Who is dropping their standards?

[npm352]

Most mule deer hunts I do locally I have no standard...so no, I won't be dropping that standard.

 

[Ross]

To each their own it is their tag. I ate another $300 deer and $650 elk tag as the antlers were not big enough with no concern. At this stage I know when I know, no regerts. Always find it funny when someone says you can’t eat the rack. I look at a pile of them with a smile decades later and the meat has been gone for decadessss

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

My standards change a lot depending on the circumstances of the hunt. Is my freezer full? How much time do I have to hunt for that particular season? What is the known quality of buck I have seen or know for sure exists in that unit? I try to go into a hunt with a realistic standard based on those three questions. That may be a 140 buck, or a 180 buck, depending on the tag, the time, and the scouting. Once I’m on the hunt, it comes down to this:

Does the buck get me exited? I’m trying to replicate that heart rate spike and excitement when I first lay eyes on a “big buck”. The size of deer that produces that response has changed a lot over the years. I have a lot of fun looking for THAT buck, but it really no longer interests me killing one that doesn’t get my heart rate up. I should have to TRY to get it together before the shot! If I know it’s the biggest buck i can reasonably find in the unit, I’ll be exited, even if that’s a 150. If I truly need the meat, I’ll take a lesser buck at the end of my hunt.

Exactly, if it gets me excited I will shoot. I shot a buck that went 164 this year I thought it was going to go mid 170s but it got me excited, so I shot. I'm still glad I shot it.

 

[willfrye027]

The question was.. are YOU dropping YOUR standards. Not, what do you think about everyone else’s standards. Honestly, the forked horn who lives near the road was never going to grow up into a monster. He would have been killed as a 2 year old 3 point, a 4 year old 150 buck…etc. Who cares if a nonres blasts it and is thrilled with that experience.

Quit worrying about what other hunters are doing and focus on what YOU are doing. Shoot what you please, and have no regrets. If you don’t like the quality on offer, be a better hunter.

 

[Fowl Play]

I drop my “standards” all the time depending on situation. If you’re trophy hunting… you do you. If you’re filling the freezer, awesome… have at it. Why take the joy out of someone else’s hunt downgrading them? What right does anyone have to do that? Some areas are managed for trophies, others for opportunities. If you’re upset you can’t shoot a trophy out your back porch every season… then you have the wrong outlook on the outdoors my friend. If eating tag soup cause you were trophy hunting makes you happy…. Awesome. But please don’t look for some pats on the back from me.

I’ll post this pic just to ruffle some feathers. I also shot an OTC, pope and young bull, backpacking solo this season. So why does this road hunted dink make me more happy? Well my dad, who just had hip surgery, got to act as spotter for me. Why an Escalade, hah!… the truck we rented broke down and this was all there was. Makes life interesting! Awesome memory and meals for my family. Plenty of upset locals…. Fine… red Escalade doesn’t help. I truly could not care less about them.

 

[Sanchez]

I do not really care about antlers, but want a nice sized meat animal. I try to shoot first healthy looking mule deer buck 3.5 years old, maybe 2.5 yo if late in the hunt. I also consider if I can pack and process the animal without monumental effort when deciding if I will shoot it.

The bucks that are in short supply where I hunt are older age heavy antlered symmetrical 4 points. I am happy to not target those bucks in the interest of heard genetics.

 

[OneShot]

I don’t care what others hang their tag on, whether it’s a forky or a big 4x4. As long as they’re happy and don’t make excuses why they killed what they did.

As for me, I’m not going to shoot, just to fill a tag. I have different goals depending on the unit I’m carrying a tag in. Last season I passed some nice bucks, but they were younger and didn’t get my trigger finger itchy. I ended up killing a heavy, older 4x4 that didn’t score as much as what I passed, but he had been around longer and that what I was after.
This year I hunted a different unit and my goal wasn’t set as high as last year because there’s a ton more pressure and it’s not as good as an area. First morning, at first light, I found a group of deer at 80 yards. There was a nice, 24-25 inch buck in the 150-155 range. He was a younger buck, just not what I was looking for. My father in law is a newer hunter and ask “why aren’t you going to shoot that nice buck?” I told him, if i have to talk myself into shooting it, it’s not the buck I want. We hunted hard this year all the way to last shooting light on the last day. Had a nice, young 4x4 100 yards away and watched him until it was too dark to see on that last evening.
Now it’s time to pop a couple whitetail does to fill the freezer.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think what OP was getting at is probably more along the line of the insta/youtuber that is killing for content, instead of killing to be content… could be wrong, I try not to watch videos but sometimes things get the best of me and guys are usually in one or two camps either they nail a dink cause they can’t come to grips that couldn’t find a better buck and just want to show people a kill shot/dead animal or they shoot something and try to pass it off as “mature”

like stated above if you have to justify killing the animal outside of, this is the one I wanted to kill… something may be off or you have a self esteem problem. Who cares what others think

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Wow! You really are the baddest donkey in the room!

