tbrooks81

I think wht_mtnman touched on an important point. There is a hierarchy of management with G&F being the CEO's. IMO tag numbers being offered per unit is the largest contributing factor of game management. I'm under the impression that these big decisions are based largely on revenue as G&F must make its own money to operate, but I have to hope there is science behind it as well. We as hunters (the WHO part) make it happen with our trigger fingers. We've taken numerous 'goofy' bucks and 80-90" forkers over the years and in a way thats game management since that particular genetic line has been removed. Somewhat off subject but it relates, I raise tilapia in a backyard aquaculture setup. While we are not breeding these fish there is still management that needs to happen in the form of culling. Within 4-5 months I know which fish are going to grow out quicker and which are lagging. The smaller fish get targeted for culling to make room for the faster growers to get as big as possible. At the other end of the cycle, I target the biggest fish for harvesting to allow the others more time to grow. I guess what i'm getting at is in the grand scheme, there is room for meat hunters as well as trophy hold outs as long as the # of tags in the field relate to the game populations being hunted.

Very nice buck, I like the mass and tight basket. Congrats!

Hello everyone, I've been following the website and forum for quite awhile now, finally got one to share with you all. We had 3 tags for the late hunt in 6A and filled them all. We hunted for 7 solid days and found this guy on 12/28. At sunrise my cousin Reid and I set up to glass and spotted a small buck quite a ways down the canyon. We were watching him when I looked down, 200 yds beneath us was a forky that had come out of a thick draw to feed. He appeared to be wounded and after studying him a bit decided he must have lost a front hoove in the early hunt to a gunshot wound. After discussing it I decided I would take him to put him out of his misery. As we were setting up the shot he spotted us and full out hightailed it back into the brush of the draw. After 30 minutes of waiting for him to reappear, Reid took the ranger down the hill to bird dog him out for me. The drainage we were looking over was wide open with the exception of the brushy draw and I would have a clean shot at him within 350 yards regardless of where he busted out. Reid paced the draw up and down twice to no avail, the buck would not budge. On his way back down he spotted a deer working towards the ranger. He apparently had a great look at the buck and got excited about what he saw. After failing to reach me by cell, I was still looking for the buck underneath us, he waited for the buck to clear the ridge of the basin and headed back up to get me. We were able to get out on a point down the canyon from where he had crossed over the ridge and we set up to try to find him again. Like clockwork, Reid spotted a doe coming off a bench beneath the ridge the buck had gone over. The buck was soon to follow and we were ready for him. In our haste we had mis-ranged the bench a bit and I concede I may have had a bit of buck fever. I missed the first two shots but connected with the third hitting him at the tip of the shoulder at 370 yards. We joked about giving him the opportunity of getting away! We taped him at 108 2/8th's and I couldn't be happier. It was a great hunt and great time spent with family. Already can't wait for next year... Cheers, Travis

Great, another chance to directly compare to a 150 class buck!!! What a beast...

Threads been inactive for some time but I still want to show off my trophies! My first coues in 06 and my 2007 archery "I bet you can't make that shot" piglet from 50yds.

108 2/8ths, killed 12/28/09