Like Sir-Mix-A-Lot says in that one song:

"I like Big Bucks and I can not lie!!"



sorry....it had to be done

I think the importance of killing a buck is relative to the hunter and environment(b/d ratios, amount of deer,...). Some people put importance on just killing a deer, period. And thats fine if it makes you happy and presents a challenge. Some people have different standards such as P & Y or whatever it may be. However, importance by trophy hunters will always be placed on the taking the most majestic and rarest of the species. In deer, these are bucks and more specifically, mature bucks. my 2 cents...

So am I the only person in this entire thread to openly admit that I would shoot a runt scrubracked buck on the last day, just for the sake of not eating my tag - and the sheer joy of shooting a buck?

I have a good buddy who swears that "every fat girl that you don't sleep with is just another missed opportunity." Well, I never put much stock into that line of thinking from a dating standpoint - but when it comes to deer hunting - there's something to be said about it.

Seriously, I hear people say "I'd rather shoot a doe than a small buck." Not me. Not even close. If I'm getting out the dragging harness, you'd better believe thatI'm pulling a buck or nothing. Dif'rent strokes for Dif'rent folks, but shooting does is too much like work (to me), and I don't like sweating/stinking up my hunting areas with all that calamity. Maybe it's b/c my B ratios are already perfect, or I'm just a greedy jerk, but I don't even entertain the thought of doe hunting until every buck tag is signed and sealed. And if a busted-up yearling is the best buck I can find to fill my tags - he's getting it. Fortunately, I'm finally into some hunting areas where I can usually at least find a decent two-and-a-half year old to tag out on. But still... I'll hunt relentlessly to find a good representative buck for the area, but when the book is closing on my season and time is running thin - I'll shoot the next legal buck I see, without a moment's hesitation.

Maybe we have a bunch of people here who are the exceptions to the rule... Or maybe it's all bull ****... But I know where I live - practically every hunter in the woods is angling to shoot the first legal deer that steps out in front of him. No exceptions. No "management." No free passes.

Quik:

For me....If I'm EVER to be able to say this....

...........I'm gonna need to shoot a lot of does.

Cause:Effect

Its ok, plenty of people here need to shoot any old buck to feel compitent.

Much easier than finding the more mature deer and only scoring every few years.[8D]

(all in fun man) I would have shot either of the bucks you took last year.

In my woods though, you go out for lets say three days....and you HAVE to kill a deer.....well those 1.5 yo bucks would be dropped 9 out of 10 times....they seem like they are braindead compared to all other deer lol. my first two deer were 4 and 5 pointers, never again. I got my first bucks out of the way, since then its been bigger deer or bust.


May sound like a crock of bull to you guys, but I would rather take a squirrel than a 1.5 yo buck these days. I never have meat hunted, starting this year though, so for the past two years I have passed every deer within range of me...Had a few close calls with shooter bucks, but always some piece missing....itll all fall together one of these days. I dont need to shoot 1.5s until it does though, all that does is hurt my chances the following years.

If its brown its down, thats how i plan on hunting this year.

Last year I killed 8 does and 1 buck...We aged this buck at 5 1/2 years..I haven't killed more than 2 bucks a year for the past 20 years of hunting or so, usually I only take one...If I don't plan to mount it, I'll leave it alone...

I eat deer, year round, plus we farm, so we kill 40-50 deer a year...I pass smaller bucks all the time...

Now, one of my brothers is different, he goes to Canada or Texas every year to kill a big buck and asks me to go every year...Frankly if I have to pay for antlers, I'll stay here in NC and keep the doe population in check...

Fran is along the lines of the point I was intending to make/work on.

I was referencing the populous at large, more than any single hunter. There is an overwhleming mindset in some places that ANY buck, is far superior than ANY doe. And the thought of letting a chance at ANY buck get by is inconceivable. It is just what you were supposed to do. It was a very hard thing for me to break.
Also along these lines are those with the classic line well if I don't shoot it, someone else will. Um, so what? And how do you KNOW someone will shoot it?

Because I can and I love it.

That explains it perfectly, minus Kang and my Grandfather