Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I was talking with Joe Brooks, he hunts some great land in MI/OH. In three weeks of hunting they saw and shot 1 shooter. They have over 50 scrubs on tape.

I was reading magicman thread about Northen Minn and lack of bucks. I have read the same thing from a bunch of people who hunted MI and UP of MI.

Weird year for sure[&:]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I will tell you, for a FACT, that the deer population as a whole (not only big bucks) are WAY down. (in East Central, MN) Crazy year is an understatement.

Since September 15th I've seen 3...yes...3 deer. 1 shooter, while walking out. 1 doe, and the legs of a deer. So maybe 2.25 deer. ALL SEASON.

Only 3 deer were killed by the rifle hunters, on our farm. Only three seen.

All the local land owners only got 1-3 deer with their hunting party too. I don't know what to say, other than...we should not be able to take 11 deer between my dad and I alone[&:]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

It is global warming!!

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

There is no shortage of deer in South Dakota, and there are as many or more big bucks this year as any other year..

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

The U.P. this year Germ is a joke, worst we've seen in a while. Both in numbers of deer and size of bucks. We've got more spikes than I've ever seen, probably 8-12 different ones, a few 3-points, but after that, virtually nothing. My brother has only seen 1 shooter this season, and that was an 8 that was just a borderline one. The UP has never been very good, but this is ridiculous.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I had a pretty poor early bow season here also. We have a good number of deer. I believe the reason I'm not seeing as many is we have had to deal with standing corn later than usual and we had the peak of the rut during a very bright moon.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

It took magicman's thread for you to figure out there's been a lack of big bucks shot In Minnesota?? It's been very spotty In Mn for those shooting big bucks. SE Mn has done tremendous this year, western Mn has done alright also. My little area sucks this year, one decent mid 120's I passed and a bunch of 1.5's since that. You then go 5 miles SE of me and my brother has got P&Y bucks running all over. It all comes down to what got over hunted last year, It surely shows the next year. My area gets pounded year after year from the gunners, It's real fricking hard for me to be successful some years If the previous year was a good one In the area for the gun hunters. We have ton's of deer running around my woods, just nothing much of decent quality.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I would LOVE to agree with that, and wish it were the case, but our area sucked last year as well. I'm bound and determined to find out why.

My area gets pounded by gunners too, but last year was a poorer deer harvest than this year[&:]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Sounds like they need to back off on all the tags there giving out In your area Kyle.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Couldn't agree more. 11 tags between two people alone is just crazy. Another thing I've been thinking is to end party hunting.

The MNDNR is a buisness, and they and the state are making BANK on the amount of tags they sell.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Money talks!!! It's truly sad being this state could once again be a monster buck haven state like It use to be.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

well hear is my 2 cents worth.. Kentucky numbers seem down a little an i myself havent seen no were near the shooters as i did last year.. yea we still have alot of young deer 1.5 an 2s but there small.. people in our area are meat hunters so its hard to preach deer managment when thats what they do.. i still try tho an i do do my part i will not shoot a young buck.. but also like they said earlier the rut did come at the peak of a full moon which made it tough hunting..

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

based on my sightings, i would say that its down. My deer camera tells me otherwise though ;)

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I don't know about that :D In nearly 20 sits, I have only seen one buck. (I haven't even got a lot of good bucks on trail cams) Normally by this time of year I have filled my ER archery tag with respectable buck.... Not this year - I'm still going..... And it's not looking very promising at the moment. Most of my archery hunting buddies are saying the same thing. Not many deer at all, and hardly any shooter bucks (in comparison to previous years).... In fact out of the 6 archery guys I regularly keep in touch with, only one has punched his buck tag.... Yikes! And we're guys that normally always take decent animals for our area....

Personally I think it has something to do with them extending the rifle season (which is now half the month of Nov. for goodness sake). The last two deer harvests have been the largest in SD history - that has to say something.....

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

EHD was a huge problem inthe summer of 2007 in many areas but lack of management continues to bea main problem, i.e., shooting small bucks.

Other problemspilingon are things like theexponential growth of hunter numbers, the adventof muzzleloaderbalistic technology/shotgun slug cartridges. I was talking to a shotgun hunter the other day, he was telling me that he groups slugs at 5" at 200 yards now. It used to be that a slug was a 50 yard weapon and now wielding ashotgunor muzzleloader is almost like havinga rifle.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Statistically the only way you can be running out of big bucks is by the hunting population in your area shooting them before they get to be big and by harvesting more bucks than doe.
I just stopped by the locker the other day and saw a pile of deer to be processed and several 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 y/o bucks were in the pile with the hunters not even wanting the antlers. We all have the right to choose our harvest but one thing is for certain, thebucks won't get bigger by shooting them young.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I was just comparing sighting from like states.


