Milo Hanson Buck - would you pass?
 

From everything I've read, the Milo Hanson buck was only 3.5-4.5 years old. On the hunting shows, they usually pass up bucks until they are 6.5 years old - especially ones with great genetic potential.

So, did the Hanson buck get shot before it reached it's potential? Would many people pass on it and let it mature another couple years?

I could care less about age and inches of bone! That is wat is ruining hunting, along with the so called experts on the hunting shows who have areas prescouted by others and stands put up by others and hunt over feeders inside fenced properties. If an animal is legal and big enough to suit me, I will kill it and never even thik to measure the antlers. In fact I would rather shoot a big older doe than a buck and I my opinion an old doe is smarter than an old buck. All of this crap about what will it measure makes me want to puke!

There aint no way i'm ever passin up a buck that size. I gaurentee you put him infront of Will Primos, Shocky, Nugent, etc... theyd all kill him every time.

I would have passed.....out! Anybody who tells you they would even think about passing on that buck is lying to you and themselves.

X2! Only an idiot would be looking for the age of that buck, seeing the spread & height of horn!

I would not have passed on it.

Pretty sure nugent would shoot it, even if it had spots! He doesn't seem to be to picky:party0007:

anybody, trophy hunter or not is going to shoot that buck if they have a tag. the area the buck was harvested is about 45 minutes away from my home. the area overall is fairly heavily hunted so a deer like that likely wouldn't make it 2 more years anyway.

If given the chance, it would definitely be taking a dirt nap.

I know not one person on here who is telling the truth would pass on that deer thinking it might or might not get bigger in a Yr. or so. I don't think even Lee or Tiffany Lacosky would give it another year in fear of someone else shooting it before them. it was just a deer if you saw it your mind automatically said shoot.

I can see David Morris looking at it with binoculars and saying it needs two more years. The paying customers would be shown a 6.5 year old 8-pointer.

I would pass. I have had my opportunity at a giant my first year bowhunting would have netted over 220 absolute giant. The reason I passed was the fact I wasn't comfortable shooting the distance he was at especially with how bad I was shaking with buck fever... Needless to say I haven't seen him again and nor will I ever. I had passed up many deer 150+ before I even shot my first buck because they were to young. I don't care about antler size though more about the age, antlers are a bonus.

I like to put it this way people are more sad and upset when a child dies than when an older person does due to the simple fact the child never got to live. Why not let the young dumb bucks grow and enjoy life and go after the old wise deer that can are the true trophy

That's the first time I've heard that. A hunter who still hasn't shot his first buck passing up 150" + bucks.

When I set my goals I try to reach them. If it would have taken one more year I probably would have caved in. But growing up in Iowa in a deer management state that's all I heard growing up is to shoot the old ones so I set my goal high at the start of my career. Trail cams also had the extra push to keep me true to my goal

I got give Iowa does some credit. Giving birth to fawns who already have antlers must be tough. :D

Is it really like that in Iowa? Immature bucks have 150+ racks? To 99.9% of hunters, a 150 would be their career best.

:eek2:

Not that I believe a word of that but IF so, that proves my point that today's "hunting industry" & most of the shows filmed on high fence operations with genetically manipulated deer has done more harm than good for hunting. ESPECIALLY amongst younger or newer hunters as they think that's the way it supposed to be. Whenever a 150 class animal is snubbed, something is wrong. I realize the posters location IS in central Iowa & that IS one of THE greatest monster producers around but it's a simple biological fact that in 90%+ of the whitetails natural range, 150class represents the beginning of the top end of most bucks genetic potential even under ideal conditions! 170+ is a genetic rarity & equal to the rarity of 7ft tall humans! When you start talking about 200+ class then you are essentially "off the charts" as far as odds & predictability are concerned. When you consider all the natural variables like natural selection, genetic variability, natural mortality/survivability, hunter harvests, weather, food, environmental conditions etc... the odds of MONSTER bucks is a very small & fragile proposition to begin with. There's ALOT more involved than just giving bucks decent food & 5+ yrs of age!

pretty much nailed it right there.
the goal i'm trying to accomplish is to harvest a mature buck and put some meat in the freezer. antlers are just a bonus but because of media have become the biggest male anatomy measuring competition in hunting today.
that being said though, if a person we're to edge out the hanson buck it really isn't about the delicious sausage anymore. i can only imagine the paycheck that accompanies the attention it would bring.

