This is topic 2003 big game tally . in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 13, 2003, 08:44 PM:
How did you do this year?
Me?
ewe tag - no kill
archery elk - no kill
rifle elk - no cigar
rifle mule deer - not yet, but I am gonna get me a giant mulie buck, man I like those things!!!
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on October 13, 2003, 09:23 PM:
For Lion, I have so far made my yearly donation to the State.
Mule Deer- My hunt doesn't start until 10-31.
Bear tag - One nice big beautiful Black Bear!
For coyotes, I've piddled around a few times lately. But I've yet to get serious about it. Maybe next weekend?
Posted by bucksnort (Member # 202) on October 14, 2003, 05:32 AM:
Well, lets see now, I have yet to fire a shot in 2003. Now days, I do all of my Big Game Hunting at the meat counters of Safeway, Fry's, Bashas, and Albertons. I don't need a tag or license. I don't have to gut it, quarter it, or drag it or pack it out or have it processed. I buy the cuts of meat we prefer, and most of the time, it is on sale. So, I am able to maintain weight and keep fat and sassy. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Life is good.
Posted by Norm (Member # 240) on October 14, 2003, 12:56 PM:
Well,
NM Archery Elk, close encounters, no shots;
AZ deer, nothing yet;
Lion, a couple months left to call;
Coyote, fox, other predators - hoping to find one not wearing a bathing suit in the next couple weeks...
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 14, 2003, 03:23 PM:
Welcome to the New Huntmasters, Norm Johnson. Glad to have you on board. Coyotes wearing beach attire aren't legal? Damn!
Good hunting. LB
Posted by Norm (Member # 240) on October 14, 2003, 04:04 PM:
Well, coyotes in beach attire is the concept that they have no fur yet... nor will they have fur here in phx for quite some time... It is like they have fur for a couple weeks and then start shedding....
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 15, 2003, 07:18 PM:
One archery mule deer (freezer buck). That's it, I'm done with big game for the year.
- DAA
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on October 15, 2003, 08:25 PM:
I haven't applied for any tags in several years.
Anytime I would be hunting other game I would be thinking about coyotes abd wishing I was calling.
My wife worries about my "obsession".
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 15, 2003, 08:45 PM:
What Rich said.....gulp!
Posted by varmint101 (Member # 41) on October 17, 2003, 06:00 PM:
Lets see, which should I list first? Whitetail, whitetail, or whitetails? I'll think I'll start with whitetail. Got a fat little 4 point 3rd day of archery. I plan on getting 3 more doe. As porky pig would say, blee blee blee blee that's all folks. One of these days I'll shoot big game other than whitetails! *yawn*
Matt
Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on October 17, 2003, 09:13 PM:
Until I can afford a brown bear hunt, I have no interest in big game hunting. I think I got spoiled back on the East coast where you can legally, and easily, take 30 deer a season. No challenge at all and dealing with the meat becomes a PITA real quick.
Jack
I may have to try the mountain lion thing. They are not too easy, or expensive, for residents.
Posted by brad h (Member # 57) on October 17, 2003, 11:37 PM:
I don't do big game, in fact, I don't do anything concitered edible by general standards.
My totals are something like 5 coyotes, tons of jacks, a few coons, skunks, and a badger.
Lion sightings are more than ever around here.
Last month a train took out one of a pair. Even had one jump out of a drainage and get in a guy's face that I work with. The guy was just going for a walk. Lots of rocks and a 8 ft. steel drainage marker to the head just made it hiss and spit at him. Then the thing stayed 30 yds back and followed him all the way up the road. Tends to make a guy a little jumpy when calling.
Brad
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on October 18, 2003, 12:13 AM:
Jack,
I know the feeling. I finally put in for a mule deer hunt this year. For one, I've never shot a mule deer, and second, Coming from Indiana, I've never had a season that allowed me to shoot deer with a rifle.
But then, I did have several farmers who paid me to "find" dead white tail deer in their cornfields. Like you said, there is no challenge involved.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 18, 2003, 08:04 AM:
To add to the comments; another discouraging thing is the deliberate, and unnecessary red tape in acquiring a decent big game tag in many states.
Drawings in January, preference points, second third and fourth choices. Restrictions, boundaries, changes, confusion, unintelligable directions. Rediculous fees, some of which are nonrefundable.
The bait of offering archery or black powder hunts with virtually no chance of success, especially for the first-timer. Did I mention NONRESIDENT LICENSE FEES? Shameful. All specifically designed to discourage hunting, by nonhunting game commision members.
Lots of things wrong with hunting, in this Country.
