I think to many of you are to fast to discount the effort needed to kill big bucks even in "target rich" enviroments. Most states have a 25% success rate on deer tags. Of that percentage, how many are on big bucks? Not that many. Easier for the average hunter in a target rich enviroment? Absolutly. Easy for the average hunter though? I really doubt it ever is, easy.
Wasn't someone debating giving up hunting in his home State for lack of big bucks? Don't seperate score and size...It's like saying you don't measure fish..but you keep a stick with marks on it gauging your biggest one. True, you don't have a number, but you keep track just the same. Why is it, that the people who don't care about Antler size are always the first to bring up their perceived disadvantage in attaining them?
Big deer have big scores, LOL You can not hide behind the "big deer" line, I am not buying it. Like I said, when an average hunter whacks one, we will hear about the score. When a hunter shoots one, he may not "score it" on paper, but he scores it in his head if it has any size to it, As for my anaolgy it was right on. It was about when a person does something ouside the norm in a sport or hunting. Hell you could not wait to come on here Atlas and post on how you almost killed a 160 class buck in ILL. Wait how did you know it was a 160 class, you scored it:D I am not saying you care soley about score, I am not saying you shoot deer for score. I am just saying when a hunter who "does not care about score" shoots one with some bone, he cares real fast. Just like a golfer who does not care about score, until he shoots a decent one. We have heard blanket statements before on this board. They never seem to pan out
Honestly, Bob.....because of this mentality. I don't begrudge ANYONE a target-rich environment. If we're just talking "deer".....I have one. I see a lot of 'em. The attitudes that make me laugh are these, though (I sent this to Duke, last night, in PM).
Once again some are confusing locations in this thread. Comparing SE to MidWest on score is crazy. Hiigh score(big buck for you Atlas) is relevant to where you hunt The questions was brought up about score, gross vs net. We got into what avg hunter feels. I don't care if he/she hunts the SE, NE, midwest, or west. When they shoot an animal bigger than the norm for their LOCATION they really care about what the animal scored Some truly don't care about score, their the ones not posting in this thread.
I posted in this thread (hey, I'm posting again) and I wouldn't have the slightest idea of how to score antlers other than the little spike I shot LOL. I am learning how to score teeth, though .
Perhaps you are having trouble admitting that nearly every deer hunter has at least some interest in what large bucks score. I have never been anywhere in all my hunting travels that I was not asked what my best buck scores. Merely a product of where I am from. Personally, I have never entered a buck in any records and likely never will. I simply dont care to do so. No validation involved here. I hunt for me and enjoy all the deer I see and kill, buck or doe. And if the "average deer hunter" killed a 220" typical, he's gonna grab a tape measure so fast your head will spin.
See your thinking about it:D For your spike, measure each tine, measure the width(inside spread). Take for measurements of the dia of each tine. Now get back to us, I wanna know Bruce what if it was not a spike, but a 140-150, would you be curious?
Quite honestly, no. Would a big rack look cool? Absolutely, but the head would get boiled, cleaned and stuck somewhere downstairs and it would never catch a whiff of a tape measure. I killed what I consider a very nice buck this year and even posted a picture of it in my story. I have no idea what he would score and could not even give you a guess. I do have his jaw bone and can give you my estimate of his age though :D .
If this is directed at me or my accomplishments as a bowhunter you have made a serious error in judgement. I have never once professed to be a great bowhunter and have made mention many times how fortunate I am to live and hunt in one of the best locations for big whitetails in the world. For that, I have no apologies. I have never entered any of my bucks in any record books and probably never will. It really is not important to me. By the way, I carry a 3 handicap and my best 6 bucks gross over 1000 inches total. The golf is all God given talent, the deer were probably just luck.
Just curious, why did you ask me the other day about what my top 5 or 10 deer score? Just wondering since you mention in this post you have no interest in net or gross score.
Fletch......for MY deer....I have NO interest in it (*any more). I did. Now, I don't. Hey...if you don't like it when people toot your horn....I won't pull the string again!
LOL. No offense, I'm just having a little trouble swallowing this whole argument that the majority of deer hunters have absolutely no interest in scores. I would contend that nearly all deer hunters, have at least some interest in some deers scores. Like you, maybe not in their own, but they do have interest in what some deer score or at least how they compare to other deer. By the way, I hope not to come across as a horn tooter, not my intent.
It probably "used to be" that hunters described their deer as a "nice 8-pointer". Isn't that really all people need to know? And, if it isn't.....why is that? Just my outlook.
^^^^^^ This. To quote my dad, after killing his biggest buck to date... Q: "How big was the rack?" A: Holding arms out to size it... "About this big?!" I do ask people what they score, but 9 times out of 10, it is for comparison, as I don't usually see too many of them out in the woods... Then again, he is the same guy that taught me why you can see two farms on a highway, and one farmer, has a short old silo, and one farmer has a new tall silo; and the next year the short old one, has been "upgraded" to a taller, newer one...
