It's about like women. When I grew up, if you found a hustler thrown out in the side ditch it was the score of the year! Sex was a mysterious thing with nothing that showed what could be. With the age of the Internet no limits can be found. An unreal world has been created or at least portrayed. Technology is amazing but it ruins a lot of things. The bar is set pretty high before diving in haha. I haven't checked good morning selfie yet anything good today?
What's IT Score And The Impacts On Hunting Today
- Thread starter Big_Holla
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Just the wannabes with fake boobs... Screaming "LOOK AT ME"
I myself have only oficially scored one buck. But reflects very little towards my desire to kill qualifiers. Depending on the season and circumstances, I have killed smaller bucks that were quite exciting. I do see where comparing deer would ruin the excitement level for some.
OO2
Well-Known Member
This is personally how I feel for anyone but myself. I think jealousy is the killer for deer hunting. If a buddy wanted to hunt and shot a 100” or a spike I’d still be fired up and shaking before, during, after the hunt.
I set goals each year as I have “matured” as a hunter I want to try to achieve. I am still very new at this and am no big buck hunter, but I enjoy the hunt more than the kill so if I pass certain bucks to extend my season so be it.
Passing a deer is a little different. I'm guessing that you passed them because they aren't mature. Like passing a fawn because it just isn't worth the hassle. Same idea, different level.
I am guilty of passing a mature buck this year (3-4 year old). It just didn't feel right and I have seen many other bigger bucks. I've been upset with myself since. Does this make me a trophy hunter or just someone that made a mistake once? These are things you must take up with yourself. If you are happy, then who cares. If you aren't happy, fix it.
I’m thinking the score of a deer (or estimated on trail cams and sightings) really got started early 2000’s like @Bowkills mentioned. About the same time TV shows started popping up. That leads right into what @Jackalope said, it was the big start of selling the show with big antlers and big boobs. Every single show seemed to try to out do the other with a bigger scoring buck next episode.
Like @giles said, it has ruined it for young hunters and even older ones for that matter. The shaming I see on half the FB hunting pages is absolutely ridiculous. Michigan pages are the worst when it comes to that because half the time they’re arguing on the best way to make Michigan like an Iowa or other big buck state. What’s worse is seeing someone post a real nice buck and start saying all the “wish it were bigger”, “I know it’s not the biggest” or “he had major ground shrinkage”. Fuck, you got excited you were in the moment and you killed a nice buck, fucking own it and be proud of it!
What put score in perspective for me was when I attended a funeral for a neighbor down the road. I grew up with his grand kids and of course the parents. We all shot bows together and deer hunting was always our topic. They would go up north for their deer hunting and so would we but we always traded deer stories. So back to the funeral, I ran into one of the dads and we started trading deer stories. I remember him asking how season was going and if we were seeing anything good. I told him about a buck I had seen a good distance off the week before and that I thought it could easily go in the 160’s! He looked at me and said “I don’t even know what that means, we still hunt for fun”. Man that had me standing there kind of dumbfounded, partly because that was one of the first times I used a score in a conversation but also because I felt like I still hunted for fun but maybe I wasn’t?
Like @giles said, it has ruined it for young hunters and even older ones for that matter. The shaming I see on half the FB hunting pages is absolutely ridiculous. Michigan pages are the worst when it comes to that because half the time they’re arguing on the best way to make Michigan like an Iowa or other big buck state. What’s worse is seeing someone post a real nice buck and start saying all the “wish it were bigger”, “I know it’s not the biggest” or “he had major ground shrinkage”. Fuck, you got excited you were in the moment and you killed a nice buck, fucking own it and be proud of it!
What put score in perspective for me was when I attended a funeral for a neighbor down the road. I grew up with his grand kids and of course the parents. We all shot bows together and deer hunting was always our topic. They would go up north for their deer hunting and so would we but we always traded deer stories. So back to the funeral, I ran into one of the dads and we started trading deer stories. I remember him asking how season was going and if we were seeing anything good. I told him about a buck I had seen a good distance off the week before and that I thought it could easily go in the 160’s! He looked at me and said “I don’t even know what that means, we still hunt for fun”. Man that had me standing there kind of dumbfounded, partly because that was one of the first times I used a score in a conversation but also because I felt like I still hunted for fun but maybe I wasn’t?
Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
Funny you say that....many times I’ll be talking to someone and say 170” or 180” and they ask if that’s the weight.
I don't like the use of scores for bucks to discribe them. I've seen the majority of the bucks others have seen around here there's a shit ton of 140in deer around here apparently.... Where are they??? Size of a rack gets way over exaggerated when using scores or anyway of describing them just like fish tales to seems.
I typically like the Total score thing, but I never did like the deductions! It’s like creating a perfect list.
Is their anything measured except antlers that have deductions? Fish, Turkey?????
Is their anything measured except antlers that have deductions? Fish, Turkey?????
at1010
*Supporting Member*
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Man, a lot of great responses on here. Like many of you, I am a deer nut! However, I am not all that caught up in score. I have never had a buck officially sored and probably wont - unless I ever kill one like Mason did (@brock ratcliff)!!
I don't think that scoring deer has ruined hunting. I like to use it as a point of reference, just like I thoroughly enjoy trying to age a deer before I decide to kill him. Personally, I have passed many great deer on my farm over the years, some bigger than are on my wall - solely based on age. I do not regret that decision and I still enjoyed the hunt tremendously! I don't have a major blood thirst anymore for deer, hell I feel remorse after I kill almost all of them. Not saying I don't LOVE shooting deer but I still sit and reflect after taking ones life, every single time. I get as much joy watching a whitetail eat a brassica I planted or wonder why they are eating that smiliax over my beautiful clover plot - just as much I as enjoy the kill.
My personal opinion on what is ruining hunting? Well it has nothing to do with score. Score is the scape goat. Score is being used as the means to the end, that end - being judgment.
Not all hunters but many now a days, are extremely judgmental. I am not sure where or why we have lost our way but we have. A guy sees a young buck, on the internet 500 miles from where he hunts - yet he needs to point out "needed another 2 years". The score is truly irrelevant. If we weren't scoring deer, we would be using some other metric to "measure" the success.
Like anything, I think the biggest jerks always make the most noise. The internet makes these jerks louder, simply based on volume. Also, as my Tyson said "everyone has a strategy, until they get punched in the mouth" - the internet eliminates that threat.
I believe that the far majority of hunters are good people and just want to chase a buck/doe that makes them happy, and the FAR majority support each other in that quest.
AT
I don't think that scoring deer has ruined hunting. I like to use it as a point of reference, just like I thoroughly enjoy trying to age a deer before I decide to kill him. Personally, I have passed many great deer on my farm over the years, some bigger than are on my wall - solely based on age. I do not regret that decision and I still enjoyed the hunt tremendously! I don't have a major blood thirst anymore for deer, hell I feel remorse after I kill almost all of them. Not saying I don't LOVE shooting deer but I still sit and reflect after taking ones life, every single time. I get as much joy watching a whitetail eat a brassica I planted or wonder why they are eating that smiliax over my beautiful clover plot - just as much I as enjoy the kill.
My personal opinion on what is ruining hunting? Well it has nothing to do with score. Score is the scape goat. Score is being used as the means to the end, that end - being judgment.
Not all hunters but many now a days, are extremely judgmental. I am not sure where or why we have lost our way but we have. A guy sees a young buck, on the internet 500 miles from where he hunts - yet he needs to point out "needed another 2 years". The score is truly irrelevant. If we weren't scoring deer, we would be using some other metric to "measure" the success.
Like anything, I think the biggest jerks always make the most noise. The internet makes these jerks louder, simply based on volume. Also, as my Tyson said "everyone has a strategy, until they get punched in the mouth" - the internet eliminates that threat.
I believe that the far majority of hunters are good people and just want to chase a buck/doe that makes them happy, and the FAR majority support each other in that quest.
