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Best Chance for a 180"+++ Buck???

Best Chance at a 180"+++ Buck- Up to 3 choices

  • Alberta, CA

    Votes: 23 15.2%

  • Southern Iowa

    Votes: 104 68.9%

  • Kentucky

    Votes: 3 2.0%

  • Kansas

    Votes: 42 27.8%

  • Eastern & NE Iowa

    Votes: 30 19.9%

  • Saskatchewan, CA (or other areas of Canada)

    Votes: 74 49.0%

  • Ohio

    Votes: 17 11.3%

  • Illinois

    Votes: 15 9.9%

  • Michigan (HA HA!!)

    Votes: 4 2.6%
  • Total voters
    151
  • Poll closed .
Sligh1

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
Well, with the Canada thread & all the talk of travels, I have my age old question I sometimes ponder hypothetically.... If you could go anywhere and your goal was to kill a "GIANT", mature, good genetic slob, if that was your goal & you could hunt anywhere, where would you go and where would your best chance be. It isn't the only thing I'm concerned about obviously (like going to Canada would be amazing on so many levels) but this would be a PART OF THE DECISION of some distant new hunt I would love to travel to someday. Hypothetically, if you had to do this as "your job" and had to accomplish killing a giant, on average, where do you think is the best? I've posted about the vast areas of Kansas, Canada, etc. You can choose up to 3, just curious.
 
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I'm bias and I know that record book are not a super accurate reflection due to non entered trophies but I think the ratio of hunters per "book bucks" a yr is way, way higher here than anywhere else.
 
I take great pride in hunting and being on the same land that my grandfather worked, and my dad grew up on. I would be hard pressed to pick any other place to hunt whitetails than on our family farm.

Dream hunt of course, would be a western hunt in the rockies. Would love to take a 30 inch mule and a 400 inch bull one day.
 
Definitely not MN! I wish I had roots from bordering states! No choice for WI? There are many huge bucks taken there. We hunted a farm on the boarder of Buffalo and Trempealeau counties and our group took a 175" two years ago...but close only counts in horseshoes so not 180"
 
I'd have to say Sask. Not because they have superior genes, but because more bucks are allowed to reach their full potential and age class due to less hunting pressure and the habitat they live in.
 
saskatchewan,alberta,kansas or south central iowa,not southern iowa three weeks of rifle season in late january takes its toll.they did knock of a week for next year,but still two weeks to many.

sleeper goes to the interlake region of manitoba stopped by a local cattle guys place there.he had lots of 80 inch plus sheds with several over a 100.

i have hunted all three central provinces best place would be saskatchewan,alberta border,saskatchewan side,forest fringe south world class whiteys plus mulies south.still the only place i have hunted and seen wild horses pretty kool.

three bad things about the forest fringe areas,its cold some winter kill, most farmers head to florida.indians,they get a paycheck and a free box of ammo every month.wolves, last i heard some guides were dropping grease soaked sponges out of plains just to keep the numbers down.

the hunting pressure is very low there compared to the states so animals get some age.most hardcore hunters i know from there have multiple boone and crockets.you will not find better fishing,predator hunting,shed hunting,deer hunting in north america,the perfect place for the true outdoorsman.
 
the hunting pressure is very low there compared to the states so animals get some age.most hardcore hunters i know from there have multiple boone and crockets.you will not find better fishing,predator hunting,shed hunting,deer hunting in north america,the perfect place for the true outdoorsman.
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That low pressure allowing bucks to reach old age class is why I voted for here. You're right with your last sentence, I love it here!

By the way, I'm NWSk, near the AB border, forest fringe, it's honey sweet country for groing big bucks.
 
1990-2000 Iowa all day long the best
Since 2000 Iowa Giant 200-240 status is slipping
HMMMMMMMMM wonder what happened.
Could it be too many bucks allowered per hunter?
NHHHHHH, i want my 3 bucks rather than a 200+++
After all it is the LAW....must be OK:thrwrck:
 
bowhuntia said:
1990-2000 Iowa all day long the best
Since 2000 Iowa Giant 200-240 status is slipping
HMMMMMMMMM wonder what happened.
Could it be too many bucks allowered per hunter?
NHHHHHH, i want my 3 bucks rather than a 200+++
After all it is the LAW....must be OK:thrwrck:
Click to expand...

Bowhuntia - I don't have the actual stats in front of me, but we have had this discussion here enough times in the past that I am pretty sure of my statement(s) below.

The 3 buck rule is NOT the reason for fewer top end bucks in Iowa. The number of hunters that actually shoot 3 bucks in a year, via the "extra" LO tag, is quite small. Something like 30 to 40 people per year.

However, the number of shed bucks shot during the late rifle season is many times that. Additionally, overall deer numbers are down significantly and along with overall numbers being down, there are lower buck numbers. The lack of super top end bucks is really not because of the 3rd buck tag, there are multiple other factors that far outweigh that one.
 
For one, I know of many 180" + bucks that have never been and never will be entered into the record books. Too many problems arise by taking a world class deer to the Iowa Deer Classic by having your name put on it. The numbers are skewed because lots of bucks are put in any books. I would pick southern Iowa and Sask.
 
To me it all depends on if we are talking managed ground vs. state land, which weapon you choose etc..

If you give me 1000 acres to heavily manage in any of these areas (except Michigan) I am surely confident I could produce multiple 180's every year.

Hard to beat, Iowa, Kansas, or parts of Canada just based on either the season structures in Iowa, lack of pressure and harvest limit in Kansas, or vast wilderness in Canada. I would take any of them.

PS... Skip, weren't we having the conversation about which part of Iowa was overhyped a while back? I think you can clearly see my point just based on this poll :D You guys can have that part of the state!
 
I'll take the midwest states.

3 tags for me every year for the past 10. I shoot about 1 buck every 4 years. That's about 27 unused tags. Had a good year in 2008 and filled both of my statewide tags (the only time I have ever been blessed and lucky enough to do so), so... say 26 unused tags?

Speaking of stats... in the time frames you both are trying to debate... mega bucks... I would like to see what they really are for 2000-2010 time frame compared to 1990-2000 time frame. We like to say how bad it is, but is it?
 
Guys its ok,
Just keep managing the way you are and keep thinking nothing is worng or different and nothing can be done and it won't be...simple as that.

I am just trying to help Skip understand..... Iowa could be his dream spot if we all help rather than help ourselves......... loosing the 3 buck will help....not hurt.

1 buck per hunter....why not?? And yes no late doe either agree!!
 
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