Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

First of all....PLEASE do not let this get into a "Shoot what you want vs. let 'em go so they can grow" debate.

Reason for the post.

I have been hunting whitetails for all of 2+ seasons.....and I've been fortunate to take a coupel of deer indicative of good bucks for the herd I hunt. I've also let some bucks "walk" that I regret not.

As the years go by....I will be becoming more and more choosy in what I take. I have to ask, though......how satisfying (I'm assuming VERY) is it when you let that first one "walk"......that in former years you'd have been extremely proud to harvest.

IF....(BIG, HUGE "IF") it is your inclination to let animals walk (in hopes of a bigger one)......Do you garner more enjoyment as the years go by....employing this practice? Is...."the one I let walk".....AS enjoyable as the one I GOT, two seasons ago? I can honestly see where it could be.

Does any of this make sense?:D

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I let smaller does and bucks walk, not in hopes of growing huge racks in the future, but rather, I just don't WANT to take them.

I'm happy hunting if I see deer and COULD take them.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Let me give an example.....

GregH lets a 3.5yr old 9 pointer walk....because he's just not what he's looking for.

Does that experience with that deer.....give you as much enjoyment.....as it would have if you'd taken that same deer 3 seasons ago?

I have to think (only if you subscribe to this type of hunting)....that it would. Being in the presence of a "great" deer (everything's relative) is a huge rush. I would think that would be enough, "sometimes". I would think (again....if you subscribe) it would get better and better with each occurrence.....even if it only occurred once a yr or LESS.

A camera will defintely become more of a friend to me as I continue hunting.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Thanks, Keith. Perfect.;)

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I enjoy letting them walk. Just being in the stand and seeing them in their natural environment is joy enough for me! Being a hunter for only two year like Jeff, seeing them and passing has gotten rid of my horrible shakes!!!

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I enjoy showing all my videos to my buddies of all the young bucks I let walk. They are always like...dude, thats a 6 pointer though, why didn't you shoot him. I used totake a shot at any buck (if I had a tag) and now I have become more selective. I know that I see more deer now that I am patient and it feels good to be "closer" to nature when those deercome in.

I let them go so they can grow and maybeoffer me an opportunity the next season. I do feel very grateful for anyone that shoots abuck and they are proud of it. Just becauseI let 'em walk, doesn't mean the neighbors have to...as long as they arelegal, that is fine with me.

Not sure if I answered yourquestion though...

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Well for me..
I get great satisfaction of having the self restraint not to shoot. It's not the same as actually shooting, it's a different feeling. It's the inner peace that comes from the Hunt being the focus of my time outdoors.

In my younger days the Kill was the important factor.

I could go on and on..but that paragraph sums it up, aboutas well as I can.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

letting one walk by the tree im in is close to but not as exciting as the kill. i love the rush of a deer thats inside 15 yards, it really cool to just be inside that distance of a wild animal. its not necessarly exciting that i may have the opportuninty to kill that deer later but just being close to it like that and knowing that i could have taken it. hope that makes sense.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I understand exactly what you mean. My goal this year was to take a "nice" 8 point. You know, one that you would look at and say "That's a nice buck!" Not huge.....In the 100 inch range. I let a couple of bucks that fit that description walk this year, and at the time I was REALLY second guessing myself.

Until my 127 showed up.....I've never been so glad to let bucks walkin my entire life, not that I've let very many. Prior to this year, all I've let walk are does and illegal bucks. I let several perfectly legal bucks live this year, and I couldn't be any happier. It's pretty cool.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Hey guys....this is exactly the stuff I'm asking about. And ...it's been answered to a degree (Thanks, GR8). But...it would seem (if you're so inclined to let 'em walk) that it would be different with bucks. I see MANY, MANY "deer" every year. I see VERY few "great" deer. The ones I have seen....(and again, guys....everything's relative)...I've tried to kill.

What's it like letting that first "great" deer ..........walk?

Are you satisfied that you didn't take him...(deep down knowing that likely...someone else WILL)?Does this thought come into play.....ever? Or....once you've made your decision......it's out of your hands?

