[Triple Creek Hunter]

Also, I have no reason to own ground in the Ozarks unless its at the lake, and even then I HATE that drive for a weekend trip. All of our ground is in NWMO as well as my duck ground so I bought deer ground bordering our family farm. Itd be kind dumb to buy 4 hours away from the main area...

So you are saying you dont hunt the Ozarks? Yet you make a blanket statement about 5 1/2 -yr olds hitting 150 in the Ozarks. NWMO holds some nice bucks for sure. One of my son in laws family farms is in Daviess County. That property does have great potential, but still disagree most bucks that reach 5 1/2 will hit 150s.

 

[421sd]

Or, you can make an OBR which would save a ton of these bucks and also allow the people you mentioned to shoot what they want.

That has been discussed at length here. I don’t remember what the average % of hunters in this state that take two bucks is, but I think it’s relatively low isn’t it?

Also, I have no reason to own ground in the Ozarks unless its at the lake, and even then I HATE that drive for a weekend trip. All of our ground is in NWMO as well as my duck ground so I bought deer ground bordering our family farm. Itd be kind dumb to buy 4 hours away from the main area...

I assumed that would be the reason, but I had to ask. A couple of my spots qualify as N MO, and I prefer to hunt them if possible over my Ozarks spots.

 

[Hawk2]

Especially when it takes at least 100 years to gain an inch of soil…..

I guess all of these Big Buck hunters going North to purchase/lease hunting properties have it all wrong….

I do agree that trigger control is a primary factor…. But if I had to put a 150 or better on the ground any given season I would be hunting my lease in Scotland, Knox or Lewis County Vs Texas County…

Of course you would, because the high grading is MUCH less impactful in the north than the south due to greater deer density and higher hunter expectations.

 

[Hawk2]

I think there is pretty much a concensus that ozark fully mature bucks wont average 150. For the same reason them thar hills wont support as high of deer densities .

Of course, because the ones that would have been 170+ at fully mature were shot at 2.

Antler diameters of yearlings in the Ozarks are the same as Southern Indiana, the Mississippi Delta and northern Kentucky. Antler sizes in the ozarks are bigger than anything in south texas. There is more than enough food to produce large antlers in the Ozarks if hunters would stop shooting them at 2 years old. Just look at the results from when APRs were implemented south of the MO river.

 

[Hawk2]

Now he says the aging soils thing was a joke evidently.

Im guessing it went WAY over your head....

 

[cowboy]

Thats why I said pretty much a concensus. There is usually at least one adult that still believes in santa.

 

[Steelman]

Ive never posted pics. Some of my bucks are not 150, but all were 4.5+, most 5.5+. Plenty of people here have seen them.

Still no number on how many 150+ bucks you've killed the last 23 years, using your non high grading process.

Actually, still no number on the 4.5 and 5.5 bucks or what they measured either. And how did you age them? or are we just supposed to take your word for it. 💩

Does "some", mean none?

 

[20']

Now he says the aging soils thing was a joke evidently.

He was joking for sure, trying to emphasize his point

 

[20']

I think there is pretty much a concensus that ozark fully mature bucks wont average 150. For the same reason them thar hills wont support as high of deer densities .

They rarely get to 150 much less average it, but this so called science says otherwise

 

[20']

Of course, because the ones that would have been 170+ at fully mature were shot at 2.

Antler diameters of yearlings in the Ozarks are the same as Southern Indiana, the Mississippi Delta and northern Kentucky. Antler sizes in the ozarks are bigger than anything in south texas. There is more than enough food to produce large antlers in the Ozarks if hunters would stop shooting them at 2 years old. Just look at the results from when APRs were implemented south of the MO river.

this is not very scientific, but I know in 25 years of hunting opening weekend in the Ozarks I NEVER killed anything even 130 or better and only saw one that would be north of 130 in those 25 years!! So, tell me again how the Ozarks bucks are just as big?

Pre APRs would you say hunters knew what spikes and forkies they were shooting were the potential high graders?

 

[Hawk2]

Yet reality does.

Science IS reality. The REALITY is, 90% of the reason bucks are smaller in south MO is high grading

 

[Hawk2]

Why would there be fewer deer ?

Ask yourself the same question.....

 

[20']

Ask yourself the same question.....

would it be because there are far more woods, hills and draws to hide in? what do I win?

 

[cowboy]

Ask yourself the same question.....

I have. And the answer is more limited resources causing them to have to work harder for a living.

 

[gmbellew]

Science IS reality. The REALITY is, 90% of the reason bucks are smaller in south MO is high grading

Is there a reference for that claim?

 

[kgdog]

High grading in the Ozarks ,,,,psssst .....shoot them at (more like 1.5 ) .............Look its more poverish is the ozarks ............Them people rely on deer meat ,,,,im talking shannon ,reynolds,iron co etc
They shoot the first legal buck deer ...
Hell when i tagged along at 12 -14 y old in Gasconade co the hunting group killed the first legal buck that strolled along ,,,spike forky and a lot of basket racked 1.5 yr olds

 

[20']

I have. And the answer is more limited resources causing them to have to work harder for a living.

Stress

 

[20']

High grading in the Ozarks ,,,,psssst .....shoot them at (more like 1.5 ) .............Look its more poverish is the ozarks ............Them people rely on deer meat ,,,,im talking shannon ,reynolds,iron co etc
They shoot the first legal buck deer ...
Hell when i tagged along at 12 -14 y old in Gasconade co the hunting group killed the first legal buck that strolled along ,,,spike forky and a lot of basket racked 1.5 yr olds

OG high graders👍

 

[Reflex]

Why we talking about high grading? I thought MDC wanted us to kill them all.

 

[rat]

He was joking for sure, trying to emphasize his point

No, no he wasn’t.