Realtree grades NC deer hunting

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
Trophy: How is that defined? Most likely inches of antler. Most places in NC deer will not have the inches of antler at the same age as deer from "trophy" destinations.

If they graded ENC on the percent of bucks harvested by age, not antler size we would be right up there with others.
 

Downeast

Twelve Pointer
Beauty and "trophies" are in the eyes of the beholder. I had some grilled backstraps for dinner last night. That to me is real "trophy" management.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
If the WRC follows through to propose a lower deer limit folks will be eating less back straps.
 

cheapdate

Eight Pointer
If the proposed changes come to fruition next year, we may finally get to see what the eastern part of this state is capable of producing. How big they can get is anyone's guess. But what I do know is that the eastern part of the state is fully capable of growing bucks bigger than buttons and spikes. Which is what you mostly get in the current brown-and-down East of 95 hunt zone.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
If the WRC follows through to propose a lower deer limit folks will be eating less back straps.

That's all according to how they split meat up,the dog clubs I belong to split meat up daily some weekly if they have coolers,any killed by a member still hunting belongs to the member tags it with his name and puts it in the cooler anything killed on a dog hunt belongs to the club and will be split by the club if they have cooler they split it up Sunday you put your name on the meat list even if you only hunted 1 or 2 days that week they will leave you a box of meat with your name on it in the cooler.Some guys can't hunt as much as others this way it makes sure everybody get some meat the ones that can only 1 day a week but help pay for the lease gets to share in the bounty to isn't that what clubs should be about.As for the NCWRC they have their agenda,I have mine.
 
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oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Trophy management is for the disenfranchised NC hunters. No out of state trophy deer hunters come to NC. There are some out of state hunters, but a trophy hunter got turned around if he landed here.

only ones i have ever seen or heard of were from adjoining states or military personnel.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
If the proposed changes come to fruition next year, we may finally get to see what the eastern part of this state is capable of producing. How big they can get is anyone's guess. But what I do know is that the eastern part of the state is fully capable of growing bucks bigger than buttons and spikes. Which is what you mostly get in the current brown-and-down East of 95 hunt zone.

I have hunted eastern NC all my life and in hard hunted areas still and dog. I have never hunted a place that didn't have mature bucks, never! They are hard to kill because their behavior allowed them to avoid hunters. They can be killed though, just got to be smart about it. Now a that mature buck may be a long way from being that 170" buck of your dreams, but it's a mature buck. I have no problem shooting a lesser racked older buck in matter of fact I prefer to shoot them over a larger racked younger buck. That is one of my concerns with a 2 buck limit also, is it going to make high grading worse. I personally think the majority of hunters high grade, when it comes to killing bucks in NC. Example, a 110" 8 pt 4.5 year old chasing does chasing does attracts the attention of a mid 120's 10 pt that's 2 1/2 years old, both come running out of the thicket across a small opening. No, known pics of either one, no previous knowledge of these bucks at all. Which would get shot, if you only had one tag left? I bet the one with more tines!
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
Quote Originally Posted by sky hawk View Post
Trophy management is for the disenfranchised NC hunters. No out of state trophy deer hunters come to NC. There are some out of state hunters, but a trophy hunter got turned around if he landed here.

only ones i have ever seen or heard of were from adjoining states or military personnel.

I don't know because some of them guys from up north sure do look awful happy, when they get their pictures taken with our mediocre NC bucks and I hardly every see them with pics of does or coolers of meat. Even seen where some couldn't wait to come back and chase NC bucks. Are they crazy? Maybe. My guess is they like the price, for what they are just as happy with their trophy vs. more $ for going to a "trophy" state.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
Both would get shot under a 4 buck limit

Which I think is just as well, at least the older inferior, rack wise, buck would also be taken out and not allowed to pass his contribution to the gene pool along.

Know of trophy clubs that put antler restrictions on bucks or limit the number of bucks below what the regulations are and wonder why they have so many mature 6 and 7 pointers.
 
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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Which I think is just as well, at least the older inferior, rack wise, buck would also be taken out.

Know of trophy clubs that put antler restrictions on bucks or limit the number of bucks below what the regulations are and wonder why they have so many mature 6 and 7 pointers.

you should see some of the stud 4 pt'rs in one of my clubs,,,,gonna see if I can find a picture,,

age don't always give "big horns" (and I know you know that,,,you've been saying that all along),,,,

3 1/2 yr old 3 point

UDPz_EEjDBZ-UJuttN9Ey5gQCvbaI86oI9LzZjdW2O8Ulre1w1G68o5U7tmtMwoxO8RqcV0nv8Zb4rPsug=w229-h220-rw



believe this one was a 5

1r22tFPKlKiOF0e7Qns_UWAZd6p0HobvyF8UUanttdY504onSsVdzrDYc-TNe6LJBX75mVn5GSKWf7JSqw=w314-h220-rw
 
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country

Ten Pointer
as much as I like deer hunting I have often thought it sure sucks not living in a big buck state.

guess I am lucky to not be in a "D" or "F" rated state...
 
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Combat Diver

Eight Pointer
This all day long and twice on Saturday. I don't want the herd managed for trophies whatsoever. I want it managed for numbers, and opportunity and overall health.

Agreed, I like a large herd for better success ratio. Thats where the grading should be. I prefer to eat not gaze at the wall.


CD
 

ncnat

Ten Pointer
If all the deer were slick tops we wouldn't be having these senseless threads and could be talking about more important stuff like whose squirrels have more nuts.
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
I "C" I am happy with my little patch of land and the does that run amuck along with a few stinking deer with horns.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
If all the deer were slick tops we wouldn't be having these senseless threads and could be talking about more important stuff like whose squirrels have more nuts.

growing up the area I hunted you shot the first dang deer you saw,,,,,spike, 8 pt, old bruiser,whatever,,,,,NEVER heard of someone passing a deer up,,,,,,,deer hunting is what you did intentsly for a few hours or few days,,,,,we spent most of our time small game hunting,,,,,,,,,,,,

we (as a group) are spoiled nowadays,,,,,,,,,

and I personally miss those old days,,,and why I am shifting my boondoggles to more small game chases,,,,,,can only eat so much deer a year but sure like an excuse to hunt,,,,,,,,
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
If all the deer were slick tops we wouldn't be having these senseless threads and could be talking about more important stuff like whose squirrels have more nuts.

if all deer were slick tops they would have been eliminated a long time ago. they would be considered merely pests on par with rats. rats that you could stomach to eat.
 

luckybuck

Old Mossy Horns
The key in NC is that most hunters don't worry about "trophy" deer they just want to hunt and have a good time and maybe kill a "bragging" buck. About every 4 or 5 years I see 1 buck over 150 inches....1 buck....and I spend plenty of time in the woods...
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
growing up the area I hunted you shot the first dang deer you saw,,,,,spike, 8 pt, old bruiser,whatever,,,,,NEVER heard of someone passing a deer up,,,,,,,deer hunting is what you did intentsly for a few hours or few days,,,,,we spent most of our time small game hunting,,,,,,,,,,,,

we (as a group) are spoiled nowadays,,,,,,,,,

and I personally miss those old days,,,and why I am shifting my boondoggles to more small game chases,,,,,,can only eat so much deer a year but sure like an excuse to hunt,,,,,,,,

It's hard to beat a good rabbit hunt...
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
I was at a big hunting club meeting one time for the clubs in the eastern part of the state held by the paper company.At the end of the meeting they had a question answer period I remember and older gentleman going up to the mic an making a very short statement " Pine Needles Don't Feed Deer Worth a Damn And They Surely Don't put Horns on One".
 

HorNhnTr

Twelve Pointer
Never thought enough of the real tree group to care what their opinion is. Rather be a C than an A any day anyway.
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
I was at a big hunting club meeting one time for the clubs in the eastern part of the state held by the paper company.At the end of the meeting they had a question answer period I remember and older gentleman going up to the mic an making a very short statement " Pine Needles Don't Feed Deer Worth a Damn And They Surely Don't put Horns on One".

He's right, but they make a lot more money off of those pine trees than they do off of antlers.....
 

redbow

Ten Pointer
The state's that are A's now will be C's soon due to overhunting. Way too much publicity equals overhunting. NC graded as a C is fine with me.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If the proposed changes come to fruition next year, we may finally get to see what the eastern part of this state is capable of producing. How big they can get is anyone's guess. But what I do know is that the eastern part of the state is fully capable of growing bucks bigger than buttons and spikes. Which is what you mostly get in the current brown-and-down East of 95 hunt zone.

If the deer get bigger and better due to the changes.......DRS' head will just explode.......
 
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