Again...ONLYif you subscribe to this way of thinking....when you "graduate" to it not concerning you......I "assume" THEN....you've just had an awesome encounter.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I have let probably 15 bucks walk during bow season this year ranging from spikes to a basket 8 point and now it looks like I won't be getting a deer this year as they all have disappeared off of the land I hunt. Would I change passing those bucks? Not a chance because hopefully some of them become jaw droppers next year. I love the rush of hearing the deer come in and walk within 15 yards. This year I had a 4 point bed right below me for 2 hours.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

letting 'em walk for me is no big thrill, i do however enjoy watching them, but seeing that big 'un walk out that I KNOW i'm gonna take is HUGELY more rewarding to me... letting 'em walk is a mgmt tool for us, i watch the deer and see if its a shooter and that is exciting, but once i get a good view of the rack and determine that it isn't i just sit back and scan to see if another is following it around and go back to watching the non-shooter buck eat and stuff... enjoyable? you betcha... as rewarding as finding a shooter? no way...

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I don't really feel any excitement in letting them walk. This year I passed on the biggest buck that gave me a chance(meaning up to this point I've never passed on a buck this big). It was about the same size as a nice one I shot about 4 years ago. That moment in no way shape or form came close to the excitement I got when I actually shot one of that size several years back.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I don't know if excitement is the right term for me. I get excitement from shooting a big buck, I get satisfaction from letting one walk. For me they aredifferent emotions, not better or worse. Don't get me wrong, I get excited anytime a good buck is in range. I enjoy it very much. But I get satisfaction from doing what Iwant do to further the needs of my herd and my maturity as a hunter. It has much more to do with meeting my own goals as a hunter than it does arbitrary goals of the hunting community around me. And it feels really good to see/take a deer that is mature, when he wouldn't have been if you shot him two years earlier. We each take enjoyment in different ways.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

GMMAT, this is exactly what I've done. From the time I started passing 1 1/2sright up to 2 years a go when I started passing 3 1/2s and 4 1/2s up to 135+ inches. By passing such deer it has enabled me to see even bigger deer and watch and learn more of how deer opperate. I won't get a high 140s+ if I shoot one that's smaller.

However, it does not compare to the feeling I get after making a good shot on any deer. If it's a doe I still get all shakey after shooting it.

That's why I hunt.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

If I truely feel he is a great deer, then he is probably not going to walk. I have let bucks walk that I have spent the minutes leading up to them entering my shooting lane frantically looking at the rack, deciding if I should take him, could I do better, would this provide satisfaction for me, do I want my season to end right here, right now? Its a complete rush of emotions filled with second guesses when he passes through your shooting lane and you know he is gone. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I was this close to a buck that was so close to what I was looking for, but at the same time I am second guessing everything, were his tines longer than I thought, dang he is over 20 inches inside aint he, you dumb%&#$ what did you let him walk for? Its a sense of mixed emotions.

For me, the actual kill is the most anticlimatic part of the hunt because its over. Its over. I enjoy the chase so much more than the kill and there are times I think I would be just as satisfied to hunt with a camera, But there is something special about grabbing that thick main beam in your hands.:) If I could script my hunting season, I would hunt all year, take in all the experiences and then on the last day of the year tag out on a buck I am really happy with. Every year I actually dread the chance that a 150+ class buck could walk past my stand at 20 yards on opening morning. I just dont want the season to end so quickly, it would be hell for me. Couldnt he just wait until December.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Exactly! earlier in the season I would get the shakes all the time even if I had no intention of shooting, by the end of the season I was calm. I think this is a good thing to do for us novice hunters. I don't want to repeat my previous woundings!

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I wouldn't say that I "enjoy" letting a buck walk because I'd like to shoot them all...big or small.:DI just like to hunt periodbut I only have a certain amount of buck tags per year and some years (for what ever reason) I decide to go after a certain size or particulardeer. It's then I'll let other deer walk but it's no way near as gratifying as putting them down.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I don't mind letting them walk, enjoy watching them. Didn't shoot a buck again this year that's three years eating my buck tag. I do hate getting the phonecall that someone smacked one with the car.Also got to watch one I let walk during bow, get shot opening morning of gun. The guy was really phsyched so that didn't even bother me.

Don't think it could be for me.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

That pretty much wraps it up in a nutshell.

