How big does he have to be!

[Antlerdog]

Wow Bob,

You sure are contridicting yourself! Are you left / right, or are you going to stradle the fence? I personally believe that you are a trophy hunter!

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. Not the score. People ask me what a deer scores, and I ask them if they like the deer? Regardless of score.

[joeeden]

I hunt to be happy, if I wake up happy, hunt with good friends, and bust my butt. I let the animal at the time dictate if I shoot or not. I hunt Coues' to soak up the experience (and not have to carry out something that weighs more than me). I don't know that I could hunt Coues' and say " it's for the meat", there isn't that much meat (although it's darn good). I do know that the next time I hunt Coues' it WILL be for a nice typical. Until it steps out in front of me I'll go with that.

 

--Bill

 

Well said Bill! My sentiments exactly.

[azpackhorse]

I can honestly say, after years of experience, that when I head out with bow in hand, that I have absolutely no idea what my "standards" will be for that day. If the spirit moves me at that particular moment, antler size has no affect on my decision.

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

If I like the buck and it will look good on my wall I will kill it. I'm a bit more picky with mulies now, but since I spot and stalk any mature Coues is good for me.

[willhunt4coues]

I would have to say 90" or better for Coues and a BIG OL Muley...I am not ruining the season for any coues buck on a small muley.

[CouesWhitetail]

Wow Bob,

You sure are contridicting yourself! Are you left / right, or are you going to stradle the fence? I personally believe that you are a trophy hunter!

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. Not the score. People ask me what a deer scores, and I ask them if they like the deer? Regardless of score.

 

 

+1

 

I always try and challenge myself to get a big deer and sometimes I go home empty handed, but sometimes I shoot small buck just because it feels like the right thing at the moment. Mostly I would say it just depends on if the buck moves me in such a way that I want it. Most of the time, if they are little, I am just not interested and would rather keep hunting. I really love unique bucks, like when they have something unusual, super long beams that almost touch, nontypical points, extra main beams, extra large mass, etc. Love the diversity in antlers, so in general I try and get something that I haven't already shot. And despite what Bill Q seems to imply with his posts (in the other thread) that if you are trophy hunting you are not enjoying your hunt experience, I find exactly the opposite. The harder I hunt and the more bucks I pass on, the more I enjoy it. I hate to have a hunt end the first day and I can't think of any Coues hunt I have been on where I couldn't have shot a buck the first day.

 

Amanda

[bobbyo]

Wow Bob,

You sure are contridicting yourself! Are you left / right, or are you going to stradle the fence? I personally believe that you are a trophy hunter!

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. Not the score. People ask me what a deer scores, and I ask them if they like the deer? Regardless of score.

 

Alright Jim, If you say so. I'm guilty. Trophy hunter Bob. But don't you have to actually kill a trophy to be a Trophy hunter? Maybe you can hook me up? . Anyway Jim since I am a new trophy hunter I have a trophy hunting question. Say you have a client that wants a book buck. On the average, About how many 100" bucks do you have to pass up to actually see the 110 buck?

Bob

[Antlerdog]

Wow Bob,

You sure are contridicting yourself! Are you left / right, or are you going to stradle the fence? I personally believe that you are a trophy hunter!

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. Not the score. People ask me what a deer scores, and I ask them if they like the deer? Regardless of score.

 

Alright Jim, If you say so. I'm guilty. Trophy hunter Bob. But don't you have to actually kill a trophy to be a Trophy hunter? Maybe you can hook me up? . Anyway Jim since I am a new trophy hunter I have a trophy hunting question. Say you have a client that wants a book buck. On the average, About how many 100" bucks do you have to pass up to actually see the 110 buck?

Bob

Bob,

You'r not a "NEW" trophy hunter! Every animal you ever harvested was your trophy in one way or another. I recall one having a nice Big droptine! How many deer did you pass before you shot him?

Yesterday morning my buddy passed up a deer we believed to be 100" because he didn't have to shoot a deer, even though it was the last day of his hunt.

Again 100'----110" buck is a score. I would never tell anyone that we were looking for a certain size deer because they never seem to score on the ground like they do in the binoculars! If you like the deer shoot.

