Meat hunter bags one with a rack - is he any good?

Tomas · November 6, 2010, 11:31 PM

I've always hunted for meat...cow tags for elk, or spikes, bagged whatever mule deer I saw, no regard for antler size. Frankly, I never really paid any attention to a "nice rack" (in the ungulate realm) while hunting.

So this year I'm hunting an area on public land in Idaho where our group (also a bunch of meat hunters) knows elk and deer roam, and I see this guy, a 5x5, climbing the rocks. I'm looking through the scope and the rack seems pretty good. 180gr .308 Fail Safe breaks his spine behind the head and it's over.

I've only been hunting 9 years now, but the guys in camp say he's pretty nice. I take the rack to a guy I know who scores these and he says, after a bit of measuring and what not, 152 7/8. He also said something about 180 and above being valuable. I'm just wondering, and be honest, is this a "nice" typical, "average", ho-hum? Seems like 152 7/8 is a long way from 180.

Either way, I'm keeping it.

tx.

tom

Buzzcook · November 7, 2010, 01:31 AM

It isn't a big trophy rack. It is a very nice one though and nothing to sneeze at.

Really the only one you have to impress is yourself.

Daryl · November 7, 2010, 06:36 AM

It's a respectable buck, and certainly worth being proud of.

My father-in-law killed this buck many years ago, and it scored 268 and change. This one would be "valuable" if it were for sale. It's not.

Yes, that's a full-sized freezer behind it.

Art Eatman · November 7, 2010, 09:02 AM

Looks to me what I'd call a "real nice young buck". Not a bragging buck, but plenty nice. I'd saw the front of the skull and mount that rack on one of those little plaque deals like I've seen at WalMart. On the wall, it's always gonna be a memory of a good day.

I have a bunch of antlers nailed to a crossbeam in my garage. Even after all these decades I remember those hunts and the folks I was with, the kind of day, all that stuff. Memories...

hooligan1 · November 7, 2010, 10:02 AM

Not only is he nice, he's goning to be mm good on the grill or pan!!!! congrats

22-rimfire · November 7, 2010, 10:20 AM

I'd be proud of that buck. Congratulatons.

Countertop · November 7, 2010, 08:24 PM

My boss would fire me for failure to shut up and stop bragging to everyone if I shot that deer.

I guess its all in the eye of the beholder, but seriously, that looks like a keeper (especially on public lands) to me.

hogdogs · November 7, 2010, 08:46 PM

He would be better BY FAR than any deer I ever pointed a gun at... The rack would either be on a beam in the barn or possibly my first indoor rack on a plaque as Art describes...

It would surely end up being my hat rack of daily wear ball caps.

Very respectable deer and looks like a good meat deer to boot!

Brent

Art Eatman · November 7, 2010, 09:47 PM

Just mumbling out loud, from the picture. I could easily be way wrong.

Offhand, from the thickness of the antlers, I'd figure a fairly young deer. 2-1/2 to 3-1/2, maybe. However, the antlers are sorta dark, which commonly means a tad of age, so maybe 3-1/2. Older bucks might not necessarily be wider or have more points, but the beams would likely be heavier.

IOW, he oughta be real good eating.

Our desert mule deer down here seem to maybe have ears a bit longer than those in the picture. Figure here, tip to tip of 19 to 20 inches, so antlers sticking out wider than that mean it's a pretty nice buck. The biggest I've ever seen down here was an old Grandaddy who stuck out at least a good four to five inches either side of his ears. Sway-backed, pot-bellied and seriously BIG!

Unfortunately, it was a couple of months prior to season opening.

Aw, well, rationalize: Nuthin' but horns and sausage.

Tomas · November 8, 2010, 12:07 AM

Thanks all for the replies.

He has been a good eater. I don't really eat tons of burger, don't do jerky, and only a little sausage...I steak 80% of my meat, and even the stuff on the thighs has been tender, sweet even, and yummy.

