***Team 24 - Boneheads***

I think he would go above 155. Depends on the main beams and mass to get above 160. I think you both are real close. Why don't you settle this and shoot him already? I hope you shoot him and your buddy is closer than you.

I'll unofficially/officially score him at 161 1/8.

No idea on the age of the deer. Age to me is either young or old. I keep things simple for myself.

 

hahah thats the plan if everything pulls together. Would be nice if he was closer but I dont care any ways because I would be real surprised if I have a oppertunity at a buck like this in Michigan again, there to far and few between here.

 

For real! You guys are starting to make me nervous and I am not sure everyones' season has even started yet. Someone at least put down a doe to make me feel better! :p

 

haha probably after this weekend im gonna try to get a couple down

 

I would sure try if I could hunt deer. Opening tomorrow. Wednesday evening is first chance I'll get.

 

Season opens tomorrow for me prob wont get out till the weekend tho. Not much on trail cam lately in NY. This guy seems to show up the most and yes I will kill him if I get a chance.

 

Holy main beam length batman!

 

Okay, here we go.

Mitchell area certainly has big deer. I live about an hour from there. The only problem is that it gets hit really hard by pheasant hunters. That makes getting permission or a lease very hard. Any public ground around there probably wouldn't produce.

Lemmon is thought of the town that's in North Dakota. Seriously, it is right on the border. Lemmon is in Perkins county, which is loaded with public ground that holds muleys and whiteys. I have a rifle tag for Perkins this year, so I will better be able to gauge the deer hunting come middle of November.

Burke is an area I'm really familiar with. I will be archery hunting about twenty minutes from there in October. The Burke area has a lot of good public and good deer. The only problem is you can't hunt the rut. Rifle season in Gregory county opens up the first weekend of November and gets pounded all the way through December. Here is my 2012 muley taken about thirty minutes from Burke.

2012 Burke Buck


My primary hunting ground is about a mile from Yankton! The Yankton area has a lot of archery hunters and very little public ground. If you plan on hunting around here, you'll need private ground (which is hard for even a local kid to come by). If that is attainable, you'll be in some great deer. Here is the buck I took in this area a couple years ago.

2011 Yankton Buck


Rapid City is pretty foreign to me. There is sooooo much public ground out there. It is mostly whitetails that diet on pine cones. You could shoot a 5 year old deer out there that would score 130. Tons of deer, tons of public, not much size.

Sioux Falls, no. Tons of hunters, no public ground, no permission to go around.

Belle Fourche, yes. Very few archery hunters (but a lot of rifle) and tons of public ground. I hate myself for not getting to that area more. There are big populations of muleys and whitetails which have the potential to get huge. If I were to pick an area that has the biggest muleys, it would be the Bell Fourche area. In Bell Fourche you are a stones throw away from the Black Hills National Forest and a skip away from miles and miles of Harding and Butte county public land. If you have ever dreamed of spot and stalking a muley, this is the area. Also, still a lot of great whitetail country in the area.

So in conclusion, Belle Fourche and Burke would be your best bets. Lots of public ground and you could be versatile at both areas. Belle Fourche trumps Burke because rifle season typically opens a week later in the Belle Fourche area. This map will be your best friend, use it. Guide to Public Hunting

Let me know if you (or anyone else here) has SD related questions!

 

Another kicker for Belle Fourche, it is the center of the United States. Pretty cool memorial in town and it makes for a neat story.

 

Super cool buck! Probably not a lot of big bucks built like that walking around.

 

Unless I come across a shooter buck, don't be expecting any points for me for a month or two. I can only shoot one deer in my area in MN.

 

I always thought Lebanon, Kansas was the center of the United States???

So here is the scoop... My clients are banks and credit unions. I take extra special care of the bank presidents. They often have land and/or know lots of people. It's hard to tell the guy that lends you money no. I know I can hunt Mitchell on private ground. The guy invites me up every year and I have never taken him up on it. The other guy from Lemmon has invited me up as well. I know he has ground in both SD and ND.

I am going to send of a e-mail to the guy in Mitchell and see what he has to say. Last time I made the drive to Mitchell it was quite the trek if I recall!

 

BTW boof those are some great looking animals! Did that one by the lake take a swim?

 

Is that one deer or one buck? All seriousness I understand guys! It's just my duty as team captain to keep stoking the fire!

 

Lebanan is the center of the 48, Belle Fourche is the center of all 50.

 

No swim. I actually shot him about a half mile from the shore, but wanted to have the picture by the river. The drag was worth it.

 

In that case, Mitchell is your best option! That is big buck country, also hard-to-get-private land country.

 

One deer total.

 

GreatWhite, are you in the SW part of MN?
I am going out this weekend to do a doe only city hunt, hope to get one down on the ground Friday morning.

 

Ouch! Guess I need to stop complaining about Kansas being a one buck state. If I could only shoot one deer a year in my home state I would have to move!