I guess I just view letting a smallerbuck walk as part of the mature buck hunting experience. That being said, any deer that walks under my stand is a pleasurable experience, the bigger the better, but as Greg says, it's nothing like the flood of emotions that accompaniesharvesting a deer.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I have the same philosophy. Since I started filming, I enjoy passing bucks even more. We can kill them with the camera, and let them have a shot at another season of growth. To each their own, but I get a real kick out of letting some very nice bucks walk on by. Something empowering about letting a nice buck walk. Besides, when I pull the trigger - my season is done. Makes me pretty choosy with what I'm willing to end on.

Too many guys have the idea that success means killing something. Some of the best days I've ever had in the woods were only possible because I let slobs walk by. It's amazing what you can learn from a mature whitetail buck when you don't try to kill him immediately. We filmed several encounters with some 4-1/2 and 5-1/2 bucks at close range this year. It was an absolute blast - and no arrows were sent....

I started letting small bucks walk back in Michigan when a spike or forkie was considered a "good" buck. Knowing each buck I let walk by was likely going to be dead by winter, didn't change anything for me. I just knew I'd rather be apart of the solution than the problem. Just imagine what we would have running around if everyone thought the same way.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I do get enjoyment for letting smaller bucks walk, but i get more enjoyment when i take a big boy. This year was different, i took a buck i would normally pass on because of EHD hitting the area hard taking out mainly the older deer. I still got a rush doing it though, i felt i beat the odds somewhat.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Why would it end your season especially if you enjoy filming so much sounds like you could continue to go out and hunt with your camera anyday you want. Even after the season is over.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I let a giant 8 walk this year. I was on a doe only property and he totted out at 4 pm at about 15 yards and worked a scrap. It was one of the coolest nights in the woods i can remember. I dont know how many times I have passed on shots just because I was having fun watching. I just love the overall experiance. I am only 24, and have been bowhunting since I was 12. I have had some good success and some good failures. Love the learning curve. the greatest thing about bowhunting though, at least to me, is the experiance. To sum up, its not that I feel proud or holy for letting one walk, or shooting one, I really just am completely in love with the whole thing.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Jeff,

I get an UNBELIEVEABLE ammount of enjoyment letting less bucks walk, ones that i would have shot in years past. It is a great feeling.

As you know i recently passed a GREAT deer - the biggest one i have ever had a shot oportunity at. Although very few people understand where im coming from, it was an awesome feeling to have that caliber of an animal at less than 15 yards with no clue of your existance. I still do not regret passing on that buck even though i have not seen him recently.

I still have a couple weeks of season left so we will see!

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I passed more Bucks this yearincluding Whitetails and Muliesthan any season I have hunted (somewhere more than 50 and less than 100) I realize you can NOT kill a big one most of the timeif you shoot the first one that waltz's by, so I pass a lot of Bucks. Some years I score and some I don't;)I always satisfy my killing urges taking Does and putting meat in the Freezer because one thing for sure no amount of practice is the same as taking live animals.
No way I wanna draw down on a Big Buck not having killed something for a year and a half or 2 years;)

Dan

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I couldn't have said it better ....

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I love being in the woods no matter if I see zero deer and yes seeing any deer in range still gives me a big rush even if I do not take a shot. Quick story, lastyear I had a 200" gross Non-typical come buy my stand at 20 yds when I was at full draw but couldn't take the shot because of him chasing a doe. That was the most exciting time I have ever had in the woods in the 11 yrs that I have been hunting. Even though I didn't get the buck, the sight of seeing a buck most hunters haven't or will never see in the wild was just as exciting.

The buck was later shot by a hunter in gun season. Grossed 209"

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

For me I think the biggest buck Ive passed on is a mid 120's 9 pt, which was this year. Ive shot 6 bucks with a bow so far in my life, starting with a couple 1.5 yr old 7 pts, then a 2.5 8 pt, then my first "big" buck to me was a 120's 9 pt, then I got another 120's 8, then last year a 135 9 pt. So after shooting those so far I dont think I would feel real satisfied shooting another buck less than a 120-125, with a bow anyway. This year I had a hard time letting2 or 3120's walk. Looking back on it I have no regrets, the encounters were great and I know letting them go will pay off in the future. Right now I am at the point where I will shoot at a 130's for sure. But maybe If I shoot a couple more in that class I might try to hold off for a bigger one in the future. So at the end of the season I would rather have an unfilled buck tag than a dead buck that I second guess whether or not I should have shot.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

This is something I picked up from earlier similar posts, "we" ( as in most people on HNI including me ) are not the blood thirsty killingmachines some people think we are.
Being outdoors close to nature is important to us, killing that superbuck or filling a second freezer with meat comes in a close second, I think.....

thank you

Frank
Belgium

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I, like several others, don't really get a huge thrill after I let a buck (or any deer) walk on by. I do gather a great deal of information from them.. but that's about all.

