Originally Posted by
Rob in VT
I bow hunted Iowa in 2017 early November. I was hunting a friends farm who graciously allowed me on his awesome property. On the third morning I had a mature buck come in which I shot at 17 yards. He ended up being a 5 1/2 year old (tooth pulled and aged) that grossed 126”. I was thrilled with him. My buddy said he wouldn’t have even picked up his bow as he wasn’t big enough for him. Of course he gets to hunt the entire season and has a dozen or more bucks in the 160”-190” range so I can certainly understand. Just kind of funny a different perspective of a Vermont guy vs a Iowa guy.
I hear you. I'm a "Vermont guy" too, although I've lived in Montana for the past 41 years but I was born and raised in Salisbury. Lots of great memories growing up there...hunting camp, little deer drives with the uncles and cousins, etc....where any buck is a trophy and rightfully so. 35 years ago we could apply for a second buck tag in the district south of town here in Chinook. They gave out 200 extra tags every year. They never even had 200 applicants, so I drew a second buck tag every year. I came out here for the first time in 1974 and the non-resident license included two deer tags and an elk tag and the two tags were good for either a whitetail buck or mule deer buck in most of central and eastern Montana. I'm getting off the subject.
At any rate, the big buck mania is slowly but surely ruining deer hunting (IMO). A 5/12 year old buck should be a shooter anywhere in the country regardless of score...that's a real trophy in my book!!!