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37" Mulie in Yard
- Thread starter Long Time Long Ranger
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Bud Martin
Well-Known Member
As I said you will hear of a lot more 30 inch bucks every year than you can see in a lifetime. Since I started guiding when I was 18 ( 31 years ago ) I bet I have not see over a dozen bucks that were 30 wide anyplace on their rack actually dead in the truck or on the pack horse. I remember almost everyone of them because they are very, very big and very, very rare. I don't have the current Montana record book but as of 1994 9th edition of the montana record book the record was 205 3/8 taken by Vern Delsha in custer county in 1983. I'm sure there have been some bigger ones killed since in montana but 220 might be streching it just a bit as 226 holds the national record. and after 30 years of guiding deer hunters I just try to tell the client if the deer is a shooter or not, like I said before mine get smaller when they hit the ground too. I have a nice nontypical here on the wall from 20 years ago, I'll try to get my wife to take a pic of it with me tonight and let you guy's guess. it will be fun to see everyone's guess. I will tell you that it is very big and not in the record books. keep a eye out for the thread.
Bud, Just to clarify, my reference was to NON typical on the 220" I dont see that many clean typicals, probably one of the hardest B&C to get? Do you have to have a certain # post to get a picture up? I havent figured that out. MY grandad mined at Zortman and Dad went to school at Nye.
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
Bud, I wasn't trying to start a fight. By posting that and highlighting the spread it appeared you were trying to discredit me. I have quite a lot of experience judging deer on the hoof throughout north america. I guess when you get to see hundreds of nice deer a year you get pretty good at it. I can tell you I rarely miss even the largest ones by over a couple of inches on spread and always hit the gross score within 5%. I did it again this year on several harvested bucks. To do that you have got to know the deer in the area you are hunting because they vary in body size and ear size from state to state and even areas within the state plus age makes a difference. You have got to know where you are and the appr. age of the deer. This particular buck I watched from 15-50 yards off and on for most of the day. I got so many good looks at him I bet I wasn't off an inch on that guess. He was about a seven year old deer. He had short tines and deductions so he would not have been record class. But a giant buck anyone would have loved to take.
A couple of nights ago we had supper with Mike Eastman and we were guessing scores of a couple of mounted bucks. The largest one I said grossed about 224 and netted about 199. Later the guy who shot it said it officially grossed 224. Best I can remember it was about 36" outside. Mike brought some pictures of some nice bucks he had filmed and I was right on with his estimation on most of them. He and his dad Gordon, before he passed away, have filmed deer all there life and are pretty good at it. A guy that gets lots of experience can judge deer quite effectively.
A couple of nights ago we had supper with Mike Eastman and we were guessing scores of a couple of mounted bucks. The largest one I said grossed about 224 and netted about 199. Later the guy who shot it said it officially grossed 224. Best I can remember it was about 36" outside. Mike brought some pictures of some nice bucks he had filmed and I was right on with his estimation on most of them. He and his dad Gordon, before he passed away, have filmed deer all there life and are pretty good at it. A guy that gets lots of experience can judge deer quite effectively.
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
Bud, I understand what you are saying about ground shrinkage and the size bucks you have seen. Again I am not on here trying to pick a fight with you. I respect you and very much appreciate your sponsorship of the site. I will look forward to seeing the picture of your deer when you get it posted.
I just wanted to add that there are certain areas within most western states that historicaly produce giant deer and those are the areas I focus on. I see a lot of big deer in my travels. I know of areas divided by a mountain range where there are giant bucks on one side and have never known of a 30" class buck showing up on the other. Genetics, food, ability to survive into 5-7 year old bucks. All play a factor and some spots are just better at producing big deer than others. By what you said I saw more 30" plus bucks this year alone than you have seen in your lifetime. That is by focusing on areas that historically produce such bucks.
Last December while cow elk hunting in one morning I saw a 36" wide 225"gross nontypical buck and later the same day a 32" wide 195" gross typical buck. The snows had brought them down out of the high country in an area that produces very big deer. In november I took a buck that I said would scare 200 inches to death but not quite make it. He grossed 198" typical when we put a tape on him. This year while scouting I was glassing a large pasture that contained 30-40 nice 4x4 or better bucks. The largest was 35-36" wide and scored right at 220 typical gross. The next biggest was 32-33" wide and grossed about 205 typical, The next was 31-32" wide and grossed mid 190's typical. This was in one large pasture in a trophy producing area. The two people I was guiding were flipping out. They had never seen anything like it and were speechless. This was the week before the season. Right at daylight opening morning one shot a small buck at 600 yards with his 338-300 ultramag I built him several years ago. He said it looked huge to him. I would say it scored just over a 100. Ground shrinkage. The big bucks hid out during the season and I don't think any of them got shot. Over the three week period immediately after we had the big early snows I saw over a dozen bucks that were over 30" outside spread. Most of this was on public land anyone could hunt if they were lucky enough to draw the tag.
I just wanted to add that there are certain areas within most western states that historicaly produce giant deer and those are the areas I focus on. I see a lot of big deer in my travels. I know of areas divided by a mountain range where there are giant bucks on one side and have never known of a 30" class buck showing up on the other. Genetics, food, ability to survive into 5-7 year old bucks. All play a factor and some spots are just better at producing big deer than others. By what you said I saw more 30" plus bucks this year alone than you have seen in your lifetime. That is by focusing on areas that historically produce such bucks.
