Top 5 Bucks Killed at Presidents Island

[AT Hiker]

...Like I said, I can be swayed and convinced to start putting in for it. But I haven't seen a reasonable argument for it yet.

Assuming you purchase the proper license every year and continue to apply and eventually do draw it will cost you very, very little. To me, that's a very reasonable argument.

Sure, better chances at bigger deer in other states. But if you have to purchase a non resident tag your cost is exponentially greater than a bonus buck tag here.
Then you have the experience of hunting a polluted island, the cool people, central BBQ and the extremely low odds of killing a P&Y archery deer in TN.

Reasonable is obviously subjective.

*Like Bucket said, the later rut dates are cool. Especially when mine is about a month earlier.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

It's all relative. That's why each state has its own record books. If you are just looking for the biggest deer/rack, then you go where the giants live. But you can't compare those to deer from other areas. A 177 inch deer killed by a bow in TN is a real trophy as long as it's fair chase.

I agree 110%. That was the point of my original post. I didn't mean to make 177" seem insignificant or small, nor am I minimizing it. It's truly a monster deer of a lifetime. I used that number as a benchmark because it is the TN archery record for a typical rack. It's the record because that's as big as they are....until/unless one larger is bagged. It's not illogical to assign the same scale to TN as you would anywhere else. That means if Illinois annually takes a dozen 200"+ bow kills, then there are a boat load of 170's, possibly thousands of 150's, and countless sub 140's. That tells me I have a pretty dang fair chance at getting on a 140-160 type deer if I do my due diligence, with reasonable hope of something much bigger. Better yet, I can do it on public land, over counter, and choose my own dates within the season. Furthermore, I can scout it on foot as much as my boots allow, plus run trail cameras in spots I feel will be hot. By the time my hunt-cation comes around I have an educated guess at where to start and what animals I'll likely be hunting. Whether I succeed or not, I can try again next year and the year after.

Contrast that with PI where I have to wait a decade plus, get one day to scout, and 3 days to get it done. Both Illinois and PI are respectively about the same distance from my house here in TN. If I am going far enough where I have to pack a toothbrush, PI isn't even on my radar. If I lived near it then putting in for an eventual chance to hunt makes a little more sense. But with having to travel, it doesn't make sense when there are exponentially better and more convenient chances just by choosing a different area. Like I said, I can be swayed and convinced to start putting in for it. But I haven't seen a reasonable argument for it yet.

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[DoubleRidge]

Guess I agree with both sides of this conversation....but putting in for PI is not an either or for me. No other draw hunt in TN interest me over hunting private.....and a 3 day bow hunt certainly doesn't prevent me from hunting the Midwest? Even the year you draw a tag...it's only 3 days....zero doubt Midwest states offer a greater opportunity at big mature bucks....don't believe anyone doubts or wants to debate that fact.

 

[@fulldraw]

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Most people don't have the luxury of friends and family in those states to help either.

 

[deerfever]

I am 10 years in and really starting to think that I messed up but I am not bitter at all . To me the island was the best place to bow hunt and have a chance at a nice Buck. Even though I disagree with the 9 point rule I put in knowing it was in place and would abide by it. One thing that people forget is that this is the best possibility for people who can get a couple of days off work to hunt and have an opportunity to see or kill a good one. I see guys that must be self employed , retired or do seasonal work because they are able to hunt all the time and go to other states and stay for a week or two. We all are not that fortunate in work situations. So for me this was a free hunt with a great reputation. Now with the flooding in recent years and me being 10 years older it doesn't look as appealing to me. I will either throw my points on another hunt or keep waiting but in the end I will lose no sleep either way and when I retire I will bow hunt in some of the Midwest states for sure!

 

[Spurhunter]

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Were your bucks killed off public land or were these pay hunts? Did you have guides/outfitters? Some folks don't have the money/free time/vacation time to travel to different states, buy all those out of state licenses, gas, room and board, guide fees or outfitter fees (if applicable). If you hunt in TN you already have the license, there are no extra fees, you can camp at the WMA or get a cheap motel. I think you are comparing apples and oranges. I doubt anyone would argue that PI is better than hunting Illinois and Ohio on a pay hunt or with a guide on prime public land. Those options just aren't feasible to most.

 

[CBU93]

The big draw to PI has been the limited pressure...quality of deer and volume has declined since flood. I no longer apply.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Most people don't have the luxury of friends and family in those states to help either.

Places to hunt are Easy enough to come up with. Network and hunt public. Sleep in your truck if funds aren't there. It all comes down to how much you want it.

