RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

I agree with MN purple and AF hunter. To shoot a deer because someone else would is not ethical. That is the problem to many people feel that way and you can imagine the problems when everyone does this. Each one must do his part to make this better.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

Well,you said you like to see the little ones get bigger. Everyone throws the public land thing in there to justify killing a small one.( the filling my freezer bit is a good one too)Kill it if you want, but don't look for a big one next year, you may not find one. What I am saying is, if you really want to kill a big one you may not want to kill the small one. There is aGREAT FEELINGand alot of satisfation when you could have killed a small buck and you let him pass. WWW.PBASE.COM/MLO3135127

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

There is also alot of satisfaction in takeing a mature buck when you know you passed on him when he was 1.5yrs old as I have done with a fork horn with distintive marking on his rear end and when I took him he was 4.5 and 141 inches.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

a lot of great posts. I've been thinking a lot about it since I started the thread. It is very true that if I do shoot him, he will NOT be able to grow. Soooo... I think that when the opportunity presents itself (God willing) I will shoot him.......
with my video camera:D. I definitely would not shoot this deer to "fill my freezer" as I have 6 tags and will take a doe for that purpose.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

Oh I also forgot to mention this would be my first buck with a bow. I have killed A LOT of does and a nice buck that some other guy took, but I've never taken a buck home with a bow.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

Same situation (approximately) happened last season. A big bodied, decent 6 point came into shooting range on some heavily pressured public land that I hunt here in eastern PA.

I finished off what was left of him in the freezer this past summer.

;)

Seriously, I believe the antler restrictions imposed in our area over the last few years have done wonders to increase rack size and the overall number of bucks being seen. However, shooting any buck on heavily pressured public land is not an easy thing to do regardless of rack size.

Case in point, I shot a nice 8 pointer on opening day of this season,saw two otherbucks ( a high4 and another8) and two does while I was gutting the buck.My wife's cousin who hunts about a half mile away on a piece of private property between the gamelands and local game preserve saw a total of9 bucks that morning, all of which he passed on, and another7 doe. His two buddies that were also hunting the same property saw a combined total of 42 deer that morning..... 20 bucks and 22 doe...including one 150class brute.

I guess my point is that location is everything when it comes to hunting and we all have to set our own standards asto what to take and what not to within the legal limits.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

Not every public land buck gets shot while it's small. Some do get bigger even on public land. Shooting any buck just becuase it's on public land will only ensure that the number of decent bucks on publlic land will always be small.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

If you've killed your share of average bucks and are looking for meat why not let this guy walk. You"ll be surprised how many make it through the season even on state land. Kill some baldies! You can't kill a big buck if you don'tgive thema chance to get big.

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

DWD2001, I have taken hours of video of deer, it's a blast. I hope you get him on film. www.pbase.com/mlo3135127

RE: Your opinion on shooting smaller public land bucks...
 

all upto you and what you feel you will see in the future.....if its your main or only spot....or all you have to hunt is public land as i do...id take what feels right...if you know or think theres bigger wait out the season...might eat your tag.....but them small bucks you passed CAN live another year....they dont ALL die....public land deer are smart and tough to hunt.....public land i usually take the first legal deer.....im also only 18...and dont have TOO many deer under my belt...7 does and 2 6pts....most from public land........if not public land its land that alot of other people hunt....so its tough hunting...but if you know theres bigger bucks around and have the time to put in wait it out......its all upto you in the end.......your right....someone else may take him in a heartbeat....i know the first lega buck i see will hit the ground......but its also 4pts to a side here now......and a whole lot of herd reduction....thats where the 7 does come in my harvest....i love venison....and love hunting....and the areas i took the does had TONS of deer.....i dont mind taking a doe for the freezer....actually i love it....i work hard for them and even though i dont have horns for the wall i have pics, memorys, and a freezer full of fresh venison....