In what percentile is a HARVESTED 160 inch buck on a general unit?

[Schoolhousegrizz]

We got talking on another thread on here about how common a mature buck is. On a general unit how rare is a harvested 160 inch buck? For sure different areas or different states will have a little higher percentage, not but without getting to specific and anal I'm just talking overall.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I meant to say a 160 or BIGGER

 

[sndmn11]

You need a under 1%

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

You need a under 1%

I just added it, thanks.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Are you talking what percentage of bucks killed? Or tags filled?

 

[180ls1]

Top 3% means he is better than 33 other killed bucks. That makes the most sense to me.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Are you talking what percentage of bucks killed? Or tags filled?

Bucks killed, honest question how is that different than tags filled? Are you thinking about doe tags or about people killing bucks and not finding them?

 

[Ucsdryder]

Bucks killed, honest question how is that different than tags filled? Are you thinking about doe tags or about people killing bucks and not finding them?

Harvest success might be 30% for a unit.

30 out of 100 tags filled. If 1 buck in the unit goes 160 plus that’s 1% of total tags (1 out of 100) but 3% of total bucks killed, 1 out of 30 bucks killed.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Harvest success might be 30% for a unit.

30 out of 100 tags filled. If 1 buck in the unit goes 160 plus that’s 1% of total tags (1 out of 100) but 3% of total bucks killed, 1 out of 30 bucks killed.

Got it, thanks. I am talking out of bucks that are actually legally harvested. Say there is a that unit gives out a thousand tags and 300 bucks were killed. How many of those 300 bucks that were killed will go 160+.

 

[Fatcamp]

When I think about it I only apply it to public land. I do not have, have never had, will never have access to private land.

On PUBLIC land, in my experience you are looking at low single digits for harvested bucks over 160". Some units will be zero, some ten percent, but it isn't common.

 

[willfrye027]

You didn’t specify if this unit is a “hidden gem”. Cause there’s a 160” behind every bush in those particular general units

Personally, I feel like I’ll see one 160” class buck in a week of hard hunting and passing younger deer..in some general units. Some I’ve never seen one (including my local unit. Better odds in archery season or scouting.. but archery hunting usually means i don’t kill one.

 

[Fatcamp]

You didn’t specify if this unit is a “hidden gem”. Cause there’s a 160” behind every bush in those particular general units

Personally, I feel like I’ll see one 160” class buck in a week of hard hunting and passing younger deer..in some general units. Some I’ve never seen one (including my local unit. Better odds in archery season or scouting.. but archery hunting usually means i don’t kill one.

I see waaay better deer early archery. They sure are hard to kill though.

 

[farmermail]

A legitimate 160" mule deer is a big buck. Even in draw units, they aren't that common anymore.

 

[huntnful]

I'm guessing 1-3% for a general unit public land. Could be lower.

 

[Chad E]

One of the worst things to happen to mule deer hunting in recent years is the downplaying of how big a honest 160 buck is. 160 gets thrown around like it's an average buck behind every tree. Sure there's a few draw units that it's accurate but the vast majority of the west both general and draw a 160 is a darn good buck.

 

[Okie-hunter]

I’d be curious what people said with the same question but instead of 160” it’s 1 & 2 year old buck harvest percentage. 75-85%?

 

[huntnful]

One of the worst things to happen to mule deer hunting in recent years is the downplaying of how big a honest 160 buck is. 160 gets thrown around like it's an average buck behind every tree. Sure there's a few draw units that it's accurate but the vast majority of the west both general and draw a 160 is a darn good buck.

Isn't that the truth. An honest 160" buck is a nice freaking deer!! I have a legit hard time passing them up haha.

 

[roadhntr]

I firmly believe that there's more 160" bucks out there than most people would realize. They are just becoming as elusive as mnt lions. Just because most people have never seen a lion while out hunting, doesn't mean there's not a lot of them around. Same thing goes with a 160" mule deer buck, of course genetics within an area will always come into play.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't know muley scores much at all, so I'd have to see some pics of 160" bucks. Deer don't excite me much (especially when I have to chase them out of the garden every day), so they have to be wide and BIG to impress me. OP, what does the buck in your avatar measure. He looks like a decent buck.

 

[Dioni A]

I think if you're counting over the last couple years it's 1-3 If you'd have done the same surveying 2015 it would probably have been 4-7. I think some general units can still produce the 4-7% but it's probably not the norm across the west.