"Good hunting" LB
Posted by Colorado Coyotes (Member # 62) on October 18, 2003, 09:40 AM:
Loco
archery elk - no shot
rifle deer - took 11 years to draw, starts next month, will hunt every day dawn to dark & pray.
coyotes - went with Barry once & called one in but no shot (had my 5 yr old in my lap). My dogs brought one home (hid it behind bushes in front yard) that I didn't find till it started to stink. Does that one count? Mosquitos are still real bad, hoping for colder weather.
Posted by Colorado Coyotes (Member # 62) on October 18, 2003, 09:42 AM:
Loco, I forgot to say congrats on the Fox Pro.
Posted by John/Alaska (Member # 25) on October 18, 2003, 10:44 AM:
No done yet with the big game seasons. But in the early or general hunts I chased Dall Sheep, Moose & Caribou so far this fall. I prefer the winter hunts for caribou and might do a late moose depending on weather. The Federal hunts will be opening soon for both moose and bou. I usually combine them with my predator hunts deciding while out which has priority depending on sign & weather and if I'm in a Federal area or not. Just a side note but my 6 year old grandson called in a bull moose the other day when we were out. He is going to be quite the caller. He'll be wolfing with me this fall.
Leonard - I agree with you on the license costs for non-residents and the bs one has to go through for drawings. I would probably stop big game hunting too if I lived where a lot of you guys do. Here in Alaska for residents my hunting/fishing/trapping license costs all of $53 bucks (It will be free when I turn 60 next year). All the general season hunts are usually free tags. The only tag that I have to pay for is a griz tag to hunt some units. The other units require no tag. I have to pay $5 to $10 bucks for the drawing areas/seasons (primo areas or longer seasons) which include buffalo. No tags for wolf (considered big game). No tags are required for black bear which can be hunted all year round with a limit of 3. The drawings are lottery except for the state subsistence hunts which have a weird pointing system based on length of residency and where you live. You qualify for the Federal subsistence hunts by what your resident zip code is.
Better stop as I've said more the what the original question was.
Posted by Barry (Member # 34) on October 18, 2003, 09:01 PM:
Called in 5 coyotes and killed 4.Saw 1 bobcat,as usual the season wasnt in yet.I've heard 2 diffrent stories of archery elk hunters calling in mountain lion[by accident]by using cow calls.So I may try that a few times up against a rock cliff.No bear but did get a small bull and a nice buck. 
Posted by Colorado Coyotes (Member # 62) on October 18, 2003, 09:04 PM:
Barry, WOW That's a great buck!
Posted by Norm (Member # 240) on October 18, 2003, 09:10 PM:
Barry, sounds like you have a great season and the coyote season is off to a great start.
Congratulations
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 19, 2003, 07:14 AM:
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
A Job Well Done Baaaarrrry!
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 19, 2003, 08:57 AM:
Yeah, nice buck. Hard to believe you have whitetails around Trinidad? I guess they are moving further west all the time?
Good hunting. LB
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on October 19, 2003, 12:36 PM:
Does Barry's buck look like a hybrid to anyone else?
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 19, 2003, 12:54 PM:
Yeah, I briefly considered that possibility, but decided that the pic didn't show enough to bring it up. With the location, (IF he took it locally) that adds to the suspicion, because there are certainly plenty of mulies around southern Colorado.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 19, 2003, 02:26 PM:
Wooooaaa, I mentioned the same thing to Barry in another thread. The animal looks way too huge to be even part whitetail to me. I think maybe because the muley is a non-typical, it just grew the rack with a bit of a whitetail shape!
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on October 19, 2003, 03:39 PM:
Not just the rack, the buck has the coloration and skull cap of the mulie.
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 19, 2003, 04:49 PM:
Yeah, thought the same thing.
Even a few whitetail here in Utah, has been for decades, but they are getting more numerous.
- DAA
Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on October 19, 2003, 05:16 PM:
It sure doesn't look like the whitetails that are on the east coast.
Jack
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 19, 2003, 05:30 PM:
Everything about the buck is pure Muley, except for the main beam that keeps going forward. Non-typuical racks can do all sorts or wierd stuff.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 19, 2003, 06:00 PM:
Loco, if you saw a Minnesota whitetail, or maybe one from Alberta, you wouldn't think of mulies as a much larger animal.
As far as I can see, I agree that the color looks mule deer, and the markings around the muzzle and the head are also what you would expect to see on a mule deer. But, (personal opinion) that rack isn't a freaky non typical, it's a typical whitetail rack.
Good hunting. LB
edit: correction, what I mean is the way the beam sweeps forward. But, the points "branch" and that isn't typical whitetail.
