Seen a monster!!

[tooley]

I was out walking a ridge on my favorite old slash this morning and I saw the biggest buck I have ever seen. I glassed the whole area, then when I started to carry on, the unmistakable ffffffffffffff stopped me in my tracks. I looked over to the opposite ridge (450-500yrds) to see his last 3 bounds before he disapeared over the hill. Now I Know they can look big when they are runnin', but he looked real big at that distance. My feeling is that he is 200+, has any of you guys shot or seen many bucks at this distance, do you think maybe I'm out to lunch or could I be in the ballpark. I have shot a few big deer and am pretty good at rough guessing a bucks score, But I have not had much experience with this distance.

[pupper]

impossible to say from just a story what a buck scores. How far past the ears was the spread? How tall were the tines? How many pts on each side?
I know that all the 200+ bucks people see are never verified by a kill or a photo:grin:

[tooley]

Fair enough, he was definately outside his ears, if I had to guess I would say at least 27 inches wide, minimum. But that is oly a guess I only had 3-4 seconds. But he was tall, my hunting partner saw him as well and the first thing he said to me is wow he is tall too! I know most bucks are wider than they are taller, This one was probably really close to being just as tall, maybe 25-26.

[pupper]

well the ears on a mature buck are 16" from tip to tip.

[mark]

The bigguns will start appearing more and more now as nov. nears. Go get him and show us the pics!

[tooley]

You can bet I'll be there till the snow pushes them out. I've noticed over the last 10 yrs or so the best muley hunting has been the last few days of Oct. and the first week of nov. instead of Nov. 10-15. Anyone else feel this way?

[dana]

From your description you aren't say words like, "He had points going everywhere" so I take it you saw a typical. I've seen a few typicals at or over the 200 inch mark and they are nothing but jaw-dropping when you see one. You need a lot of tine length and mass to put a buck into that catagory. They are extremely rare. Deep Forks, long mains, big eyeguards, ect are a must. Seeing a fleeting glimpse of a buck running away is a good way to over estimate a buck.
Here's what a true 200 incher looks like.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/IMG_0191.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/Mar25008a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/MatchedSet001a.jpg

[mark]

Heres another example tooley, this is my best buck and hes 27 wide, as you guessed your buck to be. He grossed 198. Did the one you see look like this??? My buck had a broken point or he would of made the 200 mark!

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/../photos/data/500/medium/110-1096_IMG.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/../photos/showphoto.php?photo=1727&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=501)

[Orangethunder]

I have a hard enough time scoring them on the ground let alone at 400-500 yards. Like Dana said it takes lots of tine length and mass to make the 200 mark. Not that it couldn't be a 200 buck. I hope you put it on the ground and then score him at 200:D!

[Gateholio]

Shooting at that range isn't a great idea unless you have some practice with it.

Judging bucks, I leave to the experts. Me, I just say "Holy Crap!! Big buck!! BANG!!":biggrin:

[BCrams]

Sounds like a good buck. At that distance and seeing him for only a short amount of time and seeing him as he went away (always look bigger than they are) .... its not to say he may not be a 200 inch buck and he very well could be !!

Here's my advice -

Now that you know there is a shooter buck there - you need to commit to that spot and just hang around where you saw him for the rest of the season until you either get him or eat tag soup! Especially if does are in the area. This means - set up a blind in a strategic spot that allows you to watch deer from and let him do the walking around .... there's a good chance at some point he will show himself again checking out the does ..... its not the funnest way to hunt by sitting hours on end .... but thats how I've taken several of my bucks.

There will be differing opinions on how to go about hunting that buck ...

Its not to say field judging bucks cannot be done when you're experienced.

One example - when we were watching the buck Steveo ended up shooting a couple years ago - we had over an hour of watching him and judging him before we decided he was definatly a 195-200 inch gross buck. He turned out to be 202" gross. This was watching from a long range and for a good period of time.

[Ltbullken]

I was out walking a ridge on my favorite old slash this morning and I saw the biggest buck I have ever seen. I glassed the whole area, then when I started to carry on, the unmistakable ffffffffffffff stopped me in my tracks. I looked over to the opposite ridge (450-500yrds) to see his last 3 bounds before he disapeared over the hill. Now I Know they can look big when they are runnin', but he looked real big at that distance. My feeling is that he is 200+, has any of you guys shot or seen many bucks at this distance, do you think maybe I'm out to lunch or could I be in the ballpark. I have shot a few big deer and am pretty good at rough guessing a bucks score, But I have not had much experience with this distance.

