rybohunter

I know a lot of guys out there who will never shoot a 150 class deer, but put in 10x more effort, time, and resources into taking a 125" buck, than someone who throws money and foodplots at deer to grow them until they can pick out which 150 buck they want. WHY, because they HAVE to or they would never even come close to getting those 125 deer. A 125 buck in some places of WV, PA and NY, might be a 1 out of 250 bucks, where on a deer farm there are dozens of 150's. You tell me which is tougher to kill on a consistent basis.

IL_BOW_MAN

WOW Wolfen, you lurk and don't post too much...but when you do....lookout!!

As I don't practice 100% QDM as yourself, I limit myself to only shooting 2 1/2 year olds or better, and I even have my father starting to follow my ways. For years he shot the first buck that walked by. Granted he got a buck every year, but he had very few if any opportunities at bigger deer. In the last 2 years he has let these little guys walk by and he has increased his sightings of bigger bucks by 75-80%. In the past 2 seasons, of which I went without a deer, I passed numerous shots on 1 1/2 year old deer. After 2 years of no deer, I told myself I was going to shoot the first one by just to get the slump behind me. Well this year when 2 little dinks walked by, I just couldn't do it.

But as I know you have said yourself wolfen, to each their own. If they keep shooting the little ones, the less likely they are going to shoot a big one! For those guys who let the little ones walk, how many times has their been bigger deer following behind them? My biggest deer to date I had to let 2 dinks walk by and then he showed up less than 10 minutes later. Just something to keep in the back of your head when the little ones walk by.

But to answer the question about getting in the contest and then shooting a little bucks...I guess they are just hoping that the first one by is a big one. I have known a few people to be that lucky.

Stump_MN_Hunter

First off, I'd like to say you all have given me a good laugh here with all of your penial sword fighting. LOL

All of you 100% QDM guys, that don't shoot less than a 4 1/2-5 1/2(immature bucks), you say you shoot doe(hmm ok), those who are FORTUNATE enough to hunt on all private land...ranches or whatever, those who are SLAMMING all others that shoot anything you seem to look at as being inferior..... I'm sure I'm missing other examples to explain yourselves, but you probably get it. How much do you guys spend on hunting every year? This includes tags, food plots, ranch fees, leases, stands, gas, food, time spent in the woods and anything else you can think of? I'd have to say quite a bit and if not, you have friends that hook you up big time. My point? You guys have to keep in mind that $$ doesn't just flow like the Mississippi River for a lot of us. Put me in your situation, with your $$, your hunting contacts and with your top notch equipment and land, where many mature bucks run and sure I'd practice QDM like you too. Stick a needle in your head, deflate it a bit and then take a look at everyone's situation. Not only your own. This old saying seems to be a bit lame and out of date, but it really fits. "Walk a day in most of our shoes". For an entire hunting season and then we can revisit is discussion.

jerseyjoe

You really stirred the pot wolfy..[8D]

NJ_Bowhntr

I find it refreshing that a hunter gets satisfaction from the hunt, and is not so worried about where he stands in some arbitrary antler contest. I'm glad to see someone who values hunting for hunting, and not for antler scores. But to the point of this contest, even this quote is not accurate. It is not a BIG BUCK contest, it is a DEER HUNTING contest. It is not a contest on who gets the BIGGEST buck, it's a combined total of scores. So the entire premise of this question has nothing to do with the contest being held here, at least not the one I'm seeing.

If you read the posts, most people think that a score of 500 inches, or maybe 600 inches, will win. By that logic, if just 8 of the 10 hunters on a team shoot what you call "baby" bucks that score 80 inches, they will win, and that is the point of the contest. This contest does not measure who shoots the biggest buck, it measures which team has the most success, combined. If it were a big buck contest, as some of you seem to have misunderstood it to be, it would be an individual thing, not a team approach. Since this contest measures "team" success, shooting and entering these bucks is not only appropriate, but it's a good start on the way to winning.

The QDM argument is a different topic, and has nothing to do with this DEER HUNTING contest. Please look at the title, the rules and the description of what the contest is, before you blast someone for entering a buck. What everyone has done so far in this contest is EXACTLY what they should be doing.

