Possible New State Record Mulie

[Andrew Massi]

There are PILES of B&C records thatbare held by animals that have never been on public lands in generations, not part of their criteria. Dont get me wrong, Id live to see a public lands only book!

This goes deeper than public v private.

When you take a desert that is void of food and water and provide food and water to a limited geographical area you are making a fence, not a literal fence but one that the deer arent going to cross. Those deer are now fenced in behind the wall of water and pellets.
Take 10 years of cull hunts and remove deer you want out of the gene pool.
Protect bucks you want in the pool, if they dont quite cut it add more protein and water
If they get sick add meds to their pellets

These same guys did this same stuff with whitetail along the Mississippi and Ohio river valley and then moved down to tejas ( longer growing season). Then boone and Crockett /pope and young kicked them out because they weren't hunting they were farming...so they found a loophole. Ironically the land in west Texas is cheaper than their south Texas whitetail farms so it's a win win. The only losers are the guys who hunt west texas public mule deer, as these ranches get bigger and pull more deer onto them probably mighty tough to find a public land buck.

 

[Andrew Massi]

"I don't know you from Adam" so I can't say what motivated you to get so excited. All you know is what you read in a newspaper article. So what you repeat is third hand and you imply it was a helicopter trip to find one deer, when it was a 40,000 acre game survey. I'm sure he marked the map where he saw that buck and hunted that area first, who wouldn't? You ever scouted preseason to located a specific deer? Especially a buck like this, that he been seeing for six years?
Hell yes, he's gonna try to kill the deer of a lifetime, but he's broken not a single game law in doing it, so some people try to pin the "unethical" banner on him. Seems I've seen this same theme on TV news lately.

Yes, I'm from Texas and you're from California, maybe that explains things.

I've never flown a helicopter to find a buck I'd been selectively feeding and watering for 6 years.
They might as well put a gps collar on this buck so he didn't wander too far before he was ripe.

 

[Andrew Massi]

https://www.blackovis.com/community/myhunt/gordon-buck/

Dear Texas deer farms, this is how trophies are earned.
Some footnotes for those who won't click links
Public land
Back country
Guy walks into the forest with a pack, not a helo.
338 7/8"
Archery

 

[bigngreen]

Cool story, hike back into a back country canyon where the deer have limited water and pattern up like a horse going to oats, in ultra limited draw units, those are great hunts, love hunting mulies when your in the bighorns and goat too but that's just not the way it is every where, I just don't see why someone has to crap on another guy because he's just in a different area doing it differently as long as it complies with the rules of B&C it's all good, if not then take it to SCI for what it is.
I have seen a couple of those units and it's anything but how they depict them, guys camped out on bucks making sure no one gets close, they'll bump them around to keep anyone who is trying to do an honest hunt away from them. Hike way up into some high basin and meet up with the guys who've been watching them for three months and the deer let you walk up and stick an arrow in them, that goes on as much as guys sitting over a feeder shooting them. I see little difference!!

 

[Rick Richard]

Wow, this post sounds like an....impeachment hearing. Sad!

 

[adam32]

"I don't know you from Adam" so I can't say what motivated you to get so excited. All you know is what you read in a newspaper article. So what you repeat is third hand and you imply it was a helicopter trip to find one deer, when it was a 40,000 acre game survey. I'm sure he marked the map where he saw that buck and hunted that area first, who wouldn't? You ever scouted preseason to located a specific deer? Especially a buck like this, that he been seeing for six years?
Hell yes, he's gonna try to kill the deer of a lifetime, but he's broken not a single game law in doing it, so some people try to pin the "unethical" banner on him. Seems I've seen this same theme on TV news lately.

Yes, I'm from Texas and you're from California, maybe that explains things.

Except it's not third hand information when it's the hunter himself telling the story and being quoted in the article.

Deer of a lifetime? Hardly...he already bred so his genes, among other stud bucks, are on that ranch so they will break that "record" within a few years. Just like all the whitetail breeder farms.

