Quiet on big bucks
Wisconsin
Hearing about a couple but it sure feels like a 160" will be a hoss again this year. I have no friends with any monsters this year.
Lots of deer but antlers look better than last but not normal, still on small side.
Anyone hearing or seeing this year differently?
I think people are finally learning that if you know of a nice one keep it to yourself.
Bull, Really? It's 7/16, can anyone project the tine growth the next 40 days? Btw, anything over 150 is rare. In 37 years, a confirmed 191, 194, and a very,very suspect 224 from a sperm/high fence dude in our area. I hope the 6 130ish bucks are still vertical and they may not be north of 150 anyway. Most don't care about inches.Enjoy the day,moment. Heck, duct tape 2 75 inchers with the BB program and call it a great year.
"I think people are finally learning that if you know of a nice one keep it to yourself."
Ya think? The last 2 megas in my area your dumped the first few days. Anything north of 190 becomes TSS.
You can pretty much tell what you are getting by now on the cameras. I have buddies who own big chucks of land talking already about sitting out the year
Last year the biggest I knew of was in the 170".
For some reason I never get pics of big bucks until Aug. Anything over 150 is a giant in my book.
I could not imagine sitting out the bow season, because there is not a big enough buck to shoot.....
Now I know I live in a different world, than most on this site
Yes, I am thinking about sitting it out too because I can't get a camera man.
Joking in case some did not get it.
I gotta agree with razorhead. I'd never take a year off just because I didn't have any big bucks on the trail cameras for two reasons. I like being out too much and you just never really know when a giant is going to move through.
That said, I was driving around a few sections last night and didn't see anything that impressive but I know there around. Gettin the itch.
In most years I don't experience anything shootable on my cameras until October. Occasionally I do get a something nice but this year is the first time I have ever put a camera out before July 4th and I actually have a decent buck with 8 points pictured on July 1st. I have not checked the camera since but it will be cool to see how many inches he puts on over the last 50 days or so.
Judging by the picture, does anyone have a guess as to what he will turn into?
Based on inside spread and main beam length 110-120 gross.
razorhead +1. Sitting out the bow season because one does not have trail cam pics of giant deer - really? Hunting sure is changing.
Last year a trophy club by me didn't shoot a deer that made their minimum. 8 ptr -140", 10ptr- 150" or $25/" fine.
Hearing through the vine that they don't have many, or none, looking like they will hit minimums this year. 8000 acres.
No reason to hunt if you can't shoot anything
Leasing can be tough with poor years
Good to hear there are some that will be sitting out the season, less pressure on the deer!
"No reason to hunt if you can't shoot anything"
Is that what hunting has come down to? Harvesting an animal, regardless of it's size, age, sex is a true trophy.
I find it hard to believe that is has come down to inches of antler in some peoples minds!
When you purchase your license it gives you the opportunity to go out and have a chance of harvesting a deer. Not any guarantee of a "big" buck by any means.
A sad thought!
I agree Mike - The more I read the posts from Bull, ( who I never met, and sounds like a swell guy), the sadder I feel for some.....
The reason I got out of a small club with a great lease in Trempeleau, was it got to the point, they were upset I shot a 130, and made alot of rules......
I left on good terms, we are all still friends, just not my thing.......
Not making any judgements, but you can see on this site, so many, who got into the hunting game later in life, and think it is like golf or baseball......
On my way back tommorrow, I am going to stop in Big Falls and see my sister in law,,,,, going to check the plat book, like to see a parcel that big, that is impressive, 8000 acres
Anyone who would sit out a season because they didn't get any big ones on film weren't really hunters to begin with. Yes, this is what fashionable hunting has turned into. You can thank various TV shows on cable and the get it now without really trying society. Sit it out, more for the rest of us who grew up appreciating the outdoors.
I actually feel sorry for anyone with this mentality, what a waste to not truly understand what its all about, to miss the whole point of the great outdoors.
I think sometimes its hard to blame some for not trying with the limited access in many areas mostly due to the its mine and you cant have any theme. You guys know the type, got some on here too.
Sad state our future seems to have.
Flame away if you need, going to be busy next two days getting some new bear baits going for a 14 year old girl who already has the appreciation most adults will never have.
dbl lung, I have to ask why did you have a camera set up in your yard? DId you see deer there before or were you trying to film something else?
Razor - look for tigerton lumber company in the plat. I think they have 8000 acres under trophy lease in Waupaca/Shawano counties. Have a great track record of results till the last couple of years with the tough winters. Should be just north from Big Falls
These guys pay $45/acre for lease hunting rights. There is a huge waiting list to get in from what I understand.
They can't lease hunting rights on that property, they lease the land for tree cutting but can also hunt on it.
At least that is what I was told by more than 1 person. Everyone knows that it is for hunting but there was something about the legalities of leasing the land for hunting.
They won the law suit and were grandfathered.
If everyone agrees to a minimum buck on a lease I see nothing wrong with that. Now sitting out the season because of no bucks on cam is just rediculous. You can put up 100 cams in 8000 acres and not get pics if all the bucks.
