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Posts: 149
| I have been deer hunting for 20 years; I have muskie fished twice. I am much more familiar with whitetails and what constitutes a trophy deer. I know many of you on here are both deer hunters and muskie fanatics.
I was curious...what would the deer equivalent of a 50" muskie would be?
150"? 170"? 190"?
Bob Mehsikomer (and others, I'm sure) has over 100 50" muskies to his name. I highly doubt anyone has killed anywhere near that many 150" deer.
I also know that it's regionally-dependent. A 130" deer is nothing special in Illinois or Iowa, but could be the deer of a lifetime in some other states. I assume it's somewhat the same with muskies.
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| Like you said it really depends on the region especially with the deer. Also keep in mind that when you're comparing kills to catches that one could muskie fish 365 days a year day or night, while deer season is a tiny fraction of that. |
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Posts: 25
Location: Hayward, WI | In northern WI, I'd say shooting a 130 class would be the same as catching a 50" musky. Shooting a 150 class would be equivalent to a 52" musky. |
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Posts: 210
| When fishing in Minnesota, a 50" is equivalent to a Wisconsin 1 1/2-year-old raghorn. I know this as I get one of each per year. |
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Posts: 2069
| In Iowa a 50" muskie is as hard to come by as a 180" typical. Very few of either.... |
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| are we talking gun, bow, or a drive? as compared to casting, panfishing, or trolling |
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Posts: 466
| In Illinois a 50 incher is as rare as a 200 inch buck. |
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Posts: 149
| chasintails - 9/17/2012 11:46 AM
In Illinois a 50 incher is as rare as a 200 inch buck.
Must be true, I live in Illinois and haven't seen either one. |
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| i agree with musky matt |
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Posts: 55
| 50" Muskie = A Thrity Point Buck!!  |
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Posts: 131
| i agree with justin.a 50" muskie is equal to a 180" archery buck.most people are after both but not many get either.[at least not around here] |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | S&W - 9/16/2012 9:31 PM
Like you said it really depends on the region especially with the deer. Also keep in mind that when you're comparing kills to catches that one could muskie fish 365 days a year day or night, while deer season is a tiny fraction of that.
Not to mention, people are only allowed to shoot a limited number of deer per year whereas you can catch as many muskies as you'd like.
I wonder if they'll ever open a 'shoot and release' season for deer? |
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Location: Not far enough north! | In our area 50 inchers are almost impossible to find. They do exhist but are very rare. I would say like a 180-200" deer. I have seen both but never tagged or caught one of either in illinois... |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I have spent most of my time hunting and fishing in NW Wisconsin. I have arrowed a 160" class buck and seen others between 130 and 160 inches. I have never caught, hooked, or had a follow from a 50" musky... yet. Have come close but no 50. Part of that is I don't believe I have spent a lot of time on true big fish water until the last couple years, and even then time on true big fish water was limited. I've also hunted about twice as many years as I have fished muskies. I believe I will see 50's in my future.
With that said, right now I would say for me a 50" musky is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 150-160 inch deer.
Tucker |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | Steve S - 9/17/2012 2:00 PM
50" Muskie = A Thrity Point Buck!! :)
2nd on this. did ya see da turdy pointer ?? |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | Depends on where are. Where I dear hunt and fish a 50 is really rare and 150-160 is a giant. |
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| lhprop1 - 9/17/2012 2:30 PM
S&W - 9/16/2012 9:31 PM
Like you said it really depends on the region especially with the deer. Also keep in mind that when you're comparing kills to catches that one could muskie fish 365 days a year day or night, while deer season is a tiny fraction of that.
Not to mention, people are only allowed to shoot a limited number of deer per year whereas you can catch as many muskies as you'd like.
I wonder if they'll ever open a 'shoot and release' season for deer?
Haven't you heard about the new Taser season?  |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | muskyhunter47 - 9/17/2012 7:10 PM
Steve S - 9/17/2012 2:00 PM
50" Muskie = A Thrity Point Buck!! :)
2nd on this. did ya see da turdy pointer ??
ya through my double heat seeking scope! lol a 50 here in jersey would be equal to about a 160 class deer. my guess is that maybe 1 in 10,000 make it to 50 in jesrey, if there are even 10,000 musky in jersey. |
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Good bucks here are not as common as they are elsewhere in the state, no mast crops to speak of and no farms to hunt. Both these are from my backyard stand. In over 29 years, I've only seen a couple bigger.
