WA bucks over 180”?

[baldopepper]

When I was younger a major sporting goods store in Salt Lake sponsored a big buck contest every year. Top prize was a new jeep and prizes were awarded to top.30 bucks submitted.  They always had at least a couple hundred brought by for submission. While the winner was usually a brute, most outside of the top 10 entries would not have scored 180.  Utah at that time sold 280,000 deer permits every year.  I think that's kind of an indicator of how unusual bucks scoring 180+ are.

 

[Dan-o]

When I was younger a major sporting goods store in Salt Lake sponsored a big buck contest.  Top prize was a new jeep and prizes were awarded to top.30 bucks submitted.  They always had at least a couple hundred brought by for submission. While the winner was usually a brute, most outside of the top 10 entries would not have scored 180.  Utah at that time sold 280,000 deer permits every year.  I think that's kind of an indicator of how unusual bucks scoring 180+ are.

 

Wolfe's Sporting Goods!

I dreamed of winning that Jeep many times.......

[baldopepper]

When I was younger a major sporting goods store in Salt Lake sponsored a big buck contest.  Top prize was a new jeep and prizes were awarded to top.30 bucks submitted.  They always had at least a couple hundred brought by for submission. While the winner was usually a brute, most outside of the top 10 entries would not have scored 180.  Utah at that time sold 280,000 deer permits every year.  I think that's kind of an indicator of how unusual bucks scoring 180+ are.

 

Wolfe's Sporting Goods!

I dreamed of winning that Jeep many times.......

Brother took second one year with a buck with 37 inch spread and 21 points. Won a new rifle and a spot on the  televised award presentation.  Yes it was Wolfe's.

[2MANY]

I prefer to photograph 200" sheds.
Someday I'll show you the pictures.

[huntnnw]

From all the years of hunting in WA and all the people Ive known over the years nobody is killing 180" every year out in this state if they are hunting just public land. There might be some guys with huge ranches they can hunt and control the population and harvest rates to grow big bucks and even then getting a buck to 180 is hard. I feel like if I put forth the effort like I use to for whitetails I have a easier time turning up a gross 180 whitetail on cam every year than a muley.

[boneaddict]

My goal every year is essentially finding and filming 500 bucks.  How that number evolved I don’t really know, a game to get my kids involved, a solid goal, not sure.  This is from when I filmed exclusively in Washington and continued even when I went out of state.    After 30 plus years of doing this, I wish I kept better stats.   I see a couple every year, not very many.   180 is a magical buck. Really 170 is.  Ninety percent of the 200 inch bucks seen are likely 180.    I kid about the filming part, but hunting is a form of evolution.  Learning and understanding mule deer, so that you can basically go anywhere and know you’ll find what there is to find, because you know the animal. You know where he is going to stand, when and why.   You make your own luck, but a little luck is always good. Hard work and patience does pay off.    Another part of it, to me was leaving technology behind.  No trail cams, no baits, no lures, no 600 yard shots.  Matching wits with an ole mossback and getting within 20 to 30 yards of him is a thrill.    There are fewer and fewer 180 bucks out there.   That being said, I saw three this weekend and was successful on filming two.   
It’s a lofty goal, but we all dream about the next one.

180 is also just a number.   Every once in awhile I see a buck that won’t score didly, but is a trophy of a lifetime.  I got one this fall that was like that.   I’ll try to post it up later.

[idahohuntr]

Another part of it, to me was leaving technology behind.  No trail cams, no baits, no lures, no 600 yard shots.  Matching wits with an ole mossback and getting within 20 to 30 yards of him is a thrill.   

This, in my opinion, is far more rare among hunters today than finding 180+ bucks.

[jjhunter]

Cool thread!

I love mule deer - always been my number 1.   Lots of ways to measure success and challenge ourselves in the mule deer woods.    I spend a lot of time at it in some pretty cool places across the west and continuously get my butt kicked.  Even with great tags and the best technology, a big mule deer is a rare critter.

I met a “kid” on my first trip to Colorado that was frequenting the same glassing ridge as I was.   He told me that he had killed a buck over 180” in 8 different states/provinces.  I thought that was such a cool accomplishment…killing a big mule deer in that many different landscapes/environments.

I’ve kinda adopted that challenge for myself.  I enjoy the research and strategy as much as the hunting in my quest.  So far, I’ve done it 4 states.  I also had a goal of killing 3 over 200” before I hang it up.  I think I’ll get both done.  It’ll take a lot of tags and a lot of days. 

[2MANY]

My goal every year is essentially finding and filming 500 bucks.  How that number evolved I don’t really know, a game to get my kids involved, a solid goal, not sure.  This is from when I filmed exclusively in Washington and continued even when I went out of state.    After 30 plus years of doing this, I wish I kept better stats.   I see a couple every year, not very many.   180 is a magical buck. Really 170 is.  Ninety percent of the 200 inch bucks seen are likely 180.    I kid about the filming part, but hunting is a form of evolution.  Learning and understanding mule deer, so that you can basically go anywhere and know you’ll find what there is to find, because you know the animal. You know where he is going to stand, when and why.   You make your own luck, but a little luck is always good. Hard work and patience does pay off.    Another part of it, to me was leaving technology behind.  No trail cams, no baits, no lures, no 600 yard shots.  Matching wits with an ole mossback and getting within 20 to 30 yards of him is a thrill.    There are fewer and fewer 180 bucks out there.   That being said, I saw three this weekend and was successful on filming two.   
It’s a lofty goal, but we all dream about the next one.

180 is also just a number.   Every once in awhile I see a buck that won’t score didly, but is a trophy of a lifetime.  I got one this fall that was like that.   I’ll try to post it up later.

Your pictures are incredible.
I love the fact no tag is required as well.

[baldopepper]

Seems to me there are about 3 things that produce the big bucks:
1) genetics-some areas seem to have that gene pool that produces big racks. Just getting old doesn't guarantee a big rack.  Lots of 5-6 year old bucks never get much beyond an average 4x4.
2) great environment-put the right gene pool in a great environment and you'll get big results.Much tougher on em in scraggly areas with poor nourishment
3) Luck-simply got lucky enough to avoid predators and hunters to mature into a big buck. Probably the toughest of all aspects of making a 180+ buck

[bearhunter99]

At some point you stop killing them and start photographing them.  You know it’s a lot harder to get a good photo of a buck than it is to kill it.   

Depends on the size of your lens...    Definitely some truth to that though. 

[jjhunter]

Does anyone else look back and realize just how good the 20-teens were across the West for mule deer as compared to the last 4-5 years?

I wonder if the 20-teens will end up being the heyday of my hunting career…?

[CarbonHunter]

The 2000’s were even better than the teens in a lot of areas and that was just half a dozen years after some horrible winter kill years. Deer used to rebound much faster than they have been lately or at least it seems that way.

[The scout]

Does anyone else look back and realize just how good the 20-teens were across the West for mule deer as compared to the last 4-5 years?

I wonder if the 20-teens will end up being the heyday of my hunting career…?

I keep thinking the same thing, we are still coming away with 170-180 class bucks each year. Which we are happy with. But not seeing nearly as many, and not as many huge bucks we aren’t getting opportunities at either. I keep making excuses in my head for it. Ultimately too many people is the common thing across the board. Lots of big camps shooting every buck they see is taking a toll as well. One year of it isn’t a huge deal but 10 years of it can take a toll for sure.

[boneaddict]

Nice goals JJ.   This years adventure for me was the Badlands.  Crazy cool the variety of country these guys reign  over.