SouthernStrut56

I agree with all of you, a buck of a lifetime is killing one on my own land that I have scouted and put a lot of time into hunting, even if he's not what most people would call a monster buck. The feeling of accomplishment after taking a nice buck from my own property would far exceed that of a paid hunt. But I would never count out the possibility of going on a paid elk or muley hunt, as long as he's not penned up, because I know nothing about elk or muleys and would definitely need the help of a guide who knows the area and the animal. Personally, if I was planning a trip to Illinois or some other record book state, I would pay for the license and hunt public land because I think I could do it myself. I know some people don't have the land, time, or opportunities to do anything other than a paid hunt, and it's a good chance to make some memories with family or on your own, so go for it. Good point made about a "trip" of a lifetime, you're 100% right about that.

tschaef

I doubt you'll get anyone here arguing that their big high fence buck is better than your hard earned buck. Its kinda like when when I was landscaping and a woman asked me to trim back her rose bushes, the were "her pride and joy", even though she had kids, and had never touched the bushes before!

I have 2 mounts and probably won't get any more; my 1st gun buck (decent 8), and my 1st archery buck (tiny 6), I can't see being any prouder of any other deer no matter how big they are, I harvested both out there on my own; no bait, no fences. Gun buck still hunting, archery buck in a permanent stand that I built and choose where it should be. I'm proud of myself, and those deer.

I have an impressive caribou rack from a northern Quebec trip but I take no pride in it, the hardest part of that hunt was the drive, shooting a bou in the middle of a migration is a great way to put meat in the freezer, but it was too easy to brag about.

robbcayman

I will echo what everyone else has been saying. The real dream is to have that monster on your home land and you to take care of business. Killing a big buck in a pen is not an accomplishment.

However, scouting the land for years, growing food plots, checking cameras, scrapes, hanging standsetc.. and then to have it all pay off with a monster buck is defined as the buck of a lifetime in my book.

gregrn43

Manyyears ago i remember reading an article in a magazine and it said that know matter how much money that a person had the one thing it would not buy a boone and crockett whitetail buck. Those times are long gone now. Now with the high fences,genitic breeding, and pumped up food plot mixes everything has changed. Deerhunting has become so commericalized now.Im not so sure its for the better either. I have to admitIhave mixed feelings about it.

DoctorDeath

Some of this just kills me ....tell me the difference between paying to go on a fair chase hunt and using an outfitter ...sitting in below 0 temps for 11 hrs a day ..seeing MAYBE one or two deer a day THEN at crunch timemaking a 250 yard rifle shot to harvest a "deer of a life time" as compared to going out andPAYING tolease the best piece of hunting land in your area? I can tell you by experience there is very little difference and most if they were honest and could afford it WOULDPAY tolease the best piece of land in their area. There are a lot of hunters that dont have daddys or uncles who own two or three hundred acres and allow just family to hunt on ..there are hunters who have to spend a LOT of time on their jobs and do not get to hunt but 5 or 10 days out of the year so they choose to travel to hunt and pay an outfitter ...the good Doc does not endorse high fence hunting but other then that I think no matter where your hunting IF you get a chance at a "buck of a lifetime" it IS a BUCK OF A LIFETIME if its legal.

dd

dprsdhunter

I have to agree with the good doctor on this one.
As many outfitters as there are i would guess that must others do also--if not they wouldnt be in business.

HoosierHunter79

My definition of the Buck of a Lifetime is killing a monster in a woods that you have been hunting since you were 16 and you have tons of memories in this woods, even better if you or family owns it.Also ifyou scouted this deer all year and had pics ofhim and knewhis patterns. One that you worked extremely hardfor.

npaden

If you want to get allgung hoabout it you probably should limit your hunting to public land. Hunting private property is an unfair advantage. Think about it, the ultra rich could just buy the best property in the country and leave it off limits to any other hunters and then go shoot one of the dozens of B&C deer that will be roaming the property with zero hunting pressure.

The buck of a lifetime is going to be different for every person out there.

Maybe it is a blue collar working saving up for 10 years to go on a guided hunt on public land in Canada. Maybe it is a young kid hunting their family farm and by chance a huge monster buck shows up out of nowhere. Maybe it is a unemployed single man who lives 10 minutes from the best public hunting land in the west who lives in the woods all summer and then on opening day harvest the best buck in the area. Maybe it's the white collar worker who saves and saves for years and then puts the down payment on his own piece of land and spends countless hours improving the land and managing the property and finally years down the road is rewarded with a trophy buck.

It's your lifetime, it's your buck. Only you know whether it was the buck of your lifetime.

That's my 2 cents.

Nathan

saxman1

My buck of a lifetime is one I kill on your land too Crazy LOL!!!!!

CamoCop

i would never pay an outfitter to hunt, but that's just me