Last December while cow elk hunting in one morning I saw a 36" wide 225"gross nontypical buck and later the same day a 32" wide 195" gross typical buck. The snows had brought them down out of the high country in an area that produces very big deer. In november I took a buck that I said would scare 200 inches to death but not quite make it. He grossed 198" typical when we put a tape on him. This year while scouting I was glassing a large pasture that contained 30-40 nice 4x4 or better bucks. The largest was 35-36" wide and scored right at 220 typical gross. The next biggest was 32-33" wide and grossed about 205 typical, The next was 31-32" wide and grossed mid 190's typical. This was in one large pasture in a trophy producing area. The two people I was guiding were flipping out. They had never seen anything like it and were speechless. This was the week before the season. Right at daylight opening morning one shot a small buck at 600 yards with his 338-300 ultramag I built him several years ago. He said it looked huge to him. I would say it scored just over a 100. Ground shrinkage. The big bucks hid out during the season and I don't think any of them got shot. Over the three week period immediately after we had the big early snows I saw over a dozen bucks that were over 30" outside spread. Most of this was on public land anyone could hunt if they were lucky enough to draw the tag.
belly-deep
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2009
- Messages
- 7
belly-deep
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2009
- Messages
- 7
These great bucks are sp6x6's that I offered to post for him. Way to go sp6x6!
2009
2008
2009
2008
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
Congratulations, those are some heavy beamed monsters. I don't think anyone would throw those back. Thanks for posting.
G
GNERGY
Guest
LTLR you know Mike Eastman. I have his mule deer hunting book and subscribe to their Eastmans Journal and I like their hunting show.
If you draw a tag for that area with those big mulies you should have them film your hunt. That would be KOOL.
I had my picture in their magazine of an antelope I shot at 429yds. with a T/C Contender in .338JDJ. My 10 seconds of fame.
Good Luck.
Tarey
If you draw a tag for that area with those big mulies you should have them film your hunt. That would be KOOL.
I had my picture in their magazine of an antelope I shot at 429yds. with a T/C Contender in .338JDJ. My 10 seconds of fame.
Good Luck.
Tarey
esshup
Well-Known Member
sp6x6, those are some NICE deer!! Congrats.
belly-deep
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2009
- Messages
- 7
sp6x6,
care to tell us the stories behind those bucks? I always like reading about how someone else killed a bruiser.
care to tell us the stories behind those bucks? I always like reading about how someone else killed a bruiser.
The 08 buck, my boy and I hiked in about 4 miles before daylight. We hit the backend and went up, very steep, usually crampon up. We gained about 1500 verticle and where trying to get above this hanging pocket where elk like to hang. Cut a bull track coming out of pocket, then cut a bear track cutting over. We were in the alders, in small creek, frozen hard going. When I glassed at timberline, there where a dozen does on hill, with buck and small buck, he wasnt that wide and I told my son to get ready to shoot, but as I glassed him, I saw kickers on both sides, and said, Im sorry but I think I'll take him. HE IS 13 and has alot of years to chase em. I HAD to break alders as big as broomsticks to clear a shooting lane. The shot wasnt far, about 375, but the deer where moving into a ravine. I used a alder kind of like a shooting stick and held on the bucks chest and let her go. I HEARD it hit and he hunched up a bit, Isent another as he moved out and it was a miss. It took a bit to get to area, spent some time looking for blood and wasnt having any luck, hillside was littered with tracks. I lazered a flagging I HAD TIED at shot location and I was to low on ridge. So we headed up, cut the blood trail and followed 100+ yrds. INTO edge of alders, buck stood up at 11 yrds. and I pasted him, he didnt even flich, and I hit him again in shoulder, went down on that shot. WE took full rear qrts. and boned rest. Out in dark, I packed my sons gun also, long 13 hr. day, sweet success. This years buck, hiked in from about 3800 to 7000 hit 3' snow, headed off the ridge. Cut a track, followed, smelt him, jumped him. He was headed for the thick stuff, quite him. Angled out, saw a heavy horned buck cutting under me on the trot, in the timber abuot 90 yrds. Snapped a shot and another, sounded like 2 nd. hit tree. Cut down for sign, had hit him, very little blood. I assumed a gut shot, followed back over the top of ridge, mile up. Jumped him just before top, no shot but he was watching his back trail and blood was leaking out his nose, I THOUGHT, from sign. I was going slow at first hoping not to bump him. To late now, plus I CAUGHT him, so I WENT INTO HIGH gear. Another hr. of dogging him, at a lope at times and I HAD HIM bouncing away in some decent timber, took the Texas heart shot and dropped him. Boned him out, and headed out. Had to gain ridge where I first turned around, BIG buck track in my boot pint, seed for next year. OUT hr. after dark, too the wolves howling, hardest day out in a long time 56 days out for season. Packed out 115 #'s. Took the next day off, it was Thanksgiving and I was thankfull. NOTE: first shot had been a neck shot, dead center
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