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Posts: 83
| No need to make it regional... What would you rather catch or shoot in a dream situation? can go anywhere. Im not a hunter but have many friends who are, couple friends with deer ranging from 190-213. Have not caught a 50 plus, but know people who have. I would say a 200 inch deer is about a 54 inch muskie. |
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Posts: 2069
| I don't know anymore I bet 5-10% of serious musky hunters have caught a 54"+ muskie......I bet less than 1% of serious deer hunters have killed a true 200" deer.....they are a very very rare wild beast. I'd say a 200" deer is more like a 57" muskie...you have to be in the right area's to even have a chance at either. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Well said IAJustin. People can have a 150 Class buck living where they hunt and never get a shot at it. Big deer are hard to shoot with a bow. In southern Wisconsin it's hard to catch a 50 inch muskie. Even harder to shoot 160 class bucks. My thoughts are 50 inch =150. A 160 =52. A 170 =54. A 180 = 55. A 190 = 56. 200 class buck is so rare but they are around and = 57 plus inch muskies.
That said I know of plenty of upper 50 caught but no 200 inch deer.
I have eight muskies from 50 to 57 inches under my belt but only one deer over 150 inches.
Huge bucks are hard to kill because they only move at night. Until rut when they are susceptible to getting killed while breeding. You basically get one or two good week's a year to kill big bucks. Muskies can be caught 8 months around here. Do the math. Shooting a 160 class buck is way harder than big muskies.
Now Iowa and Illinois have better deer than muskies. Minnesota has giant muskies and big deer. Wisconsin has both but depends on where in Wisconsin .
I would traded my 57 inch muskie for a 200+ inch deer any day. If you have not hunted and held out for a trophy bow hunting you would not understand. I love muskies and make a good living doing it but nothing makes me shake like a monster buck.
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I've caught more 50" plus muskies up here than I've seen 160 class bucks. Just not many truly impressive racks in the area I hunt here. There are in the National Forest where we rifle hunt, though, just a matter of time. |
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Posts: 576
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | Don't laugh about the shoot and release hunting! There are game farms offering tranquilizer hunts! You get a picture with your trophy and they saw off the rack. The animal is checked and immunized and set free. |
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Posts: 833
| This is a non-deer hunter's perspective: IMO the big buck is the rarer beast. I only say this because you kill the Deer and in most cases the angler attempts to release the musky. |
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Posts: 415
| KenK - 9/18/2012 3:06 PM
Don't laugh about the shoot and release hunting! There are game farms offering tranquilizer hunts! You get a picture with your trophy and they saw off the rack. The animal is checked and immunized and set free.
Wow that is just pathetic, not even sure where to begin with that one. (not you Ken, just the idea of tranq hunts)
I agree with "Mike's Extreme". A 200inch deer is an incredibly rare animal, way more so than a 50-55inch musky. I would almost go as far as to say a 200in buck is equivalent to a 58-60inch musky. Your window for killing a buck of that magnitude is so small, and your margin for error is even smaller.
Edited by Ja Rule 9/18/2012 4:30 PM
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Posts: 83
| Maybe I know too many people with big bucks haha.... Seems to have skewed my logic. |
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Posts: 209
| I would say the best way to make this measurement is to look at the percentage of hunters or fisherman that have caught/shot the animal in question. I only know one person with a 140" plus buck to their name (and I know some very serious hunters), but I've personally been in the boat for 4 50+ muskies, and I don't fish nearly as much as a lot of guys on here. I would say a 50 incher is like a 130" buck. |
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Posts: 360
Location: Algonac, MI | All depends on the region.
If you live in Kansas a 50" muskie might = a 180-200 inch buck, due to lack of muskie. Seems like every hunting trip on TV has Lee & Tiffany class deer. But they have limited access to muskie. In many other states, a 120 deer is a trophy.
Kinda muskie spoiled growing up in Michigan on LSC. Have caught many 50+ inch class fish and been lucky enough to shoot a few nice deer (120-160 for my area).
For me: (not trying to P anyone off...as I realize other regions..50" is top shelf)
50" = 6pt 1.5 yoa deer
52 = 120-130 class
53 = 140
54 = 150 class
55+ = 160 class and up
With that said. Any muskie in my book, that is 48" and up in class, or over 28 lbs in weight is still a trophy!!
