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What kind of deer hunter are you?
12-03-2007, 06:26 PM
#23
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
ORIGINAL: GregH
Gotta be getting close now!! It'll happen.
Seeing anything?
ORIGINAL: Germ
un-succesful
un-succesful
Seeing anything?
1 buck I spooked at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning
I had a feeling he was out there, wind out of the east, I hunted eastwind stand. I had to walk by the wheat field, so I crawled through the CRP. I got next to uncle stand, I heard breathing. Moon was out and i could see a bit. Nice rack buck bedded 6 steps from me. When he took off he whacked his head gear on the stand to rubn it in.[&:]
12-03-2007, 06:27 PM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
Mature bucks for me and Doe's for meat. HOWEVER mother nature decided to put a huge dent in our herd this season so i became a flexable hunter this season, made an extreamly fun year out of it, and took a decent 2.5-8 point and a Doe as well. Next season, mature buck or tag soup, but the Does better look out 
12-03-2007, 06:27 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing Michigan
Posts: 2,355
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
I'm still fairly new at this bowhunting thing. I've gun hunted since I was 14, but I've really only been a serious bowhunter for 4 years now. I've managed to take 9 deer with my bow in 4 seasons. The problem is only 2 of them were does! One was a mature buck taken in Illinois. The others were either button bucks or 1.5 year old bucks.
Here's the kicker: In 4 years of bowhunting in Michigan, I've only seen one buck that looked older than 1.5 yrs old.
At the time I didn't feel bad at all about shooting young bucks. Heck, I probably only get about 4 or 5 deer in bow range all season where I hunt. So I felt like I needed to have a "brown its down" mentality. I'm also starting to realize that I'm probably my own worst enemy because I've shot so many young bucks in the last few years that its no wonder I don't see more mature bucks. But as a new bowhunter I think it was good experience at the same time.
This year, I gained access to a pretty good area to hunt during the rut. I can see myself becoming a mature buck hunter next year, and shooting does for meat. That was my plan this year, until I hunted the entire month of October without seeing a deer of either sex. Then I got frustrated and decided to stick an arrow in the first deer in bow range. Of course, it was a BB (accident - thought it was a doe).
Now that I'm confident in my abilities to kill when the time comes, and I've got a few under my belt, I'm going to try to become a mature buck hunter who shoots mature does only for meat. That's my goal for next year.
Here's the kicker: In 4 years of bowhunting in Michigan, I've only seen one buck that looked older than 1.5 yrs old.
At the time I didn't feel bad at all about shooting young bucks. Heck, I probably only get about 4 or 5 deer in bow range all season where I hunt. So I felt like I needed to have a "brown its down" mentality. I'm also starting to realize that I'm probably my own worst enemy because I've shot so many young bucks in the last few years that its no wonder I don't see more mature bucks. But as a new bowhunter I think it was good experience at the same time.
This year, I gained access to a pretty good area to hunt during the rut. I can see myself becoming a mature buck hunter next year, and shooting does for meat. That was my plan this year, until I hunted the entire month of October without seeing a deer of either sex. Then I got frustrated and decided to stick an arrow in the first deer in bow range. Of course, it was a BB (accident - thought it was a doe).
Now that I'm confident in my abilities to kill when the time comes, and I've got a few under my belt, I'm going to try to become a mature buck hunter who shoots mature does only for meat. That's my goal for next year.
12-03-2007, 06:29 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia / West Virginia
Posts: 4,906
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
I sometimes wonder what I am.
I hunt mid pressured areas, private mountain land. We don't have alot of "big" bucks where I hunt, period. A 110" is a "stud" where I hunt, unfortunately. Still, I find myself passing all bucks each year....looking for that stud...even passing 90" deer which are pretty darn good where I hunt. I usually gun hunt one week a year, then take my bow out during gun season the rest of the time...looking for that stud. I hunt my a$$ off most years...looking for that stud. I have yet to connect withone very often. I gave up shooting small bucks in '97. 2 times in the last 10yrshave I even taken a mature buck, and both of them were with a gun. I can't tell you how many young bucks I've passed with the bow...and can't even comprehend how many it would be with a gun. Hundreds for sure. Still I wonder...is it worth it?
I guess the bottom line is I am a mature buck hunter....with not much success. I know they are around, albeit few and far between, I guess I just have to become a better hunter. No regrets though...I don't want to shoot the smallbucks regardless, so I just shoot does for meat.
I do envy you folks that have so many nice deer where you hunt. At least there is a reasonable chance of one coming by you at any time. My avg is "seeing" a mature deer about every 3-4 years. I made a trip to IL this fall and saw 4 P&Y class bucks during my one week, on self guided hunt on land I had never sat foot on or seen prior. (and almost had chances at 2 of those). One was over 150" for sure....amazing what happens when you hunt where they actually are. [&:]I've seen exactly 2 P&Y class deer in over 20yrs hunting the land I hunt.
I hunt mid pressured areas, private mountain land. We don't have alot of "big" bucks where I hunt, period. A 110" is a "stud" where I hunt, unfortunately. Still, I find myself passing all bucks each year....looking for that stud...even passing 90" deer which are pretty darn good where I hunt. I usually gun hunt one week a year, then take my bow out during gun season the rest of the time...looking for that stud. I hunt my a$$ off most years...looking for that stud. I have yet to connect withone very often. I gave up shooting small bucks in '97. 2 times in the last 10yrshave I even taken a mature buck, and both of them were with a gun. I can't tell you how many young bucks I've passed with the bow...and can't even comprehend how many it would be with a gun. Hundreds for sure. Still I wonder...is it worth it?
I guess the bottom line is I am a mature buck hunter....with not much success. I know they are around, albeit few and far between, I guess I just have to become a better hunter. No regrets though...I don't want to shoot the smallbucks regardless, so I just shoot does for meat.
I do envy you folks that have so many nice deer where you hunt. At least there is a reasonable chance of one coming by you at any time. My avg is "seeing" a mature deer about every 3-4 years. I made a trip to IL this fall and saw 4 P&Y class bucks during my one week, on self guided hunt on land I had never sat foot on or seen prior. (and almost had chances at 2 of those). One was over 150" for sure....amazing what happens when you hunt where they actually are. [&:]I've seen exactly 2 P&Y class deer in over 20yrs hunting the land I hunt.
12-03-2007, 06:36 PM
#27
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: central Wisconsin
Posts: 183
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
I hunt almost all public land and the hunting pressure is pretty serious, I ussually take the first 2.5 year old I can...However if I had the resources I would be more of a trophy hunter
12-03-2007, 06:38 PM
#28
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location:
Posts: 341
RE: What kind of deer hunter are you?
ORIGINAL: Tikka 30-06
I hunt an area with quite a bit of pressure and not the highest amount of deer. Simply put, I just don't see the deer that some guys do. Because of that, if its not too small.....then goodnight.
I hunt an area with quite a bit of pressure and not the highest amount of deer. Simply put, I just don't see the deer that some guys do. Because of that, if its not too small.....then goodnight.
