How many 180+ Whitetails have you seen while walking? - Page 3

silver · #61 10-23-2017, 06:21 PM

I can say I have not seen one walking.

I did get a brief look at one on posted land in season but he was untouchable. Was good to see him a few times for a few years. Every time I saw him after that there was no season.

This was 25 or 30 years ago, I lived on a secluded acreage, lots of bush around, but I could see about 700 yards to the south across some pasture. I had a spotting scope set up, and one day in August there were 6 bucks going across the pasture. Two of them I could see had four points, plus a brow tine, and the beam length was four to six inches. The others had five points plus a brow tine. When they are walking from right to left at 600 yards, I couldn't see the brow tine, I just presumed it was there. Three out of the four had 5 main tines of about 6 inches.

The last one, the one I had seen a few times, had 5 main tines of about 8 to 10 inches.

Talking to other hunters, a guy has to be fairly careful what you say. I did get one other guy to admit to seeing him. He came up with enough details to convince me we were talking about the same animal. When I didn't see him for a few years , I started asking around. One neighbour said he was pushing bush in the area concerned, got a shot at a really good one, but lost his tracks in the blowing snow.

I would have to say he was real close to the Hanson buck, but you know, deer track soup is mighty poor eating.

badbrass · #62 10-23-2017, 06:49 PM

Ive seen 3, one never made it 192 5/8 NT
I guess they say it's a double throat? Which is special!

elkchaser · #63 10-23-2017, 06:51 PM

Never ! 150 is about the biggest deer I have ever seem on the hoof . Even thoughts of them make my heart race .

lromanchuk · #64 10-23-2017, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badbrass

Ive seen 3, one never made it 192 5/8 NT
I guess they say it's a double throat? Which is special!

Nice work.. He's a beauty.

Big Lou · #65 10-23-2017, 08:26 PM

I’m pretty sure this is the largest I’ve seen while actively hunting. I came home October 31st. Checked cams Nov 1 and he was very regular and in legal light for about a week previous. I could have killed him that evening with the slug gun. Watched him feed for about an hour but I got cocky and figured I’d kill him with the bow. I’m positive he watched me hang the stand the next day. Went completely nocturnal after that and I didn’t see him for over a year. Killed him that next fall. A lot smaller at 163”. Tale of the teeth puts him 8+ years old but most likely 9.5. I know where his sheds are and that landowner will not let anyone on for any reason. It breaks me. I’d do a lot of bad things to see how big he was in his prime.

I’ve seen my fair share of 180+ deer via touring backroads and spending a considerable amount of time in northern Alberta when deer numbers were insane. The bulk of them have been just random and a lot of miles in between but I’ve seen some real pigs. Other than the one I shared pictures of, I think I’ve only seen one other that would for sure break 180” while hunting.

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Bushleague · #66 10-23-2017, 08:52 PM

I saw one 11 years ago while I was tracking a moose south of Red Earth, I don't know if he was 180 but deffinatly over 160. When I first saw him he was looking at me from between two poplars, all I could see were his brow tines and I remember thinking he was a pretty big fork horn. Then he stepped casually stepped out from behind the tree about 60 yards from me and I could see the whole rack... unfortunately I had hung my tag on a nice 4x5 a few weeks earlier.

Red Bullets · #67 10-23-2017, 11:40 PM

Over 40+ years of parkland hunting I have known 3 whitetails that were definitely 180 or better.

One of those big bucks ended up teaching me lots about deer hunting and tracking. He never did present himself during my hunts but I played a few rounds of hide and seek with him. I first saw him across a valley during pre season scouting. That buck was a loner. His bed was by itself and the bed was probably as old as him. The bed was no where near any well used deer trails. His bed was on a point overlooking a heavily treed valley 120 yards from a year round water source. Only a dozen smaller trees on his bed point. That buck used the most obscure trails to and from his bed. He didn't have to move very far for everything he needed. That buck eluded me the whole hunting season and the following spring I was able to find one side of his dropped antlers(pic 1). The antler I found was a clean 5 point with 84 inches of mass. He was a typical and wide so I'm guessing he was in the mid to high 180's. Sadly the following spring the landowner decided to build a home 250 yards from that bucks bed. I couldn't hunt that property after that but the landowner did tell me about seeing that buck a few times over the next 4 years. I'd bet that buck died of old age.

Another time I found a set of dropped antlers that were so nice I had a shoulder mount done with them. That set would have likely scored around 190. (pic2)

When I was guiding a few years ago I put a hunter on my personal favorite hunting spot in a ground stand. I myself had been successful there before with 150 class bucks. At high noon he shot a 5x5 182 typical with 4 inches of deductions. (pic3)

curtisb · #68 10-24-2017, 09:40 AM

Seen one that would have went 180+.
248, late August of 2006.
Scouting right near my house. Seen hide nor hair of one since.

Greasemonkey · #69 10-31-2017, 08:46 PM

I’ve seen 2 ever the first I was watching a lease site and seen a doe walk across the gas line connecting to it walked down to investigate it was a nice trail so I sat there watching toward the lease site well not 1/2 hour later right where I was sitting before I watch the biggest buck walk out into this lease site it was some 700 yards away I ran as fast as I could hopping to get a glimpse of him walking down a connecting line but he was gone worst mistake I have ever made hunting I still see him in my dreams he had everything, the other was actually driving me and my dad where on our way back to camp for lunch and I said I’d drive so put my gun away he kept his out(unloaded of course) we crested this hill on this old oil lease road and there he was not 80yards away I stopped my dad grabbed his binos to look at him and I say wtf are you doing shoot him well he gets out loads his gun a floor plate ruger and sits down to get a shot well mr buck walks into the trees never to be seen again, I still kick myself for putting my gun away oh well.

Desert Eagle · #70 11-01-2017, 08:52 PM

I have seen one while out walking. We were in a pasture with strips of trees. Just happened to see a doe running around. As it happened there was a buck right on her. He was easily 180". I had closed my tag on a very respectable buck at that point and the guy I was with only purchased a supplemental tag. .

Through the years we have spotted quite a few while driving around, most not in season. One was in season and there was unfortunate circumstances that I wasn't able to harvest him... even after 3 chances.