|
Post by Sandbur on Nov 10, 2023 2:02:34 GMT -6
Not much pressure this week because there aren’t many deer.
|
|
|
Post by Foggy on Nov 11, 2023 21:59:39 GMT -6
I've hunted whitetails in MN for many years. Most of my hunting was in Northern MN in the "big woods" and on public land....tho in my youth we did hunt in southern MN with shotgun and slugs. I dont think we even considered "trophy hunting" until the late 80's or 90's. We were always meat hunters......likely because that was what there was. I still like whitetail hunting in the north county over southern MN or other states. Maybe its the challenge or maybe it's just in my DNA??? Dunno. Anyway....this is the best buck I have taken off some chitty pine forest land in the great woods of Northern MN. Not sure I will get a better one in my time.....nor do I care a whole bunch. I'm happy and still like the north woods. I doubt he will score 130.....but he never ate a bite of corn, clover or alfalfa either. Grin.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Nov 12, 2023 4:34:20 GMT -6
I've hunted whitetails in MN for many years. Most of my hunting was in Northern MN in the "big woods" and on public land....tho in my youth we did hunt in southern MN with shotgun and slugs. I dont think we even considered "trophy hunting" until the late 80's or 90's. We were always meat hunters......likely because that was what there was. I still like whitetail hunting in the north county over southern MN or other states. Maybe its the challenge or maybe it's just in my DNA??? Dunno. Anyway....this is the best buck I have taken off some chitty pine forest land in the great woods of Northern MN. Not sure I will get a better one in my time.....nor do I care a whole bunch. I'm happy and still like the north woods. I doubt he will score 130.....but he never ate a bite of corn, clover or alfalfa either. Grin. That’s a great buck, Tom. Bucks need to be admired with reference to their habitat. We all get sucked into the scoring, but we really should not compare farmland bucks in areas with much less winter and predator stress to northwoods deer.
|
|
|
Post by wiscbooners89 on Nov 12, 2023 6:21:56 GMT -6
I fully agree with you can't compare farm raised bucks to northwoods bucks. My BIL and SIL live in Northern Wisconsin and he just says we don't see the kind of bucks I pass or shoot down here in south central Wisconsin. I told him if I lived in northern Wisconsin, I would be shooting the first legal buck I saw.
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Nov 12, 2023 8:22:52 GMT -6
It seems trophies of any kind/form really have meaning to only the person who shot/earned/won said trophy.
I've always figured mine will end up in the 20 yard rolloff at some point. Either by my own hands or whoever gets stuck cleaning up my mess when I'm dead
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Nov 12, 2023 8:27:22 GMT -6
It seems trophies of any kind/form really have meaning to only the person who shot/earned/won said trophy. I've always figured mine will end up in the 20 yard rolloff at some point. Either by my own hands or whoever gets stuck cleaning up my mess when I'm dead I lost some when our cabin was torched. They were just for memories and I still pretty much have the memories. My ‘trophies’ will probably end up the same way. Just like all of us, either dust or ashes!
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Nov 12, 2023 8:29:52 GMT -6
I fully agree with you can't compare farm raised bucks to northwoods bucks. My BIL and SIL live in Northern Wisconsin and he just says we don't see the kind of bucks I pass or shoot down here in south central Wisconsin. I told him if I lived in northern Wisconsin, I would be shooting the first legal buck I saw. I hunted many years in northern Minnesota. Some years, if you didn’t shoot the first buck you saw, you wouldn’t have any venison to eat for the year. I shot many spikes.
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Nov 15, 2023 9:01:20 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Dec 7, 2023 13:08:57 GMT -6
I finally pulled 2 SD cards I've had out since before firearm opener. Very disappointed with what I got pics of, and the number (less than half what I had guessed I'd have) of pics I got. Does and fawns were very noticeably absent from both cards. Somebody around here must have whacked a number of them at some point. At any rate, I'm relatively certain this buck is the one I passed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of firearm. They're not great pics to give a sense of his width (not great) but they do give a sense of his mass. In another 2 years he'd be a real slob. I have serious doubts I'll ever see him again however.
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Dec 7, 2023 14:40:24 GMT -6
Do you typically get deer in consecutive years Stu? I know in the river bottoms I could count on one hand over 25 years how many bucks I'd get in more than one year. That is not the case in the hills. I've had a number of them already in 5 years.
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Dec 7, 2023 18:45:29 GMT -6
Do you typically get deer in consecutive years Stu? I know in the river bottoms I could count on one hand over 25 years how many bucks I'd get in more than one year. That is not the case in the hills. I've had a number of them already in 5 years. Some bucks stick around, some don't. The one my east neighbor shot this year I had pics of last year, and possibly the year before. The buck my SIL shot a few years ago I had pics/sightings of for 3 years. There's a chance this buck shows up here again. I knew if I killed him, he wouldn't get any bigger If I want to shoot 150s, I have to pass them when they're smaller.