[ October 19, 2003, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 19, 2003, 07:35 PM:
Our whitetails aren't as big as Alberta flavored Whitetails. That said, I have heard it more than once that hybrids aren't all that "non-typical."
He very well could be a hybrid. I know for a fact that whitetails can be found very near Barry's home but who knows where that muley was taken. Our Whitetails generally hang out on the plains and river-bottoms. The mountains are pretty much dominated by mulies and elk.
Posted by Barry (Member # 34) on October 19, 2003, 09:02 PM:
Hell, I shot him and I dont know.Even the gamewarden that checked me said he had the mainbeams of a whitetail.What you guys said seems right to me.Horns of a W.T. and the markings of a muledeer.Trinidad is on the front-range.Plains to the east and mountains to the west.Lots of W.T.'s that some people dont even know about in the river bottoms and always thick cover.I have seen them as far as 5-miles west of town along the river.[Purgitorie] The only thing is I killed this buck above 11,500 elevatation 40-miles west of Trinidad and no-one I know has ever seen a W.T. that high.The DOW guys were'nt forsure what to say.Hey,he's in the freezer.
Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on October 19, 2003, 09:49 PM:
The antlers are kind of unique, but there is no doubt that is a mule deer.
Posted by albert (Member # 98) on October 20, 2003, 10:02 AM:
I am quite confident that it is a whitetail. I live in the heart of whitetail country. I've seen similar racks before. Unusual? yes. Unique? Hardly. Saskatchewan is right next door to Alberta. The reason you don't see many pictures of like it is that the poor G1's make it hard to score well. That said it is a nice buck with some years behind it. Congraulations
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on October 20, 2003, 10:30 AM:
No way!!!! I would like to ask the Division of Wildlife biologist why there aren't whitetails in the mountains in Colorado. I know you guys must think I'm crazy; I've seen tons of WTs in the mountain in other statess, especially Montana. But it is very strange to NEVER see one in the mountains here in Colorado. I suppose there are a few, but I've never seen one.
If a non-typical can grow a drop tine pointing straight at the ground, what is so wierd about a funny looking forking rack(mulie type) with an odd mainbeam?
I would be really interested in an expert opinion. I'm just a locohead.
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 20, 2003, 10:54 AM:
I'll throw in on this one since I handle about forty sets of antlers every season, mostly WT's but a few mulies once in a while. ody - all muley. Antlers, strange in the configuration of the main beam but not atypical. I've done mulies where the main beam went nearly straight up rather than out. All tines that usually exhibit secondary bifurcation do so on this deer and the eye guards are small. If this were a WT rack, those brow tines would be 7-8 inches long, at least. As far as size, that has a lot to do with not only latitude, but location as well. My Kansas deer are a hybrid of WT's from Oklahoma and North Dakota. Our larger, mature bucks run racks in the 16-200 range with body weights well over 300# on the hoof. The vast majority of bucks I receive in my shop are 4.5-6.5 y/o deer with live weights at an average 300#. I don't see anything unusual in this buck except that it's a real nice trophy. As far as there being no WT's in the CO higher ups, I'd bet my money it has a lot to do with the inlcines and grades of those mountains, not to mention the interspecific competition b/n them and mule deer. WT's are more adapted for open country running, versus the upper leg structure of the mule deer which is better at working steep grades. Just my guess. I may be a locohead too.
Posted by Lonny (Member # 19) on October 20, 2003, 04:14 PM:
The buck appears to be a older animal and I think thats where the antlers get the interesting look. That deer is 100% mule deer to my eye. Like C-Dog said, a whitetail would have longer eyeguards.
A small 3x3 muley with an 18-20 inch spread and the only fork is off the end of the main beam can look a lot like a whitetail also.
Whitetails and mule deer can often be seen feeding right next to each other around here. I have heard people mention possible hybrids but I've never seen one myself. Not saying it can't happen but the way the two species overlap around here you would think it would be more common.
Dandy buck Barry! Your having a good fall.
Posted by Barry (Member # 34) on October 20, 2003, 05:03 PM:
The rest of the story.I saw this buck and another the weekend before during elk season.The other buck which wasnt with him[I think]didnt make an appearence.The buck I shot was the littler of the two.The bigger buck was 1 to 2 inches wider but didnt have as much mass.The weird thing is he did have brow tines about 6 or 7 inches long.I watched these deer for 15 minutes or so and got a good look at both.They both had the same shaped rack with the same amount of points excluding 2 inch kickers.The other buck appeared to weigh at least 20 or 30 pounds more than the one I got.My initial guess was this was a father and son.
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