Big Ones (OTC, Pic Heavy)

[The Hedgehog]

Back when MT’s Custer forest was pretty great.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Those were the good old days... too bad there aren't any critters like that anymore since the woofs came around.

 

[grizzly_]

First two are Idaho OTC




This one took 3 or 4 points in Colorado. Residents can hunt it every year.

 

[LCH]

I really don't have any idea what this one would score, don't really care either. I know he's smaller than most of the pronghorn hanging on gas station walls in Wyoming, bigger than either of the other bucks I've taken.

 

[The Hedgehog]

A couple general license MT elk from USFS land.

 

[antlerradar]

Eastern Mt BLM in the late 90's

 

[EYJONAS!]

Some freakin studs in this thread. Sure your not just rubbing it in now greeny? Haha. Gomer I'll never forget seeing that thing at the taxi shop. Beautiful dog buddy!

Mr. Radar awesome deer share some bulls maybe?

 

[el unit]

Great thread and great pictures! Goes to show that you don't need preference points to find big ones on public lands!

 

[BuzzH]

This thread got me thinking about the spectacular general, public land whitetail hunting from the late 80's through about the mid 2000's that we had in Western Montana. I didn't even look at a buck unless I thought it was 4.5-5.5 years old. Shot a fair number from 6.5-9.5. Wasn't uncommon to see 20-30 decent bucks a day.

Like most of the rest of the hunting in Western Montana, its a shell of what it once was.

Let this be a lesson to all, when the hunting is good, in particular on easy to draw tags, don't take it for granted and take advantage of it while the gettin' is good. Trust me, it wont stay the same, and will only get worse when a State like Montana refuses to manage.

 

[BuzzH]

Some more:

 

[Irrelevant]

I've sorted it out...I don't like this thread. I'd had no idea how bad of a hunter I must be, thanks for the enlightenment...I guess.

 

[guf54]

I think best thread on this site right now!!

 

[AZBridger]

Here is a Coues buck my dad shot a couple years ago. OTC, AZ archery. Scored a little over 118". I know some people here are against crossbows but when they help older guys do what they love i am all for it. He has a replacement knee, hip and shoulder so AZGFD granted him a crossbow permit. This buck was shot out of a ground blind at 19 yards. I had spent more time than i'd like to admit over a couple years trying to kill this buck. He sat the blind one time for exactly 45 minutes and got him. This buck only visited the area around once a month

 

[Backcountry Hunter 2]

A few deer I took while in middle school, high school, college, and in the workforce. All in the same unit in CO that you could draw about every other year. Point creep has set in and you can no longer hunt in as frequently.

 

[The Hedgehog]

NE MT wilderness area whitetail.

 

[Tylerm]

0 point CO Res tag



2nd Choice CO tag



OTC Tag



OTC CO

I'm way too impatient to wait long for a tag! Maybe someday

 

[antlerradar]

Some freakin studs in this thread. Sure your not just rubbing it in now greeny? Haha. Gomer I'll never forget seeing that thing at the taxi shop. Beautiful dog buddy!

Mr. Radar awesome deer share some bulls maybe?

None of the big elk I have shot will make the easy to draw limitation.

 

[Elkmagnet]

The biggest problem with the concept of this thread Is that most of the big chit that qualifies will never be posted on the Internet due to background.
I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this.

 

[mtmiller]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[TheTone]

My two best Idaho archery bulls from an OTC, pretty crummy unit. The bigger of these two was nice enough to die maybe 1000 yards from a gravel road. I still get bummed out thinking about two other bulls that got away from me in this same unit.