Art, his inside spread is 20 inches, so them are some pretty big ears, methinks.

tom

Xfire68 · November 8, 2010, 10:05 AM

Man I am hungry now! That is a fine looking Buck you got there! Nothing better then Deer meat!

COSteve · November 8, 2010, 10:51 AM

This mule deer has a decent size rack. It hung around our back yard for many years............................except during hunting season.

grubbylabs · November 8, 2010, 11:16 AM

I am like you the first critter I see without antlers gets whacked, unless it has nice antlers like the one you found. So naturally I have never shot a deer with antlers. I can't see shooting a forky horn during archery season when I can shoot a doe.

As far as your deer goes though I would mount him (on the wall) and be happy to have a nice looking animal like him.

Rifleman1776 · November 8, 2010, 02:12 PM

Definitely a nice buck and rack.
I hope to get one as nice before my hunting days are over.
Congrats.

BIG P · November 8, 2010, 02:35 PM

Congrats first. I'm a meat hunter too and I believe the worth of a trophy is the hunters alone. ALL My deer are a trophy for one reason or another, to remember the hunt or shot or time spent.He looks like a fine Deer to me. good job.

kraigwy · November 8, 2010, 03:09 PM

It's respectable, congrats.

James R. Burke · November 8, 2010, 03:28 PM

Very nice deer. Congradulations!

woodguru · November 15, 2010, 05:13 PM

I'd like to have this guy measured out but he hung out on my property and I didn't shoot him. I was selling a couple of rifles to a guy that offered me $5000 if I let him shoot the one that was even bigger that hung around this guy. I have a picture of the bigger one but it has a buckeye tree in the background and you can't tell what's horn and what's branches. He had so many tine splits that I couldn't count the points on one side, he looked like he was crossed with an elk. This one is more typical.

November 6, 2010, 11:31 PM	#1
Tomas Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 1999 Location: Blue State Posts: 441	Meat hunter bags one with a rack - is he any good? I've always hunted for meat...cow tags for elk, or spikes, bagged whatever mule deer I saw, no regard for antler size. Frankly, I never really paid any attention to a "nice rack" (in the ungulate realm) while hunting. So this year I'm hunting an area on public land in Idaho where our group (also a bunch of meat hunters) knows elk and deer roam, and I see this guy, a 5x5, climbing the rocks. I'm looking through the scope and the rack seems pretty good. 180gr .308 Fail Safe breaks his spine behind the head and it's over. I've only been hunting 9 years now, but the guys in camp say he's pretty nice. I take the rack to a guy I know who scores these and he says, after a bit of measuring and what not, 152 7/8. He also said something about 180 and above being valuable. I'm just wondering, and be honest, is this a "nice" typical, "average", ho-hum? Seems like 152 7/8 is a long way from 180. Either way, I'm keeping it. tx. tom

November 7, 2010, 10:02 AM	#5
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	Not only is he nice, he's goning to be mm good on the grill or pan!!!! congrats __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

November 8, 2010, 10:05 AM	#11
Xfire68 Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Location: Communist State of IL. Posts: 1,562	Man I am hungry now! That is a fine looking Buck you got there! Nothing better then Deer meat! __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF Member

November 8, 2010, 11:16 AM	#13
grubbylabs Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Location: Hansen Idaho Posts: 1,465	I am like you the first critter I see without antlers gets whacked, unless it has nice antlers like the one you found. So naturally I have never shot a deer with antlers. I can't see shooting a forky horn during archery season when I can shoot a doe. As far as your deer goes though I would mount him (on the wall) and be happy to have a nice looking animal like him. __________________ * (Swinging club) Whack! whack! whack! * Nope, the old nag's still dead . (Capt Charlie)

November 8, 2010, 03:09 PM	#16
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	It's respectable, congrats. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

November 7, 2010, 01:31 AM	#2
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	It isn't a big trophy rack. It is a very nice one though and nothing to sneeze at. Really the only one you have to impress is yourself.

