Does SIZE matter to you or not.....
 

I was just wondering how many of you Hunt for Trophy Class Animals? This goes for Whitetails, Elk, Mulies, ect..
I mostly Hunt Whitetails with a Bow and ML, I pass on Deer that dont score at least 125 Boone & Crockett with my ML and Bow. For me it's Big or nothing. My Wife also hunts so between us we get 2-3 Does a season for meat, or if she wants she can take a lesser Buck.
When I was younger I would harvest just about any Buck, but now Im selective, are you? Or will you take what comes by just so you dont go with unfilled tags?
(BP)

I have to admit, while I have longed to shoot a large animal, I am a carnivore. Meat is meat, and filling the freezer is important to me. Why, I have no idea.

A couple years back, I had a large monster whitetail on the property. And like you I hunted only him. I passed on a lot of smaller legal deer but could never seal the deal on the old buck. Two years I saw and hunted him. Granted I shot a doe for the freezer, but I hunted him only.

I heard neighbors wife across the road finally saw him, took a low percentage shot on him, wounded him, lost him in the marsh, and the wolves got him. When they were telling me about the deer she "shot" she described him and his drop tine to a tea. Listening to her tell the story, even telling about him excited her very much. He was something to see. She claimed she made one of them heart shots. I suspect it turned a little low and a little too far back. When that old buck was shot, her husband said he headed right into the deep part of the marsh.

So now I hunt meat and if a big one comes by, then I will finally have my wall hanger.

I'm mostly a meat hunter, and will fill my 2 Buck tags with what ever God sends down the trail:)

Lord willing, I can harvest 3 yearlings, 2 adult doe's, and 2 bucks. This works out very well for our family of six.
The yearlings are the BEST table fare=whole meat cuts-very little ground meat. The adult doe's=Very good roasts and excellent burger. The Bucks= mostly ground meat and suasage making.

Nebraska deer are corn fed, and taste great! They have good bulk, and average about 140-175 pounds.

BTW, My son just arrowed a 235 pound-dressed 8-pointer! He is rubbing it in to old Dad, pretty good:o:s1::s2:

Early bow season I find myself passing on a lot of deer. (but then I can only get 1 deer a year, between Archery, Gun, and ML) NOw that the rut is here, I wont be as picky in the next couple of weeks. Gun season started today, and runs for 9 days, I will be a little picky this week, but after that, if its brown, its down.

Breechplug

It is strictly for the freezer. I have even passed on some of the largeranimals in a group of animals for a medium sized animal that I think might be better 'meat wise' I di not hink I have a set of racks any where around here... In fact in the early years we never even brought them out - now they come out but not sure what happens to them afterwards but they seem to disappear.

I shoot whatever walks out on my plot / trail with my bow. With my Rifle I am a little more selective. Gotta be a big doe or atleast a 4 point.

I hunt only for meat, in other words if its brown its down, not to say that a big ol buck wouldn't be much appreciated.

if its legal, im taking it.

I'd usually opt for a doe over a small buck, but I usually hold out for a decent buck until the last week of our ML season. Sometimes I get season choice antlerless-only tags so I can still get meat without worrying about losing that buck tag when mac-daddy shows up at the end of the season. I'm still working on getting my first archery deer, and I'll shoot anything that walks by with that.

I'm mainly a meat hunter. Though, now-a-days I have very few days to hunt due to my schedule so I am even less picky. Sure I'd like to have a nice 160 class deer on my wall, but it's by no means the reason I'm in the woods.

Wow great question..it's nice to see everyones answers. As for where I hunt it's antler restriction(AR). On our Maryland farm(lease) it's 120PY or larger. Meaning 8 point outside the ears. Unlimited does. Our P.A. farm the state set the AR so its 3 points a side. Now on our lease in Va we are just starting the 120 min and it seems to be working out. Our Maryland farm has produced great bucks but as with anything $$$ related this is our last year on the lease and we were out bid for 2010. The new people bid 15k and we just can't afford this with our other lands. So it seems I am a trophy hunter, but taking a big mature doe is just as tricky as taking some dumb rutted up bucks.

I only ge to hunt Whitetails in South Central Michigan. The deer are so overpopulated here there is unlimited private land antlerless permits. Therefore, if the buck is big enough to justify $600.00 for a shoulder mount then I take him. If not, he grows for another couple years and the does come down. I like venison alot and use it all the time. But I also like knowing there are trophy class 5-7 year old deer on my property. Tough to pass on a 125" ten point, but he is young and there are to many does here.

I am hungray and this is my 6th year not got a deer yet. If it walks and is brown it is down. After i get one i will start going for the bigger ones. But i am on public land so not like letting a 150 class deer is going to get me a 200 class deer. Most guys around here kill everything.

I too am a meat hunter. During the first part of the season I shot a nice doe and a four point buck. Now that my freezer is full I have passed on eight deer (does and bucks combined). I will now only shoot a buck with a nice rack. This has been my hunting policy for years.
One of our club members shot a nice eight point buck this morning. He had 17.5 inch spread and weighed 200 lbs on the hoof.

