In our area of North Carolina if you see a 3.5 year old. YOU BETTER SHOOT IT!!! HAHA Most deer around here are lucky to make it to two because of trigger happy rifle hunters and road hunters. I passed on a spike 2 years ago and before he got around the ridge he was dead from a, IF its brown its down type gun hunter.

Your post on that thread prompted this one, Schultzy. Nothing wrong with that approach. I wish I had it so lucky! Good luck to you.

Any buck that grosses in the high 140s is in danger of getting my arrow at this point in my hunting. I've never seen a 2 1/2 that grosses 130 so, for the most part, they are safe. 3 1/2s on the other hand are about 135 gross with a few making the 140 class.4 1/2s are 140 on up. These are the ones I'm usually after.

Let me ask you this, Greg.....

If a man hunting ANYWHERE consistently put a 3.5 yr old buck on the ground.......(regardless of rack size).......is that anything to sneeze at?

Not at all, 3 1/2s is where the going starts getting tough.

I shoot 3.5 year old bucks around here. I hunt near a forest preserve and it is loaded with deer and the 3.5 year olds are grossing 120-130 on average. I take the first decent buck I can for my freezer and then sit waiting for a big one to show but rarely see anything bigger than lower 150's and don't get many shooting opportunities on them.

I agree.

I think this is a very good question. I side that I am shooting the animal, not the rack. Just because the rack isn't there, doesn't mean that is isn't supposed to be. IMO, I target 3.5-4.5 and older because of their wariness and extreme smartness they have acquired in the past years.

That deer has some bug eyes GMMAT. But any 3.5 year old in my area gets an arrow. We have 3.5's that go anywhere from 90-120" and all in between, which would make them a worthy opponent for my first bow buck.

Not ANY 3.5yo. Age is one thing, but if his rack has not gotten to where it needs to be, he will be a 4.5yo if I have my way.