AT
So I’ve given a lot of thought to this. When I first started hunting, not knowing a thing about it, I thought if I didn’t kill something like what I saw the guys on tv doing, I was doing something wrong. Did that ruin it for me? No. But, I put a lot of unreasonable pressure on myself. I went through the “embarrassment” stage of not wanting to show people a deer I killed if it wasn’t a “trophy”. Fuck that. I was having a discussion with my wife today about goals. Not specifically related to this topic but it came up. I told her that my goals re: deer hunting change by the year. I want to kill a buck every year but my main goal is to put meat in the freezer. It has been years since we’ve bought ground beef and we eat a lot of ground meat lol. Do I want to kill a buck every year? ABSOLUTELY! Do I? No. Do I care what people think about the score of a buck I kill? Not anymore. (Which is good because I’ve never killed one “worthy” of scoring). I am firmly in the “if it makes me wanna shoot when I see it, I’ll shoot it” camp. Case in point, I was discussing with Jesse how the buck I killed this year at my buddy’s place is smaller than several I know to frequent my property. But, dammit, when he walked in front of me, I wanted to shoot him! Hell, he wasn’t even the biggest deer I saw that weekend or that day, for that matter lol. Soo...all of that to say that, early on in my hunting career, I certainly could’ve been “ruined”. Thank god I wasn’t. Keep posting up what y’all’s deer score! 
Stressless
Active Member
Interesting topic, when I taught Hunting Safety (Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire and Ohio) among other blocks of instructions I always asked for the ethics section.
Describing a hunting group/club/friends or family and what 'hunting' means to them personally - is exactly incongruous with making a profit off the sport. I detest the "show" of killing wildlife with the pretense of caring and "God willed it" when the individuals motivation is greed. Most do it legally but objectively it's a slippery ethical slope. If we, arguably the ones carrying the wallets they are targeting, simply reject the it then it we die of $ suffocation.
.but. we collectively don't. Walk into a Cabelas and marvel at the monsters on the wall... not one WTD below 140.
A few have said the youngsters are pressured to shoot big because that's what's on the tube and SM - what is going on in the hunting group/club/friends or family to correct that perspective?
Down here - they don't grow as big as mid-west deer - "...because it helps describe the size of the deer." here, if you don't weigh the deer before field dressing it you are treated as a pariah. I sent my good friend a pic of my buck this year - "What'd it weigh?" about 30 secs later... So antler score is arguably national but for Ohio it's regional. ODNR is't going to put a min antler score restriction on hunters...(oh wait..
Many DNR across this great land have put antler point restrictions in place.. to measure the quality of the herd by age class. Not to shame, that comes from the profit and greed mongers of the sport. You'll notice to enter the Record Book, you must pay your way. So in a forum like this we should celebrate a quality hunt - the results can be a button buck or the 200+" both that got posted less than two weeks ago.
Scarcity is the true measure of worth. Not all lands are blessed with an abundance of deer or of QDM age classes, the ethical hunt, to work at, learn and strive to succeed at the goal is worthy the hunt. The result may be the yearling doe or old bruiser buck but that is the individuals goal. Our goal should be to collectively share the lore to enable them to achieve it.
Describing a hunting group/club/friends or family and what 'hunting' means to them personally - is exactly incongruous with making a profit off the sport. I detest the "show" of killing wildlife with the pretense of caring and "God willed it" when the individuals motivation is greed. Most do it legally but objectively it's a slippery ethical slope. If we, arguably the ones carrying the wallets they are targeting, simply reject the it then it we die of $ suffocation.
.but. we collectively don't. Walk into a Cabelas and marvel at the monsters on the wall... not one WTD below 140.
A few have said the youngsters are pressured to shoot big because that's what's on the tube and SM - what is going on in the hunting group/club/friends or family to correct that perspective?
Down here - they don't grow as big as mid-west deer - "...because it helps describe the size of the deer." here, if you don't weigh the deer before field dressing it you are treated as a pariah. I sent my good friend a pic of my buck this year - "What'd it weigh?" about 30 secs later... So antler score is arguably national but for Ohio it's regional. ODNR is't going to put a min antler score restriction on hunters...(oh wait..
yes they did, 3' Gross score
Many DNR across this great land have put antler point restrictions in place.. to measure the quality of the herd by age class. Not to shame, that comes from the profit and greed mongers of the sport. You'll notice to enter the Record Book, you must pay your way. So in a forum like this we should celebrate a quality hunt - the results can be a button buck or the 200+" both that got posted less than two weeks ago.
Scarcity is the true measure of worth. Not all lands are blessed with an abundance of deer or of QDM age classes, the ethical hunt, to work at, learn and strive to succeed at the goal is worthy the hunt. The result may be the yearling doe or old bruiser buck but that is the individuals goal. Our goal should be to collectively share the lore to enable them to achieve it.
