Who is dropping their standards?

[S.Clancy]

It all depends. If I see a 160"+ buck it's gonna be pretty hard not to shoot it, at least in MT. True 160" bucks aren't as common as people think.

Big 3x3's also weaken my knees, so if I see a 26"+ wide 3x3 it's gonna be pretty tempting, especially if I can tell he has age on him.

 

[IdahoBeav]

It all depends. If I see a 160"+ buck it's gonna be pretty hard not to shoot it, at least in MT. True 160" bucks aren't as common as people think.

Big 3x3's also weaken my knees, so if I see a 26"+ wide 3x3 it's gonna be pretty tempting, especially if I can tell he has age on him.

Those standards are higher than almost all hunters' have been for decades. Good on ya!

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm not willing to drop my standards. Oh well I just get to hunt more!

 

[S.Clancy]

Those standards are higher than almost all hunters' have been for decades. Good on ya!

I'm not saying I don't mis-judge something on occasion, but I try.

 

[mtnbiker208]

I have never really had high standards, so , i doubt i will drop them.
However i very rarely hunt mule deer.

 

[Hnthrdr]

It all depends. If I see a 160"+ buck it's gonna be pretty hard not to shoot it, at least in MT. True 160" bucks aren't as common as people think.

Big 3x3's also weaken my knees, so if I see a 26"+ wide 3x3 it's gonna be pretty tempting, especially if I can tell he has age on him.

Oh heck yeah, big 3x’s or even a really big forker… they probably won’t be getting a pass, like I say I go with frame and perceived age over just straight score. Who knows the true age, but this year I passed on a super deep forked 4x4 that had a smaller body, younger looking face, more spindly antlers in favor of a bigger framed really crab clawed 4x4 that does t score with a crap but he looked a lot more mature

 

[Firestone]

I am with dos perros, the longer you hold out the more you get to hunt. It gets to be an absolute freaking grind though. I think mentally people break down and shoot a dink, even if they didn't have intentions to.

I set a goal for what I want on each hunt and I stick to it. I never change that mark and refuse to shoot something that I don't think hits it. There are anomalies I suppose. If an old 34" forked horn with coke can bases steps out yeah he is getting a bullet, but for 99.9% of the time I pick a number and stick to it. I shoot elk for meat so that is never an issue at our house either. To each their own though

 

[Hnthrdr]

I am with dos perros, the longer you hold out the more you get to hunt. It gets to be an absolute freaking grind though. I think mentally people break down and shoot a dink, even if they didn't have intentions to.

I set a goal for what I want on each hunt and I stick to it. I never change that mark and refuse to shoot something that I don't think hits it. There are anomalies I suppose. If an old 34" forked horn with coke can bases steps out yeah he is getting a bullet, but for 99.9% of the time I pick a number and stick to it. I shoot elk for meat so that is never an issue at our house either. To each their own though

I’m with you, I shoot about the first raghorn bull I call in archery hunting. I have a buddy who is super picky with elk and passed up 4 different chip shots at bulls last year… blew my mind! Yet I do it with muley bucks so to each their own

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Says the guy not from montana.


Its one thing to go hunting one day and shoot the first deer you see to fill the freezer. As a resident.

Its entirely different to come to montana with high hopes, hunt for a few days, not find what you want, and then shoot a dink on the last day just because you "deserve" a deer since you paid for a nonresident tag and so you dont have to go home and tell your friends that you spent all that money and didnt get one.

So youre ok with a resident killing whatever they want with a cheap tag but have a problem with a NR killing whatever they want with a more expensive tag? Those NR hunters also dumped a couple grand into your local economy in the form of gas, food, lodging, etc.

Ppl like you are why people get their tires slashed.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

They’re just antlers shoot whatever you want. I know personally, i have enjoyed hunting WAY more the last 10 years or so when i stopped worrying about antlers and just went back to filling tags and enjoying the actual hunt.

 

[Geewhiz]

Ppl like you are why people get their tires slashed.

Interesting.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Interesting.

What’s interesting is you feel you are entitled to an opinion on what a NR uses their tag on.

Try to tell me in the field you’ll get an earful, and rightfully so.

 

[willfrye027]

My standards are based on the tag/hunt. I don’t go to Montana looking for a 180” buck (sorry Montana). I also will happily shoot forked horns in my home state. But I like to have one tag a year where something special is possible, and I’ll hunt those tags til the bitter end. May not be many but some slammer bucks are still getting killed these days.

 

[go_deep]

Sure glad my wife lowered her standards....

 

[MallardSX2]

Says the guy not from montana.


Its one thing to go hunting one day and shoot the first deer you see to fill the freezer. As a resident.

Its entirely different to come to montana with high hopes, hunt for a few days, not find what you want, and then shoot a dink on the last day just because you "deserve" a deer since you paid for a nonresident tag and so you dont have to go home and tell your friends that you spent all that money and didnt get one.

I passed on all of your dinks and shot one of your does in the last 15 minutes of my hunt.

I deserved that doe for what I paid, and I took this picture for people like you! lol

 

[PathFinder]

Shooting does and sub-mature bucks is so repulsive it never crosses my mind. Not in my home state or another. On elk on OTC I don't care so much.
Hunting longer for something specific or special is the best way to learn. People without the discipline to do so will continue to know little and do even less, which is fine with me.
Some stereotypes are confirming themselves in this thread

 

[Paladin]

Been traveling west to hunt for the last 34 years. We were blessed with very nice deer the first few years in a row so it set the bar pretty high and we've left it there ever since. When we come out the standard actually goes up toward the end of the hunt because we know how much work goes into packing it out and getting it ready to bring home. Four of us traveled to MT this year, including 2 guys that had not been before. We saw A LOT of bucks, some fairly decent, but were having to much fun hunting to settle for less than what we came for. Didn't shoot anything and had one of the best trips ever.

 

[Geewhiz]

What’s interesting is you feel you are entitled to an opinion on what a NR uses their tag on.

Try to tell me in the field you’ll get an earful, and rightfully so.

So......you still going to slash my tires?

 

[Juan_ID]

Standards? What are those? Please don’t slash my tires…

 

[Jbehredt]

I’ve been shooting the first legal deer in range since the early 90s.