Just wondering if I'm crazy or if anyone feels remotely like I do. I live and hunt in a bow only county in southern NY. The potential for what I consider big deer (130+) is real, not everyday common, but is always there. I have 2 nice bucks on my wall and 2 more from last year coming soon, the biggest about 125". I've always shot a bigger buck than the previous one and continue to stick to the philosophy,"Why shoot it if you're not gonna mount it?" That being said, I pass on a lot of nice bucks, 6s, 8s, etc. Most of these deer I never see again probably because the weekend warriors n the adjacent properties will shoot anything they get the opportunity to. Am I wasting my time? Do any of you work like this or something like this? I would rather shoot does than small young bucks.

I am in Chemung County and I never see big bucks. An 8 or 10 is just not common to see. 4's and 6's is more realistic.I use to shoot anything, if its brown its down. I have change and will not shoot the "smaller" deer. Some people just want or need the meat so they will shoot what ever comes around first and that was me a few years ago. Now I don't have to have the meet so now I can be a little more selective.

where I live nobody "needs" the meat. I donate almost every deer I shoot to a feed the hungry program. I shoot probably 8-10 deer a year and obviously the majority are does. Some people look at me crazy when I tell them what I've seen and also what I haven't shot. Obviously with every buck I do take, my odds of getting another that will "beat" it lessen. At some point the odds will be so stacked against me I will never shoot another buck locally. Hypothetically of course. Does this make sense?

Maybe I just watch too many hunting shows where every deer they shoot is 160+ and every one they pass on is at least 130.

well we are sort of on the same page..... the way i do it is i hunt 5.5 year old deer... of course a 4.5 gets taken by mistake but its an honest mistake...... its funny how the horn thing works out only taking mature deer..... if it doesnt have the "quality"horns your looking for at 4 or 5.5 then it should be taken out of the herd anyway.... but usually a 5.5 "cull" is a dandy in anybodys book...
having said that i dont mount everything ..... i do put the horns on adisplay of some kindbut not nessarily a full mount...as far as meat goes does are the ticket...

Depends on hunting experience and personal accomplishments. I have shot lots of deer with a gun, and I have shot a decent amount with the bow. I have killed 2 bucks over 135 with a gun and only one pushing P&Y with the bow, (low 120s). I have killed several bucks in 100-115 range with bow and gun, I will shoot a buck according to the time of year and land that Im hunting. If I hunt some property, it will only be something in 115- and up. Other properties, maybe anything. Mostly though I will shoot a doe rather than a buck that I will not at least horn mount or head mount.

My way of it right nowisif he's 125" or bigger he's going to get an arrow flung at him, if he's smaller then that i will not. I would love to raise the bar up to 130" class bucks, time will tell i guess if i can let those 125's go!

I just keep thinking that if I let all the smaller bucks go, then I will have bigger bucks in the future. It really hasn't worked out that way since I started passing on a lot of younger bucks. I haven't seen a noticeable increase in larger more mature deer.

Sound like like me hunting in Minnesota. I feel that I'm doing MY part in management. I know that there are only so many tags the neighbors have, they can't shoot all the ones I pass on. With that being said, I can only hope the best for them. Cars, and natural causes also take their toll. But I know/think that by passing on smaller bucks, I'm doing MY part in raising the potential in MY area.

Where you at in Minnesota?