What is the team 41? What is this team deal?

Younger, smaller bucks do nothing for me. I enjoy watching them, and learn what I can from them, So I have no problem letting them pass. I get a certain amount of self gratification just knowing I could have killed him if I had chose to.
The chances of abucks I pass on making it to maturity on the public hunting land where I now live and huntare slim! However the chances of one I drop the string onmaking it, is 0.
Many bucks I pass on are killed the same season, Yetitdoesnot change my goals!
If someone kills a 1 1/2 year old 6pt and is pleased with it, then Im glad for them, Shake their hand and give them my congrat's.
On the other hand if I was ever blessed enough to own a large chunk of property, you can bet your hinq quarters it would be under some type of QDM, TDM program and those that hunted it would play by the rules or find somewhere else to hunt!
Reminds me of an old prayer.
Lord, please give me the strength to tolerate those things I can not change, and the will to change the things I can!

You're right Dan, one does an expert make!

Well put, Sir.

I've decided for myself to pass on anything less than 8pts. this year. IMHO the thing that makes getting a nice size rack so great is that it shows the hunter has reached a certain level of skill, the bigger a fish or deer is the less luck played into it and the more animal smarts had its part in such longevity. Its a chess match played out in the woods, my wits against the bucks or does superior sensory organs. I want to "capture" more important pieces than the pawns(young does and button bucks) and move up the hierarchy. Some people are happy to just be a novice at whatever they do, for myself I want to achieve and push myself, not to just hunt but to be a Hunter. If the meat was the only reason I was in the woods I to would drop anything "brown". I hunt mostly on public land but either way I will be a good steward for every one else. If you don't care about the next guy hopefully you have a son or daughter you would like to see experience all the outdoors have to offer. What you CHOOSE to pass up gets passed on to the next hunter or next generation.

I'll give atlas credit for one thing.......

He's the only "expert" on HIS hunting grounds that this board knows. Bar none.

1 in an area where they come along once in a blue moon vs a handful in an area where they are plentiful........

And you know how rare a blue moon is , thats when baby Smurfs are born.
Hey Greg hows that for my age showin? BTW I have a real tree day pack.

disclaimer This is not directed at any person on this forum. Just because you have some big racks on the wall doesn't mean your an expert hunter. A buddy of mine used to go to Alberta and help out at a camp there. He shot plenty of deer for clients. You can go to a guarenteed hunt and put mongo on the wall in an hour. You can go on a guided hunt in many states or Mexico and have some one sit you down and wait for the bucks to come out in your shooting lane and blast a huge one.You can totally shut off your land by either fence orby not taking anyone with you and GROW a big deer.You can do all of this not know how to scout track or the first thing about the woods.This doesn't make you an expert it just means you have deep pockets.

I hunt several different area's mostly priviate land that the owners don't care what I shoot. Your saying that I'm being selfish or don't know what I'm doing if I decide to shoot a 1.5 yr old buck later in the season because I feel like it after passing up many other bucks during the year?

My thrill is getting knew land and figuring it out with my kid.
I think the selfish ones are those that say " This is what I do and enjoy and believe it's the best thing so I want it mandated for everyone."

Charlie great point, who here has deep pockets

We take Atlas theory.

Shooting big deer where they are plentiful is not big deal, shooting little deer where they are plentiful is not big deal then also.

We all stink