'Bout 10 yrs ago, I drove up on a bump on a cut block north of Kamloops, at about the 4800' level late in Sept, when out to the right what do I see but a HUGE 4x4 buck about 10 yds from the edge of the bush. It looked up at my truck, I pulled the keys from the ignition, grabbed my rifle and stepped out of the truck only to see the ass end of the mulie heading into the thick brush. His body was the biggest I have ever seen on a mule deer with antlers that went 6" out past his ears. This was a once-in-a-lifetimer buck!!! I STILL kick myself for not walking up on to that block as my instincts cried out to me do to so!!! :mad: Take away on this one - listen to that little voice in yer head!!

[hunter1947]

The main thing hear is that you saw a beauty to you and that is what counts ,seeing that deer will always be with you forever in your mind. Go back there and try and try and find him again ,you just might get luck.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Walksalot]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/walksalot/Raw_001.jpg

[Mr. Dean]

I KNOW what you're goin through. I found 'The One'... Passed on eight others that could have been dropped, waiting for the chance to get, him.

Pursed that Deer for the final 5 days of my time away and never did get a crack at him. I could view his slash on a near daily basis, from another mountain top but each time I'd mave in and try to set up for a kill, he'd do something different.

It was like he had all the critters tipping him off........ Frustrating!

Hopefully I can get back when he's not so smart.

[Will]

Maybe he was maybe he wasn't............but I know you'll go back to have another look won't you:wink:

Big Bucks that elude us have inspired many many hunting tales...keeps one's Motivation up and prevents tagging out on the first Buck you see.

There's always a Bigger one over the next hill8)

[BCrams]

I KNOW what you're goin through. I found 'The One'... Passed on eight others that could have been dropped, waiting for the chance to get, him.

Pursed that Deer for the final 5 days of my time away and never did get a crack at him. I could view his slash on a near daily basis, from another mountain top but each time I'd mave in and try to set up for a kill, he'd do something different.

It was like he had all the critters tipping him off........ Frustrating!

Hopefully I can get back when he's not so smart.

Thats why I like to set up a blind in a spot that overlooks the slash and sneak in the dark and sit until after dark !! Its worked for me on the big bucks I've taken when I know there is one there either by visual sighting or by sign. Let the buck do the walking around while you stay put!!

[Fisher-Dude]

I've seen a few that were "jaw-dropping". One, that our first thought was ELK! was, I am quite certain, in the 200" class. Wide (30"?), high, mass, deep forks, he had it all. I couldn't get a shot at him as he spotted us at the same time we spotted him and casually bounced into the trees. I ate my region 12 muley tag that year and spent most of my season back in the same spot, even after the snows had pushed the deer out of the area. That was 5 years ago, so he's cat scat by now - we would have heard about it if some lucky hunter had found him.

I missed another one on the same hill 2 years later that should be in the 185 - 190" class after under-estimating the range. Watching him for 45 minutes while I belly-crawled as close as I dared gave me way too much time to get buck fever!

Years ago, a compact but very heavy buck appeared right in front of the truck when we were looking at a tree for firewood - he would be a 180 - 185" NT buck. Too close, he was gone in a flash into the thick.

All 3 of these bucks were far bigger than the other "big ones" that I have seen in over 30 years of hunting mulies. A really big deer will really stand out.

[Mr. Dean]

Thats why I like to set up a blind in a spot that overlooks the slash and sneak in the dark and sit until after dark !! Its worked for me on the big bucks I've taken when I know there is one there either by visual sighting or by sign. Let the buck do the walking around while you stay put!!

Agree'd....... This time it just wasn't working. The SOB even had me spend an entire night up there!

That night crawlin is tough, but it can pay off.

This was 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'll give him one more - Maybe he'll get all loved up and drop his guard a bit (???). Really wish that I could get up there NOW. I'm afraid that he'll start wandering soon.


Talk about Buck Fever (good grief).

Good luck getting yours, tooley. Hope you land em!

[WoodOx]

I know ive posed this question before with no definitive answers, but have any of you seen a real good buck in the area, sat on him, but tried using scents to draw him out?

[Mr. Dean]

I know ive posed this question before with no definitive answers, but have any of you seen a real good buck in the area, sat on him, but tried using scents to draw him out?

Nope. But I'm all out of tricks....