I passed this buck three times last year all with in 20 yards.




Had him dead to rights in this picture.

I'd pass some one got it already.

iayote that's a DANDY buck there & certainly FAR beyond what the vast majority of bow hunters in the country will ever get a crack at. But even still, that's a LONG way from 220" Kong! (Im not assuming thats the 220 you spoke of? id guess that a 150-160 class 3yr old?) Only you can say what's a trophy to you & if you saw him 3x last year then he'll likely still be around this year & even that much better. As for your passing on a 220"er,I WILL congratulate you on passing the shot because you weren't comfortable with it. Many would've "flung & prayed" without regards to the animals life or concern for a clean kill, so congrats on that.

But don't EVER think that ANY buck over 170-180 is an "also ran", ESPECIALLY with a bow! I don't care WHERE you are, when you start questioning animals that large, especially as a bow hunter, then something's wrong or that persons realistic expectations are out of kilter. (Thus my comments about the "industry" today & their negative effect on today's hunters)

Passing up that buck makes me think the thrill is gone, or was never there. When I was growing up, seeing any kind of buck got us so excited we couldn't even think straight. Passing up huge 10-pointers because they didn't look old enough never crossed our minds. Looking over bucks and selecting the perfect one doesn't sound like hunting to me. At least not the way we grew up, chasing deer in the big woods.

Deer don't tend to get that old the part of the US I live in. Except on the rare occasion of a wary buck, they usually get taken or hit by a car before then.

I wouldn't pass on any of 'em.

Trust me I got amped up when I saw him everytime. However having bigger bucks than him in the area and seeing them when I was on stand made it even more difficult to not pass him... When there has been 5 160+ Bucks killed in the 2 square miles the last 4 years it's easy to say no. However I enjoy just being in the stand and watching the timber come to life in the mornings..

So, how many bucks have you got and how big?

3 years of bowhunting 1 and he scored 156.5... Now ask how many bucks I have passed. Last year alone I passed in over 60 oppurtunities.

Wow
 

I don't pass the opportunity to shoot often, if at all. At least at what I consider a shoot able deer. If given the circumstances, yes I would be able to pick what I shoot with more detail. I have only once in my life seen a 150" deer live on the hoof. Maybe that will never happen again? Anyhow, I think it is almost depressing that people give this much thought into hunting. It almost takes the fun and excitement, hell it does take the fun and excitement out of hunting. I'm not advocating shooting everything that walks, but if your in a situation to pass on what 99% of white tail hunters would call a trophy then your either very lucky or very stupid.

I Would have to say it all depends on where you hunt, what state, public or private land. deer hunting now a days is not a one size fits all. take PA where I hunt they started the 2 weeks of buck or doe with antler restrictions. ruined Pa deer hunting. A/R last for about 3 to 4 yrs. then the targeted bucks get shot and the smaller bucks breed the does and you are back to square one. add too many doe shot for 2 weeks straight and the deer herd goes in the toilet. come to Pa iayotehunter and hunt on public land such as State Game Lands and I know you will not pass on a 150's deer. Maybe your 1st year but after that you will find out even getting a legal buck is few and far between. so it is all based on not the hunter but the place where he is able to hunt.

People who are saying passing a buck is whats wrong with the hunting today has no clue what there talking about. Hows that the case? let the deer live a few more years to mature is bad? Obviously jealousy is what that is,to wait let him get bigger have a deer mount, history, and meat in freezer next year is what it is, nothing more. Iv passed a lot of 150 inch deer some 160 inch deer, had the chance at them again, very few times but it doesnt matter to me cause hes still out thear growing and alive, explain how thats bad for hunting. No i wouldnt pass that deer.

Ive passed on a few 150 class deer but that is usually about where I start shooting.

I get fired up when bucks or even does come in that I don't plan to shoot.

About the only thing that doesn't fire me up much any more are the little 4 and 6 pointers.

One person can't decide what takes the "fun" out of hunting for anybody else. If a person gets a rush and enjoys passing on good bucks, then that's what they should do. I get a rush every time a deer is in front of me. Even if I know I'm not gonna shoot it, my heart still gets to pounding.
-Jake