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Post by Hossdaniels on Mar 9, 2009 18:59:34 GMT -5
Most of yall have probably never heard of the Dixie Deer Classic. It's in Raleigh NC every year, and it was the first ever show of its kind. They score deer for folks(free), have vendors(I was one this year), kids shoots, archery contests and the whole ball of wax. Your annual local deer show was likely based on this one. BUT, Now we (my neighborhood) are sort of legends. The best two muzzleloading deer in the state were both killed less than 2 miles from my house. Both deer were killed with plain old inline muzzleloaders, so I cant post it in the regular savage forum. Here is the link: blogs.newsobserver.com/multi/dixie-deer-classic-winners#5 , a 155 6/8" net typical, was killed less than a half mile from my house on the way to the same powerline that runs across my property muzzleloading week(best NC ML typical). That made me sort of sick/ sort of proud. Randy is a great hunter. I'm not calling him lucky. He pulls this crap off every year! #9 123 5/8" net typical, was killed about 2 miles from my house by my first cousins(our biologist) girlfriend, Nikki Johns, on the way to one of our foodplots! A nice 11 point, it was her very first deer! She also passed up a very good 8 pt, that my cousin said he would have had a hard time letting walk by. She won best female muzzleloader deer in the state. Good season up here in Roxboro for most everyone but me. Atleast I have a freezer full of does. They taste better anyway! |
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Post by Harley on Mar 9, 2009 22:18:12 GMT -5
Plus, Hoss, it takes a better marksman to hit those smaller deer.
Harley
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Post by youp50 on Mar 10, 2009 2:00:28 GMT -5
Thank you.
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Post by Hossdaniels on Mar 10, 2009 7:00:55 GMT -5
Plus, Hoss, it takes a better marksman to hit those smaller deer. Harley Hah!, Yeah that's right! |
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Post by mshm99 on Mar 10, 2009 12:36:39 GMT -5
Being a QDM member,I believe I see a trend towards people taking management and nutition to the point anyone can see the tangible results that effort brings. These are great trophies no matter where you hunt.
Something I cannot understand, is why two of your fellow North Carolinians would pay $10,000 and travel to Pike County ,IL,to bow hunt the 250 acre farm to the East of me for three weeks a year. Sure ,good for the farmer. But any right thinking man would have to question their sanity.
Hossdaniels clearly proves there is good hunting in N. C.. Why those two guys don't invest in ground close to home and grow their own trophies is beyond me. With good nutrition and age big bucks are possible almost anywhere.
mshm
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Post by Hossdaniels on Mar 10, 2009 19:03:37 GMT -5
I agree mshm99. The booths next to me at the show was two fellas from Illinois(2500 acres), the other side of me was a man from Missouri(4000 acres). The boys from Il were new to this and had some brochures with deer they had killed off their farm. Dont get me wrong, they had some very nice deer. But the only thing they had on the dozen deer in my farm shop was a little more mass on the racks. I mean a little, maybe 5-10" tops! If I picked out my best 5 deer, like I'm sure they did, I could have honestly competed with these guys. The guy from Missouri had the same thing, except I had a few deer that would probably beat what he brought. These were not top tier places I guess. Both of thier hunts were in the $3500-5000 range. Still more than I'd pay.
Oh well, next year I'll take it as a lesson learned and bring my own NC deer as a selling point for what we do! I was a little worried about getting shown up if I brought my local deer, but them boys aint got nothing(err.. much) on us!
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Post by mshm99 on Mar 10, 2009 20:02:59 GMT -5
The simple truth is that that those 150 plus inch are not behind every tree in Pike County. I've seen 180 and 190 class deer walking around. Seen. A few. Never when I've been close enough and during an open season. We have shot a few really nice ones, but not every year. The outfitters are a mixed blessing or a curse ,depending on your experience. Their guides tips are tied to what the client kills. We know money will tempt people to do unethical things. Places that families hunted for generations, are now off limits.
I'm sorry about my rant. But I do feel better.
mshm
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Post by Hossdaniels on Mar 11, 2009 8:44:01 GMT -5
Hmmmm, I dont know if I'll ever see a 180"-190" buck around here. Dang it mshm, you are talking me into it!
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Post by mshm99 on Mar 11, 2009 16:03:31 GMT -5
I'm reasonably sure they are probubly in your area, you just have not seen them. And if any knowledgeable hunter has seen one that big , he sure would not tell anybody about it. The odds of a deer in the wild getting that big are huge, no matter where you are located. I stand by my original contention ,that with nutrition and age big deer are possible pretty much anywhere.The pictures on your link bear this out.
mshm
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Post by jims on Mar 11, 2009 18:46:55 GMT -5
I have found a number of fine sized sheds on my farm over the years but I never saw the deer that went with them. I do not live on the farm to observe daily but I hear enough that the deer were not taken in the area. They either died of old age or were taken illegally.
I live in an area where there is plenty of food year round, we get big deer, especially if most would let them pass for awhile. I have let a number of deer walk that others would have shot, pretty much they have to be bigger than what I already have or I do not shoot.
I think there are as you say more big deer out there than many realize. I also think the older deer tend to go nocturnal pretty quickly when there is too much activity around them.
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Post by mshm99 on Mar 11, 2009 23:23:33 GMT -5
They go nocturnal in a heart beat. I have a friend who gets pumped up every year by his trail-cam pics. He gets pics of a BIG deer during the day ,prior to the season. Season opens, the bucks go nocturnal. Same deer for three years. He's never seen them while hunting ,but has night time pics. With out the trail cams , he would not know they were there.
mshm
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