Buckslayer1

I hold out for a 8 point or bigger with the bow. Come gun season first legal buck I take. Where I live all my neighbors hunt not very much makes it thrue there properties. I can't remember last time I ate a buck tag. Been hunting 36 years. Bucks are good eating too.

atlasman

I don't pass deer up..........don't have that luxury. Doubt I would even if I did.

I have killed four 1 1/2 yr old bucks in the last 3 years..........and one 3 1/2 yr old.........between my brothers, my dad and I over the years I couldn't even count.

My harvest this year was a 4 pt....a 6 pt......a mature doe and a 6 month old doe.

I am an equal opportunity hunter


I never really understood this logic. What makes a big buck special??.........because he is DIFFERENT then the usual tailgate decoration right?? That is why a 120 class buck is a jaw dropper someplaces and in other places you might get asked why you didn't let him walk.

If you let all the younger bucks walk then the woods will be plentiful with bigger, mature bucks........just like they are now with smaller bucks. So shooting a larger buck in that area will no longer be as special as before when they were only seen once in a blue moon.

Don't you all think to yourself when you watch hunting shows that have BIG bucks walking by one after one all day that it wouldn't be as special to take one of those bucks?? Why would it??........if you miss him another one will be by in an hour.........What a challenge


I enjoy deer hunting for what it is. It is VERY tough to even get a deer in most places I hunt.
If I sat around and waited for a bruiser every year it's possibe I may never pull a trigger again. No thanks. The year I killed the 3 1/2 yr old 13 pointer SUCKED!!!! He was practically the only deer I saw all year and I hunted my nads off. I would take a year like this year over that one ANY day of the week.


I took my two bucks to a guy for european mounts this year and he has TONS of private land his family owns and hunts for ever and ever. They have stands set up all over their food plots and he has MONSTER bucks all over his walls. He hunted for 2 days this archery season and killed a 160" brute. Last time I saw him he showed me pics of his brothers and dad's bucks.......ALL HUGE deer. So they basically grow big bucks and shoot them whenever they feel like they are "Big Enough" for the wall.........WOW, what an exciting challenge

Killing a BIG buck is a lot more special IMO when he was probably the ONLY one on the hill............not the closest one in the food plot [:'(]

Sylvan

I coudn't agree with you more atlasman. I have been hunting deer with gun and bow for a little over 40 years now and I love it as much today as I did when I was 13. During that time I have killed my share of 120 and up class bucks. I have 5 on the wall. I can't tell you how many 4 and 6 pointers I've taken. Now if I had aways waited for the big rack I'm sure I would have killed a few more large racks, maybe even a true monster but looking back I'm absolutely certain that it wouldn't have enhanced my hunting experience. There's nothing wrong with wanting to take a trophy, lord knows I dream of the big buck, but if a trophy were behind every stump and brush pile the mystique would be gone for me.

I don't think this obsession with large bucks is healthy for the sport of hunting. There is a lot of pleasure to be derived from developing ones competence in every aspect of the sport from shooting and maintaining equipment to skinning, butchering and prepairing the meat for the table. This last season I taught a young nephew of mine how to put a razor edge on his jack knife. I explained to him how important it would be to be able to keep his knives sharp for hunting when he is older. He was tickled to death and proud of his new skill. For Christmas I got him a set of good sharpening stones and when he opened the package his eyes lit up as if he'd just killed a 12 point. Now this is a small thing but it is an example of what I mean. This 10 year old is already enjoying hunting and it has nothing to do with a big rack. When he takes his first deer he'll be using a sharp knife to dress it and he'll get a lot of satisfaction out of the process whether its a 4 point or a 12.

In other words, we shouldn't teach our younin's that big racks is all that matters. Focus them on developing their skills and taking satisfaction and pride in that. The big racks will come and they won't be missing out on all the other things. Their hunting experience will be better for it.

dkeener

I prefer to let the little bucks walk and come home empty. If I want meat, I will take a doe.

ELKINMTCWB

I have to say atlasman you are right. I do hunt for big deer but I will shoot a littler one any day.I have some very big deer and a ton of little ones :} If you eat them the BC makes no difrants .

good post
charles