I can't answer for @Native Hunter, but being in the same county, I think it's a combination of the excellent food and the right kind of cover. He's worked his tail off. I'm in the same county, but don't have the ag ground around me. I've worked on the cover, and I have extremely limited pressure. Roads on 3 sides of me, and a non-hunting neighbor on the other. I have had nothing that compares even on camera.
Ag makes a huge difference in my area - good and bad
He also has made a variety of the best food available uear round. Stuff that's not available anywhere else. It's like the garden of Eden.
how old are those bucks? I can have 5.5 year old bucks score 150 and they might live to 8.5 and score 100. Our best out of 20, 5.5 year old deer will not ever make 170. Are you sure your deer have it in them? I am not talking about one deer five years ago that was a purebred freak - I am talking do 1 out of ten 5.5 year old bucks end up scaring 170? It is just not realistic to think 5.5 yr old 150 buck after buck never make it to 170 - that a 170 is anything but a freak. Me and my next door neighbor made a wildass educated guess that 1 out of 20 5.5 yr old bucks will make it to 150. Yes, I know of a NT that score 174 next to my property. And know a 180 killed in my county - but that is no where near enough frequency to think in my 4 yr old grand daughter’s lifetime, she has a reasonable chance of killing a 170” buck. In my area, it would be like logarithmic numbers - ten 140’s to equal one 150. Ten 150’s to equal one 160. While it might happen, it is not realistic. Do you know of a 170” deer killed within five miles of your place in the past three years? I dont mean to be negative at all. I could go 30 miles from my place in two different directions and be on ground that produces a gross 170 every other year - but not in my area.
Atta boy!I shot him in Northern Missouri on Halloween! Two straight years ..,same stand! View attachment 84931View attachment 84932
I shot him in Northern Missouri on Halloween
Yeah, neighbors can make all the difference in the world. You can be in a spot where there are legitimate chances at producing 170 class bucks, but if those are all being shot when they're 140, then that's the best you'll have.
For the record I think net is ridiculous. It’s not a beauty contest.
I agree. I was just using 170 because of what B&C chose to use. I do think there are places that can have those routinely though if the conditions allow. And, I think some people are in those places, but will never see what could be because those conditions are not in place.
Nets are for fish.
I wasn't singling you out, Ben. Kinda just felt like we drifted away from 150. I remember back in the day NAW introduced the 900" club. If your top 6 bucks averaged 150 you were in the club, haha. Back then there were probably a dozen full time professional deer hunters. Now there's a million of them. 150 hasn't changed. It's the guys who are chasing them and putting out content that's changed.
And, that's why y'all see all us southerners head north. We don't even have many 130 class neighborhoods around these parts. (Except where conditions are met)
Yep! Even southerner Tree Spud, being in central WI, headed north to Canada. LolAnd, that's why y'all see all us southerners head north. We don't even have many 130 class neighborhoods around these parts. (Except where conditions are met)