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Dec 8, 2023 10:32:50 GMT -6
Do you typically get deer in consecutive years Stu? I know in the river bottoms I could count on one hand over 25 years how many bucks I'd get in more than one year. That is not the case in the hills. I've had a number of them already in 5 years. Some bucks stick around, some don't. The one my east neighbor shot this year I had pics of last year, and possibly the year before. The buck my SIL shot a few years ago I had pics/sightings of for 3 years. There's a chance this buck shows up here again. I knew if I killed him, he wouldn't get any bigger If I want to shoot 150s, I have to pass them when they're smaller. Yup, I'm slowly getting there. I'll have two 127's on the wall after I get the gun buck back. Next goal is 130". But you've gotta pass the 120's. Starting to see more and more survivors on cam this week. Lots will be in that 120" range next year and a couple are already there so they should be pretty decent next year. Not easy on 30 acres but this sure beats the river bottoms. Although we've got a few good ones down there and it seems to be getting better. Still can't compete with the hills for quantity and ceiling though.
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Dec 8, 2023 10:44:04 GMT -6
^^^I've got 2 over 125", 2 in the upper 130"s, 2 in the mid-upper 140s", 1 that broke 150" gross but not net, and 1 that I shouldn't have shot (mid teens with splits and "character" points).
All but two came from the old place. Bucks here need at least one more year to have the same head gear as they did in Dane County. Down there, a 3.5 was almost assuredly 125" or better. Here, I've seen a number of 4.5s that wouldn't make P&Y. I'd guess at least part of that is genetics. Dane County has some real monsters running around. My buddy just north of Madison has some pics of a buck that has to push 200" and doesn't have a huge body. I'd guess he's 4.5. The buck I shot two years ago was 205 lbs. dressed, he had to be all of 4.5 and I'd guess older. He didn't break 140".
I may not shoot another buck in my lifetime. I may give in and go back to shooting 120s"...
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Dec 8, 2023 10:59:35 GMT -6
^^^I've got 2 over 125", 2 in the upper 130"s, 2 in the mid-upper 140s", 1 that broke 150" gross but not net, and 1 that I shouldn't have shot (mid teens with splits and "character" points). All but two came from the old place. Bucks here need at least one more year to have the same head gear as they did in Dane County. Down there, a 3.5 was almost assuredly 125" or better. Here, I've seen a number of 4.5s that wouldn't make P&Y. I'd guess at least part of that is genetics. Dane County has some real monsters running around. My buddy just north of Madison has some pics of a buck that has to push 200" and doesn't have a huge body. I'd guess he's 4.5. The buck I shot two years ago was 205 lbs. dressed, he had to be all of 4.5 and I'd guess older. He didn't break 140". I may not shoot another buck in my lifetime. I may give in and go back to shooting 120s"... Yup, I'm always impressed w/ the difference between Sauk hills bucks and Juneau river bottom bucks. With two upper 120's on the wall, I'm still not against shooting a 120-125" but it'd probably get euroed vs shoulder mounted. Especially with the price of a shoulder mount these days. uffda.
|
|
|
Post by Foggy on Dec 8, 2023 11:56:08 GMT -6
^^^I've got 2 over 125", 2 in the upper 130"s, 2 in the mid-upper 140s", 1 that broke 150" gross but not net, and 1 that I shouldn't have shot (mid teens with splits and "character" points). All but two came from the old place. Bucks here need at least one more year to have the same head gear as they did in Dane County. Down there, a 3.5 was almost assuredly 125" or better. Here, I've seen a number of 4.5s that wouldn't make P&Y. I'd guess at least part of that is genetics. Dane County has some real monsters running around. My buddy just north of Madison has some pics of a buck that has to push 200" and doesn't have a huge body. I'd guess he's 4.5. The buck I shot two years ago was 205 lbs. dressed, he had to be all of 4.5 and I'd guess older. He didn't break 140". I may not shoot another buck in my lifetime. I may give in and go back to shooting 120s"... Yup, I'm always impressed w/ the difference between Sauk hills bucks and Juneau river bottom bucks. With two upper 120's on the wall, I'm still not against shooting a 120-125" but it'd probably get euroed vs shoulder mounted. Especially with the price of a shoulder mount these days. uffda. What is the going rate for a shoulder mount ? Have not heard a price in some time.......tho my grandson is paying $1500 for his bull elk. Yowsir!
|
|