Are the glory days of deer hunting coming to a close?

[Tree Spud]

Bone & Crockett is a club designed specifically for midwest whitetail hunters who (I want to use a word here I probably shouldn't) for some reason feel the need to show their boners. I guess a big one is rare? Down here in the south a big one isn't all that uncommon. So, we think nothing of it and use the money it costs to play B&C to buy rounds for our friends!

I'm with Dan. To the point I actually think the stats those guys put out are not a true representation. The guys I know who shoot a booner ain't reporting them anywhere.

Stats are what they are. There will always be 2 groups of folks ... those who feel the need to advertise their success and those who don't report it.

To suggest that folks in the upper midwest are distorting the curve because they all register with B&C, and folks in the south are much more humble and don't report them, is ridiculous. Within a 5-7 mile radius of my farm, I know of at least 6-7 legitimate B&C bucks taken every year that you will never see listed in B&C. This year i know of 3 taken within 3 miles of my place.

 

[SwampCat]

Some states are getting better in terms of B&C bucks, while others are falling:

Top Trophy Whitetail States for 2023

In 2020, we published Records of North American Whitetail Deer, Sixth Edition. This 700-page whitetail encyclopedia featured 17,000 trophy listings. In addition, we ranked the top 53 states and provinces according to the number of whitetail records listed. Those stats compiled whitetail trophy...

www.boone-crockett.org

View attachment 59610

I find it somewhat —— peculiar - that a number of the folks most vocal about the trials and tribulations associated with the ability to harvest a quality buck are from states like Minnesota, Ohio, and Kentucky - each of those states within the top seven states in the US for producing b&c bucks. It is like the cream of the crop is complaining the most - and I dont claim to be a non complainer about anything deer hunting.

For most of the rest of us - we can only dream of a b&c buck

 

[bwoods11]

If you went by top B&C bucks per square mile of actual cover . Iowa and Kansas would blow away the other states.

Wisconsin for instance has 5-6x times as much habitat as Iowa.

 

[sandbur]

If it’s that bad why would the Minnesota DNR still allow hunting in that zone? Difficult choices must be made. Suspend the season until there are actually enough deer to hunt !

Zone 2 would be overwhelmed with hunters. Like you have said, our public lands are hit so hard all ready outside of zone 1.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Stats are what they are. There will always be 2 groups of folks ... those who feel the need to advertise their success and those who don't report it.

To suggest that folks in the upper midwest are distorting the curve because they all register with B&C, and folks in the south are much more humble and don't report them, is ridiculous. Within a 5-7 mile radius of my farm, I know of at least 6-7 legitimate B&C bucks taken every year that you will never see listed in B&C. This year i know of 3 taken within 3 miles of my place.

100%. If a certain segment doesn’t represent it’s probably uniform across whatever state. So while that list is far from gospel it’s a good representation.
I know of a 200 plus killed this weekend by me that will never be publicized one bit.

 

[Turkish]

I know of a 200 plus killed this weekend by me that will never be publicized one bit.

I guess the good times really are over for good! Lmao

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I guess the good times really are over for good! Lmao

Lol
If you think I’m sniffing 1% this property is .00001%!

 

[omicron1792]

Oh come on! Don't get all factual on me. This thread has progressed way beyond useful, has turned comical, and will surely be featured on Fox News sometime soon! If that offends, then just sit down and have a good laugh.

Farmer. You’re the fact man! I usually post drivel on my experience and you post facts from being a real farmer!

 

[Catscratch]

I've got nothing to add other than things change. Depending on your perspective it might be a good change or not.

I'd take the KS deer, quail, and chicken situation of the 80's-90's over what we have now. Same with fur prices.

I would not trade the duck and turkey situation of that time with now. Not even close.

 

[SwampCat]

I've got nothing to add other than things change. Depending on your perspective it might be a good change or not.

I'd take the KS deer, quail, and chicken situation of the 80's-90's over what we have now. Same with fur prices.

I would not trade the duck and turkey situation of that time with now. Not even close.

I would gladly take our spike bucks of the 80’s along with our ducks, quail, turkeys, rabbits, and fur prices over what we have now. Back then, to me, deer were meat and the rest were sport

 

[Catscratch]

I would gladly take our spike bucks of the 80’s along with our ducks, quail, turkeys, rabbits, and fur prices over what we have now. Back then, to me, deer were meat and the rest were sport

Did you have good duck hunting back then? I remember if ya shot a hen mallard it was worth 90 points, and you might get tar'd and feathered by your buddies! I to this day won't shoot a hen mallard and start picking them out as soon a flock starts circling. Scaup, bluebill, teal, widgeon, etc were different and easier on the points.

 

[SwampCat]

Did you have good duck hunting back then? I remember if ya shot a hen mallard it was worth 90 points, and you might get tar'd and feathered by your buddies! I to this day won't shoot a hen mallard and start picking them out as soon a flock starts circling. Scaup, bluebill, teal, widgeon, etc were different and easier on the points.

Yes - we had great duck hunting

 

[Turkish]

Lol
If you think I’m sniffing 1% this property is .00001%!

Did you hear about the old farmer that won the Powerball? News lady asked him what he’d do with his winnings. He shook his head and said he’d keep farming till he lost it all.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Oh come on! Don't get all factual on me. This thread has progressed way beyond useful, has turned comical, and will surely be featured on Fox News sometime soon! If that offends, then just sit down and have a good laugh.

Exactly

This is a habitat forum

Never let the facts, knowledge ,or reason trump emotion and dogma

bill

 

[Angus 1895]

This thread reminds why I prefer to angle at night.

I can’t stand watching others catch my fish!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I thought the conversation was pretty good. There’s always the option to not participate. I’m sure we have another thread somewhere debating oats vs rye for the 8 millionth time

 

[Native Hunter]

My glory days are not over. I just had grilled deer tenderloin followed by a wild blackberry cobbler.

 

[Mortenson]

I thought the conversation was pretty good. There’s always the option to not participate. I’m sure we have another thread somewhere debating oats vs rye for the 8 millionth time

It was entertaining. If there's one thing that's mostly true it's that most people would enjoy shooting a nice buck. Need something more lighthearted after this one! Someone should start a thread showing old classic pics of deer camp, or a pic of the glory days, or your first deer, whatever. I liked that old pic Farmer Dan showed. Anyone have any others?

 

[Native Hunter]

It was entertaining. If there's one thing that's mostly true it's that most people would enjoy shooting a nice buck. Need something more lighthearted after this one! Someone should start a thread showing old classic pics of deer camp, or a pic of the glory days, or your first deer, whatever. I liked that old pic Farmer Dan showed. Anyone have any others?

My first buck. I was country when country wasn’t cool.

 

[Foggy47]

Are the glory days of deer hunting coming to a close?​

Not exactly sure when those "Glory Days" happened. Seems other than a year or two.....we have had to work hard to get a decent meat pole in the north woods. We just have always had poor winters, coyotes, wolves, bears, nocturnal issues, and DNR issues since I have hunted anywhere in the north of MN. It's really a poor place to hunt......and my money could be better spent in other locations. Alas.....I'm too old to start over.

My advice is to not buy land in USDA zone 3 or lower.....if your doing so for deer. IMO....instead, get closer to farm country and people.....as that is where the nutrition is.....and the deep snow and predators are not so problematic. My 2 cents.