Does it matter? Does the number change my mind? Question to myself.

[madtom]

I think it would depend on rarity of the opportunity.

If I felt I could find a similar opportunity at a deer that size by hiking and glassing, I’d pass and go hike.

If I roll up and it’s a very definite shooter and I’ll likely not find better, I will shoot as long as legal and safe - recognizing it won’t be a particularly good story or satisfying “earned it” kind of memory.

 

[westbranch]

I haven't shot a deer (WT or MD) the last few years and had put in a lot of days by the time it was Thanksgiving each year. So I'm shooting a forky 200 yards from the sign in box or trailhead on public land. If had already filled a deer tag in another state or had elk in the freezer my answer might change. But I think I would still have a hard time passing a decent buck. So I will admit the antlers factor in.

Just watching the newest MT deer camp videos on youtube with this morning. Doesn't help the case against getting a MT deer tag and heading east. Where else can a guy go that you can see that many deer on public land?

 

[JEL]

The real question is do you sign in before or after you pull the trigger?

 

[Talk2elk]

That buck would be dead no sham in that game for me.

 

[noharleyyet]

Would you shoot him on the last day....what if he were a 3x? A friend of mine shot a 3X following a couple of doe on the first day of muley, while we were eating a sandwich at a corral reconnoitering spot...roughed 161, an impressive unique euro on his office wall. But then again, Texans and whatnot...

 

[Sytes]

The real question is do you sign in before or after you pull the trigger?

The heart of the matter...

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

With all the planning, scouting, hiking, hoping, etc. that dad and I do each year we always say that we earned any deer we take. No matter whether we are deep in on our last day or just starting on our first day, we earned it.

Maybe it's different if you're a local and the only planning you did was buying a tag and heading down the road that day. But as a NR, there's almost no easy deer. As evidenced by my (generously) less than 100% success rate lol

 

[bigsky2]

No. Even as a kid I didn’t like to shoot deer from the truck. I remember when I was 13 or 14 I was hunting with my dad and we drove up on a 140’s whitetail laying in a stubble field. He put his head flat on the ground thinking he was hiding even though he was totally exposed. We sat there for a couple minutes as my dad tried to convince me to get out and shoot him. Eventually the deer couldn’t take it and he got up and ran. Being completely honest though, if it was a 180 mule deer by the sign in box I would probably be shooting because they are like unicorns in Montana anymore. I wouldn’t feel great about it though.

 

[HalfAce]

Depends. If he’s 3.5 years old, pass. If he’s got a gut, Roman nose, some kind of antler characteristic that makes him unique and I’ve been there 6+ days and covered enough country to know that’s the best buck I’ve seen, then I’de shoot.

 

[schmalts]

Anywhere MT. Drive up to the BMA box and there is a 160" (MD) standing around 8 does 200 yards away and oblivious to anything on Thanksgiving Day. Do I kill it and then open the gate to drag it back to the pickup? If it was the same buck a couple miles from motorized access and I have a pack on my back and likely the headlamp still on my forehead, do I make the same decision? I have thoughts and they may have changed as I have aged. I just want to stir the pot. Maybe NR vs R can be thrown in as well.

What is the weather forecast and how much beer do you have in the cooler? Are you sleeping in the back seat of your truck or in a comfy bed or cot within a heated room? All important things here... Bottom line, if the hunting conditions are really good and you are having fun look around and put a pack on. If it is miserable hunting and sleeping sometimes it is just good to get it over with. But the kicker is you said "anywhere in MT" some places a 160 is a big deer. There has been times I have not rationalized things and shot a smaller deer in a really crappy place because the packout itself added to the challenge. As I get older, that packout is not as much fun anymore.

 

[Bigjay73]

I'm going to take all of you at your word, and several if these answers with a grain of salt. Not that my opinion means a half bucket of horse manure

 

[Sytes]

Would you shoot him on the last day....what if he were a 3x? A friend of mine shot a 3X following a couple of doe on the first day of muley, while we were eating a sandwich at a corral reconnoitering spot...roughed 161, an impressive unique euro on his office wall. But then again, Texans and whatnot...

Darn Texans always have to step on the hypothetical cake!

 

[recon6036]

The situation certainly wouldn’t be what I was hoping for as a non-resident, but having never killed a Mule deer, I’d be very tempted. I guess, I’d actually have to be in that situation.

 

[Labman1127]

I drove out 23 1/2 hours from Ohio to hunt eastern MT this year and had a very similar situation unfold as to the one described. I literally just laced up my boots, took my rifle out of the case, and took about 10 steps into a BLM unit I was planning to hunt for the evening and a small buck and the mature muley Pictured below come strolling around a point and crossed in front of me within easy bow range. This was my first ever mule deer hunt and I was shocked to see this buck literally within minutes of starting my first mule deer hunt ever.
Granted he is no where close to a 160” deer but I was still impressed with his size and seemed to be a mature animal (this coming from a Midwest whitetail hunter trying to age a muley for the first time so I could be very wrong). He didn’t have a monster rack but had big body with sagging skin and pot belly which tells me he was an old animal. Needless to say, he got the pass as I couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger and end my western adventure that quickly. That buck ended up being the 2nd nicest buck I saw out there in 7 full days of hunting really hard, and the only bigger one I saw is currently at my taxidermist. Not all non-residents are evil heartless deer slayers
On a side note, 2 days later I glasses up this same buck on private land across the road. Then watched an outfitter drive his client out across a sage flat in a pickup truck to get around on this same deer that was bedded up in the head of a break. The Client got him on his 2nd shot.

 

[timmy]

Amazing how far Montana has fallen. I’m thankful for other states that have some sort of management. With the influx of new hunters that are completely happy to just be outside and shoot a buck any buck, 160’s will continue to be a rarity in Montana. Better shoot that buck before someone else does. A true 160 is a nice buck that number gets thrown around a lot and most bucks that get called “160” won’t touch it.

 

[MTTW]

Any non resident that has 1 week to hunt in Mt, that passes a 160 buck, is the definition of an optimist. Here is a picture I put up the other day on another thread. My brother shot it, and it was aged at 3. You take the eye guards off this buck it does not break 160. Just so we are all on the same page.

 

[huntin24/7]

Certainly not my favorite way to take one, but like others have said, when you’ve been hiking all over busting your butt and especially when you don’t have every day to hunt, I’m shooting if it’s big enough. And as previously mentioned, a legit 160 muley is not at all easy to find in MT unless your hunting quality private land.

 

[Panda Bear]

I have also walked enough deer-less miles in my life to not look a gift buck in the mouth. We do live on that meat every year after all.

+ 1

when it is time to refill the freezer, I hope I find a legal one ten feet from the freezer but if not hopefully ten feet from the sled.

I dont need to spend days "hunting" one species, to be in the mountains. I would shoot him, get him in the freezer then go fishing, camping, trapping, dog sledding, skating , skiing or even hunt a different species, be it winged, small or large game, if I wanted more mountain time. I could even bring in some fireplace logs, but I wouldn't count on that one

 

[ida homer]

My public land owner t shirt count is too low to pass on a nice buck 200 yards from the truck.

 

[Lyfter1013]

Not saying I would or wouldn’t because every situation is a little different.. but for the guys that said they’d pass, how far away from the truck do You have to be to Shoot the buck? Let’s say you stop get your pack on And hike 25 yards then see him is that far enough? Is it 100 yards?