Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

Do you guys go out hunting every time with the intent and focus on killing a buck?
I ask, because I don't. Unless I have a good feel for one travelling in the early part of the season, I am doe hunting. I'm not venturing too far into core areas, and hunting spots where I really don't expect to se a big buck moving thru. Yea I'll see a few young bucks in the process, but generally I don't expect to see a mature buck until it gets closer to the chase phase, Then my focus shifts from the does to setting up on a buck.
Am I off? Does anyone else hunt this way?

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

Since i only get a 1 general whitetail tag a year for a good 3/4 of the year i will hunt for a Buck because im not worried about the meat situation because between me and 4 others we split all meat evenly and we have on average 17 tags for elk, moose, and mulie does or bucks altogether and we tend to fill most of them and then we also have our whitetail tags and we always see does which my other buds tend to shot cause they've shot whitetail bucks but i havent so i hold as long as i can for that buck untill its the final week then i will shoot a doe if i see one.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

no your not off, I only hunt bucks post and pre rut, other wiseI hunt does. I dont use any tactics during the rut for personal oppinions. unless you have a large amount of land to hunt, its hard to target bucks all season........so no you do what i assume the rest of us do.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

not one bit, when I go out hunting and see a deer I see two tasty backstraps, juicy tender inside loins, and mmm chops, and what should I putin my jerky mix. But I am not going to saywhen in field I don't pay attention to buck sign and I wouldn't pass a buck up but I don't concentrate/focus on horns. Me and my recurve and homemade quiver and arrowsare in the field for the passion and for the meat not horns.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

I shoot 1 doe in early season archery. Then I'm buck hunting. When I say early season, I mean first week. After that I'm after a buck. I won't kill another doe till second week of shotgun. If I haven't killed a buck then I'm not too worried, because by that point, where I hunt, there's already too much pressure and it's extremely difficult to catch a mature boy working my area during daylight. So as soon as second week of shotgun roles around it's doe killing time. I generally take 4-5 doe a year.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

I am always hunting for a buck but I usually have 3 tags for myself so I will take any large doe that happens to come into bow range.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

Inormally try to get a doe the first week of bow season then i am buck hunting from there out.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

Yes..... A big buck. I have observation stands and look for bucks coming out to feed in the summer. So for opening, I hunt a food source in the evening. After a week or two, I take it easy and get things done around the house and make spot checks for a couple of weeks. If my scouting reveals a big bucks bedding area, I start crowding it around Oct. 17th or so. If not, I wait until the 20-25th of Oct. and start hunting funnels between doe bedding areas.

From what I've found, it seems that the 3 1/2s start getting restless before dark and start prowling. This is a good time to set up close to his bed in the evening. Then, around halloween they start bumping does pretty good. From then until Nov. 7th or so,The 3 1/2s and some 4 1/2s are really moving. From Nov. 8th through Dec 10, the biggest ones move a bit. At this time you'll see some of the more spirited 3 1/2s with broken racks. Who did that? It is always possible to see a giant at any time, but I see, on average, the biggest bucks later in the season. I've got my theories on that also.

So, I hunt bucks until I get one then its doe season. If I don't get a buck then I shoot does during gun season or after Dec. 15th.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

I go out hoping to make a kill. A buck, a doe, or even a hog.

RE: Do you target bucks every time afield?
 

For first tag I look at meat after that 3 more tags one I will consentrated on a rack.