Shooting bucks
 

Say If your hunting late season and a 3.5 year old or older buck walks In front of you at 15 yards broadside (without a rack). He apparently has just shed his rack but you know It's him being you've seen him before and recognize him by his body. Do you shoot him?

My brother had this very same thing happen to him In mid December this year but elected to pass on him hoping to get a crack at him the following year when he has a rack on his head. The buck my brother passed on we figured was a 3.5 year old with about a 130" rack when he still had It attached yet. This buck never gave my brother a shot when he still had his rack but he saw It several times during the rut. If this same scenario would happen with me he would of gotten a pass as well. So what do you think you would do?

RE: Shooting bucks
 

If I wanted meat, I'd shoot a doe

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Id wait till next year. Whats the point of shooting a mature buck without a rack??

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To me it's the equivalent of shooting a button buck. Which I wouldn't knowingly do. Does are for meat and bucks are for antlers and meat.

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No, I wouldn't shoot him. Even if I didn't have any venison, I'd let him walk. I would, however, do everything in my power to shoot a doe for meat.

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Wouldn't shoot, now if he still had one side I'd have to think about that one awhile.

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Nope, It just ain't the same, don't care how worn the teeth are.

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I'd let him go till next year

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This is the same situation I poised to myself and why I am not going on a late season archery hunt in Ohio.
So that is a NO for me!

I will take the chance for the beginning of next January 2010, hopefully, playing the odds by going early Jan instead of late Jan.
* But next year if I'm presented with a large antlerless buck, I will still pass and wait to use a Doe tag.
With any luck, when I get to my kill and lift it's leg, it won't have any nuts![:o]
Although, I'm confident I should be able to distinguish the difference from a large doe to an immature buck??!!!

RE: Shooting bucks
 

I can't shoot does on my lease in the late season. They aren't legal after Nov 16th. If my freezer was empty I would shoot. If my freezer was low I would shoot. If I had 2 deer in the freezer I would think about it and then shoot.

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Whether I would shoot him or not would depend on other things but not the rack. If the "other things" were right and I was ready to take a deer when I saw him then I would shoot him.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

Nah. Then again, I could care less to hunt after the rut-and usually don't. They start smelling all rutted up and tasting nasty compared to earlier in the year and you have to be ten times as careful cleaning them up- too much hormonal/adrenal stuff flowin in the veins and arteries- even does. No thanks. I love the meat, but don't *need* it or rely on it- I generally keep some for me (as I'm the only one who eats it, and have little time to cook like I used to) and donate the rest.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

What is that ridiculous rule for??? Trying not to kill fawns in the womb??? :eek: Sorry, I just thought that sounds like a very stupid rule. Especially if they are trying to manage a herd. Unless you don't have very many does to begin with, it doesn't make much sense.

To the OP, not a chance. Part of the reason binoculars are ever so important in the late season. I have a buddy that shot a MONSTER of a doe with his MZL one year only to find it was a MONSTER of a buck that had recently shed his horns. [:'(]

RE: Shooting bucks
 

Already gave you my opinoin on the other site, but for those here...

We will assume that I already have what I consider to be "enough" freezer meat. In that case, no I would pass this buck and hope for a crack at him next season. However, if the freezer was low or empty, he would be in trouble for sure!

RE: Shooting bucks
 

I passed up a big bodied buck in late season here in Idaho, Dec 20th fully shed....12-15 yards broadside, I drew on him just for fun.I'd do the same year in and year out.. if I am totally out of venison I'd kill a doe.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

deja vu. ;)

I'm really not much of an antler hunter. The rack from my '07 buck is outside, laying on the deck of the boat. (at least, that's where I last saw it). The rack from my '08 buck is leaning on a metal rack out in the mudroom.

Having said that. No, I wouldn't shoot that buck. For me to happy with my kills, they have to fall into fairly tight parameters. Within 30 yards, good shot angles, no brush, blah blah, blah. If I'm after a buck, I'm after him with is rack at least mostly intact.

If he showed up in front of me sans antlers. I'd have to acknowledge that he once again had the upper hand in our encounters. Same if he had busted off a side or a bunch of tines. Wouldn't hurt me in the least to let him walk. I'd smile and look forward to next year that much more.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

LMAO!! Thanks for posting again Christine!;):D

RE: Shooting bucks
 

I understand what you are saying, but if my freezer was empty or low, I would assume you would still have a buck tag. If that is the case, I definitely pass the 3.5yo and wait and try and shoot a 1.5yo buck instead.