I use to be a meat hunter and if the buck pass my shooting lane I would take him but then we had the kids at home so 4 to 5 deer was no problem and did cut back on food bills.Today the story if different it is me and the wife I find 1 doe is more then enough after that I will be looking for the rack only in size the biggest i have taken scored 135 and nice 8 pointer took him back in Pa. about six years ago since then i never came across anything bigger to aim at.

I hunt for meat. In Ohio we are allowed only 1 buck per season regardless of how it is killed. Luckily I have already put a couple "antlerless" deer in the freezer so I can be more selective about the buck I shoot. I have a few bucks on my trail cam at my food plot I would take without hesitation (one very wide 6 point, one decent 8 point, and one 9 point with good width & mass). There are also a few like I watched yesterday evening (2 spikes within 15 yards of my stand) that I will pass on for now. We still have almost 3 months of deer season, and our gun season (I hunt with my muzzleloader) is still a few weeks away. If I don't get a nice buck then I will change my requirements. By late muzzleloader season I'll live by the "if it's brown - it's down" standard.

My aim is to shoot a mature animal. That does not mean I set my sights on a 30" plus. It depends on the tag for me. SOme areas here in Idaho have MONSTER deer. If I have a tag in those areas I tend to eat tags or get big ones. In other areas I might shoot the first buck I see. We can only shoot one animal a year, I try to make the most of it. Ron

Buddy of mine shot a nice small 5pt buck yesterday w/his crossbow, went 50 yds. He said it wasn't very big. I told him that's gonna be fine eatin there buddy!! helped him skin and bone it. he gave me awhole backstraap and the tenderloins!! Life is REALLY GOOD!! He spent his time planting, cutting wood, making food plots, more cover, the whole shooting match. we don't kill many deer there, but we appreciate every single one of them!!!

I hunt for the meat and have the opportunity for several does each year. So I will only shoot older bucks now - what I feel are 3 1/2 plus regardless of the rack or score. And since I use the meat, I wait for the larger does. Would rather gut, drag and butcher 3 big ones then 4 or 5 smaller ones for the same meat.

Where I am at, the young ones are too easy, I like the challange of taking the older ones far more.

I let does walk nowadays. Our herd needs to build back up and the rule makers aren't making it easy for that to happen. Figure every doe I pass is helping a little. Took a very nice 10 pointer years ago and will probably never top that as I just don't work at it anymore. And it no longer matters. :)

Size of Rack or deer?
 

There is an advantage to management and "view and release" of game when in the field. By passing on the younger bucks and watching for the trophy buck, you have exercised a quality attribute
of a conservative and management minded hunter, that will enable more game to mature and help maintain the herd as well. Just because we have tags does not mean they all have to be used. I have not filled all of my tags ever, because I watch for the mature trophy size buck and; as you also pointed out, your wife comes along and you always have does for meat. That is complimentary and I wish everyone would hunt like this. It would mean a lot more to the industry and will go a long way in your teaching yonger hunters how to conserve our resources, help maintain a quality herd and enjoy nature and the environment in many new ways. That is very commendable. Now, in learning the art of hunting one needs to know the proper methods of caring for the game once it has been harvested. Take some time to visit with your local butcher and learn how to butcher a deer after it has been properly "field dressed" and cooled down. Many hunters don't know the first step to caring for their game and so the meat may end up ruined because of it. Proper care will make the difference between wonderful table fare and grub for the dog. I do understand there are restrictions in other parts of the country that I've never incurred here in Texas. Such as the short hunt season in MI or WI and other areas. So with regard to the time and the other restrictions I can see how a hunter may be inclined to take meat first as a must, and then wait for a mature trophy size at the end of the season. Good luck to all! And remember, Happiness is a large gut pile!

The meat hunter in me is served by numerous does. When it comes to bucks, it depends on the state. When I was in MI, I shot anything legal because anything over a spike stood a 5% chance of living past its first set of antlers so I might as well shoot. In IN, with a 1-buck rule, people are much more selective so I pass anything less than an 8-pointer. There are a couple 160-class deer on the property I hunt every year, while I have not seen one yet personally my family does each year, so I am happy to wait and give them a chance to show themselves.

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. My buddy and I just took down an average muley two days ago in Montana, his first. He shot first and I shot it second to back him up as it would have been very easy for the deer to get un-findable if it ran at all. It was 550 yards (both of us shooting 300WMs). Most people would consider it an average muley, but he was still walking on clouds today about it and so proud of making that shot perfectly. Who am I to tell him it was an "average" deer and he shouldn't consider it a trophy?