Stressless
Active Member
Not a "plug" but Jeff roles into the main theme of the original post in his video blog from this morning. Suggested listening.
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Adult onset hunter, here. Started at 25, now 36. I like to shoot deer. Got myself into a pickle last weekend in PA because I "knew" there were decent bucks in the area. Could've shot several decent does but was holding out. What happened? Walked away disappointed when what I really wanted to do was shoot a nice deer, and that means a nice doe or buck. I forgot what I enjoy; watching deer and shooting them. If it makes you happy and is legal and ethical, do what you want. I couldn't tell you what 100" looks like, or any measurement for that matter. Every deer gets my blood pumping and I have too much time and money invested in killing deer to hold out. I will be out this bonus weekend to get a deer. I know there are nice bucks where I will be, but there's a better chance of me shooting a doe before that big one steps out. I enjoy being with the boys and the camaraderie and good times that ensue with each deer kill. And of course the beer intake while cleaning.
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I can remember being part of a deer camp one year on the western end of the UP. Those guys were good people and it certainly didn't matter how big your buck was or if you even killed one because they were quick to share if you didn't. I was having a tough week and finally had a spike come in and I didn't think a second about it, the deer was on the ground. Brought it back to camp and it was as if I shot a booner. That is what we are missing today IMO.
Fast forward to us buying the farm in Ohio. I started out thinking it needed to be managed like a game ranch, gotta get them big bucks growing. Over the years I realized it was slowly taking the fun out of hunting. I had a buddy that came down a lot who wanted that giant every year. Unfortunately the whole antlers thing can really change a person. The last 2 bucks I killed before Pete were both bucks we had gotten on trail camera and had made the "decision" to pass them for the year. Well the first one I saw him coming from a long ways off and boy was my heart pumping, he went about 60 yards after my arrow zipped through him at a mere 10 yards. I was pretty damn happy, however I had been reminded that he was a "pass" deer. A couple years later we had a semi-goofy racked buck hanging around. Pretty cool looking buck but he ended up on the "pass" list. That year I had a bad cold during our trip down and had been coughing quite often. I got the bright idea that any time I had my coughing fit I would follow up with a couple grunts. Sure as shit here comes the goofy racked buck up behind me, under the tree!! I looked down at him and was so excited to see him I decided I needed to try to shoot him!! He went a mere 40 yards before tipping over. I was happy as could be, til I was reminded he was on the "pass" list. Shit wasn't fun anymore and it was mine and my dad's damn property. Seeing discussions on here and reflecting about years past I decided not long after I would only pass bucks if they didn't get me excited in THE moment! Shooting Pete this year was a blessing, had to have come from my Dad. He was one special buck that I had dreams of crossing paths with but I never got caught up in the it's him or nothing. Years past I would have. I woud still shoot that goofy rack or the buck earlier, I can remember those moments and I still have a smile on my face. With Pete it wasn't about the inches with him, it was about the history. Just seeing him for the first time after years of trail camera pictures was enough for me. How a deer can live so long and be so elusive is beyond me. That is the simple stuff that keeps me going and brought me back to loving deer hunting, had nothing to do with it's score.
Fast forward to us buying the farm in Ohio. I started out thinking it needed to be managed like a game ranch, gotta get them big bucks growing. Over the years I realized it was slowly taking the fun out of hunting. I had a buddy that came down a lot who wanted that giant every year. Unfortunately the whole antlers thing can really change a person. The last 2 bucks I killed before Pete were both bucks we had gotten on trail camera and had made the "decision" to pass them for the year. Well the first one I saw him coming from a long ways off and boy was my heart pumping, he went about 60 yards after my arrow zipped through him at a mere 10 yards. I was pretty damn happy, however I had been reminded that he was a "pass" deer. A couple years later we had a semi-goofy racked buck hanging around. Pretty cool looking buck but he ended up on the "pass" list. That year I had a bad cold during our trip down and had been coughing quite often. I got the bright idea that any time I had my coughing fit I would follow up with a couple grunts. Sure as shit here comes the goofy racked buck up behind me, under the tree!! I looked down at him and was so excited to see him I decided I needed to try to shoot him!! He went a mere 40 yards before tipping over. I was happy as could be, til I was reminded he was on the "pass" list. Shit wasn't fun anymore and it was mine and my dad's damn property. Seeing discussions on here and reflecting about years past I decided not long after I would only pass bucks if they didn't get me excited in THE moment! Shooting Pete this year was a blessing, had to have come from my Dad. He was one special buck that I had dreams of crossing paths with but I never got caught up in the it's him or nothing. Years past I would have. I woud still shoot that goofy rack or the buck earlier, I can remember those moments and I still have a smile on my face. With Pete it wasn't about the inches with him, it was about the history. Just seeing him for the first time after years of trail camera pictures was enough for me. How a deer can live so long and be so elusive is beyond me. That is the simple stuff that keeps me going and brought me back to loving deer hunting, had nothing to do with it's score.
