Do you let this buck walk this year?
 

Guys, i know from past pics this boy is 3 1/2 years old. He could use a year to gain more mass and antler size. We practice letting the young ones go, however our nieghbors will not. The issue is do we let him walk and take our chances or if we get an oppurtunity take him? What would you do?

Well, I can't tell you how to practice management on your property, but that guy doesn't get a pass from me anywhere I hunt.

Good luck with whichever route you choose.

Hell no. He's bigger than anything I've seen in over 250 sits.

That's a (gross) 125" buck.

Depends on what state I'm hunting and how he compares to the deer in the area.

I would say yes unless there is another deer on your property that is better than him this year.

if i thought my neighbors would shoot him if they get the opportunity, id shoot him. great deer. but, its your place and your goals for your deer. Good luck!

All up to you. My thing use to be if he around P&Y he is going down. If neighbors have a good chance at getting him and you honestly have bigger deer then let him walk. Instead of being part of the problem you can let him walk and take your chances. I personally think people are getting to hyped up about big mature deer. You watch these shows and people see huge ones being dropped on thousands of intensively managed farms with pristine food plots. B.S! Part of hunting to me is the feeling of a great shot and a great hunt regardless of antler size. Being a bowhunter and waiting for a monster, boy you are really limiting your chance of success as far as ever killing anything. Everyone wants a huge mature buck of a lifetime but unless like I said you are on huge managed property or where all your neighbors are on the same page with young ones walk it may be a long wait. With that said, it's all about what you think.

i'd arrow him if i had the chance.

I love that philosophy, worry more about the other guy than you own hunting.

He's for sure P&Y this year, but there is no doubt he is going to get bigger. Tough call on the shooting, if he comes by close, gives you a good shot, then you'll be in a bit of a pickle!

dead buck walking!

I'd be sending my arrow on its way to his lungs. Good luck with it. Don't worry so much about your neighbors. I understand it is tough but do what you want.

Unless I know and have been hunting a bigger one, then I would definately shoot him. That would be my personal biggest deer, and with a bow, would be a definate trophy for me!

Derek

Me, shooting without a doubt. It seems that you might just have to wait to decide when he's broadside.

Once I set eyes on him, I would be 100% certain I would arrow him, no questions whatsoever.

Stick him. haha i would

Whichever choice you make, base it on what YOU want to do. Dont let your neighbors influence your decision if you want to try to give him another year. Theres no guarantee they are goin to get him if you pass on him. Hes a great deer either way-let us know what your choice is when you make one!!

Id shoot him. Nice buck.

Yep! Give him a couple of years.

Here in PA, if I see that deer within range I'm shooting it... well.. atleast shooting AT it.. ;)

I personally would let him walk, he is still young and not the size Im looking for yet. Very nice deer and it seems that your management practices have paid off over the years and will continue if your neighbors can keep their itchy trigger fingers at bay.

If you haven't shot or seen anything bigger than he get's it. If you have than let him walk he will be a stud next year.

That's a real good one where I hunt...no way I'm letting him pass. If I was in an area where that was just an avg decent buck...it would probably be different. Good luck.

I would take him for sure. All this practice and preparation there is no way I'd let him walk if he presented a good shot!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! NO!!! Not in my woods!!

Hatchet Jack

I will agree with Bry on this one. Around here (SE Pa.) that buck doesn't get a pass.

Shane

Not a chance.

Life (hunting) is much easier when you don't care if a deer lives beyond the next/current season.
Hunt the bucks that exist NOW, don't worry about the ones that may or may not exist NEXT year.

I would let him go.


Good luck

Shane

I got to the point that passing on 1.5 yeear olds is a non issue. Passed up my first 2.5 year old 2 seasons ago. Not sure I have progressed to the point that I could pass up a 3.5.

I let one go about that size last year, second weekend of the season. I kicked myself in the arse at the end of the season
while eating tag soup, oh well thats hunting besides if he made
it he will be even bigger.

Where im from not to many people let any deer walk they are so few and far between... never mind a brute like that.

what i meant is he would satisfy me but if you wanted to manage for a more mature animal then i would let him walk if there was a chance he would spread his genetics to promote more deer of his quality. Hence my saying, it depends on your management goals. i am worried as to whether or not my neighbors are worried about the population, if they arent im not going to waste my time any money for them to shoot better animals. if thats as good as it is going to get than i will take it in a heartbeat, where i hunt that is a dead deer walking. where i work i see a young deer with the potential to spread his awesome genetics for another 2-3 years before taking. and i work a low fence ranch thats capable of maintaining this deer.

If you have more his size then let him walk! If you shoot based on what your neighbors may do, then your progress will be nil! It's always cool to be able to say you could've shot that deer even if your neighbors do shoot him.

Here at home in SC he gets shot no doubt. In Illinois he gets a walk.

thats true appleater. and that might even be a better approach if you were to see your neighbor with the deer, or later. might convince them to let the next one walk if you let him know what he could potentially be. Good call my man. im always thinking of ways to keep the deer off my neighboring properties in east texas because a lot of those people shoot anything that walks by. never really thought about it that way, and ultimatley, if it makes you shake and your stoked to shoot it then do it. thats what hunting is really about! having respect and fun for the animals we are lucky enough to take!

Tough decision there no doubt, specially with the neighbors!! I feel your pain there and then some!!

He looks to me like he's a 130" buck at most. When the velvet comes off he might be smaller then I think. To be honest I couldn't tell ya until I saw him while hunting If I'd take him, he's In that borderline range for me I think.

Id take him. I have neighbours like that. He is def. P&Y.Id say he would go 120-130". I shot one that looks Almost identical and he scored 130.

But again value your choices above all. Do what feels good to you and what you think is right. As a landowner there are several decision we have to make including this one which is tough. Good luck

I agree with everything you guys are saying for the most part. With regards to worrying about my neighbors, I am only concerned that they shoot everything that is brown. It sucks, but it is what it is. There are two other bucks that seem larger on the property, however no pics yet. I have only seen them from visual scouting. I have a bigger deer on the wall, but that was with shot gun. So I am itching to get a nice buck with my bow. I guess I will have to cross that bridge when I get there. Hopefully I get there.

sounds like a good problem to have to me, good luck!

He's prolly a gross 130s, but if you want him to be bigger then pass him. If you want to shoot bucks that size then take him. He's a very nice buck, so good luck getting him if you do decide to try and take him.

There's been a lot of comments about neighbours not practicing better managment. This is prevalant everywhere. Thing that I find about this is the mature bucks only get shot out of luck most of the time.

What I am saying is the "brown is down" guys all tag out on spikes, basket 8's, little sixes or does. If you have neighbours like this your monster buck is more safe than if you had a trophy hunter next door.

I used to hunt as part of a camp in a deer rich public managment area in my early hunting days. 3 camp leases in about 1000 acres of big bush and deer swamp. Our camp and one other was "brown it's down". The third however pracrticed QDM and only shot mature bucks.

At the end of the gun week the 2 camps had does and small bucks hanging and every once in awhile a mature buck got shot. The QDM camp had 6 guys and would end up with 4-6 mature bucks hanging.

They never worried about us shooting everything because they knew the doe got shot before the big buck following even showed himself.

I let that buck walk but it ain't easy for me . I learned that odds are I'll get a crack at him next year and I think this deer is still young on his way to be a bruiser.