What are you saying when you say....
 

I hunt mature bucks? Does this mean you hunt for a deer that is aged, regaurdless of his antlers?? Lets say you see a 4 yr old buck with a small rack or even a 6 yr old with a small rack, do you shoot it?? Is it more about the age than the rack?? I mean I gotta say, I don't really pay attention to age all that much, I don't care if he's 6 months old, if he has a 140" rack he is good enough for me. So do you guys who say that you hunt for mature bucks mean the age more than the racks, b/c not every mature buck has a 140" rack....??

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

I think there are actually a lot fewer mature buck hunters than actually claim to be. I'd wager a whole lot 'em are really saying that because they're crappy hunters and need an excuse for their perpetual diet of tag soup.;)

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

That hurt Arthur, that really hurt:(

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

Only if it applies, Germ.;)

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

Landon, If I saw a 6 yr with a 2x2 I would shoot it, in essence wouldnt that be an attempt at some type of QDM? I mean the letters QDM mean verry little to me (its like pissing in the wind), but I would take him because he is not a "quality" buck, but 80 pounds of deer hamburger and sausage, 4 loins and a month of steaks, stew, etc. Plus he would be considered a management buck in anyones books.

Im a hunter, without the funds for an IL hunt with a guide, so my experience with my property he would be a target.

So to answer your question, yes I would shoot a 2x2 two year old just as easy. I dont get that many shots to pass on, so Im pumping with adrenaline with any buck that comes my way. If my trail cams show a 4x4 3.5 yr old, and its the first week of archery and I see him, I would take him. I would have no problem putting him on the wall either.

Face it...us Virginians, especially in your descriptions of where you hunt, would not hesitate.

Thats what Im saying when I say.........

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

I searched....and finally found this post. I'll let the author claim it if he wants to....but I feel the exact same way he does about this.

Respect;)

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

X2 with Jeff

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

I don't hunt mature bucks I deer hunt,I don't kill everything I see,but I kill what I want depending on my mood at the very instant I take the shot.I think a lot of guys see a 120" buck and automatically assume that it is a 3.5 year old deer when it could actually be a 5.5 year old depending on tha area,some areas just don't automaticlly produce 150" deer just because they are 5.5 years old.I also think that a lot of hunters think that killing anything but mature big antlered deer will make them less of a hunter,I think a lot of this is due to the outdoor hunting shows that always preach on letting them grow.I also think that some hunters with access to a lot of mature big antlered deer don't take into consideration that the hunting is not the same as where they happen to be.I'm not complaining though I killed a few good deer and I'm happy with my current hunting situation if I want to kill bigger deer I will have to make changes in what I do kill, but with the limited time I get to hunt that is not likely.

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

So you are saying you would take the mature buck over a 2.5 year old with more bone on his head? (considering they are both presenting an ethical shot)

Sounds like horse puckey to me.:D

LT

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

Generally whereI am at, if he's 3.5+ he's big. I'm not going to worry about rare and statistcally insignificant instances where a "mature" buck, only has a 90" rack.
I want to shoot a buck that is both 125+ and 3.5+. Will I waiver and shoot a 128" 2.5 oldor a 118" 4.5 yr old, I'll only know after the situation passes and I look down to see if my arrow is still nocked.

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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.

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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.

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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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RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

Didn't you state you would pass a busted rack mature buck?;):eek:

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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

RE: What are you saying when you say....
 

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.