I've heard Eastern Whitetail are the most clever and most jumpy. Of course that is what I hunt, so I would want to be able to say that is the case. I've never hunted any other deer species.
Just squirrel,groundhog, and turkey.

a good, mature trophy whitetail buck, regardless of location, would be the msot challenging in my opinion.

I haven't hunted Coues, so I can't answer for them.

But, I have hunted mulies, whitetails and blacktails. Of those 3, I think the blacktail is probably the toughest to hunt, especially on public ground.

The MOST challenging one is the one i never seem to see.

They are called Elk.

Urban whitetail

KEY DEER ARE PRETTY TOUGH TO GET AT

quote:

Originally posted by Antelope Sniper:
They are called Elk.

Toughest to hunt or pack out? Seriously?

quote:

Originally posted by Antelope Sniper:
They are called Elk.

How many Boone and Crocket mule deer have been killed by bowhunters? How many B&C whitetails with a bow? How many B&C blacktails taken with a bow? Granted, in some states regulations favor bowhunters, but this might be something al least worth looking at.

There are so many genetically enginered whitetails around that are pen raised that I no longer get excited about any "trophy" whitetails that I see. I am convinced that if you pay enough money you can be guaranteed a trophy whitetail or elk for that matter. I do not believe that holds true for Muledeer or blacktail thank Goodness. Dr.C

Coues whitetal. I've killed 3 with a bow. Other than that, the hardest ones to hunt are the ones I see on my trailcams but never during legal hunting hours.

This is easy, public land deer.

Private land deer are dumb in comparison.

The buck that lives in the timber across the road from me. My neighbor owns the land and I have permission to hunt it. Have seen him several times over the last 3 years and even have a few pictures, but I swear he goes on vacation during hunting season. This past january I saw him the day after the close of archery season.

With the Point restriction in place,as well as the heavy presure involved with other hunters. I would place Pa, as one of the tougher States to be successful year in, and year out. If you can score on a keystone buck regularly your a pretty fair deer hunter.

Blacktail for many reasons. We never get to hunt them in the rut (unless you hunt somewhere that has ranching for wildlife), its almost always hot, dry and noisy, and they're just plain smart.

c'mon up to maine and try tracking an old whitetail buck through the cedar swamps that will dress at 250+. the trackers all pray for snow but the best trackers can do it on bare ground.

that, my friends, is hunting. old school.

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
c'mon up to maine and try tracking an old whitetail buck through the cedar swamps that will dress at 250+. the trackers all pray for snow but the best trackers can do it on bare ground.

that, my friends, is hunting. old school.

This would get my vote.

quote:

Originally posted by Antelope Sniper:
They are called Elk.

Elk are the easiest in my book.

Mule deer are the hardest. As they are just too darn sneaky when they get old.

Public land mule deer around LA or San Fran would be the hardest.

Public land mule deer in a super limited draw trophy area would be much easier.

I would agree that a big trophy Columbian blacktail in a Washington or Oregon on public land would be very hard.

A private land black tail would be easier.

Sitka blacktails are pretty easy.


Good property, good genetics, and lots of deer anyone of them is easy.

Bad property, lots of public competition, and not very many deer, and things get really hard, doesn't really matter what species we are talking about.

Wolverine would be the toughest north American game animal to bag hunting. Or a lion without hounds.

Trapping both are kind of easier.

I'd say the "nocturnal" White Tails.

They can occasionally be Killed at one time of the year for about 5-9 days. But it depends on the Weather, Moon Phase and pure Luck being in proper sync. Otherwise, a person may never get a Legal shot at them, nor may never know they even existed on the property.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
I'd say the "nocturnal" White Tails.

They can occasionally be Killed at one time of the year for about 5-9 days. But it depends on the Weather, Moon Phase and pure Luck being in proper sync. Otherwise, a person may never get a Legal shot at them, nor may never know they even existed on the property.

The above post coincides with my "trailcam" comment.

Trophy Coues buck.

"Nocturnal Deer"

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
coincides with my "trailcam" comment.

quote:

Originally posted by hikerbum:
The MOST challenging one is the one i never seem to see.

