Hunting East MT, how big should I hold out for?

[huntnphool]

I have as much fun finding them and getting pics as I do shooting them so holding out until the end is a little easier.

[Pathfinder101]

For those of you that have not hunted it before this is a sample of what you will likely see. Better bring good optics and be prepared to glass one spot for an extended period of time. The deer get in the finger draws and feed slowly. If leave too soon you may be missing your wall hanger. This buck is a good example of what we find a lot of. Decent buck, heavy body, good frame but short g3's. Loads of deer over there but finding one that "has it all" takes a lot of glassing.

That is a dead deer for me also.  A little light-horned, but I'd be happy.

Holy Crap, Lemondog lives!!!! I was wondering if all this Montana muley hunting would stir you out of hiding


  How about this one?
 

I can't see his spread from that angle, but from what I can see, no.  I have shot Washington deer that big.

[huntnphool]

Looking for width do you shoot a wide 2 or pass?

[Jackjr]

I would shoot   That is something you dont see everyday

[huntnphool]

Hung up on width?, does it really have to be as wide as its ears..... Really?

[Jackjr]

You sure make life diffucult sometimes

[huntnphool]

You sure make life diffucult sometimes

Anything to help Jr. Now you know why M-Ray's head was spinning last year

[nwhunter]

Great pics huntnphool thanks for sharing. Sounds like lots of us huntwa guys are headed east next week. Good luck to all. nwhunter

[jstamp]

i love super forky's! i would shoot in a heartbeat. gross score isn't everything. i hope i see that buck over there. just not the first day. 

[WildfireArcher]

Good luck everyone! just got back from east montana and saw lots of good bucks. It'll be a great experience all right  

-Wildfire

[markts]

I would shoot any of those bucks after hunting here all my life, and whistle all the way home Mark

[WAcoueshunter]

I'd shoot the big forky in a heartbeat!  I'd rather him than your average 20" 4x4 any day.  The buck after him would be my first choice out of the bunch, the forky second.  

Thanks for posting the pics Phool - it's always fun to see live buck pics from during the season.  They're just a bit more "real" than summer bucks, bucks on the winter range, park bucks, etc.  

Did you pass on the "nowidth" buck?  I'd have a hard time passing an 8x6 anywhere.

[huntnphool]

all those are still out there, as far as I know

[fishunt247]

I wouldn't shoot the first one, or the three point, or the big 2. Any of those other I'd shoot. I'm with the steroid kid, as I've never been much for standards in this state. We are both young, and hopefully have a lot of time left. I'm super excited for this hunt, and for reading the stories once we all get back.

[blackveltbowhunter]

   All these pics are AWESOME!! Onething that has worked for me, ( im no expert or big time trophy hunter), is i try to give myself time. I love to HUNT so if I identify a certain caliber of deer common to a given area and have time, I will hold out looking for a better buck until TIME puts a squeeze on and I subsquently sqweeeze the trigger. If your crunched for time figure out what your gonna be happy with on the last day of the hunt and shoot it on the first day. These pics should help alot just remember area vary from year to year and what was there last year may not be a clear representation of bucks that are available. Being relativley new to the out of state game, I stumbled on a good spot in eastern oregon 3 seasons back and passed several small 3s having seen some dandys and shot a good 19" 3 pt my first mulie, on the last day of a ten day hunt. I had alot of time and saw good deer right out of the gate so holding out was easier while i figured out how to hunt these deer. Went back a year later and got a 22" 4 w/eyeguards which was about what I figured to be top o the heap for the area 7hrs into opening day. Im all excited to go back the past september thinking I have got it figured out. Yea right!! Saw a ton of does and some small bucks but the gooduns were gone. A week of hard hunting and I shot a spike late on the last day. Had a blast hunting was happy with the buck. GOOD LUCK!!