ORIGINAL: turkeyward

Be very careful with the field judging of the local guides. They have a tendency to overestimate by a ton. I have done a couple of SD hunts with the local guides. They just do not know how to judge. They called us to come take these very big lopes on camera. They had one nineteen inch monster and two great seventeen inch bucks running with them. OK now I have been after lopes my whole life. I am pretty good at them. These bucks were with a few does and in the same basin they had been in all year. We snuck up the hill and took a look. When the guides saw them they said yup that's them. They have been here all year that's them for sure. Dad and I took one look and both expressed our opinion to each other with just silent looks. We both figured the big one for being 13 tops. With careful words and some tap dancing with my own emotions we told them we would like to find some bigger ones. They were very insulted. I decided to end the discussion. I pulled up and killed the big one and showed them the tale of the tape on the ground. Yup it was 13 1/4. I had pneumonia that trip and had a hard time staying possitive. One thing I will say, I have spend a lot of time with the Indians. As a group and almost down to the last man. They are wonderful people. I love to be with them and spend time with them. In fact so much so that I even worked for them printing the newspaper Indian Country Today. Another thing -- all of them that I know say we are Indians not native Americans. We were here before it was America. Thats a good point and I will yield to their wishes on that. My recommendation is lower your expectations of trophy quality and go. I am sure you will have a great time. I truly do love the time I spent with my indian friends. I would go out of my way to spend time with them again.