Following Leads

[TN Whitetail Freak]

So in 2017 I decided to set out and chase the county record where I live. Ive searched for 3 years and found a few that were pretty close but would guess fall short. Recently I was duck hunting with a group when I found myself a fly on the wall to a conversation between two guys at the other end of the blind. One asked if such and such killed that big deer? The other responded he had not and was confirmed to had made it through the season. They start describing the deer and then one stated it would be the first 200 in this county when it gets killed. Im staring straight ahead but my ears are in the conversation. One guy asked the Golden question of "where'. And the guy answered. My question is have any of you guys got experience following leads like this and howd you approach it.

[szwampdonkey]

I don’t.

My money is on the Buck they were talking about scores 150 or less not 200!

[mipubbucks24]

No experience but if it’s on public then I would try to find it. I was at the deer processor once and a guy pulled up and had a decent buck, I started talking to him and he shows me a picture he took with his phone. It’s probably a 180 he said he’s seen several times and then he says his property butts up to public. Anyways I could never find his property so I never found the deer. One question I would have is do you know this other guy that is hunting the buck?

[thwack16]

I ignored a few murmurs I heard several weeks ago. Heavily hunted public and not exactly known for big deer in area, but it’s close to work, and I could’ve easily spot checked going off prior scouting/turkey hunting it if I’d just put work obligations down and taken a lunch hour. Buck was killed last weekend, mid 160s.

[dan]

I have had guys tell me about 200 inchers that after following the lead score about 140... I have had guys tell me about monster bucks that end up scoring about 80... And I have guys describe bucks as nice, or a good buck, or a dhooter and when you see it its world class... PEOPLE ARE UNRELIABLE. Pictures are best. I would also say people are smarter than you think. They can lie about a location when asked without even blinking, especially if someone they know is nearby could be listening... Sometimes its worth a look, but in reality, going out and finding your own buck is always better, and you wont have to stare at it on a wall knowing you pirated it...

[Huntress13]

I have had guys tell me about 200 inchers that after following the lead score about 140... I have had guys tell me about monster bucks that end up scoring about 80... And I have guys describe bucks as nice, or a good buck, or a dhooter and when you see it its world class... PEOPLE ARE UNRELIABLE. Pictures are best. I would also say people are smarter than you think. They can lie about a location when asked without even blinking, especially if someone they know is nearby could be listening... Sometimes its worth a look, but in reality, going out and finding your own buck is always better, and you wont have to stare at it on a wall knowing you pirated it...

I just thought of a slogan. Maybe its not original but here goes....
"Find your own buck, make your own luck"

[justdirtyfun]

I have had guys tell me about 200 inchers that after following the lead score about 140... I have had guys tell me about monster bucks that end up scoring about 80... And I have guys describe bucks as nice, or a good buck, or a dhooter and when you see it its world class... PEOPLE ARE UNRELIABLE. Pictures are best. I would also say people are smarter than you think. They can lie about a location when asked without even blinking, especially if someone they know is nearby could be listening... Sometimes its worth a look, but in reality, going out and finding your own buck is always better, and you wont have to stare at it on a wall knowing you pirated it...

I just thought of a slogan. Maybe its not original but here goes....
"Find your own buck, make your own luck"

Very good signature material and words to live by.

Keeping my ears open doesn't mean I want to steal a deer away. Example.

A young hunter mentioned trail cam pictures to me of a big boy. On public that was new to me.
Did I hunt the valley he mentioned, no. But I put in more time on the property.
There was an unwritten rule of respect in that situation.

But bar room banter overheard would be fair game.

[218er]

It really depends what’s typical for your area. I have 130-140’s on cameras in northern mn that people refer to as giants, nice bucks no doubt. Around the metro or in se mn a buck has to be 160-170 to get peoples attention.

[Swedishbowhunter]

As stated earlier, most 200" deer that are talked about are probably 170" bucks. Also as stated earlier, there is a good chance they are B.S. en about where the buck was seen. If this didnt involve anyone I know personally, I would probably put it on my schedule of places to scout at some time in the future.

[tgreeno]

IMO...You make your own luck, by scouting, scouting and more scouting! I take very little interest in intel from people I don't know.

[justdirtyfun]

So in 2017 I decided to set out and chase the county record where I live. Ive searched for 3 years and found a few that were pretty close but would guess fall short. Recently I was duck hunting with a group when I found myself a fly on the wall to a conversation between two guys at the other end of the blind. One asked if such and such killed that big deer? The other responded he had not and was confirmed to had made it through the season. They start describing the deer and then one stated it would be the first 200 in this county when it gets killed. Im staring straight ahead but my ears are in the conversation. One guy asked the Golden question of "where'. And the guy answered. My question is have any of you guys got experience following leads like this and howd you approach it.

I am curious what organization has the record you were after. Pope and Young or something else?

[JakeB]

This situation is the exact reason I keep quite and generally lie about what area I’m hunting.

[Hawthorne]

Believe nothing you hear, and only one half of what you see

[Wolfie417]

I lie to people all the time about where I hunt. In fact almost everytime.

[RidgeGhost]

Never had it happen with a really big deer. One year a guy was running his mouth about a buck he said was two feet wide. He told several people the area he saw it in and word happened to get back to me. I looked at a map, figured where he should be, went in and shot him on the first sit. Turns out he was 22 1/4 inside. Not quite two feet