Dear lord...........that is certainly "suspicious" Rob. Surely you are lying because how on earth could a hunter from the east coast manage to do something Duke has been unable to do in 15 years. Even though numerous other members have reported the EXACT same experience as you it just simply can't be true.............I mean, Duke said so
It definatley goes both ways, location, amount of pressure, deer densities, sex ratios etc.. all play into the equation of either stacking the odds in ones favor versus stacking the odds against a hunter. A hunter's priorities, attitude, effort, game planning, execution and other variables like time and motivation can not just be thrown by the wayside either when it comes to knocking down old bucks year in and out. I've have already hunted whitetails in a handful of regions, Montana, Idaho, Alberta and North Dakota. Iowa will be my next then I hope to hunt PA>OHIO with Ryan down the road. All of these areas so far have confirmed to me that some places are just far more bowhunter/whitetail success rate "friendly" than others. Yet, getting on an old one and actually KILLING a magnum (older buck) is still tough, atleast in the places I've hunted; I will note that every place I have hunted out of state so far received moderate to hvy hunting pressures, throughout there seasons.
I did not conveniently leave anyone out. I quoted the guys YOU originally gave. Now you're trying to change the game? C'mon.. I smarter than that. As for Tribal? What are you implying? That I know him? He's a guy on the internet... remember. If that's your proof pal.. you couldn't be further from the truth. Or a 4 yr old. The 4 year old claim? That is what you're seeing if you're consistently to kill 142" whitetail there bud. I'd expect you to manage this one in your mind. But I guess I gave you far to much credit. GregH and me? No.. you know nothing of Greg and my history. I don't see why you pretend you do. Maybe you feel left out? And half of the guys from the outfitting industry do not score on a buck... even with the 2 year olds thrown in.. it's still like 25% success for bowhunters. So you can try to pull another one again if you will. I love that an New Yorker thinks he knows more than the Illinois resident on Illinois hunting. Your claims are still funny to me.:D Keep 'em coming Atlas... let's try to prove the pointless. Keep comparing apples to oranges. Outfitter land to a regular guys chunk.. or even public. You're smart.
Atlas, I have don't know you from Adam....or Eve. :D But, you possess many of the antics that us IL residents despise about you NonRes folk! EXCEPT- jmbuck, he's THE MAN!
well after reading a lot this I have come to the conclusion that it is all me...I have plenty of land, with several mature bucks that have the size to make you drool, I have time,( I do have children, but a very understanding wife) I have the desire, I have the focus, I have very little stress....so what's the issue? It's me...Im just not able to understand the behavior of these bucks to kill them...yes I have taken those big mature bucks with a gun, but the bow is a whole nutha animal...sure, I have taken several 1.5-2.5 bucks, and maybe even one or two 3-3.5 yr olds, but they are by far inferior to what walks on most of my lands..just today, a buddy in my hunt club killed a huge 145" 8pt with the gun and dogs....it happens all day here in Va...but to bow hunt and kill em, it takes knowledge that I just can't seem to grasp...in other words....I SUCK!!!
Could Illinois hunters come to New York and kill a 4 year old buck easier than New Yorkers because they are better hunters used to hunting them more?
1. More time in the woods 2. No reponsibilities at home, your mind is completely focused on hunting big bucks (no Kids, no wife ,just you) 5. Having more big bucks in your area 8. other hunters 9. not enough land to hunt I personally think the older deer are a harder animal to hunt and kill. But, if the deer in the states like IL, IA, OH are as easy to kill as some say, I think I could get it done on a consistent basis. Not bragging, I just know what I am capable of.:D
If a 4yr old is a 4yr old no matter where you are. I have an invite to anyone who would like to come to central Pa and hunt the finest Game lands i know of, in search of a 4yr old. That would make for some awesome street cred and/or footage if you could lay one down.
atlas.... The 5 days you describe in Illinois is better than ANY 5 day stretch I have ever experienced in my 12 seasons hunting here. The fact that you were able to pass on multiple 130 and 140 class deer blows me away. I can see 1 and 2 year olds throughout my season, and will have some run ins with a few 3 year olds, but a 4 year or older buck is truly an elusive animal around these parts. Our 365 acre farm is located in a county that produces some nice bucks. Not like Pike or Adams, but there are still some dang good ones out here. If you are trying to compare rack size of Illinois deer to New York deer then you have a valid point, no argument from me on that. But to say that you can simply waltz into a big buck state, sit in a tree, and then pass on several 3.5 year old 130's and some 140's waiting for a 160 to walk in, is borderline ridiculous for the REGULAR hunter. ONE of the major reasons why an out of state hunter is able to consistently harvest large whitetails here, is that they have OR are willing to spend the money to get to lands that the average joes cannot access. NOTHING wrong with this, but the lands most people come here to hunt are not what the average hunter from Illinois gets to hunt. From the description of your hunt, you were on one heck of a farm, and had some amazing encounters that every hunter dreams to have. However, for you to compare that land you were on to what most Illinois residents are hunting is absurd. A hunter from Illinois is not any better of a hunter than a guy from New York, but hunting here is nowhere near as easy as you describe it. An "average" hunter can not cross the state lines and go to the types of land most people hunt, and then kill a giant of a buck in a weeks time. It just doesn't happen. P.S. I am no good at killing mature bucks. If my memory is serving me correctly, I have had shots at three 4 year old bucks over the last 5 seasons. 2 of those were this year, and I connected on one. I would consider myself to be an average hunter, I'm far from great, but I am able to read an area and then set up in a place that will give me a shot at a deer. ANYONE who is able to consistently lay down a fully mature whitetail every year has my respect. Whether that deer be a 120" 4 year old from out east, or a 160" midwestern brute. The score of a whitetail is only relative to the area you live in, but the age of one is the same no matter where you are. And I would like to add the Wal-Mart in my town is VERY nice
You mentioned Rob.........that's it........and chose to focus on his killing a 2.5 as a way to prove your point...........instead of the 40 bucks he saw and 3 near 160" No more then any of us..........most guys here that have known him on the boards for many years know his situation. If you want to pretend you don't know it then that's cool.........convenient, but cool LOL........guess you weren't paying very close attention. Just what you air in the forums...........which is exactly what I mentioned. 25% success rates for outfitters?? LOL Nice try.........and you've never even seen anything like other guys report from your state in 15 years...........oh yea, except this year LOL what an unreal coincidence
Not just me.........Will, Rob, WV Hunter all had similar or better experiences. In fact I believe my shortened week was the least productive of all the guys I mentioned. Never said that. So the location is the key? I never did. Duke is gonna be crushed by such a statement. Shots at three 4 yr olds in 5 years for an avg guy who hunts "regular" land in Illinois. My point exactly. You obviously don't live in Canton
You crack me up Atlas.. always have. Finding statements that make no sense.. or just making these up as you go along. Always amazed me. LOL! Keep trying buddy. Keep trying. (insert laughing smilie here).
Atlas you're hunting the wrong end of NY:p http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2009/11/long-island-buck-four-beams-threatens-new-york-state-archery-record?photo=1 What a beast!!!
Taxi.. looking at his teeth said 4.5 More amazingly he had one that was 9.5. That deer was basically gumming his food and had a gnarly 21 point rack...he would have been something in his prime.
# 9 for me, I need more good quality places to hunt. I don't know about Iowa or Ill, but I think Kansas has had like 340 bucks entered into P&Y in the last 16 years, that works out to 21.25 P&Y bucks a year. Lets say out of those 21.25 bucks taken 30% of the hunters are repeat offenders or successful on a regular basics, Your looking at 6 hunters.