Thats not ridiculous at all. There are some areas in Texas, including the area where he is referring to, that does not have a population problem and in fact is below carrying capacity. This is TPWD way of managing the herd, but trying to make sure that doe herd reduction doesn't get overdone in this particular area.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

It is very likely that by the time I encountered that situation I could not legally shoot the deer as it would be considered "antlerless" and most years I've used those tags up by the late season.

However for the sake of hte arguement, assuming I still had a buck adn "doe" tag, I would not shoot a fully shed buck. Let him be toting one side and I'll drill him and spend the rest of the winter getting exercise & looking for the other side. :D

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I agree. For an answer you would have to ask the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. They make up the seasons and bag limits. And to make it worse it varies from county to county.

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Also it may have to do with the fact that in 4 years of bowhunting I have never killed a mature buck. My best is a 2 1/2 yo 7 point that was about 85". I have never considered myself a trophy hunter. I have always been a meat hunter. That 3 1/2 yo with no rack would provide a lot more meat than a 1 1/2 yo. Some day,(soon!), I will kill a large racked mature buck. My outlook may change at that point. I won't know until I get there.

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I was contemplating this last night in my stand and I came up with the exact same answer.

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No way I would!

What would be the use? I'd shoot a Doe if I needed meat.;)

Dan

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This disappoints me that two people said thy would shoot it.

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Why Hick? Because they chose to shoot a legal deer?

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Nope, he would get a pass until next season.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

This pole really surprised me along with some of the answers. I hear allot of talk on here that If the buck Is mature he's getting an arrow regardless of how many Inches he has on his head. This pole and thread just goes to show that many more people on here are more about the rack then what they claim themselves to be.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

Schultzy, I was thinking the same exact thing as you earlier. It is NOT about the age.

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would not even consider shooting it

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Please explain wallhangr.

Shultzy, my answer is no. He gets a free pass. By not shooting I still feel that I won. I got the buck in shootingrange. What good is the buck I'm hunting without antlers? You guys can say all you want, but when we are buck hunting we are antler hunting. A 3 1/2 yr. old buck with no antlers does nothing for me. A 3 1/2 yr. old doe is another story though.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

I agree 200% I've killed a Bull Elk that was aged at over 10 years old, but I could have cared less. the 300 plus rack was what got him shot.

Same with a Bear I shot that was aged at over 28 years old. if it had Not been for the size of the Melon he was waggin' around he would have been passed too.

If I am shooting at a Buck I'm lookin' at rack size and not trying to see if he is 4.5 or 5.5 or ?? years old.

If I am shooting a Doe for meat I try to shoot a younger Doe (not a fawn) Some of them Ol Nannys would probably be like shoe leather;)

Dan

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Is the bolded out part quoted to me?

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Not at all! Quoted to all of us in general. I find it hard for someone to say that when they are buck hunting their not antler hunting. Maybe I'm way off base to think that. I was in no way taking a shot at you Shultzy.

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Stupid bucks do the gene pool no favors, I'd put him in the freezer.

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Just checking because I'm one of those guys who does like Inches, the age card don't mean as much with me and I have no problems admitting that. Although If I had a P&Y 2.5 year old in front of me he'd get the pass. Chances of seeing a P&Y 2.5 where I hunt aren't to likely though. The quote below Is quoted from the start of my thread on what I'd do If I was In the same scenario.

RE: Shooting bucks
 

:D:D:D Now that made me laugh!

I CAN shoot does in the late season, and I still share that point of view, Greg.

Interesting. Stopping for a moment and thinking back, I have never in my life gotten up and went "buck hunting". I've always gone "deer hunting", even if the hunt was "bucks only". I've said it before on here and I'll say it again. I hunt deer. Antlers are just a bonus. I guess I'm just wired differently than most.:)

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My reasoning is the same as Rybo's - I'd find that other side if it took me all winter/spring.But like I said, it wouldn't be an automatic reaction to shoot.

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Thats taking a big chance on finding the other antler. Interesting you said that because that thought never crossed my mind. Quick thinking on your part! Thanks for the explaination.

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I would wait and shoot a small buck, or a doe. they would probably taste better, and the buck would be bigger next season.

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Ok im saying that most people on this forum hunt for more reasons then just the meat. Besides every body is talking about passing on small bucks and button bucks, this is the same thing you are letting the younger bucks walk but shooting the older ones withno antlers????? You let the younger ones walk just for the anlters, because you know meat taste better from a 100 pound doe then it does from a 200 pound buck anyways. Virginashadow im not directing this towards you just people on this forum in general.