What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

In light of all the "would you harvest this deer" questions i would see what the minimum size of buck the average HNI member would harvest.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I take what I can get, which around here isnt much.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

125 and up for me.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

For me its an age thing. With the land I hunt, its only me or my brother hunting it, so we try to practice the best management we can. I voted 120", but not all 4-5yr olds are 150+, in the NE states that I hunt, I have seen many of 4yr olds at 120"

I still let them walk sometimes If I know a specific buck I am after is in the area.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I agree with PAbuckbuster. It is all about age and not score for me. I try to only shot bucks that are 4 1/2 and up.

-john

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

130-140 Class for where I'm hunting this year.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

130 on up for me.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

The landI hunt is on a strict management program, nothing under 4 1/2yo....Last yearI had to let a younger deer walk that was in the high130's, that was hard to do, and I had 3 different opportunities..

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

nothing under 150 and 4 1/2 year old buck although i would take a 120 in 4 year old cull buck.....i have had to do this b4

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I shot a 1.5 yr old last year with a broken leg. I'll shoot the next one I see like that, too. Personal preference....and I'd have no regrets.

In '06 I shot(2) 2.5yr olds and a 3.5 yr old. No regrets. I was just starting out in bowhunting.

In '07 I also shot a 4.5yr old.....which is "more" along the lines of what I'm "targeting" (anything 3.5 and up).

"IF" something else tickes my fancy, though (say a 6 pointer....bigger than most 8 pointers I've seen, here).....I reserve the right to shoot it, naturally.

I won't know until it steps in front of me......but my "target" buck is anything 3.5yrs old or older......regardless of headgear.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I assume you would shoot a 110-120" with bad genetics at 4.5 to cull from the heard for future benefit? Some say no thats wasting your tag. Actually that used tag acts as an insurance policy in 3 years you will have bigger 4.5's. IMO Do you agree Texas?

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Is this all gun kills? Any nice bucks with the bow?

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

For sure at this point in my hunting carrier it would be a mid 130's or bigger unless he had some freak nasty stuff going on

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

nothing giant with a bow, i havent shot a buck in 3 years with a bow since we put in our management program, just a lot of does..........the biggest buck ive shot with a bow is a 120 inch 8 point with 2 stickers

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Nothing wrong with that Stevoo!!!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

lol thanks, it was my first deer with a bow, thats back when i shot a bowtech

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I try and hold out for one over 130, not many where I live, I get a shot about every 3 years ;).

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I'll shoot whatever I see fit, here.

On my buddies land....100"

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Yes I agree with you!!! We are allowed 3 bucks in the county that I hunt, so burning one for the benefit of the herd would not bother me in the least!!:D

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I try an hold out for Button Buck and up . But sometimes late season i am known to shoot some pregent does

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

130 and up for me, if they are 3.5yr old or older.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

My BS meter is maxxed out, and ready to overload.



Personally, I don't know how anyone who has ever shot a spike or a forkhorn or a scrubrackbuck in their pastcould ever look everyone here in the face and say "I would NEVER shoot anything less than a 130."

Newsflash - you already did.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Good point quik!! I'm guilty!!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I'll admit i have shot a deer that i would not take now. but to say it could "never happen" i couldn't honestly say that. I know that i do try to keep a very high commentment to my managment program but things do happen. But yes in the past I have shot smaller bucks, butnot with my bow.of course it has been almost3 years since i harvested my lastbuck which was with a rifle and that was a little 90" 8 pointer.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

If you lived in Iowa:D

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Yes, many years ago I did, I thought the question was relative to current date, not 5 or 6 years ago. If I shoot a buck that does not meet the criteria set forth by the management program on the current property that I hunt,I will be looking for a new place to hunt next year!!!! I like where I hunt, if I post a picture of a whitetail this year it will be at least 4 1/2yo.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

LOL.....:D

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I have done many things in thePAST that I will not be doing in the FUTURE

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I clicked 110-120 just because I'm no expert field judger. I would like to say I wouldn't shoot unless it was a solid 125"+ but sometimes in the heat of the moment, things look bigger than you think.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I can see you in Court now as a Prosecuting Attorney, We know you had sex with other women befor you got married, which proves you cheated on your wife..... Jury glances over at Judge rolling his eyes!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Where I hunt, Pressure on deer is so, That you would be lucky to even seem something over 100 in 10 years of hunting. I have been hunting in this area for 12 and have only ever seen one deer at the checkin that rough scored 145 and that was off a private 600 acre farm. Gun hunters around here wipe out any deer with a horn more than 3". It is truly sad.
I am really glad to see that most folks believe in age and not size, it does out sport good.

For me personally I get three 3 tags and will try to age at 3.5+ or the first doe that comes within 25 yards. Needless to say, I have not taken a buck in a couple years.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Nothing less than 4pts.... :D Hey, its the law or spikes would be fair game too :D

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

If I don't think it's making Pope I'm not Shooting when I'm home.

Lots of Does to kill for meat!;)

Dan

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Initially i'm surprised at the amount of 90-100 responses but then I have to remember that some areas dont hold the deer that others do.
i have to applaud the ones that said 150-160.
cause if i have a 130 inch deer coming at me i'm gonna look like robin hood slinging arrows at that deer.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Personally, if he is over 2.5 years old and has a minimum of 8 pts that are wider than his ears, I start thinking. If its late in the season he is gonna get shot, if its early, I'll wait.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

My thoughts exactly. I'm hunting a new property this year so I'm not exactly sure what to expect. I do know that 3 10 pointers have been killed there in the last 3 years. I'm not going to shoot a buck just to shoot. Until the right one comes along...NANNY WHACKIN!!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

wellthe land i hunt has to be 6 py or better but after that anything that taste good!!!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

I don't put birth certificates on my wall. I say I traget 130 and up but it depends on the day and mood and any striking features the Buck may have.

I'm not silly enough to lock myself down on any particular size.

With the vacation time I have left I imagine a couple days will be spent in PA at our Camp. If I score in PA first, it may well be a 100" buck. I've hunted the area for some 28 years I know what is a good buck for the particular area. Sure there are bigger but you can eat a lot of tag soup, waiting.

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

Exactly...
a 90"+ deer hear is a trophy!

RE: What is the smallest buck you would take?
 

i hold myself at 160"+ for most of the year, if you have seen my trail cam posts you would know why. if my early season effortshavn't paid off by the start of the rut then i drop my standards down to 140". which is exactly what i did last year when i shot the 142" double main beam buck on nov. 15. if i shoot a buck under 140" it has to be badly wounded or bad genetics. had i lived in a different area or had less land i am sure that number would come down in a heartbeat.

and yes i have shot a fork horn, 2 years ago when i thought it was a doe. oops, there went my buck tag.