Hey Doc, Your and HikerBum's posts got me to thinking back about Deer that would vary rarely get seen and then only after Legal Shooting Hours.

I'd suggest some "memories" tend to grow with age , but I remember some real WHOPPERS that none of us ever saw during Legal Shooting Hours, or even in the Off-Season at the Prime Time Twilight periods on each end of the day.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Urban whitetail

They're usually a pain in the a$$ once you bag one too. That's why I practice "Catch and Release"

Carmen Mountain whitetail. They see you at 500 yards and stop to look back again when they reach a mile.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
I'd say the "nocturnal" White Tails.

They can occasionally be Killed at one time of the year for about 5-9 days. But it depends on the Weather, Moon Phase and pure Luck being in proper sync. Otherwise, a person may never get a Legal shot at them, nor may never know they even existed on the property.

The above post coincides with my "trailcam" comment.

+1 Real trophy class animals are near impossible to get. I have seen them shining in the early AM so I know they exist. I have seen them while bowhunting but well outside my range. Consider yourself very lucky if you get a 160 Plus during conventional season outside of a management pen.

quote:

c'mon up to maine and try tracking an old whitetail buck through the cedar swamps that will dress at 250+. the trackers all pray for snow but the best trackers can do it on bare ground.

that, my friends, is hunting. old school.

The guy that succeeds on this hunt year in and year out is outsmarting the most difficult of trophies I've ever hunted.

Mark

I vote for the California blacktail deer as well. Took me five years before I shot my first one.

quote:

Originally posted by The Slug:

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
c'mon up to maine and try tracking an old whitetail buck through the cedar swamps that will dress at 250+. the trackers all pray for snow but the best trackers can do it on bare ground.

that, my friends, is hunting. old school.

This would get my vote.

+3

as of this morning, it is the 30" mulie i missed with my bow at 40 yds

The 10 pt that has lived in my woodlot for several seasons.

"Which are the most challenging deer in North America?"

Not a single North American Hunter since 1823 has been successful at hunting any of Santa's reindeer, being Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Dixen, Comet and Cupid, and Dunder and Blixem.

Now rumour has it that both Dunder and Blixem were taken out by a drunken hunter using an '03 Springfield as these two reindeer were later replaced by Santa with Donner and Blitzen. But official records showed that the two original reindeer were retired and are doing fine.

Outside of these Santa deer, tons of every other deer have been successfully hunted over the decades by scores of hunters using all sorts of weapons. In fact, I believe that it is recorded that even non-hunters driving big cars with horns and headlights have managed to kill at least one of every other deer in existence using their cars and trucks without even trying. Therefore all these other deer can't be but so elusive

Best

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:

quote:

c'mon up to maine and try tracking an old whitetail buck through the cedar swamps that will dress at 250+. the trackers all pray for snow but the best trackers can do it on bare ground.

that, my friends, is hunting. old school.

The guy that succeeds on this hunt year in and year out is outsmarting the most difficult of trophies I've ever hunted.

Mark

He also has more time to spare than the rest of us too.

The ones in the deep woods where you have to hunt with buck-shot.

The open country whitetails of South Texas and West Texas are not so tough. The deep woods big whitetails like in East Texas and North Louisiana, Mississippi etc are tough and a big one is a fine trophy.

I saw a lot of good mulies when I only had an elk tags!

Some years ago a young man asked me to help him with his stand. I looked at where it was in the woods and said you could never see a deer in here. Opening morning we get in our stands. I hear some rustling behind me. 30 minutes later - BOOM! Then a yell - YeeHaa! Go over there and a fair buck is laying right there at 15 steps from the stand - one shot from 12 ga buckshot. Next weekend sitting in the stand. About 30 minutes past sunup. BOOM - YeeHaa! Crap - cant be! Go over there and a nice big buck at 12 steps from the stand. Every pellet of the that 12 ga buck shot went in him.

I think it is fair to say that a mature buck of any species has its own unique challenges. IMHO none are harder or easier than another. They are just fun to hunt !!!!