard. Seen more deer than ever.

So this afternoon i seen 11 bucks and 8 does. Buck #8 was a main frame 9 point with trash made him a 12 point. Figured he'd break into the low 140" making him one of the biggest I've ever walked. But with only 1 tag left i couldn't do it. I vowed i wouldn't pick the bow up unless it was a special buck until Christmas in Tennessee. So with this being said let's say that doesn't happen and my standards lower after Christmas and hunting gets tough after the rut along with 6 weeks of gun hunting pressure. I could easily see myself not catching up to one late season. Guess what happens then, 2 bucks just got saved from lowering the limit to 2.

Now do you suppose that's how the the buck limit was intended to help?

Don't want a bunch of bickering anti or pro buck limit changes or any of that BS. I'll ask Ruger to lock the thread if so.

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Ok...try this.

After hunting on the only land I have regular access to, mainly because I am a blue collar worker with a family (and was not born into a situation where I have access to large tracts of private land that readily supported 130 plus bucks), and because I (like MOST of my Tennessee hunting brothers and sisters) simply because of time or money can't afford to hunt areas where a 140 exists in "huntable numbers, I have already taken a GREAT representative 6 point. It MIGHT score 80 inches but is obviously mature.

I killed this 4.5 year old in (let's say) Ocoee (East Pennessee-Polk County).

Had I let him walk, he would probably STILL be a six point next year.

I have NEVER seen a 140, or even a 120 in 30 years of hunting these mountains. But I have seen MANY mature deer.

Some were spikes.

Some say I am a good hunter. Others say no. Because I have never killed a 140 inch buck.

I wonder who is the better hunter? The one who consistently kills MATURE bucks on heavy pressured PUBLIC land year after year? Or the one who kills large racked bucks on PRIME private hunting land absolutely COVERED up with deer?

It simply AMAZES me how hung up we all are on deer antlers. I can't tell you how many 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks sporting huge racks that have created unreal attention by hunters while 4.5 and 5.5 large bodied 2, 4, and 6 points go un noticed.

Why would ANYONE in Tennessee let a 140 inch buck walk past their stand while hunting with a bow?
Unless they were fairly certain that NOBODY else would kill it either because they had some control over the property they were on, or they were hunting in such an exclusive part of Tn that a 140 was not that uncommon.

And why is it that we always talk about the antler score? Instead of the age and body size?

In the past 34 years of my hunting, I have seen so many disturbing trends. But NONE were as disturbing as the trophy mentality.

Os2, I am not picking on you. I mean no dis respect. But I fear that MONEY (GREED) is the great evil in this sport. I fear it will drive prices for land, leases, and license out of reach for most hunters in my lifetime.

I have seen out of state hunting license go to ridiculous costs in the last 10 years. And lease prices are insane.

All driven by this CRAZY "antler" frenzy.

Deer farming has taken it all to new heights. And the internet will post pics of huge antler bucks from who knows where claiming to be the next new record this or that. And often times it ends up being a high fence hoax.

THere are a whole bunch of really GREAT bowhunters out there who have NEVER killed a Pope and Young or Booner buck. And probably never will.

But they could. With GREAT regularity. It just so happens that they do NOT live/hunt in an area that produces these bucks. THey have the age, just not the nutrition or genetics.

So these guys get no attention for their skill level. Even though they are much better hunters than MOST TV celebrities.

So will this lowering of bucks limit help save more bucks? Yes. But the number of bucks it saves will be DIRECTLY proportional to the number of hunters who are capable of killing 3 bucks in the first place...and that is not many.

You should have taken the shot IMO.

A true 140 is a huge buck in ANY free ranging situation.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I suspect a lot of those "saved" deer will be "saved" until gun season this year. Then as time grows short a LOT of hunters will figure, "might be my last chance for a deer.... BANG".

The change to a 2 buck limit was designed to create a mentality of shortage. Hunters are supposed to feel that there is a shortage of big/older bucks. They are also supposed to feel a shortage of tags and opportunity. The desire and purpose of the 2 buck limit is to increase the perceived value of large antlered bucks and diminish the perceived value of any buck that does not have high scoring racks. Thus driving up the demand for more and bigger bucks.
Very much like the supply and demand curves from economics. Going to a 2 buck limit is an effective way of creating the perception of shortage and thus creating a hyperinflation in the perceived value of large antlered bucks. Too bad the supply will not satisfy this demand and hunters will end up feeling cheated.

Not looking for anti or pro rhetoric. We hear enough of that BS already. Just a simple, Yes or no with a short statement. Thanks for your input though.

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


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[TX300mag]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I suspect a lot of those "saved" deer will be "saved" until gun season this year. Then as time grows short a LOT of hunters will figure, "might be my last chance for a deer.... BANG".

The change to a 2 buck limit was designed to create a mentality of shortage. Hunters are supposed to feel that there is a shortage of big/older bucks. They are also supposed to feel a shortage of tags and opportunity. The desire and purpose of the 2 buck limit is to increase the perceived value of large antlered bucks and diminish the perceived value of any buck that does not have high scoring racks. Thus driving up the demand for more and bigger bucks.
Very much like the supply and demand curves from economics. Going to a 2 buck limit is an effective way of creating the perception of shortage and thus creating a hyperinflation in the perceived value of large antlered bucks. Too bad the supply will not satisfy this demand and hunters will end up feeling cheated.

Not looking for anti or pro rhetoric. We hear enough of that BS already. Just a simple, Yes or no with a short statement. Thanks for your input though.

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


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Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

My apologies. I was under the impression you were seeking input from others when made the original post.



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[smalljawbasser]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


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And many hunters measured their success by how many deer they killed. Even though they gave away the meat. I've heard guys brag about killing 10-12 deer, then on the next breath say they gave them all away except the backstraps.

 

[tree_ghost]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

to the OP...yes i think that is exactly how it was intended to effect hunters...i am 6 years exclusively with archery gear...my biggest deer is 124" and I have now passed a 115" 8 point two weeks in a row...my main reason is i think hes a 3.5yo but without question, knowing i have bigger deer on the farm, and only 2 tags I elected to pass him at 20 yards broadside


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[WRbowhunter]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I did not agree with the buck limit being reduced but its the law of the land and no use crying about it. I agree the way you handled the situation is exactly the intent of reducing the buck limit. who wants to end their deer season in October? Yea you can shoot does but I don't think it would be the same. I think it will end of being the same as the 3 buck limit. But now instead of a lot of hunters killing 2 bucks they will be only killing one buck and making soup out of the last tag as they wait for that wall hanger that never appears within range.

 

[landman]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

it will be a long long time before I let a 140" deer walk, regardless of limit.

That's VERY understandable, you haven't been deer hunting all that long, you'll be an old man before you get the years of deer hunting many of us have. Matt's killed some great deer, and I remember co workers telling me I was crazy for passing 8 point bucks back in 91, waiting on a Bigger 8 ptr.

140" pass? Not for my first one this year, 2nd buck....

Passed a mature mid 130's" last year but he was the 3rd buck, 3 days later on a new given to hunt tract found a 155-160" and passed a 140" trying to kill him

For many Os2 included hunted has stages, some never change, if you keep hunting I see you always meat hunting but also getting more selective on bucks

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I suspect a lot of those "saved" deer will be "saved" until gun season this year. Then as time grows short a LOT of hunters will figure, "might be my last chance for a deer.... BANG".

The change to a 2 buck limit was designed to create a mentality of shortage. Hunters are supposed to feel that there is a shortage of big/older bucks. They are also supposed to feel a shortage of tags and opportunity. The desire and purpose of the 2 buck limit is to increase the perceived value of large antlered bucks and diminish the perceived value of any buck that does not have high scoring racks. Thus driving up the demand for more and bigger bucks.
Very much like the supply and demand curves from economics. Going to a 2 buck limit is an effective way of creating the perception of shortage and thus creating a hyperinflation in the perceived value of large antlered bucks. Too bad the supply will not satisfy this demand and hunters will end up feeling cheated.

Not looking for anti or pro rhetoric. We hear enough of that BS already. Just a simple, Yes or no with a short statement. Thanks for your input though.

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


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Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

My apologies. I was under the impression you were seeking input from others when made the original post.