Someone said you can't tell what they will be in fall by how they look now. That's not true, for the most part bucks in WI are done actually growing by the first week of August. Yes they keep velvet for awhile after that. But hardening starts about then. So for the most part you can tell what a bucks rack will be by how he looks now. As far as not hunting because of not having anything on camera. That just makes no sense, no matter how many cameras, there are deer in the area that you will not get pics of. Then there's the transient bucks during the rut. Anyone that uses this for an excuse to not hunt, isn't much of a hunter.
Well Rut you wont have too worry there are no deer in the State anyways and with the impending "buck slaughter" on the horizon - you'll have plenty of time to work on that golf game! :^)
What folks are missing is that bucks, with the approaching rut travel great distances.
Pictures of deer now most likely will not be on your property come late October and into November!
So if you plan on cashing in on that trophy class deer, do it early or ask your nieghbor a couple of miles down the road what they are seeing! Because most likely, those will be the bucks you'll be hunting!
So for someone to say "Ah, I'm not seeing much on the cameras, I think I'll sit this one out" - your talking to an idiot!
This is the one I have set my Goal on. I let him walk the last two years and cant believe the mass this year. When I put this brown down whatya thinkin the scores gonna be??? Is that one better bull?
"So if you plan on cashing in on that trophy class deer, do it early or ask your nieghbor a couple of miles down the road what they are seeing! Because most likely, those will be the bucks you'll be hunting!"
100% correct. Some properties hold no mature bucks in the summer season. If You have a shooter, take him early. I passed a 132 multiple times 3 years ago, perfect white racked 10. He comes by me on 11/1 with a face full of porcupine quills. My stickbow buddie 1.6 miles away calls me all excited about the porky pig buck he just saw. Too funny.
I can assure you I am not talking to an idiot. He is a trophy hunter who is very well connected on what's going on in the area. He has 15 or so buck 150-160"+
Normally we have some 175-200" deer in the area. Last year the biggest I heard about was around 170" - a 150" was a hoss last year.
I am afraid we may be in the same boat this year is all
I do agree that antler development as a whole is behind this year again. However it's not the antlers that make a buck mature.
Agree rut nut, that's why I will be in the woods. This is where cameras are really helpful. I have a clear 5+ year old with what looks like a 130" rack in the works. I will tag this buck if I get a chance
I am seeing some nice antler growth.....I had corn & beans left up for the deer last winter. I believe that helps.
Silvrtip
Not to worried about if bucks are showing ones full potential either way. I'm going to hunt the bucks and i'll base how big of a buck I want on what i think i can kill, hopefully it works out.
Nice bucks. Where I am at got a boatload of snow - more than neighboring townships, I wonder it that contributed.
Bullwinkle, have done a card pull on the Reconyx yet? if so how do you like it?
Yes. Love the pictures. Need to work on the settings. One camera had 2600 pictures in 3 days. Much more sensitive than the cuddies.
We readjusted the settings and are pulling chips again this weekend . My caretaker takes care of this so I hear it second hand. He loves them. Happy so far, wish the bucks had more bone
Quit using trail cams about 5 years ago. I think they do more harm than good on mature deer. If your any kind of hunter you can tell if there are mature bucks in the area.
That said , saw a real toad this morning watching a trail coming out of a swamp. I 'll build a blind the next time it rains .
Ruger - I still use trail cameras and yes, I can tell there are mature bucks in "my" area - I just would ike to see a picture of one!
Pasq - Nice picture of a true trophy class whitetail -Congrads on letting em' walk the last two years. You're a better man than I. I would have "dropped the string" on em' last year for sure!!
Looks like he's in the "12's" - Thanks for sharing! :^)
Walked out at 6am with a mug of Coffee and theres a huge Buck in the garden eating Pumpkin plant leaves . He jumped into the river and was gone.
I live a few miles out of Merrill so this was a " Burb's buck as we call them. Tough to hunt.
Cayenne pepper spray the pumpkins weekly. Buy capsium from a sausage wholesale place. just don't have residual on your fingers and touch your lips.
Thanks bob, For 30 years I have planted several rows of Radishes. Very effective except for this bruiser. I ' ll be waiting with the camera the next few mornings .
That's neat to have a nice buck playing in the garden. I do a 5,000 foot strip of 220 pumpkin pods each year and have to spray cayenne till they bloom then the deer leave them alone.
I suspect we have a great year following a weak big buck harvest. Throw in a late rut then add johhny be good out there with a crossbow and results could be impressive.
This buck has been living on the edge of town. My friends wife took this picture from their driveway.
Solid buck, he'd make PY net.
Just got a report from a buddy that watches our land. A buck I have been hunting for two years that was a solid 170 last year, seems to be way behind this year. Buddy says he may go mid 140's by the time he's done growing. Yes we know it's the same deer as he has a very distinctive throat patch and "socks". It could be that this buck is older than I thought and is going downhill. It doesn't matter to me what he scores as I know he will be at least 6.5 this fall. For our area and the pressure it receives that is ancient.
6.5 yr old bucks are indeed rare and savvy think they stay wave as their teeth go before they get senile.