November 7, 2010, 06:36 AM	#3
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	It's a respectable buck, and certainly worth being proud of. My father-in-law killed this buck many years ago, and it scored 268 and change. This one would be "valuable" if it were for sale. It's not. Yes, that's a full-sized freezer behind it.

November 7, 2010, 09:02 AM	#4
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Looks to me what I'd call a "real nice young buck". Not a bragging buck, but plenty nice. I'd saw the front of the skull and mount that rack on one of those little plaque deals like I've seen at WalMart. On the wall, it's always gonna be a memory of a good day. I have a bunch of antlers nailed to a crossbeam in my garage. Even after all these decades I remember those hunts and the folks I was with, the kind of day, all that stuff. Memories...

November 7, 2010, 10:20 AM	#6
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	I'd be proud of that buck. Congratulatons.

November 7, 2010, 08:24 PM	#7
Countertop Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: At the diner Posts: 125	My boss would fire me for failure to shut up and stop bragging to everyone if I shot that deer. I guess its all in the eye of the beholder, but seriously, that looks like a keeper (especially on public lands) to me.

November 7, 2010, 08:46 PM	#8
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	He would be better BY FAR than any deer I ever pointed a gun at... The rack would either be on a beam in the barn or possibly my first indoor rack on a plaque as Art describes... It would surely end up being my hat rack of daily wear ball caps. Very respectable deer and looks like a good meat deer to boot! Brent

November 7, 2010, 09:47 PM	#9
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Just mumbling out loud, from the picture. I could easily be way wrong. Offhand, from the thickness of the antlers, I'd figure a fairly young deer. 2-1/2 to 3-1/2, maybe. However, the antlers are sorta dark, which commonly means a tad of age, so maybe 3-1/2. Older bucks might not necessarily be wider or have more points, but the beams would likely be heavier. IOW, he oughta be real good eating. Our desert mule deer down here seem to maybe have ears a bit longer than those in the picture. Figure here, tip to tip of 19 to 20 inches, so antlers sticking out wider than that mean it's a pretty nice buck. The biggest I've ever seen down here was an old Grandaddy who stuck out at least a good four to five inches either side of his ears. Sway-backed, pot-bellied and seriously BIG! Unfortunately, it was a couple of months prior to season opening. Aw, well, rationalize: Nuthin' but horns and sausage.

November 8, 2010, 12:07 AM	#10
Tomas Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 1999 Location: Blue State Posts: 441	Thanks all for the replies. He has been a good eater. I don't really eat tons of burger, don't do jerky, and only a little sausage...I steak 80% of my meat, and even the stuff on the thighs has been tender, sweet even, and yummy. Art, his inside spread is 20 inches, so them are some pretty big ears, methinks. tom

November 8, 2010, 10:51 AM	#12
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	This mule deer has a decent size rack. It hung around our back yard for many years............................except during hunting season.

November 8, 2010, 02:12 PM	#14
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Definitely a nice buck and rack. I hope to get one as nice before my hunting days are over. Congrats.

November 8, 2010, 02:35 PM	#15
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	Congrats first. I'm a meat hunter too and I believe the worth of a trophy is the hunters alone. ALL My deer are a trophy for one reason or another, to remember the hunt or shot or time spent.He looks like a fine Deer to me. good job.

November 8, 2010, 03:28 PM	#17
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	Very nice deer. Congradulations!

November 15, 2010, 05:13 PM	#18
woodguru Senior Member Join Date: September 14, 2010 Location: Placerville, Ca Posts: 589	I'd like to have this guy measured out but he hung out on my property and I didn't shoot him. I was selling a couple of rifles to a guy that offered me $5000 if I let him shoot the one that was even bigger that hung around this guy. I have a picture of the bigger one but it has a buckeye tree in the background and you can't tell what's horn and what's branches. He had so many tine splits that I couldn't count the points on one side, he looked like he was crossed with an elk. This one is more typical. __________________ Fiction is harder to write than the truth, fiction has to make sense, the truth can be unbelievable.