Congratulations to you and especially your Buddy's first Mulie! Being his (first) it should be considered a Trophy. This Forum was'nt about Judinging the animal a person takes, but about what you would consider a good animal if you had the opporitunity to take one. In certain area's there's animals that would be considered a Trophy (all are different) for size, rack and age. And if given the chance would you pass on a lesser animal to wait for the trophy or take what comes along.
I would never tell a (Youth first time Hunter) that the Spike he just took was'nt a Trophy or any first time Hunter no matter the age, these are Memories that will last a Lifetime and a Happy Hunter is all that matter's, reguardless of size. A Trophy is in the eye of the Shooter. I would never belittle any Hunter for the size of his animal.
I also love to fill my Freezer, and having a Wife that Hunts helps as she put's most of the meat in it. But because I have become more seasoned with age and as a Hunter I like to give back and pass on lesser animals and wait for that Trophy. And now that My Wife has become more seasoned she also has started to practice better Quality management and her veiws on what to take have started to change too.
Is a Trophy all that matter's to us, NO, we love to Hunt first, if we dont get a Trophy are we Unhappy, NO. Were Happy just to be able to Hunt and be togeather during the Hunt with Family and Friends, that's what matters First. If a Trophy comes along great, if one does'nt than so be it. To us a Successful Hunt is'nt one filled with a Trophy but the Memories that come with the Hunt.
I want everyone to Have a Safe and Successful Hunting Season, reguardless of what animal he or she takes. The memories of the Hunt outweigh the size of the Animal taken. Thank You everyone who has posted a comment.
Success to you all!
(BP)

Well so far I have taken a [140#] doe with xbow and a 7 point buck [170#] muzzleloader 200gr Lehigh 140gr BH while I consider both these animals large for AR I got them on my own managed game land. I have one state tag left and I just passed on a doe and a buck yesterday so I guess I am getting a bit picky now but I know I have a 12 point prowling around that I have been wanting to tag before he starts declining.

After hunting for 30 plus years, I'm now selective on the Buck side. I really don't need to add another average set of horns to box in the garage.

I hunt in Kansas with my son. We hunt for the " Big Buck " till the last day, then fill our tags with a nice doe. If we come home empty, the tags can used in a January antlerless deer season.

I really only want to clean and process a couple of deer each year. Plus, you can't shoot big deer if you fill your tag with average deer. Also, that " nice " deer today is the great deer of tomorrow.

I'm mostly a meat hunter- I try to take a doe or two per year if possible. As for bucks, in general if it is early bow season, I've let some small bucks walk (spikes and fork-horns). If it is 6 points or more, in general I'm going to try and take it. Once it gets later into the season (gun or ML season), if I haven't got a buck, then "if it's brown, it's going down">

We have a good deer population on our 900 acre lease, so our club rules allow two does per member, and up to three bucks. But if you don't score a buck you can take third doe during the last ten days of the season. This gives everyone who wants meat at least three deer per season. I usually get two does and one buck each year, but ended up taking a third doe last year because I was holding out for a real nice buck I'd been seeing on my game camera, and he outsmarted me.

We can take up to three bucks, but nothing under 5 points and only one 5 or 6 pointer. Anything else must be 7 points or more. Most of our 9 members don't shoot the 5 or 6 pointers, and two don't shoot does at all. Because we have a long season and I hunt every weekend - Friday evening through Sunday morning from mid-November until the end of January I can afford to be choosy and only take good shots. My personal rule is to take two does fairly early in the season (we do love our venison) and the first 8-pointer I get a shot at. If I connect with a buck I won't shoot another one unless he is bigger/better/older than the one I've taken.

But to tell you the truth, I'm quite happy making a good shot on a mature doe and a "buckless" season is no great disappointment.

It's hard to be selective on 5 acres, so we take what we can get. You have been watching too many hunting shows.:s2:

Over the last few years I've gotten to where I let the little ones walk. I will however take a good sized spike or a large doe the first season just to put meat in the freezer. I'll hunt for a nice deer the second and muzzleloader seasons. Alot of times I don't fill my extra tags unless I know someone will want the meat.

I have been deer hunting for 33 years since the age of 13. I have killed lots of bucks and does during that time. I have 7 bucks mounted on my wall, I would love to say that I am a trophy hunter, but im not. I do try to hold out for older deer, but sometimes my blood pressure goes up and I give in. This year I shot a doe opening day of bow season, but have been holding out for some bigger bucks that I have seen on my game camera. This past friday a 7pt tempted me to much so now I'm down to one tag. Our gun season opens this coming sat for 3 weeks so I will try to hold out for a bigger buck. My family eats a lot of deer meat every year and if I strictly hold out for trophies we go without. When I take my yearly trip to Ohio for the gun season I always try to tag a big doe, but am very selective on the bucks that I shoot.

Some folks are just crazy about killing bucks. Any buck at all really. And if shooting a 6 pt or a smaller framed 8pt absolutely makes their season.... then you know what.... I think thats awesome. I really don't have a desire to harvest them myself, so I'll happily leave them for someone who views them as a trophy, or perhaps they'll make it until next year when they might make my eye brows go up.

You can only kill a deer once.... in my opinion, I'd like to kill him when he's big.... otherwise he is just a doe with potential. You only get three buck tags a season in VA.... and you can pretty much shoot as many does as you like. I whack does with much prejustice.... but I like to let the smaller bucks go.

What He Said