ORIGINAL: GregH
ORIGINAL: quiksilver
ORIGINAL: GregH
Google "record book bucks of Pennsylvania, NC, SC, NY etc" and see what you come up with. They may not be as common as in other places but there are bucks scoring 160+ being taken from these places.
That's the point.
I'm just saying that we all should temper our expectations according to what we see, not what's listed in the record books.
Otherwise, we're just setting ourselves up for a magnanimous letdown.
Well, if I had just went by what I saw for the first 18 years of hunting, I'd still be shooting smaller bucks. By looking at the record books and seeing that they do exist would hopefully cause one to change his tactics and start hunting differently or in a different place. You can have two places, basically adjacent to each other and one will out perform the other. The record books are a good starting place to plan your strategy of where to start looking. They also give one hope by letting them know that big bucks do exist in certain places of their state.
The above is meaningless unless ones goal is to start taking mature bucks. If it is your goal to hunt for a mature buck the record books can help verify whether you are wasting your time in a certain county or you are simply hunting wrong and not seeing them.
My point is........ don't only go by what you see. You may be doing something wrong.
I agree with this and whileI believe I take decent bucks for my areas some quick research every season tells me where not only the most antlered deer are taken but the best ones as well, so mine may be "decent" but I am also postive there are more fertile huntinggrounds and probably within driving distance to boot.
VA Game & Fish magazine runs articles like these every season not to mention specific articles that focus on certain counties or public lands that produce. On average I am usually happy with 100"-120" deer but I also see deer much bigger than that being taken every season with 135" to probably145" not being too "uncommon". Now bigger than that is a whole different ball game but VA has some of those guyslurking as well, I've just yet to be photographed with one
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Virginia's 2007 Deer Outlook -- Part 1: Where To Find Your Deer
Virginia's 2007 Deer Forecast -- Part 2: Where To Find Trophy Bucks
I guess my point is if I had more time/resources I know where I could increase my odds(by using easily accessible info onmy state)I just can't prioritize it that way at this point, probably a lot of others in that same boat I'm guessing but just because I'm not going after them doesn't mean they ain't there(within my state that is).