It took me all of the first morning of opening day of gun my first year hunting to harvest my first buck. During archery season I saw plenty of good bucks just out of range. I was only 13 at the time so being picky wasnt an issue with me. It was a little 5 pt buck and can tell you everything that happened that day to the detail. That was 17 yrs ago and alot has changed with how I hunt now. I dont think there is anything wrong with taking a small buck for your first one. Its always nice to get one under your belt then go from there. Its good to see that you have the right approach with deer management and letting smaller ones get bigger.