I've made new contacts in just the last 2 years to hunt Illinois and Nebraska. Never hunted either. Will one day I'm sure.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Were your bucks killed off public land or were these pay hunts? Did you have guides/outfitters? Some folks don't have the money/free time/vacation time to travel to different states, buy all those out of state licenses, gas, room and board, guide fees or outfitter fees (if applicable). If you hunt in TN you already have the license, there are no extra fees, you can camp at the WMA or get a cheap motel. I think you are comparing apples and oranges. I doubt anyone would argue that PI is better than hunting Illinois and Ohio on a pay hunt or with a guide on prime public land. Those options just aren't feasible to most.

Zero paid hunts. Only cost was tags an fuel. Slept on friends couches and air mattresses.
1 was public and 1 was private.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Most people don't have the luxury of friends and family in those states to help either.

Figured you'd know the benefit of hard work. You've done well killing big deer without any help at the Fort.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[@fulldraw]

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Most people don't have the luxury of friends and family in those states to help either.

Figured you'd know the benefit of hard work. You've done well killing big deer without any help at the Fort.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

You are correct. I do know the benefits of hard work. Pretty sure our definition of hard work is different though. The fort is a whole different creature than other public lands. A lot of rules and regs to follow. You can't scout whenever you want. No trail cameras. You may not even get the same area twice and quite possibly no area at all. I dedicate my whole season trying to relearn what the deer do each year from the first day of season. A lot of times I don't even see a deer while hunting. I am fortunate enough to have a couple buddies that I trust to hunt with and share knowledge. That being said, it took me about five years before killing my first buck there. How many people are gonna dedicate their season and put the hard work in without tagging a buck?

Back to your public land. Crane isn't public and Martin State Forest is relatively low pressured until gun season mid November. I'm sure y'all had trail cams out since summer so that helps. So how are you gonna compare your hunts to PI? Personally, I put in for PI. As a bow hunter I want to challenge myself and my knowledge of deer to see if I can kill an antler restricted mature buck. Yes, PI is low pressured. That's one of the appeals to draw it. I already deal with pressured deer at the fort.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I would have thought that a guy who hunts the Midwest would be the kind of person who puts in for PI. It's not like they rely on quota hunts to get a quality experience so waiting a decade or more wouldn't be a big deal.

There's multiple reasons why I don't have an interest in hunting PI. I'm not saying these reasons apply to anyone other than me. I completely understand why someone would wait a decade to hunt there.

1. I enjoy the experiences I get from hunting quota hunts. I normally see more deer than I do on pressured public land that I hunt.

2. It provides a good opportunity to hunt with friends. Yea, we could get together and hunt anytime, but that doesn't happen as often as we talk about. With a quota hunt, it sets a firm date and we hunt it.

3. I like the whole experience. I put in for quotas that I can draw every year. This allows me the option to scout throughout the year, including the winter, the best time to scout.

I'm glad they have the PI hunt and people on here wait for it. It allows me to live vicariously though them when they post about it.

Now, I'm off to scout a new WMA that I'm interested in drawing next year. I've got to find a new quota hunt since moving.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I'm with you. Seems like a wasted weekend to me to try the island.

I killed two 150+ deer this year chasing the Midwest bucks. There's been zero 150s killed off the island the last two years hmmmm which is a better choice.

Most people don't have the luxury of friends and family in those states to help either.

Figured you'd know the benefit of hard work. You've done well killing big deer without any help at the Fort.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

You are correct. I do know the benefits of hard work. Pretty sure our definition of hard work is different though. The fort is a whole different creature than other public lands. A lot of rules and regs to follow. You can't scout whenever you want. No trail cameras. You may not even get the same area twice and quite possibly no area at all. I dedicate my whole season trying to relearn what the deer do each year from the first day of season. A lot of times I don't even see a deer while hunting. I am fortunate enough to have a couple buddies that I trust to hunt with and share knowledge. That being said, it took me about five years before killing my first buck there. How many people are gonna dedicate their season and put the hard work in without tagging a buck?

Back to your public land. Crane isn't public and Martin State Forest is relatively low pressured until gun season mid November. I'm sure y'all had trail cams out since summer so that helps. So how are you gonna compare your hunts to PI? Personally, I put in for PI. As a bow hunter I want to challenge myself and my knowledge of deer to see if I can kill an antler restricted mature buck. Yes, PI is low pressured. That's one of the appeals to draw it. I already deal with pressured deer at the fort.

No idea what you mean by our definition of hard work is different.

I get what you're saying with the challenge. I just don't see the point with it being such a low success rate. I also see no challenge when it's all basically luck on the Island. With one scout day an hunting it once a decade, it's 99% luck.

