Back when the bucks were big in Montana

[steve1 5]

This was back when I was a young buck myself. Deer like these are hard to find now. The second one was 34 inches wide.

[steve1 5]

This is the biggest buck that I've ever taken. Back in 1970. It too was 34 inches wide and had a lot of mass. Bucks rarely get this big now. One of the big reasons is because of hunting pressure. That's my trusty Remington 700 (30/06). I've since restocked it and put a better scope on it....

[warpedskydiver 0]

That's freakin huge!

[auburnguy 0]

They aren't that big anymore in Montana. You have to go into Wyoming to find anything near that size, in my experience anyway.

"If you don't like your job, you don't strike! You just go in every day, and do it really half assed. That's the American way."
- Homer Simpson

[shropshire 0]

That's a lot on Bambie burger...yum..yum

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[SpeedRacer 1]

I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

Speed Racer
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[TrophyHusband 0]

no, there are people like me who don't have the time to hunt the monsters so i just shoot the first legal deer i can.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[shropshire 0]

Quote

I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

Much like Speakers Corner

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[livendive 8]

Quote

They aren't that big anymore in Montana. You have to go into Wyoming to find anything near that size, in my experience anyway.

Or switch to moose.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[steve1 5]

Quote

I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

.........................................................................
The deer in this area have great genetics and minerals. They would grow big horns if it wasn't for the fact that they are being shot when they are younger bucks. There isn't a chance for most of them to get very big.

The reason I was able to get these big bucks was that I was hunting places others weren't hunting. I finally found a place, way back in a wilderness area, that had some truly big bucks. Those areas are being hunted hard now though.

Eastern Montana Mule Deer have poor genetics and possibly poor minerals. I've seen very few big mule deer bucks taken there.

I have seen some dandy Whitetail taken on the river bottoms in Eastern Montana. Much of that is private land though....

[billvon 3,120]

> I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

Probably. I blame Al Gore.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Quote

Quote

I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

.........................................................................
The deer in this area have great genetics and minerals. They would grow big horns if it wasn't for the fact that they are being shot when they are younger bucks. There isn't a chance for most of them to get very big.

The reason I was able to get these big bucks was that I was hunting places others weren't hunting. I finally found a place, way back in a wilderness area, that had some truly big bucks. Those areas are being hunted hard now though.

Eastern Montana Mule Deer have poor genetics and possibly poor minerals. I've seen very few big mule deer bucks taken there.

I have seen some dandy Whitetail taken on the river bottoms in Eastern Montana. Much of that is private land though....

When you say great genetics aren't you saying great genetics for getting shot? If hunters prefer to leave the eastern Montana bucks alone will their genetic traits not prevail in the long run? This assumes that human predation is the principle pressure source on the population.

[masterrig 1]

Quote

> I wonder if, over time, deer antlers will evolve to have fewer points?

Probably. I blame Al Gore.

Why not? He's an easy target!


Chuck

[steve1 5]

reply]
When you say great genetics aren't you saying great genetics for getting shot? If hunters prefer to leave the eastern Montana bucks alone will their genetic traits not prevail in the long run? This assumes that human predation is the principle pressure source on the population.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Hunters just shooting the first deer they see, because it may be the only deer they see, in a short hunting season, is one of the causes.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Here are Illinoistans season dates this year.

DEER & TURKEY
During the Archery Deer Season bow hunting hours for coyote, striped skunk, raccoon, opossum, red fox and gray fox will be 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

Hunters with unfilled firearm deer permits may take coyotes during firearm deer season by shotgun with slugs, muzzleloader or handgun from 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.

No hunter, regardless of the quantity or type of permits in his/her possession, may harvest more than 2 antlered deer during a year, including the archery, muzzleloader, and firearm
seasons.

For the purpose of this bag limit, deer seasons are considered to be in the same year if their opening dates are within the same 12-month period that begins July 1.

Antlered Deer bag limit does not apply to this season.
Firearm Deer (Handgun, Muzzleloader,
& Shotgun)Nov. 16-18; Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007

Deer (Muzzleloading rifles only)Dec. 7-9, 2007 (also allowed Nov. 29 - Dec. 2)

Special CWD Deer Season Jan. 18-20, 2008


Late-Winter Antlerless Deer
(Handgun, Muzzleloader, & Shotgun)Jan. 18-20, 2008

Deer (Archery in counties with a
firearm season and west of Rt. 47 in Kane Co.)
Oct. 1 - Nov. 15, Nov. 19 - Nov. 28,
Dec. 3, 2007 - Jan. 17, 2008

Deer (Archery in Cook, DuPage, Kane [east
of Route 47] and Lake counties)
Oct. 1, 2007 - Jan. 17, 2008


Youth Firearm Deer Season Oct. 6-7, 2007

[steve1 5]

Some might say it is a shame to take big bucks like these, out of the breeding pool. But maybe that isn't the case.

Two of these bucks probably weren't in the breeding pool. If you look closely at the first buck I posted earlier you'll notice he has a strange lower jaw. No, he wasn't shot there. He had almost no teeth and he was trying to eat that way. I'm sure he would have winter killed that year. He had no does with him, and he was extremely skinny. It's hard to tell with the long winter hair. When I skinned it out, he had like zero fat.

The same day my hunting pardner shot this big buck which measured 32 inches. It too was almost toothless and had no does with it. This was the last weekend of the season and the rut was going on. Both were dying of starvation, and I'll bet neither had a harem of does. So, the saying that old bucks have little racks, may not be totally true....

The days when two farm kids can go out and kill two bucks like these, on public land, may be about over...