Now, if this were a BIG BUCK contest, then you would, in my opinion, have a valid question. But it is not, it is a DEER HUNTING contest, and your question only shows you didn't fully understand what the contest is, what it is measuring, and what it takes to win. Besides, it's all just for fun so don't be so uptight, sit back and enjoy the pictures and stories of success. As long as they are not killing "your" "baby bucks", don't worry about it.

wolfen68

Are you calling me a "jerk" and an "azzhole"? I'm deeply offended and hurt but at least you didn't call me a "sneekky"...kinda sounds like the name of a venereal disease. But to set the record straight...I did not shoot the first thing that came by. I hunted for 4 years before I killed a buck and he was one inch over PY. I shot 4 does prior to that however and passed up dozens of young bucks. My older brother, who is 40, is starting his first season ever as a bowhunter. He has gone with me and my buddies to the woods for several years only with a video camera and has become very educated on deer and deer hunting. He understands the importance of letting young deer walk and keeping the doe numbers in check. He can shoot whatever he wants, as we all can. We don't have leases, we don't hunt fences, but we do have brains and we intend to use them.

IBM...glad to hear about your success...have you seen any good shooters yet this year? Good luck!

Jersey...I do this at least once or twice a year...it's a good thing, it gets rid of the bad blood.

wolfen68

Stumper...you too are being presumptuous. The year I killed my biggest buck was the year I hit rock bottom financially...couldn't hardly afford the money to buy a tag and it took me two years before I could pay the taxidermist for the mount[] Things are much better now although I'm still a bit behind Don Trump but nothing has changed as far as where, what, or why I hunt deer. I am lucky about where I live and the deer I hunt but again, I knocked on lots of doors and had many slammed in my face before I found a place to hunt.

silentassassin

Hyde,

Sure I have heard of genetically inferior deer but that isn't what you said. You said you kill all the basket racks. If a deer is 4 years old and has a basket rack then he should be removed from the heard but not until he has reached the 4 year mark. However, it appeared in your post that you were saying that you kill all little bucks. What criteria do you use in aging a deer to decide whether or not to cull it? Also, at what age do you start to cull bucks? Also, what are your general antler characteristics that a buck must exhibit at a particular age for you to cull him?

Stump_MN_Hunter

Wolfen, You aren't the only guy that is working hard at getting good land to hunt to offer the opportunities to hunt big deer, trying to learn about deer, their patterns and their behaviors. But for a person to have be able to hunt big bucks, apply QDM to your area and in regards to your hunting practices.....you have to have big bucks in the area to start. That's a fact!! And not just 1, 2 or 3 in your immediate area either.

3 years ago I had ample private land and very rarely did I hunt the same stand more than 5 times in a season that ran from the middle of Sept to the end of Dec. And I hunt atleast a morning and an evening a weekend throughout the whole season. Those land opps are falling faster that I can even stand to see. Now I'm down to one 40 acre plot that is going to be sold within the next couple of years for developement. For the last 3 years, I've gotten out plat books, did my homework and research for and on good areas and have knocked on...count em!!...38 doors to only get doors slammed, eyes rolled, all the way to laughs in my face. Anything you can about imagine. Luck does not only go as far as having big deer in your area that walk in front of you, but also the land you are able to hunt. You are lucky. That's not a rip on you, but just eludes to the fact that you are lucky with your opporunities. This is my 6th year bowhunting and I haven't shot a buck yet because of the standards I have set in regards to the bucks I'd "like" to shoot. But to be honest, the whole idea is getting very old and I'm starting to rethink everything. How long do I have to go to get a crack at a 140"+ deer? A dang long time with the land I hunt. Yes...even up here in MN.

Double Creek

This post is a very good read...........Where is Atlasman...........I know he could add a few coments.........

Here is my take......When I first started bowhunting, I shot every deer that I could, buck, doe, I didn't care. Sure, I had already taken several nice bucks with gun, but I didn't care, I wanted kills. It was an ego thing, I admit it. I wanted to kill all I could with my bow. After a few years of that, I started getting selective. I went several years without shots on good bucks. I must have let >50 nice 2 1/2 year old 8pts walk. At the end of the season I would eat tag soup. Mississippi gets hunted hard, and there are not a ton of older bucks running around. BUT, by passing on the these bucks and trying to harvest only mature animals, I grew tremendously as a hunter. I learned alot about deer and their behaviour. The last few years I have really started practicing QDM, taking my does and only shooting mature bucks, regardless of antler size. And it has really paid off. I hunt close to 60 days a year and I will usually get 1-2 opportunities at a mature buck each year within bow range. And another half a dozen out of range. I will get up to 12 opportunities on nice 2 1/2 year old bucks. It's tough, to hunt all year and only have a chance or two to make it happen. BUT, it is worth it to me, that is what it is all about, FOR ME.

All this said to inform public land hunters that for us private land guys who practice QDM, there is not a P&Y around every corner, at least not in my state.

I have tons of respect for guys who kill mature bucks on public land, that is an accomplishment. BUT, I do not respect immature bucks from experienced hunters. Immature bucks are easy to kill, no matter where you hunt.