RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

It depends,

I'm in lawschool, so my hunting time is limited. I'm broke, so I can't afford a lease . . . Hello Gamelands!! I have little time to scout for a rack buck. On the other hand, I think of myself as a good hunter and enjoy bagging a nice one.

Right now, I do try to pass on a few, and ensure that I get one. I'd rather take a small 2 1/2 yr. old or a decent 1 1/2 y.o. than get skunked.

If, however, I did funnel a lot of time/energy/money into getting a big buck, then YES, I would care. If I had a place with low pressure and could actually hunt deer without knowing they are constantly being poached and pressured, then I would wait out for a high-scoring deer.

As of right now, I hunt in PA (so, I compete with over 1 Million hunters), thus, I am pretty thrilled to just tag out given the circumstances. I am always pretty proud of whatever I get, and I take him on a little bragging run to my buddy's houses, even if it's just a scrub buck.

In a nutshell, I would be 10 times more proud of a six point taken on Pennsylvania state game lands than I would of a 180-class baited-in-with a foodplot Saskatchewan buck that is only available to those willing to fork out $3000 to go shoot one.

My biggest peeve - Net scoring. Deducting points for a deer's additional 'kicker' points is just retarded. Gross score is the only way to go.

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

Quicksilver,

Very well stated.

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

Not in the context we are speaking about. We are discussing whether or not you can get a good idea of a bucks rack and how it looks.

If you can't get that from a picture there is something really wrong with that camera.


The only thing pictures can be misleading about is..........................SCORES [:o]

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

scoring/points/numbers... are used to mark an accomplishment or set a standard to be compared to something. That's where I think the scoring of bucks has gone off track. It's a means of comparing bucks. How do you determine who's buck is "better" by some number?

example:
scenario #1- Early morning opening day of shotgun and I feel uncomfortable. I don't feel the mo jo in this stand I think I'll move. Actually I'm not even sure where I am but maybe I'll head that way it looks easier to walk for me. After getting down and picking up everything that fell out of my pockets in the process I head out. Shoot I gotta take a leak. Set gun down and out walks a 150 " buck. OH WOW !!! I grab the gun go to shoot ...dang safety where is that thing? Oh ok got it raise gun again and crap never put slugs in. Flinging cell phone, car keys, radio, etc.... out of pockets I arrive at a slug and chamber it and hit him towards the arse. He doesnt' drop dead right in front of me so I figure I missed him. Oh well maybe next year. Fortunately my buddy found him on his way out of the woods!! WHEW what a buck.

scenario #2-atlasman after sleeping the night in the woods and being one with the animal he is hunting is in pursuit of the buck he saw bed down. He crawls on his stomach for over 500 yards in the pouring cold rain to set up his ambush position. He's almost to the spot where he thinks the encounter will happen when he comes across a rattlesnake. He's eye to eye with it and just when the snake is about to attack, he reaches out and bites his head off and spits it to the ground. He proceeds through the prickers and gets into position. He's comes to a the edge of a giant gully . A limb sticks out from a big Oak tree. He stalks his way down the limb looking straight down at the gully now some 70 feet below him. Here comes the buck. A nice 100" 6 pointer. He hasnt' eaten in days so this is his golden opportunity. The buck strolls right under him and atlasman leaps down from the limb landing on the buck and with one swift motion breaks his neck with his bare hands.

Who's is the better buck?

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

Easy answer - the 150" buck is the better buck. However, Atlasman's hunt was the better hunt, and will certainly give a greater sense of accomplishment, and if Atlasman wants to measure the rack, he should be able to do it without being referred to negatively.


----------------------------

Part of how it looks, is the size of the antlers (a very important part). Size often cannot accurately be determined by a photo. Some are very misleading.

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

as defined by Websters...score:

a number that expresses accomplishment (as in a game or test) or excellence (as in quality) either absolutely in points gained or by comparison to a standard

Says nothing of how you arrive at the #, just a mark of accomplishment to use as a standard set for comparison. So my point is by simply putting a number on it (which is used as a mark of accomplishment) I don't think is fair in determining what the better buck is.
If a number is used to mark the accomplishment that solely means that whoever scores higher has the better accomplishment. You've stated that atlasman and his Tarzan tactics were a better accomplishment. So again what does a number really mean in the end?

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

If you are that hungry you shoulda ate the snake, they are quite good.

AS for who's buck is better, Easy!! The one killed legally with a legal weapon. Yours wasn't killed ethically with a legal weapon. I'd turn your butt in and then you could argue score after your privileges were revoked and fine paid.


Put it this way, for right or wrong, most of the board agrees that score matters. The members, the Mods, the Advertisers, you don't see too many posts of small bucks. The board has a contest with prizes for the team with the best score
The advertisers say come here for your trophy or use this product for the big one. Etc.

Your not wrapped up in score fine, for you. But your attempts to argue, are becomeing kinda ~~~~~out there.

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

Cmon dude..............I am not THAT great of a hunter...............the gully was only 60 feet below me ;)


:D

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

WOW...........very interesting way to look at it.


I went back and counted the replies to this thread because I didn't recall it laying out as you have described above.

Without counting anyone's reply more then once I came up with

NO
36


YES
12


YES+NO
3


I gave three yes and no's to the guys who didn't really make it clear or gave reasons for both sides.



Weird [8D]

RE: Do you REALLY care what a buck scores??
 

Understandable Atlas, now of those people who voted No, see how many are in the Contest. Than carefully reconsider.