220 Inch Whitetail Don Higgins

Wow sounds like somebody’s been letting a lot of 1.5 yr olds go if you have that good of a stable of 2.5 yr olds. Just for a moment, think how good a 3.5 yr old euro mount would look on your wall. Patience grasshopper! I know it’s tough, I’ve been there.


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The hardest part of growing bigger deer is the hunter evolution part. In the beginning it's the quest to kill a deer any deer, then the quest to kill a buck, then to kill 2 deer then 2 bucks etc etc. If we as hunters could get past the "I have to kill a buck to feel like I was successful" then we all might have an easier time with passing younger bucks. If Participation could be be its own success... but it's not that simple when all the hero shots of big deer show up all over Facebook. And in every commercial for a piece of hunting gear shows a successful hunter gripping a huge hunk of bone attached to a Bucks head. It's hard to not feel like you need to be that guy on the commercial. Other contributing factors are that we are watching guys that often times have unlimited amount of time they can dedicate to chasing big deer. Its hard for the average guy that gets weekends and one week of rifle season to try to accomplish the same level of success. We all head off to deer camp for gun season with 6 other guys that are all on the same quest for a buck it often lead to any buck will do.
These are just some of the factor that contribute to lesser quality bucks add in land access, weather severity etc they all start to add up to younger age class deer harvests.

 

Just incase u want to be like Don

 

I agree. The last mature buck I shot during the rut a guy had him on trail cam 10 miles away a month earlier. Given this was public land and not highly managed private like that guy but I don't know how he can keep bucks on his property during the rut.

I also had one I was after get hit and killed by a truck. Some things you can't control.

 

I too live where I hunt. My situation is similar to yours. I rarely go hunting in early October and if I do it’s a field edge stand with easy access and PM hunt only. The past three years I haven’t gone hunting at all until October 20th or thereabouts. Great subject matter here and excellent video I’ve always had much respect for Don. Thanks for posting this Dish.
Just curious how old you guys think this buck is? The pics from today. He was in my plot at 7:33am (times an hour off on camera) He would’ve gotten a pass from me had I been hunting there but I was hunting a stand about 100-125 yds south of the plot and I think I caught a glimpse of him slipping up the ridge to my west. I believe he’s a 2.5 year old what do you think?

 

One thing about living there - deer get used to you. I would guess they don't run if you're on a riding mower etc?

2.5 is my guess. Nice buck.

 

I understand that Snipe and here’s, my opinion, as to why a OBR works, it works because you have to be very selective on what you’re willing to shoot and that’s it in a nut shell. October rolls around and you only have OBT in your pocket you see a “good/decent” buck, not a great buck...do you shoot? I don’t, at least not since Indiana went to the OBR rule. So what happens is you have a greater number of good bucks getting passes and more of them are able to slip through the cracks and up to their next age class. If you ever hunted a full season under an OBR I guarantee most of the hunters, here in this thread, would be way more selective on what they shot and when. Who wants to be done buck hunting October 10th? I don’t and there’s many times I wish I had an extra buck tag but I don’t so I’m forced to play by the rules and I make my decisions accordingly and sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. And another thing is, it doesn’t restrict anybody from shooting any one buck that they would like to take. Shoot a fork horn that’s fine you’re just done buck hunting. I’ve lived under this rule now for 15 years or more and I absolutely love it and I hope Indiana never goes back to 2 bucks. Just my opinion nothing more.

 

I'd guess 3.5, he probably has lost 30-50 lbs during the rut

 

Kind of used to you. They definitely know your scent because they smell it everyday so in that respect I agree. However, it’s been my experience, big mature bucks never get used to you, or at least not me. Does, fawns and small bucks are very tolerant but the big bucks get bumped out of my beans by me walking out and spooking them out of the fields and I won’t see them again in daylight, i’ve seen it happen several times. You may get away with bumping them once but that’s usually it, at least for me.
Good guess on age Grizz, at least I think, because that’s just my non scientific opinion as well.

 

3.

3.5 IMO

 

I'm guilty of what you speculate most won't do. Like another poster in this thread, I shot a buck I'd have passed on had i only had 1 tag to fill. That second buck tag allowed me to put meat in the freezer and continue hunting for a wall hanger.

 

Illinois has a two buck limit for a non resident..... There is a reason why it is beneficial for a non resident to buy land in Illinois