Post by: fishngamereaper on April 15, 2013, 10:32:50 AM
I figured I would post this question.
What is your reasonable expectation for a quality elk score. I know we all dream of 380-400 class bulls. But keeping it reasonable. I ate a peaches tag in 98 because my expecations where to high.. :'(
So what are your expecations, disregarding area of draw. Just in general.
Im saying a 320 bull is reasonable.
Post by: Elkrunner on April 15, 2013, 10:34:02 AM
:twocents:
Post by: jrebel on April 15, 2013, 10:36:15 AM
Post by: Elkrunner on April 15, 2013, 10:37:30 AM
I would be ecstatic with a bull that went 320+. But then again I have only killed on bull before and only knew it was a bull cause it had nuts (not horns). :chuckle:
Rocky Mountain Oysters for dinner!
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 15, 2013, 10:37:33 AM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on April 15, 2013, 10:40:54 AM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 15, 2013, 10:43:13 AM
Cant eat antlers! Shoot the first leagle elk!did that in 09.
Post by: Elkrunner on April 15, 2013, 10:43:51 AM
Post by: bolsen on April 15, 2013, 10:46:18 AM
Post by: Woodchuck on April 15, 2013, 10:47:42 AM
If I drew in my "home" unit 350 would be my number. :twocents:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 15, 2013, 10:47:55 AM
Post by: fishngamereaper on April 15, 2013, 10:51:08 AM
Cant eat antlers! Shoot the first leagle elk!
Ya ,buts thats what a cow tag is for. If I spend 15 plus years applying for a quality bull tag Im gunna hold out for something worthy of waiting 15 years for. :twocents:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 15, 2013, 10:53:43 AM
Post by: JPhelps on April 15, 2013, 10:56:47 AM
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
Post by: jrebel on April 15, 2013, 11:05:41 AM
I have killed a lot of deer over the years, however I had never really had the opportunity to hunt trophy mule deer in the rut. I told myself I would not kill anything less than a 160" buck. I scouted my but off and saw quite a few really nice deer and a few that were true trophies. I was hunting with a muzzlelaoder and knew I had a great chance a great buck.
Well, day one came and the #1 buck I was scouting was shot by another hunter. :bash: On to plan B. I passed an many bucks that were trophies by my standard...just not 160". Day 4 of a 6 day hunt came with some unforeseen problems, my water pump on the jeep had started leaking. It was today or never as I wasn't ready to kill my jeep for a deer.
I again passed early in the day on some really nice deer. As the sun was setting fast and the deer activity was picking up I couldn't find a decent buck to save my life. I was ready to kill any buck at this point and all that went through my mind was...."why did I pass on so many great bucks?"
Well finally I see a small (and I mean small 3pt buck) buck and decide this is the one. I take the safety off and level the gun. My buddy who was at my side stopped me at the last second (literally I was about to pull the trigger). Coming in behind the small buck was the buck I ended up harvesting. It is the buck in my avatar and is 27 7/8 wide 4x4 with really nice eye guards. It unofficially scores in the upper 150's (can't remember exactly but I think 157 and change).
Morel of the story.....I didn't achieve the goal of a 160" buck. I almost went home is a 70" buck. I learned a lot from this hunt and am still confused as I was before I started hunt.
If you kill a lesser (score wise) animal early you will not have the opportunity to kill a masher. But if you don't kill a lesser animal as the opportunity presents itself, you may not kill an animal (or at least have to settle for a dink).
So the only person that can answer the original question is the hunter. I will never again pass on some of the quality animals I passed on this last year. I almost went home with a dink and that would have sucked. I ended up getting real lucky. :twocents:
Post by: jackelope on April 15, 2013, 11:18:50 AM
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
Agreed.
I totally think it depends where your permit is for...as in what GMU
Post by: vandeman17 on April 15, 2013, 11:25:52 AM
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
Agreed.
I totally think it depends where your permit is for...as in what GMU
I agree that it depends on where your permit is AND what weapon you have. My standards would drop a little as I went from rifle, to muzzy, to bow. Basically if 340 was my goal with rifle, I would go about 320 muzzy and 300 with bow or something along those lines.
Post by: bow4elk on April 15, 2013, 11:33:19 AM
Charlie told me when i draw my tag he is going with me and holding my arrows. He will only give me one when its time to shoot, so however big that is. :chuckle:
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
I've killed a lot of elk but never a big bull. Called a lot of them in for others, just haven't had lady luck on my side. All good, so for me it's a personal thing. I have 14 points going into the draw this year. I'd like to think I can draw a SE WA permit but time will tell. If I do, I have to be realistic about the time I have to hunt and other considerations such as hunting solo in hot weather.
