Which is the better achievement.....

[Red Childress]

I was having a discussion with a few of my fellow teachers the other day and we were debating this question:

Which is the more difficult task:

Killing(rifle season) a Pennsylvania/NY 8-point or catching a PA/NY musky over 40 inches?

[allegheny river kid]

Without a doubt the 8 point buck. You get 12 or so days a year to get him and whens he captured the chances of him being a catch and release candidate is slim.

[muskie52]

That's a tough one.

Since you said that the buck must be taken by rifle, I would have to say that is harder. Rifle season is only 2 weeks... and almost 1 million people will be in the woods trying to kill a buck. That makes it quite the challenge.

Now if you include archery season in there, it just got alot easier to kill a buck (at least for me).

Alot depends on the hunting property too. If someone is lucky enough to have access to a nice chunk of private property, the odds are probably better to kill a buck than someone confined to hunting state land (which can get really overcrowded).

Tony

[jah1317]

My .02 on this is that the musky is much more difficult. First of all, you can SEE the buck, you can track it, and you don't have to make it eat the bullet. Getting a deer espcially a trophy is a difficult task don't get me wrong but I have gotten quite a few nice buck and had oppertunities at others but I have a harder time getting a musky to even look at the lure!

Jacob

[Katmai Kid]

Well being an avid deer hunter and not so much into the musky fishing I would say the 40" fish by far. With the new restrictions in PA the odds of harvesting (politicly correct) a big buck are far better. Now if you're talking Ted Nugent style thats a whole different ball game.

[lowbidder]

I wanted to refrain from commenting on this post until after my first attempt at musky fishing. Now that I have my first weekend of musky fishing under my belt, I can say without a doubt that (for me) the 40+ inch musky would be a greater accomplishment.

I've slain many 8 point bucks over the last 20 years and passed up many more, but the musky has humbled me.... for now at least

[river rat24]

I'd have to say catching the 40+ incher is more difficult. Given my past lucky years with rifle in hand, killing several 8s, a 9, and a 20" wide 7 pt. My fishing luck hasn't caught up to what I've seen or been able to harvest in the woods.

[fish N ski]

Catching a 40" muskie is not that hard - WHEN THEY ARE TURNED ON AND BITING. Getting an 8 point with a rifle - IS NOT THAT HARD IF YOU HAVE DONE YOUR SCOUTING AND WAIT FOR THE HUNTERS TO PUSH HIM TO YOU. Archery- harder than rifle. They need to be close. You need to draw, wait for a good angle shot, will he stop in the open for a good shot or do I need to stop him?, then he is alert if I stop him, worry about the wind, your scent, choosing the right yardage pin. Rifle- usually holds 5 shells minimum. Shoots long distance and you have 5 shots to hit him. Without a doubt - Catching a 40" muskie. BUT - Is this from shore or boat??????

[Red Childress]

Shore, boat, helicopter, float tube.........anything goes.