First of all, please pardon the very low quality. This image was originally a Fujichrome transparency, but what you see here is a low-rez scan of a low-rez sizing proof (scanner not working today!).

Anyway, what I want to know is if you'd draw a bead on this buck given the opportunity for good shot placement. I realize everyone has varying standards. Tell me why you would or why you wouldn’t.

As for me: Yes I would – in a heartbeat.

I would in a heartbeat!


ddj

ddj-

I see you are in the heart of BIG whitetail country. I am impressed evey year by the whoppers that come out of Illinois and Iowa.

Some day, I may just have to try and hunt that part of the world...

I'd pull the trigger on that deer all day, every day. Why? Because he's a beauty, and I could not care less about some silly number assigned to the quality of the deer. I hunt to hunt, not for bragging rights.

quote:

Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
I'd pull the trigger on that deer all day, every day. Why? Because he's a beauty, and I could not care less about some silly number assigned to the quality of the deer. I hunt to hunt, not for bragging rights.

Agree. For me, it has never been about bragging rights rights. It is about the HUNT. I would use as much of the deer as possible.

He is a beautiful deer. I would love to have the opportunity to hunt him.

Thanks guys

ddj

It may be a regional thing, but "put him on the wall" is seldom taking literally and does not necessarily mean having taxidermy work done.
I should have been more clear. I have edited the post.

that, to me, is a beautiful representation of a mature member of the species; assuming a legal AND ethical shot with the odds of a clean kill in my favor, i would take the opportunity.

he is already in the freezer

My guess is he would score 145 to 150 but who cares? I'm pullin the trigger!

As we say in our group "if its brown its down!". It looks brown to me

It depends on where I saw the buck. In Central Texas he would be a very nice buck for the region and I would be happy to harvest him. If he were a South Texas buck I'd shoot him as a management deer.

Where I get to hunt, this would be a good deer, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it; but, there are some places where there are a lot of better deer than that. If I were hunting in one of those places, I'd probably let him walk.

Hot lead on a meat ass. I'd give that big boy a dirt nap!

Whether there are bigger deer elsewhere or not this is a good specimen ANYWHERE. Not only would I take him but he's the kind of deer I dream of taking some day.

This is simply a beautiful deer. He's not the biggest and certainly not the smallest, but he is larger than what most hunters would see taking all whitetail regions into consideration.

Would I shoot him? DUH!!! Bow, crossbow, rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, spear, you name it. Not only would I shoot him, I'd have him mounted in that exact pose. Probably on a wall pedestal mount.

Speaking of deer, I tagged my second meat doe tonight.

Yep,........ Where I hunt that's a good one.

I sure would.

I mostly kill spkies and small forks and such here in wonderful RI/CT. I would shoot him twice just to be sure!!! And I would lifesize him cuz I'd never beat him

A couple of thoughts.

1 It may sound crazy, but for me it would depend on whether it was opening day/early in the season, and whether any of my buds were in deer camp with me. Hope springs eternal and braggin' rights can be pretty important (if you know whait I mean)!

2 Shot placement; Talk about deja vu all over again. The only deer that I have lost in the last 10 years that I shot with a rifle could be this dudes twin. I was at my sons stand late December last year. I think there was 2 weeks left in the season. I had elected to carry my guide gun in 45-70 this day. I load 400 gr speer flat points over 53 gr. of 3031. Believe it or not, this rifle/load will shoot three into 1" at 120 yds. It was about 7:30 when I noticed this buck come in following a doe. He was rather skittish and may have winded me as he did a 180 and then faced me with almost the exact same presentation. Anyway, I still get excited when I'm presented the opportunity to take a good buck, and in hindsight, I must have pulled the shot to the right. The buck rared straight up and over. I levered another round into the chamber, congratulating myself on a fine buck and braggin' rights. All of this probably took a couple seconds, and before I could blink he was back on his feet and heading for the cedar. I fired a second round after him as he departed. I've had deer get up and run after being knocked down before, and usually, this round anchors them pretty good, so I figured I'd find him 50 yds or so away in the cedar. Not so. After I had been following a blood trail for 30 or so minutes I called one of my buds on the radio to come help me track. We tracked that deer for six hours, over two fences for more than a mile. I have never seen so much blood and not found an animal. Needless to say I was totally bummed out. Two weeks later one of the guys saw him limping on three legs on another part of the lease but could not get a shot. Moral of the story. If I had it all to do over again, I would wait for a better shot( or shoot more to the left).