And nope, I've never scouted for deer with a helicopter and I'm even a pilot and have owned two helicopters.

 

[Plinker147]

Bashing other people styles of hunting only hurts all hunters and hunting. It the exact reason they don't allow the E- word on this sight. Everyone is different and it's ok. This guy put more money and dedication to killing this deer that's great for him. Maybe it's not for me but I got no problem with what he did. Admire the deer for what it is game park or wilderness it's a beautiful deer.

If you don't think the desert can go big deer naturally you are Saidly mistaken. There aren't many but 200 inch deer are killed in the dry *** desert every year.

It the same old thing " if you don't hunt or shoot like me your wrong". It's BS, enjoy everyone's success. Us long range hunters should be the least ones to cast stones.

On a side note as a young man I had the same attitude about feeding, high fence and all. Then I guided on a high fence ranch. I guide an older feller who couldn't walk right had something probably from birth that caused it. The joy that guy got from hunting was what changed my perspective. He told me and showed me how much he loved to hunt but with his condition he would never be able to go on a "normal elk/ mule deer hunt". Are his trophy's as good as mine? Heck yes they are! what ever book they go in.

 

[dok7mm]

I've never flown a helicopter to find a buck I'd been selectively feeding and watering for 6 years.
They might as well put a gps collar on this buck so he didn't wander too far before he was ripe.

I don't doubt that you haven't flown any surveys, but the TPWD does to determine mule deer density yearly in far West Texas.
Mule deer density in the Trans Pecos Region rise & decline on a 9 year average, due to rainfall & predators such as lions and coyotes.

This is practically all private land and most ranchers run cattle all year and depend on leasing hunting rights to survive. To attract hunters they have to have huntable numbers of mule deer.
To do this, they improve their already exsisting water sources and cut down on cattle numbers.
They often hire biologists on their own or join TPWD management programs, some using both.

Mule deer bucks go to where there is water, food and does, depending on time of year.

I doubt this ranch is much different than those surrounding it, as many are constantly improving to reap the hunter dollars. This forty K acre ranch is surrounded by 4,000 sq. miles with a population of 2,500 or less in just Culbertson Co.

It's true that deer are inclined to stay where the food is good and the girls are plentiful, but to argue they're penned in is overboard.

Most likely the deer on some of the surrounding ranches have it just as well, as the other ranchers want that hunter dollars also.

I imagine that buck was born with silver DNA. There's no doubt, he lived to 9 years of age, had water and enhanced protein in the bad years and because of it, he was healthy enough to grow that kind of rack.

The man that killed that deer, has been a wildlife biologist for 31 years and my friend for 25 years. He's a straight arrow and is well respected by the people who know. I hate to see his accomplishment berated in any way.

 

[Ndfarmer]

Nice deer! I do really like the idea of a public land record book though.

 

[257Tony]

What all the giant Bucks killed on the AZ strip? Those deer benefit heavily from all the man made, man replenished water guzzlers. Should all those Bucks be disqualified?

 

[Barrelnut]

What all the giant Bucks killed on the AZ strip? Those deer benefit heavily from all the man made, man replenished water guzzlers. Should all those Bucks be disqualified?

This is a good point. The Mule Deer Foundation, sets up up water guzzlers, and enhances habitat by cutting juniper and planting native forbs all over public land in the west. So it all is a form of enhancing habitat for the benefit of a healthier and longer lived deer.
BUT I too would like to see a record book for public land trophies. They are harder earned, in most cases, for sure. Personally I would not be that proud putting an animal in the record books that I had been feeding and watching for 5 years.

 

[reelhardmt]

I hope Montana NEVER turns into texas hunting wise....

 

[sp6x6]

Were I hunt muleys it is untouched.Its a roadless wilderness area.The problem now is its a predator pit

 

[West Calamus]

What a bunch of envious cry babies. Sounded like game management to me. How's it working out for y'all letting the state doing all the game managing for ya.