So, given I'll have a week to get it done, any bull in the ~320" that provides me a quality shot opportunity is getting a lung job. But, then again, I'm with Phelps - a 300" bull is a great bull anywhere and they all look bigger in the heat of the moment! Holding out for a 350-class bull would be my preference but it's all about balancing time constraints and being realistic. Stressing out about antler size on a hunt isn't high on my priority list :bdid:
Post by: bobcat on April 15, 2013, 11:44:29 AM
Cant eat antlers! Shoot the first leagle elk!did that in 09.
:yike: How did they taste? What did you do with the meat? Did you eat it too?
Post by: bowhunterty on April 15, 2013, 12:11:04 PM
Post by: boneaddict on April 15, 2013, 12:23:04 PM
Post by: Roperfive88 on April 15, 2013, 12:38:10 PM
Something to think about (I almost lived this last year with my quality deer tag).
I have killed a lot of deer over the years, however I had never really had the opportunity to hunt trophy mule deer in the rut. I told myself I would not kill anything less than a 160" buck. I scouted my but off and saw quite a few really nice deer and a few that were true trophies. I was hunting with a muzzlelaoder and knew I had a great chance a great buck.
Well, day one came and the #1 buck I was scouting was shot by another hunter. :bash: On to plan B. I passed an many bucks that were trophies by my standard...just not 160". Day 4 of a 6 day hunt came with some unforeseen problems, my water pump on the jeep had started leaking. It was today or never as I wasn't ready to kill my jeep for a deer.
I again passed early in the day on some really nice deer. As the sun was setting fast and the deer activity was picking up I couldn't find a decent buck to save my life. I was ready to kill any buck at this point and all that went through my mind was...."why did I pass on so many great bucks?"
Well finally I see a small (and I mean small 3pt buck) buck and decide this is the one. I take the safety off and level the gun. My buddy who was at my side stopped me at the last second (literally I was about to pull the trigger). Coming in behind the small buck was the buck I ended up harvesting. It is the buck in my avatar and is 27 7/8 wide 4x4 with really nice eye guards. It unofficially scores in the upper 150's (can't remember exactly but I think 157 and change).
Morel of the story.....I didn't achieve the goal of a 160" buck. I almost went home is a 70" buck. I learned a lot from this hunt and am still confused as I was before I started hunt.
If you kill a lesser (score wise) animal early you will not have the opportunity to kill a masher. But if you don't kill a lesser animal as the opportunity presents itself, you may not kill an animal (or at least have to settle for a dink).
So the only person that can answer the original question is the hunter. I will never again pass on some of the quality animals I passed on this last year. I almost went home with a dink and that would have sucked. I ended up getting real lucky. :twocents:
Every buck or bull that you get close to and pass on a shot is a kill in my book. You can't shoot a big ones if you shoot little ones. As for the Elk Score where I hunt my number is 350. It all comes to scouting your area and knowing whats there. You can't hold out for a 400 in bull that is not there.
Post by: coachcw on April 15, 2013, 12:40:11 PM
350 I ate my last tag looking for just that. My freezer was full, so the quality of the hunt was more important to me than the meat.Agreed Bone . On a hunt acouple of years ago in agood central unit we looked at 75-80 branched bulls and only two where over 350.
Post by: Tbar on April 15, 2013, 01:13:38 PM
I would also agree with many when it comes to 300" animals, they are a trophy by my standards.
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 15, 2013, 02:19:33 PM
you got me. I meant I shot the first legal elk.Cant eat antlers! Shoot the first leagle elk!did that in 09.
:yike: How did they taste? What did you do with the meat? Did you eat it too?
Post by: slim9300 on April 15, 2013, 05:32:04 PM
Charlie told me when i draw my tag he is going with me and holding my arrows. He will only give me one when its time to shoot, so however big that is. :chuckle:
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
Isn't that the truth. I swore my partner's bull was pushing 320" this year when he shot it at 15 yards. Negative ghost rider. :)
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Post by: sakoshooter on April 15, 2013, 06:00:20 PM
Post by: trophyhunt on April 15, 2013, 06:31:38 PM
Post by: mtman on April 15, 2013, 06:50:04 PM
Post by: Mudman on April 15, 2013, 07:01:57 PM
Post by: NWWA Hunter on April 15, 2013, 08:44:52 PM
Post by: Elkgetr2 on April 15, 2013, 09:30:40 PM
Post by: jess on April 15, 2013, 09:54:09 PM
Post by: huntnnw on April 15, 2013, 10:13:40 PM
Post by: Button Nubbs on April 15, 2013, 10:25:11 PM
Permit tag really depends on the unit, but I'm waiting for a 320 bull to shoulder mount. But I guess that's the beauty of hunting the wetside, it could happen permit or not.