Great buck and photos. Was this buck captured by the lens only or is this one you took.
GWB

Geedubya wrote:

quote:

Was this buck captured by the lens only or is this one you took.

This one was shot on film only, though as I lined up the gridlines through my viewfinder, I might have been imagining crosshairs...

Since I am on a muzzleloader hunt in NW Oklahoma right now and have set my standards for the trip slightly higher than that class of deer, I will pass on him.

On the other hand, if I were home in east Texas, I would definitely shoot him.

It would depend on where I was.

On my ranch that would be a good deer, and I'd PROBABLY take him if he was wide enough (hard to tell in that photo) and I felt like cleaning one BUT it is just as likely or more so that I also might let him go and hope I could put a kid or someone on him who had never shot a similar buck.

OTOH if I was hunting some of the good spots in South Texas, or elsewhere I'd almost certainly pass on him in a second, looking for a bigger one. I hunt for two kinds of deer, trophies and culls, mostly does and spikes. My trophy standards go up all the time, not necessarily because I've shot one better but because I just don't HAVE to shoot one.

Here in Maine that would be a fine buck. Yes, he'd get the big surprise right through the throat patch.

No shot. I've take a few like that. He's not big enough to qualify as something really special and he's too big to make the "good eatin" category. I'd much rather see someone else in camp get him if that's what they are after.

At the end of the season and I still don't have venison he might be in a bad way though. Not in the first week though, but I'd love seeing him and really love seeing one of the people in camp get him.

Hard to tell age from the pic but that nose makes one think he still has some growin to do. However the weak G2's certainly put him in management territory today.

Here in GA that would be an awesome deer. I would shoot him and not think twice about it.

Hey Bobby, Darn nice Buck for any area I've ever Hunted.

Assuming the Deer Season was Open, I'd have to wait though - until he quit looking at me - then "IF" I had a Partition to get through the grass blade I'd be sure to hit.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

I would pass on him.

When I hunt deer I am looking for the bull of the woods, a real monster book deer, and if I don't see him then I prefer a spike or forky horn to eat...Nothing in the middle and that is a middle of the road deer..In Idaho I shoot a lot of forky horns these days, as the big bucks are hard to come by, but I do get one now and then.

However, you have to take into consideration the size of the bucks in a specific area and if he is a real hog in his domain then I would probably shoot him. He would not be a trophy in other areas like So. Texas, Mexico or Canada or even in Northern Idaho or Montana. He is just a real nice buck.

Probably would take him. But then I mainly hunt for meat, which means does. If I splurge and get a buck permit, he would fit the bill nicely.

Depends on where I was. There are places I do/have hunted that's an instant shooter and brag about it for years.

There are other spots I hunt that it would be borderline depending on his age. I know it sounds crazy. I do hunt one ranch where the landowner divorced his wife for shooting a 173" (gross obviously) 3.5 year old deer which was too young under their management plans and the smallest deer taken in about 5 years.

No question, I would put the crosshairs on the point of his right shoulder and send him 150 grains of Nosler Solid Base via Express Mail!!

Nathan, he must not have thought much of his wife. I wouldnt divorce mine for anything under say....150" gross!!

Eterry

In my part of Wisconsin he would be shot the second I had a good chance. If I was pay hunitng in another area and they said there were better bucks out there I most likely pass the first few days of the hunt towards the end I wack him.

Hes a good buck

in a heartbeat

Yes, because I would be more than happy with a buck like that. Very typical of the bucks I shoot, maybe a tad bigger.

I just am not into "true" trophy hunting mentality.

No questions asked, I wouldn't need to think about it for a while or discuss with a friend. I'd tag that rascal, do a photo op, call the taxidermist, call all my hunting buds, post pictures of him on the forums, and give a detailed bullet performance report

Have a Good One,

Reloader

Well he looks to be the twin to my larges Whitetail yet so I'm gonna have to say Ya I would shoot him again.
Mine is now a euro mount in my buddies living room. The tips of the main beams on mine are palmated like moose. but other than that they look the same.
MM

I would take the shot no problem

bobby -

in the interest of seeing some other opinions, i copied your original post along with my reply to www.baitshopboyz.com - here's the link:

http://www.baitshopboyz.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15436&PN=1

i made no alterations to the photo, and had no intentions of disrespecting your copyright, but if you have any objections, let me know either here or in PM and i will pull the thread, or at least the picture.

I have no objection at all, but I appreciate your courtesy in asking.

Have a great evening!
Bobby