Western MA Hunter

2 buck tags, 1 doe tag in MA.

1 either or in NY...w/ bow... 1 buck w/ rifle & 1 w/ muzzleloader

Jimimac

I pass on bucks all the time. I let at least a half dozen walk this season in PA and another two in Ohio. I've killed some decent bucks, but apparently, I still don't have enough patience to wait onthe big one though. I can't get over the mental hump on waitingfor that 130 buck to show himself.

Ryan has killed some good deer. I've seen the photos. He's got it going on.

BTBowhunter

I like to think of it as catch and release hunting. For me it's about the hunt but, of course, when the right animal comes by the harvest is kind of like having dessert after a good steak. A bonus if you will.

If I have a good buck that presents a safe, high percentage shot opportunity and I pass, I have won the game that day. He lives because I let him do so.

Sometimes those bucks wind up being harvested by other hunters. Thats not a problem. As a matter of fact, three of the ten bucks that I passed while bowhunting on our lease in Illinois this year wound up being taken in the shotgunseason.They all scored in the 125" to 130" range and I was happy for the hunters whoharvested them. I had committed to hunt for a specific buck and though I saw him several times, he never gave me a good shot opportunity. It now appears he'll be around for next yearand I might yet get back out there for a few days.

My standard in PA is a bit less. Rybo's standard of 120" and 3 1/2 years old is more realistic here in PA.

First day or last day the standards don't change in this house.

White-tail-deer

I don't have a specific standard. I pass all 1.5 year deer and most 2.5 year deer. We are lucky to have some land and neighbors who do the same,but wealso have neighbors who shoot anything that moves. We've been doing this even before AR's but have really seen the buck improve since AR's. Here is a buck I passed last year:



Here is the buck I shot this year:



Same buck? No way of really knowing. He was shot about 100 yards from where I passed him last year.

If you don't pass them they have zero chance of growing bigger. But I also don't criticize anyone if they want to shoot the first buck they see either. I did that for a lot of years too. As long as your satisfied after the hunt, that's all that matters.

livbucks

Nice!
I believe it is the same buck. based on some antler characteristics I see.
I'm not 100% positive, but I believe it is.
They really grow in one year don't they?
The body size and shape really changes in that year from 1.5 to 2 years of age.
That is what has really turned me on to letting them grow.

BTBowhunter

Nice Buck WTD! There appears to be at least a family resemblance.

Here's two Pa bucks that I'm fairly certain I passed up in previous seasons based on both physical characteristicsas well aspatterns and habits.

here's one I let go the year before

BTBowhunter

The one on the rightwas left to walk two years in a row and shot the third year



The one on the left I shot the first time I saw him

bluebird2

Just remember that in many areas of the state ,if hunters passed on buck with that potential as 1.5 or 2.5+ buck, most hunters would never harvest a buck in his lifetime of hunting.

BTBowhunter

You just can't leave any thread alone can you?[:'(]

bluebird2

Just as you can't stop bragging about your superior standards.