End of The World

[Big Skyz]

Y'all might just want to tilt an eye skyward for a while. It could very well be the end of the world. Why would I say that? Glad ya asked. Well, for the first time in my adult life, deer season ended, and I still have my deer tag in my pocket. Never even fired a shot. Over three decades of success have come to an abrupt end. I'm telling you something has to be amiss in the universe. It's either that, or I'm just getting too old and out of shape to care anymore. Nope, has to be the universe...

[Big Muddy]

Well, Sky, did you at least see any deer?

[Big Skyz]

Passed up a little over 20 bucks. Most were micro tiny spikes and fork horns. The best buck I saw was this muley, but I've got a garage full of bucks like this or bigger, so he got a pass. Give him a year or two and I might whack him. Obviously if I was close enough to get this photo, killing him would have been beyond easy.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/Muley2013Judiths2_zpsccf26f84.jpg

[Niner]

Passed up a little over 20 bucks. Most were micro tiny spikes and fork horns. The best buck I saw was this muley, but I've got a garage full of bucks like this or bigger, so he got a pass. Give him a year or two and I might whack him.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/Muley2013Judiths2_zpsccf26f84.jpg

Gonna be mighty tough to get them into the frying pan if they are still walking around.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Just how big an old boy are ya?

BKB

[LJ3]

Just how big an old boy are ya?

BKB

No shit! :)

[Big Skyz]

Another pic of the same buck, just a different angle. If I'd never killed a mule deer before, or had only killed a few decent bucks, this would be an acceptable buck. He'd make an outstanding first mule deer buck for someone. I prefer to kill whitetails these days, so it takes a much bigger muley than this to get me to donate a bullet. That, and mule deer aren't the best table fare. So if I have to gag on the meat for a year it better be worth it.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/Muley2013Judiths_zps1f1b9557.jpg

[quercus alba]

man that passes 20+ bucks ain't got no reason to complain. I've seen two deer this season

[Big Skyz]

quercus alba, it's all relative to where you live. In Montana passing on 20+ bucks because they were all dinks is a viable gripe. It's the worst deer hunting I've seen in 20 years of living here. At it's peak I've had days (this is not an exaggeration) where I've seen 200+ in a single day. Most years I average seeing 10-12 different bucks a day, but it hasn't been that way for the last few years. More like 5-10 bucks a day the last couple years. This year was more like 4 or 5 bucks a day. Of those, most were spikes and 2 points. Very discouraging for this area.

[Niner]

Sky, do you think the coyotes have something to do with this decline?

[Big Muddy]

Maybe you need to give Bucky an invite out there to whack(errr, shoot at) a few of those dink muleys to improve their gene pool.

He could bring his newly-named whore-gun....if he hasn't dropped it outta his deer stand, yet.


;););)

[Big Skyz]

Niner, no it wasn't the coyotes though they don't help the situation. Year before last we had two back to back winters that killed a lot of deer. Then this summer we had a major EHD (known to many as blue tongue) outbreak that killed whitetail deer by the thousands around the state. We got hit particularly hard right around here with that EHD. Unfortunately EHD kills your mature deer first. This was pretty obvious as I never saw a mature whitetail buck and only a hand full of adult does this season. There are pockets around the state where the whitetails didn't all die off, but nothing very close to here. I really hate that EHD stuff, it's worse than poahers, bad winters, hunters, and wolves combined.

Big Muddy, you know bucky would only fill the air full'a bullets and never hit nuttin anyhow.

[Big Muddy]

Only good thing about EHD is the surviving deer are immune to future EHD outbreaks....and, pass that immunity on to their offspring.

[Big Skyz]

BM, I sure hope you are right because it's really wiped them out the last couple years. This last year being the worst.

[Bwana]

Sorry to hear about not filling your tag but you do know that in a pinch those young spikes and forkies eat might fine when the season nears its end.

[Captain]

Sky you are welcome to load up and head out here to hunt. However my observations had been much like yours. I've seen a pile of dinks. This too has been my worse year for seeing "horns"
Part of it I'm sure is because I was down during the rut, and just now getting back into the swing of things.
We are ate up with coyotes and hogs and I think they have played hell with our deer population?

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[Big Skyz]

Captain I truly appreciate the offer and just may do that someday.

Bwana, I'd have to really "need" the meat to shoot a spike or 2 point in Montana. Hope I never "need" it that bad. Honestly, just killing a buck to fill my tag has no real appeal for me anymore. It used to, but that was quite a while ago.

Folks it was more than just a poor season for me. I swear the Hunting Gods conspired against me this year. Every time I'd try to plan a day or two to hunt something major would come up and foil my plans. I've never had a year like it before. Things like health issues, close friends suddenly becoming distant, land owners shutting their places down due to low deer numbers, land owners issues in general, bad weather, work priorities, sports (as in being a dad in that regard), church obligations, family obligations, and the list goes on and on. In short the deer numbers weren't very good, but the only thing more scarce than the deer was time to hunt them. I'm going to actually open up and say it really affected me, and I really don't see a whole lot more big game hunting in my future, some, but nothing like in the past. There are times in a guys life when things just cut too deep to heal or change. This season was one of those times. Not asking for sympathy or even understanding. Just saying a HUGE door in my life has slammed shut. As they say though, when one door closes another opens. Not sure what that will be, but things will never be the same, that much I do know.

[Buckrub]

Yeah. I never have killed a Muley in a blizzard with one shot.

Maybe someday.

[Captain]

I KNOooooooe the feeling Sky. I've had a year much as you describe. The only difference is my son is starting to really get into hunting. So I'm doing more watching than shooting this year as to make sure there are plenty dancing around when he comes down.
As far as another door opening it looks to me like you done kicked the hinges off of a new door with them trout! :)

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[Big Skyz]

Captain, easier to fit most freshwater fish on the wall than deer anydangway. I have set a goal to land a 25" or bigger brown trout. A rainbow trout that would go 25" or better wouldn't hurt my feelings either. I've already caught a world class brookie and pretty serious cutthroat as well. Then there there's smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye...