OutdoorMissouri.com

Ifn' you ever decide to hunt in Iowa, make sure that you shoot a deer grossing well into the 150s. 135-140" deer do not cut it on the gross score. We don't even wish to discuss the net score here. Those fellows like to see deer reach their "fullest potential".

PoinsonSnake (who was looking for every inch of antler he could get to justify killing a decent 8-pointer)

Stay tuned for next week's tip of the week.

PS, your admin team has included the TIP OF THE WEEK in the Forum description. These tips will certainly be valuable to all our members even the venerable SAMCRO.

what if I go to Ohio? does that imply

I will be waiting with extended ears for next week's edition

Lonepine, all I know is that if they tell you they want to shoot 150" deer and you see what you think is a 140" 8-pointer, let it walk.

Not that any of you would experience this, but you should always consider the 10" rule as well. I'll explain that in next week's tip of the week segment.

RB wrote:PS, your admin team has included the TIP OF THE WEEK in the Forum description. These tips will certainly be valuable to all our members even the venerable SAMCRO.

This is not true. I don't actually think much of the Snake's skills in the woods. I'm not sure if I could even call them skills. Compared to my own uncanny ability to find and destroy in whatever outdoor environment I find myself in, the Snake is just, well, weak.

He's the beneficiary of a great piece of land. He has limited knowledge of how to use weather to his advantage - actually, I'll give him that. I benefitted from that last year. He has very limited weapons ability, particularly when it comes to archery gear, but firearms, as well. The truth is, he wounds a lot of deer. He fairly consistently skirts the law, excercises poor judgement, and is essentially a detriment to his own well-being.

Let me give a real piece of advice related to the original thread. What Snake posted was just a thinly veiled attempt at bragging. Snake, if you want to let us know you killed a 130's Iowa buck, by all means just come out with it.

The truth is, when you're a traveling hunter, you take what you can take. You don't have access to the intimate knowledge that locals have. Sure, you can pick their brains about what's possible, but ultimately you have to decide what's right for you and hunt accordingly. You have to set your own standards, and you have to be willing to adjust these standards.

In essence, you have to be willing to be your own man, and take whatever you want. When you successfully close the coffin on an animal that meets your standards in a foreign environment, you simply have to smile to yourself, knowing you've met your own goals in unfamiliar terrain. You have to realize that although you may not have met the inner standards of some local yocal, ultimately you've improved your own skills and it's very likely you're more of a hunter than the local idiot who has all year to pursue the game.

Carry on......

wow that was beautiful, an on valentine's day, I think there's a tear in my beer. lol