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It's OK just heard enough on the arguing back an forth about it. Didn't want it to get going again. Thanks

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[easy45]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I can't let a 140" walk, no matter how picky I am


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[TX300mag]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I suspect a lot of those "saved" deer will be "saved" until gun season this year. Then as time grows short a LOT of hunters will figure, "might be my last chance for a deer.... BANG".

The change to a 2 buck limit was designed to create a mentality of shortage. Hunters are supposed to feel that there is a shortage of big/older bucks. They are also supposed to feel a shortage of tags and opportunity. The desire and purpose of the 2 buck limit is to increase the perceived value of large antlered bucks and diminish the perceived value of any buck that does not have high scoring racks. Thus driving up the demand for more and bigger bucks.
Very much like the supply and demand curves from economics. Going to a 2 buck limit is an effective way of creating the perception of shortage and thus creating a hyperinflation in the perceived value of large antlered bucks. Too bad the supply will not satisfy this demand and hunters will end up feeling cheated.

Not looking for anti or pro rhetoric. We hear enough of that BS already. Just a simple, Yes or no with a short statement. Thanks for your input though.

I don't see any of what is mentioned in this thread unattainable under the previous limits. MANY hunters had self-imposed standards which did not require government regulation to exercise restraint. Although I admit-the number may be fewer than I thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

My apologies. I was under the impression you were seeking input from others when made the original post.



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It's OK just heard enough on the arguing back an forth about it. Didn't want it to get going again. Thanks

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I understand


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[Mike Belt]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

I'm going into my 10th year in a club that has had a 2 buck limit for that same time period. Over the years I haven't seen but a few hunters that actually took 2 bucks although many of them could have but they held out for a potentially bigger buck that just didn't materialize. We have created an environment with a good percentage of mature bucks. I think that is much the same as with the new statewide 2 buck limit. It is designed to allow more bucks to reach maturity not only by saving those 3rd bucks people might have killed but also some of the 2nd bucks that won't get killed because hunters don't want to burn their last tag either early in the season or by holding out for a bigger buck. By default that should eventually allow for an older buck population. The kicker is that older doesn't necessarily equate to bigger. The biggest percentage of those "saved" bucks still won't grow huge antlers albeit most will be bigger than they were had they been killed with the 3 buck limit.

Passing on 140" deer in Tn is a rarity. I've done it and some of my hunting buddies have as well. It usually resulted in eating our 2nd buck tag. If you're hunting in an area that has that kind of potential I could see it happening more often and the 2 buck limit could very well be the ticket to allow for those kind of opportunities. For most hunters the thought of passing a buck that size borders on insanity and I'd recommend pulling the trigger if you ever encounter a buck like that and then grin from ear to ear. My hat's off to those that have confidence enough to pass them up and hopefully those moves will pan out in the long run at least a small percentage of the time. Just remember it's a matter of choice and not filling that second tag is probably going to happen more often than not. That's hunting.

 

[landman]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

After killing a nice 8 point opening day, I've been hunting hard. Seen more deer than ever.

So this afternoon i seen 11 bucks and 8 does. Buck #8 was a main frame 9 point with trash made him a 12 point. Figured he'd break into the low 140" making him one of the biggest I've ever walked. But with only 1 tag left i couldn't do it. I vowed i wouldn't pick the bow up unless it was a special buck until Christmas in Tennessee. So with this being said let's say that doesn't happen and my standards lower after Christmas and hunting gets tough after the rut along with 6 weeks of gun hunting pressure. I could easily see myself not catching up to one late season. Guess what happens then, 2 bucks just got saved from lowering the limit to 2.

Now do you suppose that's how the the buck limit was intended to help?

Don't want a bunch of bickering anti or pro buck limit changes or any of that BS. I'll ask Ruger to lock the thread if so.

Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

Ok...try this.

After hunting on the only land I have regular access to, mainly because I am a blue collar worker with a family (and was not born into a situation where I have access to large tracts of private land that readily supported 130 plus bucks), and because I (like MOST of my Tennessee hunting brothers and sisters) simply because of time or money can't afford to hunt areas where a 140 exists in "huntable numbers, I have already taken a GREAT representative 6 point. It MIGHT score 80 inches but is obviously mature.

