wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I'm a little tired of these hunting shows that show these guys killing all these monster bucks. I have seen some nice bucks over the years but I have never seen a true booner in the wild. What do you guys see? What size buck would you be excited about ending your season on? For me it's 130+

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

This is the largest wild deer I've ever seen in NC. That includes riding down the road......or on my hunting grounds. I have 2K trailcam photos of the deer in my area.....and nothing larger than him.

A 100" deer is a good deer where I hunt.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I'm with you!
I'd much rather watch some realistic hunting than thesebait plot, private deer farm stuff. Never really learn anything from them, I hope someone starts making videos for the common man. You know get out there and do things on your own type stuff, where it doesn't cost a fortune to shoot a good buck."or I just might!":D

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

125+ for me. They are there, but there are not too many of them where I hunt. In order to kill big mature deer, you have to hunt where they are. In some parts of WV there are some true monsters roaming. The hills are steep and the hollers are long and you could go days and weeks without even seeing a doe.

I hunt in an area where there are loadsof deer, but a nice buck is usually 90-110 inches @ 3.5 years old.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Pope and Young.

Hard work and peristance.

It's possible, anywhere.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Id say 100" deer is good for my area...thats what I like to shoot for when Im bowhunting

With a gun its a whole different story...but heck this is the bowhunting forum:D

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I seen a huge buck about 80 yrds behind me and id bet he would score around 150, but i only seen him for about 10 seconds and i would have shot him buthe went into a thick ceader patch too quick and i havent seen him since. I had a muzzel loader so i could have made the shot too.[:@]

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Nice mount gmmat. That deer looks alive!

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Watch Hunsucker's show (Heartland)! He does have access to some pretty good hunting ground, and there are a lot of big bucks they see, but its not like hunting a private ranch or anything like that! They've tried to create the "real" hunting show.

Now Bucks of Tecomate is another story...

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

We're making one for the common man!!!!!! Check out my website below. We are making a turkey DVD this spring, then a deer hunting one in the fall and winter. No guided hunts, just us going out and hunting with a camera behing us.

Sorry if that was too much off-topic.......................

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

A 100" deer is good for my area as well....if you see an 8 pointer within bow range, you need to seriously consider arrowing it, basket or not.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Sometimes I do fall for the big buck envy, but then I look around at all the blessings I have and figure who cares about big bucks. As a wise man once said, "Life's a garden. Dig it."

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

i personaly dont care about the size of rack i just go out to enjoy the outdoors and get meat in the freezer

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I think 140" is very realistic for most parts of WI, although I'm not holding out. I pretty much shoot anything.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Thats pretty much my standard as well. Which may be why im going into my fourth year bowhunting without a buck yet.[&:] In my defense, last year was the first year i took it seriously.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Pheasantfanatic
I'm glad your trying to do some videos like that BUT... The first thing I see when I go to your web site is a big add for the HUNING LEASE NETWORK!

Glad to see young guys like yourselves getting out there thou!
Good luck!

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I too am so tired of these shows I'm going to cancel my subscription the the hunting channels. I have lost so much respect for these guys some of whom I used to read their stories in the mags and think I wish I could hunt like them. Now I see that someone else does all their scouting stand placement checks the wind and drives them to their stand. all they do is make the shot. And believe me if someone was paying for me to shoot every day supplying all the equipment I wouldn't miss many shots either. I have more respect for a kid who goes out and does his own scouting and stand placement makes a shot does the trailing and comes home with a little skipper. At least he did it all himself. Hunting shows blah they can keep them

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

When I lived in Iowa yes I would see 3 or 4 B & C bucks a year and 125 inchers were a dime a doz in southern Iowa. Getting sat up on one and getting a shot was another thing. I live NE now I havn't seen a B & C buck in four years and a 125 inch buck is hard to come by.
Heres one of my Iowa buck 167 incher

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I have seen 6 B&C class bucks in the areas I hunt. 3 in Ill and 3 in Wis., I've shot 2 that gross B&C (170 and 180 class). I've seen all of them in the last 20 years of hunting, none in the first 20 years. Some areas that I hunt a 125 would be a good deer that I'd shoot and other areas a 145+ is what I'd hold out for. I'm not afraid to eat tag soup for bucks because I feel I've gotten my share of them and I can usually get my fill of does for the meat. This means that I don't lower my standards towards the end of the season, just to get a buck. For the last 3 seasons I've slowly raised up my goal from 130s+ to 145+ because I know that they're out there. It usually means limiting myself to the top 3 or 4 bucks in my spots though, but I know they're out there. Last year ('06) I had my chance at a 150+ 8 pointer and blew it. But then I shot a buck that I thought was a clean 5x5 I had been seeing (another one of my goals) but it turned out to be a freak horned 5x4 I had never seen before. Cool buck though.