Jim

 

 

[BigBfever]

this year, whatever crosses the sights first. other then coues spikes

[standman]

I can honestly say, after years of experience, that when I head out with bow in hand, that I have absolutely no idea what my "standards" will be for that day. If the spirit moves me at that particular moment, antler size has no affect on my decision.

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

This is exactly how I feel. I ended my hunt in the first 45 minutes on Jan. 1 last year on this 3x3 mule deer because of the way the hunt panned out. I called him in using a grunt call and the primos can. First time I ever did that on a buck. If he would of been a spike I probably would of killed him.

 

Brian

 

[jakehaffey]

I can honestly say, after years of experience, that when I head out with bow in hand, that I have absolutely no idea what my "standards" will be for that day. If the spirit moves me at that particular moment, antler size has no affect on my decision.

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

This is exactly how I feel. I ended my hunt in the first 45 minutes on Jan. 1 last year on this 3x3 mule deer because of the way the hunt panned out. I called him in using a grunt call and the primos can. First time I ever did that on a buck. If he would of been a spike I probably would of killed him.

 

Brian

 

Now thats cool!

[bobbyo]

Bob,

You'r not a "NEW" trophy hunter! Every animal you ever harvested was your trophy in one way or another. I recall one having a nice Big droptine! How many deer did you pass before you shot him?

Yesterday morning my buddy passed up a deer we believed to be 100" because he didn't have to shoot a deer, even though it was the last day of his hunt.

Again 100'----110" buck is a score. I would never tell anyone that we were looking for a certain size deer because they never seem to score on the ground like they do in the binoculars! If you like the deer shoot.

Jim

Jim,

So your not going to hook me up? I think your definition and the majority of the communities definition of trophy hunting is different than mine and Bill's ( I am not speaking for Bill.) I guess what I am hearing is. You are a trophy hunter if you are the least bit selective in the animals you harvest. I'm ok with that definition. Under those parameters I am most definately a trophy hunter and always have been. My incrimmiating posts from a previous topic had a much stricter definition of what constituted a trophy. I guess I will need to modify my terminology when discussing this topic in the future.

 

I really did not start this thread to talk about trophy hunting. I was just curious about the expectations people have concerning the January bow season. Are people willing to take a lesser animal with a bow and forfeit the rest of the year's opportunity for hunting. The data makes it pretty evident that harvesting a deer with a bow in Arizona is quite an accomplishment. At 6% success AZ has to be near the bottom if not last place in the entire nation as far as success with a bow goes. With these statistics in mind and the low chance for success in this state an argument could easily be made that any deer taken with a bow is a trophy! So back to the question. What size buck are you willing to burn your tag on.

Bob

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Bob,

You'r not a "NEW" trophy hunter! Every animal you ever harvested was your trophy in one way or another. I recall one having a nice Big droptine! How many deer did you pass before you shot him?

Yesterday morning my buddy passed up a deer we believed to be 100" because he didn't have to shoot a deer, even though it was the last day of his hunt.

Again 100'----110" buck is a score. I would never tell anyone that we were looking for a certain size deer because they never seem to score on the ground like they do in the binoculars! If you like the deer shoot.

Jim

Jim,

So your not going to hook me up? I think your definition and the majority of the communities definition of trophy hunting is different than mine and Bill's ( I am not speaking for Bill.) I guess what I am hearing is. You are a trophy hunter if you are the least bit selective in the animals you harvest. I'm ok with that definition. Under those parameters I am most definately a trophy hunter and always have been. My incrimmiating posts from a previous topic had a much stricter definition of what constituted a trophy. I guess I will need to modify my terminology when discussing this topic in the future.

 

I really did not start this thread to talk about trophy hunting. I just was curious to the expectations people have concerning the January bow season. Are people willing to take a lesser animal with a bow and forfiet the rest of the year's opportunity for hunting. The data makes it pretty evident that harvasting a deer with a bow in Arizona is quite an accomplishment. At 6% success AZ has to be near the bottom if not last place in the entire nation as far as success with a bow goes. With these statistics in mind and the low chance for success in this state an argument could easily be made that any deer taken with a bow is a trophy! So back to the question. What size buck are you willing to burn your tag on.

