I agree with Arthur, to most it means just that...they 'say' they hunt mature bucks.


I would indeed take a 125" 4.5 year old over a 140" 2.5 year old every single time if they were both broadside at 15 paces. Why wouldnt I? At this stage of my life, I hunt mature bucks. I dig the roman nosed, bull necked, grey faced, stiff legged dominant buck more than any inches of antler can measure.

JoeRE, I think you may just be the exception to the majority.

I hunt hard for good bucks. Do I see alot? NO. Do I love it? YES! Are they mature? HELL IF I KNOW.

I don't have many chances at nice bucks. For example, I hunted my behind off this year on public land. I saw 3 bucks this year...total. I arrowed two of them, a 6 and 8 pointer. I felt lucky. I went to one of my buddies farms for just one day during the tail end of the rut this year. I hunted about 8 total hours and saw at least 8 different bucks, 2-3 of which were 8-10 pointers....I take my hunting experience as a grain of salt, knowing I don't have a great place to hunt, but thanking god each day that at least I have a place to hunt....thank you Marine Corps for letting me hunt on one of your bases! I tell them thank you each year on the base. Everyone else could be complaining that they aren't seeing anything and that hunting sucks, but I am truly grateful to just have a place to hunt.

Yeah you are about the only one.... .there are plenty of guys who would say they wouldn't shoot either... and some of the mid-west big land bunch might actually mean it.... but quite frankly if I see a buck that I would like to take that meets my fairly high criteria... then he could be 1.5 with 140" on his head and he will wear one.... the only point I see in shooting a buck is for the quality of the trophy (read: horns).... sure the meat is great and all... but I'd just assume shoot a doe because there are too many does anyway... they are easier to drag and more tender to boot... a small buck is just a doe with potential to me. Anyone who tells you buck meat is as good as doe meat has never eaten a buck that has been chased by hounds for a couple hours....

I understand its good QDMA and everything to shoot an older/inferior deer, but in VA that practice is almost a moot point because of the dogs. I'll let small deer go hoping that other hunters will do the same... but something with 140" of horn on its head is going to get ground checked. I hunted half of the legal days during the archery season in VA last year... and of the mature bucks that I knew were on the property, or frequented the property (not all of them were "shooters" and two of those were 3.5 year old shooters which ain't mature but I'd of given them the privilledge, but there was at least 6 or 7 that I had seen or had pictures of), I only saw three of them during legal hunting hours (and one was boardline at that). I saw all but one of them more than once.... but well after dark..... ironically the two I found dead I think I saw in September (together at that), but I can't say for 100% sure... I know that it was two tall shooter 8 point bucks....and that is what they were.....

Basically its like this..... if I deem a buck to be worthy of an arrow I'll give him one. I have high standards, but its based on inches not on age.... now quite generally most 2.5 year olds in our neck of the woods are not big enough to shoot by my standards (which by the way is about 125"... thereabouts)... there are several three year olds and most 4.5 year olds will reach that mark.... but I'll put a tag on a doe just as fast....

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Didn't you state you would pass a busted rack mature buck?

A mature buck to me is larger than what I have shot previously regardless of age.

I guess I am saying anything older than a year and a half old buck at this point. There is a difference with each age group of deer IMO. Even if he is legal in my area, just because he has 4 points on one side, doesn't mean I'm going to shoot him and I have passed up those legal bucks because I can. Like I posted in another thread, this is because I hunt an area with good genetics and good bucks. I just have to be patient. Now when this turns into another industrial park or housing plan, my attitude my change because I don't have the ability to hunt these big bucks.