Well, good luck, and remember.... if you don't get one, TN season runs until the 15 January and AR runs until 28 February and I'm not too far away.

"CHILDERS - English: probably a habitational name from some lost place named Childerhouse, from Old English cildra, genitive plural of cild ‘child’ + hus ‘house’. This may have referred to some form of orphanage perhaps run by a religious order, or perhaps the first element is to be understood in its later sense as a term of status."

You asked, BC.

Tag soup for me, he wouldn't even be legal to shoot here. Even if he was legal i stillwouldn't shoot.

Wayne

I'll mention that to momma tonight and see how it goes over. I just got a nice performance bonus at work so $$ shouldn't be an issue.
Thanks for the invite! I'll try!

well, I don't like it, You can't trust anyone named childers.[8D]

You guys read me wrong there. I said, if you aren't into the big buck hunting, then none of that applies to you...thump him the first day or the last and all is well. Nothing wrong with this what so ever.

I was just hinting towards people who SAY they want bigger bucks, that they wish they had mature bucks in the area, etc....I'll put it this way. If you want to shoot the spike on the first day or the last, it doesn't really matter..that is simply awesome. BUT, if you shoot a spike, please for the love of God DO NOT ever, even once, mention how there are no big/mature bucks in the area, or that you want bigger deer. It is fine to shoot younger smaller deer. No one should look down on you for it. Just don't shoot the spike, and two months later be on here spewing how there are no big bucks in the area, all the neighbors are the problem, its just my area, etc...This indicates you view the lack of mature bucks as a problem, yet you would be part of it. I haven't seen this out of anyone on this thread, but you know it happens...alot. I see it all the time locally. A guy will drag in a 4 point, then that afternoon kick back and complain about how there just wasn't the quality deer in there he was looking for, etc. DUH, you aren't allowing them to reach that point. Shooting ANY legal deer with a bow is a huge accomplishment, its just a matter of choosing what you want to hunt for.

LC, I understand hunting for meat...alot of my friends and family do the same. Nothing AT ALL wrong with this, I wasn't pointing you out. What I said doesn't even apply to you in the least, because you admit you don't hunt for antlers. I guess I'm just fortunate enough to have enough deer and access to be able to whack a few does throughout the season and hold out for a bigger buck in my main area. I like the way I hunt, just as you do the way you hunt. Heck, I shot a 2.5 buck this year at my spot...the difference is, I will not once mention how there aren't mature deer in the area or that the neighbors wont let em grow. I would be part of the problem if I did this. I'm proud as can be of any deer I shoot, I will just realize that it could effect the outcome of things later, for the way I choose to hunt.

It's like a wine collector complaining of not having any 10 year old bottles of wine, after drinking a5 year old bottle the night before......

guess it depends on how far I have to drag him

Now you're talking about a subject that I can relate to....

I understand exactly where you're coming from, Trevor.I've portrayed myself in a somewhat inaccurate light in this thread. Some who don't know me now probably think that I shoot any deer that walks by.I've killed five does and one buck so far this year. The buck was with my rifle, and I honestly thought it was a doe when I shot. I glassed it, no antlers. When the opportunity came, I shot. It was a 1 1/2 year old buck with both antlers broken off at the base. I actually felt bad. In reality, I've passed on probably 15- 20 young bucks so far this year, from spikes to small 6 points. I am a deer hunter who hunts for meat, and while I don't hunt for the trophies, I would like to take a "respectable"(relative, I know) buck for my first bow buck. I've said before that a deer would have to be an absolute monster before I'd even consider hanging it on my wall.

To be honest, part of the reason that I've passed on some smaller bucks with my bow is the contest. If I killed a fork horn with my bow, I'd post it as my scoring buck. Since I wouldn't want to hurt the team, I haven't taken a smaller buck. I haven't taken a buck with my bow yet, and if I don't get one this year, I probably won't enter the contest next year so that I can drop a smaller one just to break the ice.

That being said, in PTs scenario on page one, I'd still drop the spike.

We hunt with exactly the sameoutlook. I waited 4 years to shoot a 3.5 for my first buck with a bow, but this year shot a 2.5 8 that went 92", nothing big for around here...but I couldn't be happier. I've even passed deer his size or slightly larger in the past...but it was time for some antlers on the ground that were still big enough to make me happy. Im glad I waited and it worked out the way it did, and now I have something to build off of. It broke the ice as you put it.

I want meat each year, but I still want a respectable buck for my area.

The difference with us is, when we shoota smaller buck, if we do, we aren't then complaining of the quality deer in the immediate area. Two totally separate issues.

To be honest, I'd take that 2.5 year old 8 point that went 92" right now for a bow buck.

Well, that's it for me. PT can have his thread back. It's time to clock out, drive home, load up and head for the lease for a weekend of bowhunting during muzzleloader season. Have a good weekend.[8D]