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....??

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.

That hurt Arthur, that really hurt

Only if it applies, Germ.

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.........

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

X2 with Jeff

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.

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.

LT

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.