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

forky with eyeguards gets an arrow whether it be 30 inches or 65 or 80.

 

anything with eyeguards is sexy........

[AZantlerhead]

My answer to the ? is I had tag soup on my november hunt because I was after one buck in particular and he is a toad azantlerhead seen him once and I seen him 3 times hes pushing 130 and I passed up 29 bucks in 7 days because I wanted him. obviously He lives on but I'll see him again

 

 

OK Cory, I was gonna keep Mr. GAGGER a secret till I stick it to him, or you, but ohh well. Just kidding bro. But you were gonna kill a 110 and a particular one( of wich you have many sheds from)and only him, But that was before I told you where the 130 was hideing in Your area. Now our area, lol. . Don't mention it buddy. But not like u didn't know allready. lol

 

And, I'm glad you confirmed I wasn't hallucinateing and sorry you missed him, that cactus come out ok lmao!? I'll call you tomorrow. At least you got a shot at him, I was too busy first literally asleep then literally throwing up to get one off. Hope one of us bags him before he dies of a busted neck from totin that head gear . But as you know I got an itchy trigger finger and shot the first one I saw just to have another deer under my belt on day six, fearing tag soup, that's even after missing another book buck on day 5, dang , should have fouled my smoke pole!! Dough!!

 

My theory is be ready for the next Big thing, patricularly the next rival ML or Archery world record class buck to present itself. And shoot the little dude if it makes you happy.

 

Also, don't let nay sayers( Casey) get your hopes down and let you doubt yourself and your spot that a gagger kind of opportunity ( a world record or just a GIANT period ) could just well pesent itself, maybe two years in a row, ten feet the same spot. Maybe even opening day, in the middle of the day . Don't get caught with your pants down in other words. Dough!

 

And like I says, shoot the small one if it floats ur boat .

 

CRB, you are a true trophy hunter, takeing " the one" or nothing. I'm still torn between that and filling a tag and freezer. But now with a forky out of the way maybe I can go back to getting Another buck of a lifetime, maybe.

 

To answer your question directly Trophy hunting Bob . I'll let you know when he's on the ground how big he is. Cause I don't know yet I've yet to arrow a deer but I consider haveing a shot opp. with any weapon to be equally a challenge just the weapon and tag in hand seems to matter the most and setting up accordingly. You can miss at 200-300yds with a rifle at 150 with a ML or 35yds with a bow, it's all the same. All requires the same effort and preparedness to be in position in the right place at the right time, for a forkie, a 100 a 130. or Maybe a 117. Be ready and shoot straight Whatever YOUR trophy is. Mine this last season is a hard earned forkie, of Humble pie porportions next season who knows. I found out I'm not a true trophy hunter yet, From screwing up my chance at the ML world record and bagging a forkie late in the hunt after missing a Big Mature buck for lack of knowing my weapon.. That's hunting I guess. Yes Cory, you messing up on Mr. GAGGER as well makes me feel a little better, I won't lie. . But I'd feel even greater if you bagged him knowing I helped a little . Heres to another season ahead of us. Let's get him!! Or maybe his little brother, oops- did I say that?

[Coach]

Each season and each hunt is different for me. This year I really wanted to take my first deer with a bow, but I still passed several small coues bucks before taking the one I was fortunate enough to finally tag. First ML coues also came this year, and while I had hoped for something over 100, I opted for the first "mature" 3x3 or better I could find.

 

Going forward, I'll have different goals. I'm starting to get up there in bonus points and would really love to hunt either 12AW or 13B (or a December coues tag in 22, 23 or 24A) but I may still be several years out on those. So to kill in January, I would like to say, it would have to be a coues over 100" or a muley in the 170+ class. But take a look at Standman's post - he's taken lots of great bucks. To call in a buck like that during the rut, and make it happen the way he did, I think we'd all be hard-pressed to hold off because of score alone. That was an awesome, exiting hunt. Sometimes there is a number that sets the goal, sometimes it's something else.