Talking to a buddy, I caught myself making a statement that I don't know if it's true???

I don't think record book animals are easy to get or they'd raise the minimum. BUT I told him the easiest was a pronghorn.

Then I said I don't know if that's true, but I'll have to think about it. It's a tough questions because there's a lot of things involved with different species.

Just thinking for a minute, I can come up with these things to consider:

Expense Distance to travel Animal habits Terrain Shape of the hunter Tag availability Shot distance

There's probably a lot more that I'm not considering. What do you guys think? Can you add more to the list?

Bowmania

Pope and Young minimum for Whitetail is pretty easy in the Midwest.

I would agree with whitetail. That is if you are just talking about the minimum score to get in the book.

Black Bear Mind you there is a bit of work involved

Best chance for a book deer is on Kodiak Island. Not a cheep hunt for a non resident but an amazing number of deer that will make the minimum score and some that will go way up there.

If you figure in travel and all that stuff, probably the easiest would be what's in your area. I occasionally take a whitetail that makes the book cause I can walk out the back door. Have a buddy in Alaska that routinely takes black bear & grizzly that make book. Just my $0.02 worth.

Whitetails and black bear are in the running.

I'd take out whitetails, because they don't have the chink in the armor that pronghorn to - need for water.

Black bears would have to be pretty close. THey both (kind of) come to bait. Eyes are the opposite, but when it comes to smelling bears seem to be much better, but human 'scent' doesn't seem to alarm them. I'd take bears out of the running because of difficutly to score. If a pronghorn is standing there I can be close on the minumum. Judging skull size is a different matter. Plus location makes a diff. A 200 pound bear in CO might make it, but a 300 pound bear in WI might not.

Sorry about those things to consider. I listed them without a comma underneath each other - the post came out side by side...

Expense, Distance to travel, Animal habits,

Bowmnaia

Did it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TS

after being an official measurer for P&Y for the last 36 years, my nod would go to whitetail just based on shear numbers taken across the country.But over the years until the downturn in populatios, I believe the easiest animal to make book would be the Quebec Labrador Caribou. Of all the people I have known who hunted them, almost all of them came back with at least one book animal. A lot has changed since those days.

Expense

Distance to travel

Animal habits

It can be as easy or hard one wants to make it. P and Y live in every state I truly believe.

Some places definutley hold bigger animals than others in all our states we all hunt in.

There's a lot of variables that can be figured in. If you hunt in areas that are traditionally known for score then to some degree you have more of a chance to get shooting at one.

Everything can factor in on any shoot or hunt!LOL

Yup shoot it can be just that your the killer and it was put in your lap.

The easiest animal to make book by far is the Antelope. And don't care if any one likes this said. Many times their are hidden story's behind getting animals in the books too. Its not all up and up either. Its supposed to be but its not.

By this I mean I been told if you break that point off or sand it down it will make it.LOL

I been told this 2 times and was very ticked off when it was presented as you know some guys would do this just to get in. To me that takes away from the integrity of the animal and that's the character that is unique to take animal the paper can't replace.

Made me sick and it turned me away. Just like guys stick wood between the rack then put in freezer for the dry time then take and get measured. LOL It didn't air dry did it.LOL

Yeah like these things don't happen,right.LOL

I really would rather see the entire score get credit rather than deductions for the unbalanced.

Then you get weapons that are not equal to each the modern vs the traditional or primitive.

Things just aren't balanced or fair and as far as fair chase there's always story's as well also that don't get disclosed unless you know the guy and he leeks it out.

There's plenty of guys who have had their records taken off them as well in this world from others finding out the storys.

I'd say pronghorn as well. At least in a good area. Seems if you put the time in you can usually get a crack at one that makes or is close to book. I don't think that's the case for pretty anything else I've hunted, even bears aren't that easy although in a good area the chances of a PY are pretty good. (I'll let you know how that works out in a week:)

I'm not in agreement on pronghorn. I've hunted them for many years and have killed 18 of them. Not with a bow, but my comments, if considered, would apply even moreso for bowhunters.

I have killed only one antelope that qualified for the book (I didn't submit it, only had it measured). You can't be absolutely certain that an animal is book until it's measured but while many antelope look big in the field they don't always look so big on the ground! The one book I killed looked enormous and put the others in perspective.

In good antelope areas you might observe dozens of animals. Rarely will you see ones that are pretty certain to make book. If you do find one, as a bowhunter, your chances of stalking for a shot is near nil. Most antelope killed by bowhunters are killed from blinds at waterholes. Your chances of killing an antelope at a water hole are pretty good but your chances of having that book buck come to your water hole is very iffy.

I've killed two, both book, so me doing that much make them really easy.

Bowmania

For me it's easily antelope killed 4 that made book hunting water and using decoys.Killing a book whitetail in Mn has been another story, in 55years I've only killed 1. In Iowa over 10 or so years have killed 4.Never killed a book bear in MN but Manitoba it's a different story.

Gun or bow? Public or private? DIY or outfitted?

Not being antagonistic, but those are major factors in Colorado. we

In CO I don't believe it's a public or private thing, it's a preference point thing. And Fish and Game was wondering HOW CAN WE SCREW OUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS. They came up with a way.

Bowmania

Maybe the urge to be in "THE BOOK" in the first place.