I'm excited to end my season on whatever buck triggers my fancy no matter what size he is.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Thanks for the input eveyone. It's nice to see what others are seeing and what they expect from their hunts. Lets here from more of you!

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I get nervous when i see anything over 100", but my area has deer all the way up to 180". And the biggest ive seen is between 140" and 150"

And here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03tsKu-ONtg

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I didn't even see a racked buck this year from the stand..... How is that for real world hunting? Would make a boring show though! :D

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

100 plus 8point or better!

Hatchet Jack

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I understand your point and I am not trying to defend all hunting shows. There are some I really like, some that are okay, and some I don't watch for reasons as you've mentioned.

Having said that, do you really think a show that involves shooting a bunch of basket racks and does is going to get the necessary ratings in order to secure sponsors?

There is a reason that most TV shows star young and good looking people rather than middle aged, overweight ugly folks. Why? Because people prefer the former-same way in regard to hunting shows- big bucks will get the ratings regardless of the method.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I used to love to target big bucks, was obsessed by it...Also chased big bass...

After having 3 daughters and having my dad die when I was 20, I started realizing that it was as much work as a job...I would take the kids fishing and they hated it...Once I got back to having fun and enjoying the outdoors I realized that the fun was in watching and teaching others that were not fortunate enough to grow up in the country where you can walk out your back door and start hunting...

I'll still arrow a big buck if he walks by...But I'm no longer obsessed...Frankly most of the "big" bucks that I see aren't really that big...So I find myself talking myself out of taking the shot because I want to see what he will be next year...Most guys around here will shoot any buck with a rack on him...

This year, I shot 8 does and one buck...

Does eat our beans as well...:D

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

Thats kinda how my season went. Seen two bucks on stand this year. And if i made a hunting show my show would be the worse one ever made!:D

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

People think I must see a lot of bucks.....because I see a lot of deer. I saw EITHER 4 or 5 different bucks, this season.....a total of 17 buck sightings (3-4 ea 1.5yr olds and 1 ea 4.5 yr old).....out of 207 total deer sightings.

How's THAT for "Real world"?

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I have to say any racked buck and the does too really... Get my blood pumping. Otherwise why go right.

In my area I've seen two bucks that were better than 150.

One I had at 12 yards athreeyears ago. I saw him again the next year. The first time I blew it and never got a shot. But what a memory. Then I was walking out the next year and he was walking the other side of some brush we ended up almost bumping into each other. Never even had a chance to hunt. No clue if that buck is still alive.

The other I saw this year during gun season. (see my avatar) I know that deer is dead :D
The first I believe was bigger. Maybe my memories playing tricks but I dream of that buck still today.

I had one other nice buck Probably 130 range. I had him at 25 yards and was at full draw. I was afraid of small limbs I couldn't see and didn't take the shot. He walked around a bunch of brush and was headed towards me when he caught me moving. I hadn't seen him turn my way. (Its pretty thick there)

Other than that every buck I have seen is under 100".

I don't care realy. Like others I used to get realy obsesive about getting a big buck or just a buck. It got to be a burden. I still love going but I try to enjoy it more.

Anyone who tells you they wouldn't care about shooting a big buck is lying to you. We all have that in the back of our minds as hunters. Everyone thinks about it. Just some worry about it much more than others.

I think all areas have potential for big bucks. I used to think you had to go to Kansas or something to get a truely big buck. But they are around if you can outsmart them.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

HLN just leases land for hunting. I could go out and lease a property right now, and no one but me could hunt it. I could do some quality management on it, and make a really nice hunting spot out of it. I don't see anything wrong with leasing, just guys going to outfitters and not having to do any scouting, and still shoot a big buck for TV.

Plus, my partner in the webite and his dad work for HLN. That is why we are sponsored by them.:) But that doesn't mean we get to hunt on the properties, uh-uh,:) we still have to go out and get permission to hunt on people's land, which is the way I like it.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

I would be real happy with a 120 around here although I have never seen one.

RE: wondering what its like in the real world of hunting
 

140" or better