Most times, other times not. Pretty much same as anyone else. But im not taking no lip from some dude who thinks he knows best cause he’s a resident of the state i just happen to be standing in.

 

[MThuntr]

Why not just tell the truth? Why do folks need to lie to impress other folks?

Welcome to hunting in the age of social media

 

[IdahoBeav]

Right to slashing. I find it gets a much more visceral response than meaninglessly jabbering back and forth about what you decide i’m able to shoot.

While you rant about tire slashing to get a response online, it is an actual problem out here, and it's absolutely inexcusable. It's a cowardice dirtbag crime, and as I mentioned, it's usually NRs that are on the receiving end.

I recommend you find another line of rhetoric to attempt to appear tough online.

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

 

[Rich M]

Tire slashing is a dick move. That it even got brought up was in poor taste...

Only hunted muleys as a bucket list thing - had set a size limit and might have shot a smaller one but didn't have to. Got a 160 4x4 on day 6 of the hunt - wasn't passing him. Had seen a couple 2x2s and passed. Buddy missed a real pretty 3x3. Bucket list is checked and on to other stuff. Not planning to go back for muleys.

Can understand folks shooting smaller bucks on trips. Kids/wife/parents asking every day why he hasn't got one yet. My 80 yo dad was on the muley trip and he was pushing me to just shoot something. I get it.

Just don't shoot a little one, make excuses and then complain there are no big ones.

 

[WCB]

Just don't shoot a little one, make excuses and then complain there are no big ones.

I'm on this train....along with having realistic expectations. Don't go into SW MT looking for a 180" buck and be disappointed you didn't see one then use that excuse to shoot a dink.

Was MT a better destination for bigger Mule Deer in the past...yes. Was a 180" buck the norm? No. Can you still find and kill 170+" bucks YES. Were most guys still shooting dinks in the past YES.

My expectations/standards will not change. I will simply not hunt areas like SW MT where a 2.5 year old forky or a 5 yr old 2x3 is the extent of the menu. I will stand by the statement I have made to my MT resident family and friends. If you live in MT and put a decent effort in you can kill 160s-170s every year....Just maybe not in the same spot you have been going your whole life or the spots you "want" to shoot them in.

 

[ndhuntermanND]

Yeah… if it don’t tickle my pickle; I ain’t squeezing the trigger.
Guys that complain about not seeing mature bucks and plug 130” ers out of frustration make no sense to me.

 

[nphunter]

6 point bulls only for me or mature deer. I are several tags this year but passed on 100% done deal shots on both bulls and bucks. Passed on 3 - 5 point bulls under 10 yards, drew on them multiple times just to be sure of myself that I could have killed them.

Passed on several bigger deer than I’ve ever killed but knew they weren’t old deer and that’s what I was after even though it’s a tag I can draw every year. I figure if we work hard and find them and pass them they will most likely be in the same areas and bigger in the future.

 

[Deadfall]

What Geewhiz said. Too many people settling for a "meat buck" instead of eating the tag. I have seen the results of shutting down the season before the rut. I love hunting them in November, but getting them back is going to require some sacrifices. AND QUIT KILLING DOES FOR A WHILE!!

Hallelujah

 

[packer58]

6 point bulls only for me or mature deer. I are several tags this year but passed on 100% done deal shots on both bulls and bucks. Passed on 3 - 5 point bulls under 10 yards, drew on them multiple times just to be sure of myself that I could have killed them.

Passed on several bigger deer than I’ve ever killed but knew they weren’t old deer and that’s what I was after even though it’s a tag I can draw every year. I figure if we work hard and find them and pass them they will most likely be in the same areas and bigger in the future.

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That last pic is cool as hell .......

 

[Deadfall]

In tge words of iconic rapper....

I like big bucks I cannot lie,
You other brothers can't deny

Once upon a time in far far far away land I just hunted.

Now in never never land my standards are very very high.

I love tge frustration that comes with chasing old crusty game around. It's a year round obsession for me.

Don't particularly care if I shoot anything or not. I just want to chase worthy opponents.

There are plenty around!

 

[nphunter]

That last pic is cool as hell .......

It’s a still shot from a video right after my buddy shot it with a muzzle loader.

 

[redchinviking]

Shot my first ever forkie this year actually. Dropped my standards but my nephew was with me and had never been on a deer hunt and was leaving the next day. He got to help me field dress and pack it out a few miles and I think he’s hooked now from the whole experience. Tastiest deer I’ve ever had, hands down. In 12 years of hunting I’ve only ever killed four point bigger bodied bucks and have passed on ALOT of deer. Probably too many. But admittedly I’ve still never shot anything over 160, much to my chagrin. As my kids get older though I think I might be seeing more forkies in my near future, BUT you’d better believe I’ll hold out for a big one any chance I get. Just need to get this work thing out of the way;-)