Edited by Contender 9/19/2012 3:05 PM
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | On my buddies 120 acre deer property right now we have 8 over 150 but this farm is 4 miles South of where the world record was shot So, the 150s for us is about a 45" but the 170-180 would be getting in the 50" range and between 180-190 is a 52" for sure. Still looking for the 190-200+ deer. There is MONSTER near us that is 270+ class but he is about 3 miles away and will probably not see our farm as the owner of that property is keeping him VERY happy right now with food and water so he has no need to leave....until deer season... That 270 IMO is the elusive 60" monster musky!
Edited by Tackle Industries 9/19/2012 6:40 PM
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Posts: 217
Location: ladysmith, wi | hey james can i hunt with you lol |
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| Completly depends on the location. I met a older gentleman who works the gun counter at a sporting goods store who said he had fished his whole life and had always wanted to catch a musky and never had. Granted he was more of a hunter than a fisherman but you don't hear about to many fisherman in MN or WI fishing for years and years without getting a single fish. |
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Posts: 4266
| I've shot deer over 150" with my bow, but my largest muskie is still 49 3/4". I've had muskies in the low to mid 50" range on and get away. I've had a buck that was 14 pts and a B&C Booker.....a huge symetrical 12 with split brow tines around me for more than 30 minutes. I didn't kill him because I tried to cover my profile and hide in a group of 3- 8" trees When I did shoot when he was at 10 yards, I was still worried about being hidden, and my string hit the tree that I was trying to hide behind. I could tell you about the scars on his right ear and the hair missing in 3 spots on the right side of his neck. When you are in the pressence of a truly giant Whitetail, it far surpaces a follow or lost 53"er. It's more personal. I might even say that shooting or passing a buck takes on a spiritual nature. I choose which deer I want to kill....I don't say harvest, I kill animals and fish, they aren't ears of corn and I'm not PC.
Deer hunting is a more personal choice, and not a random act of God. I can't choose what fish I want to hit my lure, but I wish I could. I've passed up many deer that other people would have put on the wall, but I was hunting my own land, my own private sections of Georgian Bay. I've passed up 140 and 150 inch bucks because they were on my land, and I knew that they had more growing to do.
No doubt about it, fishing is more of a crap shoot while trphy hunting is more akin to an assassination of sorts. Bow hunting is a more rewarding sport because of the deer that you don't kill and the bonus things that you get to see while you sit in the woods from black to black for days on end. You get to see shooter and no-shooters as well as the rest of what God blessed us with. Imagine if you will, pulling across an 80 acre piece of lake and you get to see all or almost all of the life forms dwelling there. Squirrels could be panfish, bass and other small non-target species. Fawns could be Pike, bigger bass or other fish. Then the does come out, let's say that they are trophy Pike and 40" range muskies. And then the spikes, forks....where I hunted yearling bucks actually were small sixes and eights, then the bodies got bigger and the mass of the rack and neck grew proportionately until you had four-footers and bigger fish eqaul to hefty eights and tens and up to 12's and bigger and as with fishing, the 'drop-tine bucks'. The freaks.
The 150 " bucks that I've killed are in a special part of my brain with my biggest muskies and all of the bigger ones that I've missed. They are both awesome animals and both require a fully devoted heart and soul to persue them. I will close by saying that a muskie has never made me fall down and vomit. I've never sat up for long hours waiting and pacing the dock so I could go look for a fish at first daylight, but I have counted the hours and watched the weather for a slight change so I could go back to the scene of the crime and see if the perp was there again. But now God has taken the thrill of the hunt away from me, the hunt of the Whitetail that is. Little by little I hope that I am blessed and will return to the woods some day. I long to sit from black to black again, but until that day I will spend as many hours as I can on the water, and I will cherish every jig 'thump', every bluegill and perch, every bass and walleye, but at the top will swim the whitetail of the water and I will look forward to every run-in and remember every detail of every fight and flop. But just as when I walked in the early morning black thru the fields and woods, I will thank God for creating the habitat that I get to spend my time in and ask Him to be my guide regardless of the results of the day and I will cherish all of those little moments that happen between the seconds of madness.
Beaver |
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Posts: 149
| Now THAT is a great answer!! |
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