I killed this 4.5 year old in (let's say) Ocoee (East Pennessee-Polk County).

Had I let him walk, he would probably STILL be a six point next year.

I have NEVER seen a 140, or even a 120 in 30 years of hunting these mountains. But I have seen MANY mature deer.

Some were spikes.

Some say I am a good hunter. Others say no. Because I have never killed a 140 inch buck.

I wonder who is the better hunter? The one who consistently kills MATURE bucks on heavy pressured PUBLIC land year after year? Or the one who kills large racked bucks on PRIME private hunting land absolutely COVERED up with deer?

It simply AMAZES me how hung up we all are on deer antlers. I can't tell you how many 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks sporting huge racks that have created unreal attention by hunters while 4.5 and 5.5 large bodied 2, 4, and 6 points go un noticed.

Why would ANYONE in Tennessee let a 140 inch buck walk past their stand while hunting with a bow?
Unless they were fairly certain that NOBODY else would kill it either because they had some control over the property they were on, or they were hunting in such an exclusive part of Tn that a 140 was not that uncommon.

And why is it that we always talk about the antler score? Instead of the age and body size?

In the past 34 years of my hunting, I have seen so many disturbing trends. But NONE were as disturbing as the trophy mentality.

Os2, I am not picking on you. I mean no dis respect. But I fear that MONEY (GREED) is the great evil in this sport. I fear it will drive prices for land, leases, and license out of reach for most hunters in my lifetime.

I have seen out of state hunting license go to ridiculous costs in the last 10 years. And lease prices are insane.

All driven by this CRAZY "antler" frenzy.

Deer farming has taken it all to new heights. And the internet will post pics of huge antler bucks from who knows where claiming to be the next new record this or that. And often times it ends up being a high fence hoax.

THere are a whole bunch of really GREAT bowhunters out there who have NEVER killed a Pope and Young or Booner buck. And probably never will.

But they could. With GREAT regularity. It just so happens that they do NOT live/hunt in an area that produces these bucks. THey have the age, just not the nutrition or genetics.

So these guys get no attention for their skill level. Even though they are much better hunters than MOST TV celebrities.

So will this lowering of bucks limit help save more bucks? Yes. But the number of bucks it saves will be DIRECTLY proportional to the number of hunters who are capable of killing 3 bucks in the first place...and that is not many.

You should have taken the shot IMO.

A true 140 is a huge buck in ANY free ranging situation.

First let's I can tell you Os2 wasn't born with
a silver spoon in his mouth, and the family
has a small farm , but is not what I or most
would consider PRIME deer land.

He can most likely out shoot 99% of those
of here with a bow. And it's bow only all year,
A hard hunter too,he doesn't have a pile of
money, high dollar leases either. I noticed him
Saturday mid day shooting his bow myself on
the way home.

As for the Public land buck,many of those bucks
cross property lines every day, so if someone
kills him on the public side is he more a trophy
than if he's killed 100 yds into private land???
I know many tracts of public land are massive
but many are not and all join private land.
Many if those PRIME private land you talk about
Have the same problems as public land. Tresspasers
coming from the Public Land is a big one.

Times change ask Matt what he was killing 10 years
ago

 

[Winchester]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

LOL, If you didn't want responses then why did you ask?? LOL I hunt with the mindset that if he isn't big enough day one he isn't big enough the last day, regardless of weapon. Lowering the buck limit would never save #2, or #1, or any other legal buck from getting shot at if he was one I wanted to shoot before I reach my limit, whatever its set at! I don't change the size deer I shoot based on the limit allowed, if he's big enough to make me happy I shoot him until my limit is filled regardless what that might be.
Its comical to read some of these posts? How do any of us know how accurate another is with his weapons? How hard does John doe hunt vs my hero? etc etc?

 

[redhunterZ71]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

What would Stan Potts do?[emoji38]

 

[DCOOK223]

^^^
I won't say what happens first, but after that, he cries lol

 

[Roost 1]

Re: The biggest buck I've ever walked...

Was he on a leash while you were walking him??? arty: