I have read a ton of posts and texts about big buck sightings this fall, in what seems to me a disproportionate amount of sightings to kills.... So I want to know.... Your ratio of big buck sightings to big buck shot opportunities. Whether you passed the shot, missed, did not recover or killed it. We will call "big buck" all bucks 3.5+ years old. For me this year, I had 4 big buck sightings (3 different bucks) all 4 offered a shot. I would say my lifetime ratio of big buck sightings to big buck shot opportunities would fall somewhere around 75%.
This year I saw 5 bucks from stand that I would consider shooters. 3 were out of range (40 yards, 40 yards and 100+ yards respectively) and the other 2 I shot.
4 bucks 160 class or bigger so far this season. Harvested the first buck 164." The rest were out of range. One buck 150 class, I passed on.
I can give you my entire bowhunting career off the top of my head. 3.5+ buck sightings: 5 Killed 1, missed 1, dog ran 1 off that was coming in, and 1 walked by in range without enough light to feel comfortable to shoot, 1 could see from stand on a neighboring property about 300 yards away. I guess that puts me at 2:5, or 40%.
In my hunting span of 15 years I have had 12 sightings with 1 kill, 3 misses, 1 lost, and the rest no shot provided.
3.5? This year? Probably one. He was at 30yds. Clean miss. As far as "shooters" are concerned, I saw 4. 3 of which were in range. I missed two, and the third got a pass mostly because of the quickness with which he was moving. The fourth passed by at about 70yds.
I have seen 3 big bucks this season. 2 were on new hunting land and I was not in range (due to it being the first 2 hunts on this land with no pre-scouting) and 1 after legal shooting time in the field. No shots.
As far as sightings while hunting, I am 1 for 1 on mature buck sightings vs kills. Just haven't seen much for bucks this year.
I have seen 3 bucks this season that I would put at 3.5 years old. 2 out of bow range and 1 that would just not give me the right shot.
I have seen one shooter during my time on stand hunting this year and I shot him. My success rate is 100% and I am the best hunter in the world.
I'm taking 50% of your credit since I hung the stand you were in. So together we are the greatest hunter(s) in the world.
I've had encounters with 8 different bucks that I would consider 3-1/2 years old or older. Had two shot opportunities that I screwed up on, one I hit high behind the sholder below the spine and above the lungs, that was at 32 yards, neighbor shot it the following weekend and it was a 10 that scored 162". I shot below a 120" 5-1/2 year old nine point Sunday at a mere 10 yards. That adds up to a 20% sighting to shot opportunity, and one fun frustrating season.
This season on 3.5 year olds or better, 5 sightings, 4 shot opps = 80% - no shots fired. 1 big 8pt at 20yd - passed, 1 nice 10pt at 10yd - passed, and probably the #2 biggest buck I've ever had in bow range...had him 8 yards Friday, 25 yards Saturday (saw him out of range on Thurs evening) BUT, his right main beam is now broke off right where his G-2 would start, left beam has 8 points...to have him 3 consecutive days on a 35 acre property and have his main beam broke off...Oh Well, was sure fun to watch him in action! And hopin' he makes it through the year.
I have seen four bucks this year that are 3 1/2 or older. Only one has been within shooting range and a tresspasser pushed him when I was at full draw. I have had that buck within 50 yards four times and haven't closed the deal. The other three have gotten within 50 yards but no shots. I have had at least twelve 2 1/2 or younger bucks within twenty yards.
For mule deer i would say I have seen probably 10 shooter bucks in the last two years and only got one shot. Mule deer hunting where we are was all spot and stalk so that won't be a good comparison for whitetail. For whitetail I have seen 2 shooters, one I didn't try to shoot at (30 yards and walking fast and was trying to snap photos) and the other one busted me this morning. So far this year no shots.
This is an easy one... ZERO! Zero shots, zero seen. I've only seen one buck all year, and he was a 1.5 yr, one sided 3 point. Probably 30 total inches. SWEET season...
I saw what I think are two 3.5+ year old bucks this year. One was at 30 yards and snorted at me/ran(he was bedded with a doe) as I hung my stand at 1:00PM. The other was at 40 yards in a thicket the following day at around 1:00PM as well. He winded me. Game over on both accounts. 0%