Post by: norsepeak on April 15, 2013, 10:27:38 PM
Post by: Button Nubbs on April 15, 2013, 10:33:53 PM
Post by: pendoreilleadventures on April 15, 2013, 10:50:17 PM
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 15, 2013, 10:53:53 PM
Post by: Tbar on April 15, 2013, 11:39:16 PM
what would you guys score this guy at? And would he make you happy? Took the client 14 points to draw this tag, and he wanted a "nice" bull. He was very happy on the second day of his hunt. :tup:
I have a tough time with camera angles. I can't get 300 with the missing tine. I'm going to say 285. I might be way off and congrats to the hunter, regardless of score it's a great bull. If he was happy expectations met. To answer the second half of your question (would it make me happy?) Yes, I'm happy with any bull.
Post by: NWWA Hunter on April 16, 2013, 12:04:05 AM
Post by: NWWA Hunter on April 16, 2013, 12:06:31 AM
Post by: JPhelps on April 16, 2013, 04:51:44 AM
Post by: grundy53 on April 16, 2013, 05:16:42 AM
General tag I'm shootin the first 3 I see.
Permit tag really depends on the unit, but I'm waiting for a 320 bull to shoulder mount. But I guess that's the beauty of hunting the wetside, it could happen permit or not.
:yeah:
Post by: coachcw on April 16, 2013, 06:11:55 AM
Post by: trophyhunt on April 16, 2013, 06:36:14 AM
Post by: Moose Master on April 16, 2013, 06:45:01 AM
Post by: tgray on April 16, 2013, 06:58:08 AM
285ish with the missing point, 300 with it.same here, 305 maybe with the missing point, somewhere around 290 without it. Still a great bull.
I'm not one to really care about score, I've taken some really nice bulls but one of hunts that means the most to me is taking my gramps at 75 years of age and getting him a 250" 6 point, I don't think I've ever seen a happier man. Always hunt for yourself and you will never do wrong.
Post by: Roperfive88 on April 16, 2013, 08:09:12 AM
Post by: fishngamereaper on April 16, 2013, 08:50:38 AM
Post by: Killmore on April 16, 2013, 08:55:05 AM
Post by: Elkrunner on April 16, 2013, 08:59:22 AM
Post by: Tbar on April 16, 2013, 11:26:28 AM
Post by: Roperfive88 on April 16, 2013, 12:54:25 PM
Post by: boneaddict on April 16, 2013, 12:59:49 PM
Post by: PlateauNDN on April 16, 2013, 01:08:36 PM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on April 16, 2013, 01:43:13 PM
:yeah: that's hunting to me, well said bone. :tup::yeah:j
Post by: Mudman on April 16, 2013, 05:04:57 PM
Post by: Mr Mykiss on April 16, 2013, 06:15:55 PM
Adjust the numbers as you see fit depending on the unit and how much more/less you are from an "average hunter".
Post by: kentrek on April 16, 2013, 06:18:51 PM
Maybe the average hunter has a... 50-60% chance of a 300-320 bull opportunity, 20% 320-360, 10% 360+
Adjust the numbers as you see fit depending on the unit and how much more/less you are from an "average hunter".
hmmm i wonder what it takes to qualify as an average hunter...i like those odds tho
Post by: Mr Mykiss on April 16, 2013, 06:45:59 PM
Post by: huntnnw on April 16, 2013, 10:23:14 PM
Post by: bucklucky on April 17, 2013, 07:52:51 AM
Charlie told me when i draw my tag he is going with me and holding my arrows. He will only give me one when its time to shoot, so however big that is. :chuckle:
Sitting here at my house I say 340. When out In the woods 300's start to look like 340's. :tup:
Your going to be pissed when you have no arrows and a 360 bull is at 30 yards broadside :chuckle: It will make for good video though :chuckle:
Post by: fishngamereaper on April 17, 2013, 07:59:15 AM
:yeah: that's hunting to me, well said bone. :tup:
Totally agree with you guys. That is hunting and that is why I hunt. Ive been hunting blacktails all my life and wont pass on a legal buck. Thats why I hunt genereal season eastside elk, love the country and love the chase. Its not about the horns. My main point is that if Im spending 15 plus years trying to achieve something I can change my mentallity a little bit and try and go big for a change. I think thats what the quality tags/OIL tags represent. That one chance in life for the average guy to take a better than average animal.
Post by: slim9300 on April 19, 2013, 10:14:26 AM
My impressions would be that most, if not all Hunting-WA members would be above average hunters...many well above average.
Lol.
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Post by: plugger on April 21, 2013, 03:43:32 PM
Post by: Dan-o on April 21, 2013, 04:03:58 PM
I'd take that and a rag horn over a big bull in heavy trafffic every time.
I just LOVE pulling a tag with an expectation that I might get bulls to bugle back and that likely nobody else is in the neighborhood.
Post by: autodink13 on April 21, 2013, 04:27:00 PM