For me.. after I pass on a buck.. I still may never see him again. Often I do not. I hunt different areas every year. I pass on 1 and 2 year olds so others may get the chance. I don't do it for other hunters though.. I do it for myself.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I guess I'm trying to look into my hunting future and see what's in store.

Another way to ask is....(I suppose)....Is the allure of what might come in behind the next doe enough to keep you guys intrigued? I was under the impression (and PT is right....I say it all the time....Hunting is VERY personal) that you seasoned guys garnered a lot of satisfaction just being in the presence of a great deer (whether you decided to take him or not).

I've only felt that way about one deer. I was elated every time I saw him....and, looking back, almost equally as much when I knew I didn't have an opportunity to kill him. Those encounters were extremely satisfying.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Well Jeff, Yes and No!
Yes, it is enjoyable and successful to know that I had the opportunity to harvest and I learn a lot more about the species everytime I let one walk. and
No, because as i let lesser deer walk, the excitement level does somewhat go down. On borderline game that i have to really think about, then it is til as exciting, sometimes I even draw back and let him walk just to see if I can, since the drawback it the toughest part of the hunt.
Make sense?

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I went through a long period of time of letting bucks walk in search of and in hopes of killing nothing but "wallhangers" according to what I personally wanted as a minimum. For reasons that I sometimes ponder, I then went through a short stage in my hunting life that it didn't matter as much, and for a few years due to frustration I started shooting smaller bucks. For instance in one season due to hospitalization and not being able to hunt much that season I shot a young 6 pt. the day after leaving the hospital just for the meat and to kill something:(. Happily I am back to letting lesser bucks walk in search of the "boys" with the big racks although they are not cooperating.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

One thing I want to stress and it's extremely important. Keep the FUN in it!! If you enjoy letting a lot walk fine. If you like to pile'em up (within your game laws) Great!! Just because your buddy or someone else does it one way doesn't make it the right way for you.
After all it is a Hobby to most of us and not a job!;)
Have Fun!!:D

Dan

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Amen!

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

Good point on keeping the fun in it. I went through a phase in my life where the search for the big one, and the minsicule odds associated with it due to a conflicting schedule, made my hunting not fun. I had just aquired an instant family, was in the process of teaching two young boys and a wife how to hunt, and was having to learn how cope with the fact that my time guiding them was making my old style of hunting impossible. I got it worked out, got my priorities in line, and started having fun again. But I had to change some things to do it. I'm not wound quite so tight anymore, and it all works out.

Ihelped my 11 year old spend 5 days hunting a specific buck this year, untill he got it. It was a good buck, and he earned it. I didn't push him into it, he did it. He would have spent 30 days trying to get it, because it was the one he wanted. He did shoot it with a rifle, but it was total free range, no blinds, feeders, food plots, fences, anything. Hours and hours laying on his belly in a 300 acre wheat field. You should have seen his face when he connected.

You asked about you future as a hunter Jeff. Let me tell you, the biggest trophy I have is in the smile of a child...

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I let several walk this year with no regrets. Even if I'm not going to shoot I still get pumped up in that I had them that close. I guess it's kinda like catch and release for me.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

I have to admit I let a ton walk each year. I do that for personal reasons as well as the fact that there are a ton of bucks in my stretch of woods. I can only shoot two so I save it for the big boys. If I want meat its big momma that gets the nod. I have shot two sick bucks that I think were car struck both had broken limbs and should have been in commercials with Sally Struthers they were so thin. Regardless, big bucks get big for a reason... they have had a chance to grow. If you want see trophy deer every year - then pass. If you want to shoot straight meat go ahead, just don't post on the webcomments like"Must be nice to see deer that big!" whenever you see a big steaming buck. You would see buck that big too you just have to let them go (most situations). Sure someone else might shoot em' later but unless you high fence that's the chance we all take.

It's your thang, do what you wanna do. Obeying all local laws of course. As for me, give me the wall hangers.

RE: Letting bucks "Walk"....for those who continue to do so...
 

If it didn't I would have shot it three years ago. :D