? about just seeing P&Y class bucks

[Rhino]

clrj3514's thread got me to thinking about this so here's a couple of questions.

On average, how many P&Y class bucks do you see while deer hunting with any weapon each year?

On average, how many days do you spend deer hunting each year?

[dbHunterNY]

One or none! ....around here in NY where I hunt anyway. When I went out to Oklahoma I saw some everyday. I haven't hunted any other states really. Not much deer management where I hunt and a lot of hunters that will not get skunked.

[wtnhunt]

Good topic Al. Funny thing is a ton of people think this area should be a big buck area, but the folks who hunt it will typically tell you we just don't get enough age on the deer for them to reach trophy class, way too many 1.5 year olds getting whacked. Very few people hunting this area willing to let deer walk but there are a few of us, makes it frustrating as the area has the potential to grow some good deer. In all my years owning and hunting this ground I have seen one buck I know would have made B & C and I did see that deer during our ml'er season but unfortunately not while I was hunting.

Popers, I have seen several over the years on trail cams that I am pretty sure would make it, but during hunting seasons I would be lucky to see one while on stand and have probably only seen maybe 4 or 5 in all my years hunting, been hunting this farm since 1992, so that is what maybe 1 every 4 years.

Thought from all the pics that the buck I killed last year was close to pope and young and I saw him in range with the bow just 3 days before I killed him with the rifle, but got busted by a doe behind me while I was taking my bow off the hanger. My buddy Tominator said he falls short of the 125 mark and he is probably right, will put a tape on him whenever he comes home from the taxidermist.

Days spent deer hunting, with living on the farm we hunt a lot.

[Rhino]

I hear ya William. Thought it would be interesting to see how the playing field is for hunters in different areas along with how much time they spend deer hunting.

I took a little time to look over my hunting journal for the past 5 years to check my own numbers so mine are averages from those years.

On my turf here in MS I average seeing ~3 P&Y class bucks/year while spending an average of 37 days/year deer hunting here. The most I've seen in a year was 4 and the least was 1.

By contrast the average number of days I've spent bowhunting in the midwest over the past 5 years is 10 days. During that period on average I see 10 P&Y bucks/year while I'm there. The most I've seen in a year while there was 15 and the least was 6. The states I've hunted during that 5 year period include...Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.

[Mach1]

Typically I am only able to spend the weekends hunting plus the Friday of each of our two firearm seasons. So, I'd estimate that I spend 22-30 days deer hunting.

Where I hunt it is not uncommon to average seeing one P&Y qualifier a weekend. Sometimes it will be none, on others it may be two or more. Sightings definitely increase during firearms season. As for Booners, one a year would probably be a good estimate. I've had a couple years in which it's been three or four, but those were really good years.

[need2hunt]

My average days are probably 45-50.

I've never really figured how many P&Y's I see in a year but my philosophy has been that on an average year I should get 2 opportunities (within bow range) on a P&Y.

When it comes to Booners I average seeing 2 per year while in the stand (doesn't mean within shooting range). Like Mach1 said there are exceptional years, my best year I saw 7 different deer that would have went Boon.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

P&Y - several per year

B&C - one every few years. It's been 4 or 5 years since I saw my last one while hunting, so I'm due.

[Rhino]

As for Booners, one a year would probably be a good estimate. I've had a couple years in which it's been three or four, but those were really good years.

I can certainly believe that for your turf. I've never seen a B&C class buck in MS. I've been making annual bowhunting trips to at least 1 midwestern state over the past 12 years now. During those 12 years of midwesten bowhunts I've seen 6 booners...3 in IA, 2 in KS, & 1 in IL. 3 were during the past 5 years. One of them was the day after I killed my 2008 IL buck while my buddies were still bowhunting. I was watching a place the outfitter reserved just for special hunters (like filmed hunts) where they had seen a 180 class 6x6. I saw him and another P&Y buck that afternoon. Since I wasn't really hunting, those bucks weren't counted in my averages. I saw one of the KS booners 4 years ago while going to hang a stand. Since I wasn't hunting yet I didn't include him in my numbers either.

[redkneck]

I see a P&Y about every 2-3 years I'd estimate. Maybe have seen one B&C in my lifetime.

[clrj3514]

I've been toting a gun since I was 7ish & I'm 17 now. Never seen a Pope & Young or Booner on the hoof. Best deer I've seen while hunting probably scored around 100" but didn't get a shot on him. I spend 30-40 days a year in the woods at least. But to be fair I hunt with dogs most days. I hunt in hunting clubs too with a lot of hunters. My grandaddy has one 136" deer mounted.

[Tominator]

I'm always amazed at what one guy or several guys consider 125"

I think I'm pretty critical when it comes to field judging or even picture judging. Cracks me up when someone posts "he scored right at 130" and it's clear the deer in the pic would maybe go 110". :hammer1:

I think Toddybowman and William are probably the most consistent when estimating deer.