I CAN'T hunt Crane. Most of my public hunting is on Hoosier National Forest. Ten times rougher and harder to hunt terrain than the island. It took me 3 years to kill a buck there hunting a solid 2 weeks a year. Just like you on the Fort I have now found some good areas that usually will produce opportunities yearly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Ski]

Lots of valid points from other perspectives. It's a good discussion. I completely understand that it doesn't cost anything extra, but the travel & lodging/camping isn't any cheaper than just going to another place. If money is tight enough that a couple hundred bucks more for an out of state license & tag is an issue, then I get it. I'd think very few can afford to go hunt PI but not another nearby state. The difference would literally be the price of a license & tag. And considering this year's success rate, it's dang near a guaranteed waste of time & money to hunt PI. Odds of killing a brag worthy buck are still low in the other areas but exponentially higher than PI. Now if your motives are sentimental, hanging with friends, or other, then I have no argument against that. But if the purpose is to have a reasonable crack at a big buck, it's hard to argue in favor of PI in comparison to nearby states, relative to time & cost.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Totally get where both sides of conversation are coming from. Success rates on the island are currently horrible and nowhere compares to the Midwest. I get it.

But having 9 points myself I've been following all the PI threads closely...and taking a quick glance back through the Presidents Island 2019 thread which covered scout day and hunt days for 5 or 6 members which reported seeing the following:

Perfect 140" 10 point

130" 8 point

120'ish 8 point

2 legal bucks in 120s

Giant 11 point + another shooter

130" 7 & 10 point and huge 8 point....the word Wow used to describe 8pt

One 9pt checked in 21" outside... described as giant.

10pt heavy mass...main beams near end of nose...10"+ G2s & G3s

Shooter 9pt deadhead picked up.

And it's possible I missed some comments along the way.....again....in no way world class.....success rates horrible....other states offer better opportunities for those able to travel....not debating that.....but given the experience of only 5 or 6 TNdeer members over a 3 or 4 day period...I wouldn't consider PI a waste of time and money.....I do hope the island can at least go a period of time without major flooding and some crops can come back in.....guess time will tell.

 

[AT Hiker]

Yes, PI is horrible now and not worth the time. All those top point holders are better off cashing in on other more successful hunts across the state.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ski]

Well good luck to all who draw the hunt. I hope everybody gets the deer of their dreams, and I really do mean that

 

[AT Hiker]

Well good luck to all who draw the hunt. I hope everybody gets the deer of their dreams, and I really do mean that

You should emphasize luck, with less than 1% success on killing and recovering a legal buck this year they will need all they can get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ski]

Well good luck to all who draw the hunt. I hope everybody gets the deer of their dreams, and I really do mean that

You should emphasize luck, with less than 1% success on killing and recovering a legal buck this year they will need all they can get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Man deer hunting with a bow is tough. Period. Bow hunting mature bucks is prolly as tough as it gets, even on an island full of mature bucks. I know I was arguing from a devil's advocate point of view, but really I do believe the island hunt has merit. Is it for me? Eh, maybe not so much. When I play the numbers game in my head I still like other options better. The one thing I find most interesting about it would be getting to see wildlife that's largely uninfluenced by humans. The age structure there should be as close to optimum as can be. For that reason alone I think it would be a cool hunt, so the extreme unlikely chance of bagging one would be a bonus for me. Hopefully it gets back to what people remember it being and folks' odds increase.

Anybody know if TWRA has considered closing the draw for a few years until things normalize? Perhaps they already did? If I had been waiting so long and finally got drawn, it would really hurt if it was a shell of what it was when I began accumulating points because of a flood. I don't apply so it's neither here nor there for me, but I do like seeing folks kill big deer.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Well good luck to all who draw the hunt. I hope everybody gets the deer of their dreams, and I really do mean that

You should emphasize luck, with less than 1% success on killing and recovering a legal buck this year they will need all they can get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Man deer hunting with a bow is tough. Period. Bow hunting mature bucks is prolly as tough as it gets, even on an island full of mature bucks. I know I was arguing from a devil's advocate point of view, but really I do believe the island hunt has merit. Is it for me? Eh, maybe not so much. When I play the numbers game in my head I still like other options better. The one thing I find most interesting about it would be getting to see wildlife that's largely uninfluenced by humans. The age structure there should be as close to optimum as can be. For that reason alone I think it would be a cool hunt, so the extreme unlikely chance of bagging one would be a bonus for me. Hopefully it gets back to what people remember it being and folks' odds increase.

Anybody know if TWRA has considered closing the draw for a few years until things normalize? Perhaps they already did? If I had been waiting so long and finally got drawn, it would really hurt if it was a shell of what it was when I began accumulating points because of a flood. I don't apply so it's neither here nor there for me, but I do like seeing folks kill big deer.

Great point....bow hunting mature bucks is tough no matter the location.....I also agree that killing one would be a bonus......for those who want to hunt various WMAs putting in for PI makes no sense.....I too hope the island returns to something similar to what it was before....one thing is for certain..... putting in for PI hasn't prevented me from hunting anywhere im interested in hunting ...here locally or in the Midwest......now my work schedule...that's another story.