NY
Minn
MI

All seem to be having the same issues this year. I seen 34 deer on the ride home tonight, all slickheads[&:]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I drove back home tuesday night from northern Minn. to central wis. 7 hours of wheel time. I started out at dark. I saw 2, yes 2, deer on my way home! The funny part is I saw a real dandy 10 pointer standing by the road just 10 miles from my home. :eek:

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

How about 25 sits, 12 of which were all day (11-12hrs) totaling 209hrs! This was a span of4 weeks. I saw a total of 11 deer! Very sad.There were 5 bucks (3 of them legal) and 6 doe. I did kill a yearling though (needed some meat). Drew on one buck that was a shooter by my standards, but I didn't get the clear shot I wanted. I NEVER even saw a buck chase a doe at all during the supposed rut! Worst season I've ever seen since I've been hunting.[:'(]
I do have to mention that I got trail cam pics of the biggest bucks I have ever seen in my area though. Which is a good thing.The only problem is that they were almost all night time pics.[&o]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I think that a lot of places are starting to run out of big careless bucks. You don't grow old by being stupid. You don't grow big without growing old.

I think about a lot of the big deer that get killed across this country and all the conversations and stories I've had and read. A good 90% of the time, the hunter that took the buck never knew he existed. Never had seen him before.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

x2. While actually hunting our sightings and numbers have been down this year. Granted the mast crop on our property was poor at best this year. Still, we are getting some good bucks frequently on the trail cams, positive sign I would think would be an improving buck to doe ratio.

Side note- We have about 750 acres right now between our property and neighboring properties under some form of management. Be it full steam QDM or just letting bucks walk- everyone is buying into some management concept. Then one of our neighbors hunts about a 40-60 acre lot (not realy sure on the actual acreage) but seriously, and God strike me down if I am lying, shoots at a deer every single hunt. Last year, the family (5 people) took 20+ deer off a 50 acre lot! That's just massacre if you ask me. Sure, they may need the meat, but still, thats too many if you ask me.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I hunt in northern/central Wisconsin....I have had the worst year ever by far as far as seeing numbers of deer...to see one deer in a night was a huge deal!!!! however nearly every buck i did see was a big one or at least a shooter...I hunt on all public land and all the extra tags people get really take their toll.....

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I see more and more bigger deer..but then again after30 years as a bowhunter,I am maturing each year as a whitetail hunter...don't know.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

I just got back into bow hunting this year and I shot a six point with my bow. It was a small rack but the jerkey and breakfast sausage taste great. I wanted to take a mounter with my rifle but out of the nine bucks I saw the first two days no shooters. Hopefully by thanksgiving something new moves in.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

You guys have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear other serious hunters say this. I've been out 4-5 times a week since opener, hunting all over nothern Mn from St cloud to Bemidji. I keep a log of how many deer I see each night, at this time last year, I was up to 115 deer sightings from stand. I'm at 23 this year, with only 3 bucks.[:@]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

HCH I m seeing deer and even bucks, I just have not seen a mature one. It's bothering me:D

WhenI talk to Joe yesterday he hunts in Ohio/MI a boy scout camp. Great place, in three weeks of hunting they saw 1 shooter. Which they shot, a normal year is 15-30 shooters.

I have put myself on deer, just not the ones I want to shoot, and what bothers me more is no one in my area has seen a shooter. We always have 1 or 2 running around. The last 8 years the pressure really has shifted to SLP in MI. MAybe it's time for me to move on[&:]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

sounds like that real estate statement called ..Location..location..location.. I hunt some gr8 properties with low population of people and hunters in the area. You guys have way more hunting pressure than me.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

unfortunately for me i havent seen 1 buck this year where i hunt, just does. My brother saw 1 fork and my uncle saw a spike.No Quality bucks to be seen or heard of even on camera.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

We can pack up and head back to Kentucky in Dec.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Pick me up near the border:D

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Germ, make sure to turn the lights out in the State of Michigan just before you get picked up since you'll be the last one out.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Big mature bucks get that way also for one reason..because they are mainly nocturnal. They are just hiding during the day.. I am sure they are there.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

Locally deer numbers are down as well, but that has been awesome for me as a bowhunter. The last three season's (since the dnr's herd reduction idea really started to get implemented) rut has been all very intense. I see less deer but more big bucks - a tradeoff I find worthwhile.

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

While agree, someone, me should have seen the SOB's:D

They state there is going to be a water shortage in the coming years;) We're going to sell it at $200,000 a gallon[8D]

RE: Are we running out of Big Bucks in some states?
 

When people learn to stop shooting small bucks every year, they'll have bigger bucks where they hunt. We are not running out of bigger bucks, it's just people don't let bucks get bigger.