OK, having said that, I'll see 4 to 5 Popes every year, and maybe 1 or 2 Booners per year. I've personally never had a Booner in range. When I do see them, I see them while driving or way off in the distance.

I don't get to hunt as much as I used to because of all my kids activities now. I like to sneak out after school if I can, and I really try to hunt every possible chance for the first 2 weeks of November. I guess I average probably 30 to 40 times, 50 or 60 if I'm lucky.

[Rhino]

I think I'm pretty critical when it comes to field judging or even picture judging. Cracks me up when someone posts "he scored right at 130" and it's clear the deer in the pic would maybe go 110". :hammer1:

I think he scores right at 130 Chris. :chair:

[redkneck]

I'm just waiting for Tom to post a pic now.......

tick-tock..... tick-tock.... :yes:

[okiedog]

I have never seen any! I think it is just the state I hunt:hammer1::ninja:. I wish I lived in Ohio where I would have a chance to put a deer on the wall:D

[Tominator]

I'm just waiting for Tom to post a pic now.......

tick-tock..... tick-tock.... :yes:

He would if he could, but he can't so he won't. He knows he'll see a few pics if he does, and he'll have to listen to me brag.

Alan, yep, he's all over 130. Tough to see that right side though.

[Muleyman]

I would say that I probably see around 10 pope & young whitetails each year and like 25 muleys at least. I spend probably around 50 days a year huntning deer

[hoosierhunter]

clrj3514's thread got me to thinking about this so here's a couple of questions.

On average, how many P&Y class bucks do you see while deer hunting with any weapon each year?

On average, how many days do you spend deer hunting each year?

Bowhunting-4 or so

Gunhunting 4 or so

How many days spent hunting?

Oct-both weekend days and average about 2 weekdays also through the month

Nov.-just depends on if I'm tagged out or not, but if not the first two weeks I'll hunt darn near every day if I can.

I'm very fortunate to have a job that is very flexible as to when I need to work.

[hoosierhunter]

I saw the booner question asked as well.

I don't know for sure if I've ever seen one while hunting, but once I see a shooter I don't take time to decide if he's 160-or170.

I can say that I missed a buck that very well could have been the biggest I've seen. I probably won't ever forget that hunt.

[Rhino]

Nov.-just depends on if I'm tagged out or not, but if not the first two weeks I'll hunt darn near every day if I can.

I hadn't considered the fact that some of you will tag out with just 1 buck. Having a 3 buck bag limit in MS allows me the flexibility to spend more time in the woods too. That along with the fact that I've been retired since Jan. 2007. The 7 years prior to that I was self employed with a partner that also deer hunted. We usually shut down our work from November through Jan. 15th. The previous 6 years I had 3 partners but we still wound down our business activities between mid November & mid January.

I don't know for sure if I've ever seen one while hunting, but once I see a shooter I don't take time to decide if he's 160-or170.

If I've got a definite shooter around that size coming in while bowhunting I don't take time to put a number on him either. If he's at a distance I'll glass him good for an estimate with my 10x50 Swarovski's.

[fly]

IL has a 3.5 month (105 days) deer season. The past few years I'll hunt about 40-50 times. Most are 2-3 hour hunts after or before work. While hunting on private land I'll see a couple 125-160 class deer per year. On public ground one every 3 years. I'll see a B&C (while hunting) once every few years while on private ground (I've never seen a B&C on public ground).

I've only seen 3 deer that I believe would have made B&C (all while bow hunting). One I got, one I did not shoot at because it was a little too far and a little too dark, and one I missed (when I was a 16 year old punk) - the shot was about 100 yards.

[rhine16]

I hunted somewhere between 110-115 times last year, so that's probably 70ish days of our 123 day season.... I saw two bucks that were right at the 125" mark.... I see one about every three years.

[Strut10]

I get to hunt the Saturdays of bow season and one week off work to bow hunt. So 11 days, as a rule.

I can pretty much count on seeing one P&Y buck in that amount of time. But there's no guarantee. Never saw a Booner in the woods or a dead one taken within miles and miles of here. There's been two 150's deer taken on the Strut10 Ranch in the last 10 years. Biggest deer I've ever seen in the woods in my 32 years of hunting was 155-ish. And he was the biggest by far.

[huntinsonovagun]

While hunting, I can think of 2 that for sure made P&Y (gross), and one other that was close, but a little shy I think. I hunt all public land in the NE part of the state.

[redkneck]

I missed the second part of the question. I've never counted but would estimate I hunt about 60-80 times a year (counting morning and afternoons seperately). Some years a little less depending on how crappy the weather is and if the wife is on my back about something. :argue::fish: :no::whip:

[Randy]

I'm on 120 acres and hunt about 40-50 days a year. I've probably only seen 2 definite "booners" my entire life on our land. On average and only during the last few years I probably see about 4-5 popes a year. Here's a few from a couple years ago.