Stalking antelope probably the hardest ,shooting a Minnesota bear is also very hard they are well educated .If you have a good place to hunt whitetails with a good number of nice bucks they are probably the easiest to get with just a minimum score . The catch is most place you hunt dont have a population of good whitetail bucks .

Antelope. Find a ranch in Wyoming who will let you hunt with a not too large trespass fee and hunt out of a windmill p&y is not really all that hard if you got the patience and can hit your target. To the one guy p&y and b&c are 2 very different things so yes finding gun record animals is tougher.

Minimum P&Y score for Antelope is 67. I'm not a member of P&Y but my taxidermist friend in Wyoming scored both my "goats" at 72 and 76. Both shot over waterholes, one from a pit blind, the other from a homemade windmill type setup. Suggest Wyoming for your best bet to put a nice antelope down.

It's embarrassing to say this to archers. P&Y and B&C don't count on this site, Compton is the only one that matters.

"Find a ranch in Wyoming who will let you hunt with a not too large trespass fee and hunt out of a windmill p&y is not really all that hard..." I'm betting if you find on with a LARGER trespass fee it will even be easier.

Bowmania

"It's embarrassing to say this to archers. P&Y and B&C don't count on this site, Compton is the only one that matters."

I don't disagree, but I'm sure you'll find those who will.

I guess book matters to some. The hunt an folks hunting with me make the hunt.

Just trying to let people know it can be done without breaking the bank,lol. Things have changed a bunch. We used to pay from 75 to 100 bucks for a fee.

Every animal I have killed with bows and firearms has made the book. My photo scrapbook.

I don't have any record book animals. But I do like the way Compton scores an animal. They score it for what it has. No deductions.

I don't list any animals and don't care much for records that honor the hunter. But when you hunt mature animals you're gonna get the size whether you care or not.

In reality your only as good as your area where you go to get book. I have 2 speed goats that are 14 plus. On another trip I wounded an 18 inch a giant had the guide listened to me we would have gotten that goat. It was a 63 yard shot I took and hit the animal and he bleed bad but got himself healed up overnight. Should have pushed him to bleed him out rest of way. Guide insisted let him lay and we get him in the morning. I said no lets go push him now.

The areas I Antelope hunted there were all big ones it sure seemed the places I had been. High success of P and Y.

It can happen with any animal you try to collect it has with Bear and me as well as Elk. I have a sizable amount spent trying to get those animals over the years. Now forget it going to have enough trouble if at all trying to get one of my local animals. Amazing how things in life can change in a wisp.

I don't care for records either because I don't think its fair unless everything is counted on the animal.

In my mind, P&Y is a pretty despicable organization. I say that after being a member for 13 years and as a bowhunter got slapped in the face (even compounders for that matter) when the membership voted against upping the letoff and 3 months latter the board voted against what the membership wanted. They saw the $ signs.

Further more, I think Compton should have the rights to the name P&Y and P&Y should be called A&J - Allen & Jennings. But that just shows what a redneck I am.

I'm for record books. If you shoot an animal and don't put it in the book it's just dead, nobody ever hears or sees anything about that animal. Put it in the record book and it at least live on in print.

I like the Compton if the animal grew it score it idea, but that other stuff about the hunter taints the score. I think it's about the animal, not the hunter. The other stuff makes it too much hunter.

Bowmania

"In CO I don't believe it's a public or private thing, it's a preference point thing."

Oh, the difference between public and private is major in some units and inconsequential in others. The unit I mostly hunt has about 2/3 private and the antelope on the private are pretty comfortable staying where they are. In trying to increase harvest on private land there are more draw licences that are "private land only" (no, not voucher tags) but many of them are left over after the draw because people don't want the hassle of getting permission to hunt.

It's a draw unit for rifle hunting but has always been and still is OTC for archery.

bowmania, you need a therapist.

'I'm for record books. If you shoot an animal and don't put it in the book it's just dead, nobody ever hears or sees anything about that animal. Put it in the record book and it at least live on in print.' I've killed one animal that qualified for book, a blacktail. I could care less who knows about it so yes, its just dead, and on my wall, where I can see it daily, and pick and choose who else gets to see it. I don't need that ego boost that comes with posting it all over the world. I like to kill big animals, sure, but to show them off? To select individuals I guess. I kinda got over that after 2nd grade show and tell.

I do not think that Bowmania meant it that way Trapper,,,,, I think his point is, that its nice to honor the animal, and its fun to have a good record system, and Compton is the better system in his opinion.......

Yeah, You're right, apologies bowmania.

Quite a few years ago a scoring system was proposed that was based on displacement. Antlers dipped in a tank of water and the displacement measured. No other factors considered.

I have killed 3 Blacktails all book size. hunted them like white tails.

I have killed 3 Blacktails all book size. hunted them like white tails.

I admire the skill and tenacity required to single mindedly put effort into hunting and taking trophy animals. When I was in Alaska I spent one night in a bunkhouse with hunters who had just returned from the field. One fellow from Australia had spent a pile of money for his moose hunt and passed on a number of animals because they didn't come up to the trophy level he was looking for. Certainly the exact opposite of how the haters describe trophy hunters!

I'm a meat hunter without much thought about trophies, but if one falls in my lap I'm happy to brag it up. :-)

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