I lurk here often, it seems it can be hard to get a word in edgewise. So, I'll start my on thread with a question I haven't seen here yet.

What would you consider to be a once in a lifetime buck. If you had ten guys, who hunted their whole lives, what would be the score if you averaged the largest deer each had taken. Or if you missed an opportunity at a buck, how big would he have to be so that you could say, I'll never get another chance at one that big.

In my area, to be realistic, I think 165-170 would be close. I have dreams of that 200 inch buck, but our state record is around 195. Although people now are getting pickier, and letting them grow up more, so that may change.

I am fortunate to have gotten two 'once in a lifetime' bucks, and in back to back years, and with a bow.

imho i would say a once in a life time deer is whatever that individual makes it. It could be a spike, or a doe, too a 200 plus.

kind of an oxymoron then isnt it?

a once in a lifetime deer for me would probably gross over 180 (typical or nontypical)....i have seen a total offour such (three during bow season), but oportunities?not yet. This year i do not know of any such bucks that big in my area either...but i can still hope

My thoughts exactly.

I've seen my share of 140's that i was unable to get close enough to me but otherwise 160 to 180 would be a dream of a buck for me!

Not really. I am just greedy. Someone else is going to go without their once in a lifetime buck because I got two. And I still have a lot of years left to hunt.

I shot him this year. Honestly.

A 150" deer with a recurve in PA might be a once in 2 lifetimes buck.[:-]
I'm a realist, I've hunted hard for 22yrs in PA without ever SEEING a buck like that from stand and to do it with a recurve for a guy like me who is a Nationally competitive 3D COMPOUND shooter?.......the odds are off the charts. LOL

One big dumb buck of a couple lifetimes.

if i polled 10 average guys from PA their top buck average score would probably be around 100" give or take that aint no joke. thats AVERAGE PA hunters.

ive seen bucks upto 120 while hunting(usually not deer hunting) seen a 130ish buck in rifle season and couldnt get a shot...i wanted to cry but rather wait for him to come back than force a shot...im sure i coulda made it just because i know my shooting abilties..but there was that chance that i hit that twig or brush between him and I..i passed...he was a once in a lifetime buck..maybe.

then again if i polled 10 hard core larger buck hunters in PA i wouldnt be surprised if they had a 120-130 average...theres guys out there that get the land access to places that most think are untouchable and they learned how to hunt these suburban giants....

150 class buck with a bow in MS is once in a lifetime....

I've never seen a buck that big on the hoof in MS.... I saw 3 in one week in Illinois....

130 is spectacular, 140 is doable, 150 is almost impossible.

That's the spirit!!! You go man!

I've only got one, once in a lifetime buck, it grossed over 180. I'm going to try for as many as I can get.[:-]