One caveat to what I said about being happy to see AND shoot. I wonder if my stance would be different if I didn't have anything on the wall. The first deer I killed was a 10 point, in Georgia. Probably a 12 inch spread? Wouldn't even know where to begin to guess score. Probably <100?? It's a nice deer, but I know many who would've passed. I was assured by my buddies to shoot the first thing I saw, horns or not. And by Ohio standards, I am not sure it is one you burn a tag on. As a matter of fact last year, I saw an 8 point, on public land, that if I could've gotten a shot on, he was going in the truck and it was opening day. He was better than my GA deer. I don't know, hell I feel like I am contradicting myself at times. All I know is I like to see and shoot deer. And I am happy when others do, too. Hunting deer, especially with a crossbow, for me, is hard. I have seen more deer in 3 years with a crossbow than I did in 8 years in Georgia with a gun. But it's a hell of a lot harder to kill a deer with a crossbow. Buckshot is an amazing thing as is 200 yards with a rifle and 12 deer limit.
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Gonna disagree with you on the crossbow statement... If your having a hard time with a crossbow something is wrong with your hunting tactics... 200 yds. with a rifle??? I gotta ask how many deer have you shot with a rifle a 200 yds???
In my experience, getting a deer within 40 yards has proven difficult. And once it is there, I don't feel it is a sure thing. Just my comfort level. I hunt a lot of public land, some private, and hunt from the ground 95% of my hunting time. But I won't shoot my crossbow past 40 yards. The 200 yards was reference to the option to reach out to 200. I have shot 1 at 200. Not sure why that matters, but I'll answer your question. Using buckshot, as was legal in GA, was my preferred method. Still had to get them to 50. Look man, I wasn't trying to make myself out to be some badass. I was just noting that when you have the long rifle season, and the ability to reach out to 200-250 yards, it's a lot easier than having to get them into 40 yards, on the ground, with a crossbow, on pressured public land. I had plenty of private ground to hunt in GA, very little here in Ohio, and a little when I can take a few days to hunt PA.
Another thing to consider, which has been an adjustment for me and falls under the "do I shoot this or not" category is tag prices and limits. Learning to hunt with a 12 deer limit in GA, you don't have to be picky. No individual tag to purchase either. There's not a lot of "buyer's remorse." Here, you use an either sex tag on a BB or yearling, that's a pricey deer in addition to processing if you don't do it yourself. Also, you get ONE buck. ONE! In GA, you get 2 (One must have 4 points on one side). The way I think about it, I only NEED/WANT two deer total. Wife doesn't eat it, son not yet. So if I shoot a buck opening morning, my season can be over pretty quick. As you can see, this is why I try not to think to heavy into all this and follow the, if I am happy with hit, I shouldn't care what anyone has to say.
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I hope I didn't come across wrong, as it was the furthest thing from my mind that you were comming across as a bad ass... Just trying to help... Today's crossbows are like shooting a rifle even beyond 50 yds, not that I would shoot that far... Hunting public land or any land for that matter stick to the cover where shots are close as bucks tend to feel safe there, just do your homework... Buckshot??? I live in N.J. and at one time that's all you could use... I hated it... In close it is devastating but too many wounded deer as alot of guys would take long shots hoping for one pellet to hit a vital... So let's leave the buckshot next to the bed to greet an intruder in the middle of the night... Back to topic... Have fun harvesting any deer that floats your boat....