Another fella I know mentioned the use of DeerScents (product name). basicaly they sound like a smoke candle that comes in different scents. He SWEARS by them.

You???

[BCrams]

Agree'd....... This time it just wasn't working. The SOB even had me spend an entire night up there!

That night crawlin is tough, but it can pay off.

This was 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'll give him one more - Maybe he'll get all loved up and drop his guard a bit (???). Really wish that I could get up there NOW. I'm afraid that he'll start wandering soon.


Talk about Buck Fever (good grief).

Good luck getting yours, tooley. Hope you land em!

He'll probably return .... I'd set up a blind in a strategic location and "seriously" and "honestly" sit without moving .... (its boring and probably the hardest part of the hunt).....

I took one of my bucks after I spotted him at a long range with some does the 3rd week of October .... I virtually went back every single day for a couple weeks and finally he returned to check the does - unfortunatly for him.

Spotted another buck on another occasion at long range with a bunch of does in the river breaks. Set up a blind and waited .... never knew what hit him.

Took another nice buck that I did not see - but saw the same bunch of does several times feeding in the same beetle block regularly - I found it interesting that there was never a spike or two point or three point with them ...... so I set up a blind and sat my ass there every chance I got for hours on end ...... 3 weeks later - it payed off.

Same situation, a few years ago another area ... plenty of does - no little bucks hanging around them .... built blind ... sat there every chance I got ...... buck never knew what hit him.

Last year .. spotted nice buck - couldn't get him ... went back next day and sat and never moved all afternoon and right before dark..... bam ... buck never knew what hit him

I like still hunting, spot and stalk as much as the next guy ... but I tell you - what I've done appears to work no matter where I go hunt.

You give me the location of the buck and I'll go to work on it :mrgreen:

[horshur]

. You give me the location of the buck and I'll go to work on it :mrgreen:

Just a little advice.......don't laugh cause loose lips sink ships. If you are sitting on a big buck best keep it under your hat because there are guys with more time, patience, and skill that can scoop it right out from under you. Say to much that can be read between the lines and......I speak from experience:(

[todbartell]

sure woudl love to see some pics of these big mulies you've gotten in the past by stand hunting!!! :eek:

[MattB]

You bringing your treestand this year Greg?

[Fisher-Dude]

sure woudl love to see some pics of these big mulies you've gotten in the past by stand hunting!!! :eek:

I think Gatehouse has hacked into Toddler's login! :shock:

[GoatGuy]

Geez, the only monster's I've ever seen are nocturnal - I wouldn't use scents, that expensive liquid stuff seems to work much better (for both the hunter and the hunted).

Location: Corral

Sit and wait, they'll come by.

[BCrams]

You bringing your treestand this year Greg?

Yep - if there's no snow ... I'll be tree standing it or just sitting in a blind. Even with snow I am sure I will be sitting patiently as well as do the usual other stuff .....

I have 2 stands ... want me to bring you one :)

[BCrams]

Just a little advice.......don't laugh cause loose lips sink ships. If you are sitting on a big buck best keep it under your hat because there are guys with more time, patience, and skill that can scoop it right out from under you. Say to much that can be read between the lines and......I speak from experience:(

Are you talking to me or to Tooley ??

[Mr. Dean]

Are you talking to me or to Tooley ??

I think,,, me.

Only three people in the world know where this guy is hiding - Me.... Myself....and _. :wink:

I've actually tried showing it to people, but they've refused to come. :shock:


I pulled a nice one from the same slope last year, the last weekend of October. Exact same game as this year with one exception. Access is better. :( For some reason there isn't a steady flow of water coming down the steep trail. A few people have been able to drive in. Hence why they're a little more jumpy, perhaps.

Time will tell - I can dedicate 4 more full hunting days (extended Rememberance weekend) on him and then that's it. It'll be either Big Buck or Tag Soup.


Kinda reminds me of Vegas'.............. It's do or die time now!

[BCrams]

Good luck on your hunt !!

[Kirby]

Get him on the ground and score him there. Judging a buck from that distance with that time is a hard proposition. Put him down and know for sure.

Kirby

[dana]

I know ive posed this question before with no definitive answers, but have any of you seen a real good buck in the area, sat on him, but tried using scents to draw him out?

Muleys ain't as dumb as whiteys. Scent Bombs won't work. Doe piss works great to break up human scent and so does buck tarsel glands. But that is about it.

[horshur]

Are you talking to me or to Tooley ??

yeh--the other guy.Sorry