robm1093

Gun opener tactics, if you have a Dow permit do you use it on the opener if you can or is it best to wait for a buck on the first day day?

bayrat

I always hunt the opening day of gun, last opening day it was like 7am I was in my stand a doe wandered up and walked right under me being so early in the hunt I decided to pass on the doe in hopes that a buck would follow the doe up. This was a big mistake no buck ever came and I didnt have much luck the next couple of days.

This year I will take the doe if I see it then wait an hour be for the retrieve it and see if a buck comes up. I am looking to put meat in the freezer this year because its a long December to October with no venison.

Pygmy

In many areas, your best odds of taking a buck are on opening day, simply because there are more bucks around then and there are lots of hunters in the woods to move them.. Also, as soon as the bucks get pressured, they get a lot harder to kill..

If you shoot does opening day, you are reducing your chances of killing a buck...

If you have very limited time to hunt, or are hunting an area where there are not many deer, you may be better off filling your doe permit whenever you get the opportunity..

robm1093

Yes , My thoughts exactly. I will hold off for the first day, now what about the 2nd day?

jimbodwb

I will shoot the first legal deer I see. I am out of venison and I am hungry. That being said, last year on opening day southern zone rifle I had a shot at a doe right at first light. Right before I took the shot I heard some rustling of leaves on her back trail. A couple seconds later a buck stepped out. A couple minutes later he fell down. A couple hours later I was not hungry anymore. I would have shot the doe no questions asked though if I did not hear the rustling. Shooting the doe would probably have scared the buck into not following her trail anymore and I would not have gotten him. It is a chance you take.

johnl

first legal one for me too then after I have meat i hunt for horns

HardwoodHunter

personally i like to get the doe down, meet in the freezer and my tummy. After I get a doe, i can simply put my time into gettin the big buck!

monkeyman2269

whats a dow?

White-tail-deer

I hunt the first few days for Buck only. Then if I will look to fill my Doe tags.

TRACKER

We travel over 6 hrs one way .
We get limited doe tags .
We spend around $ 300, or so a piece without any extras.
We only hunt 2 and 1/2 days .
Unless theres a buck on the does a$$ or within shooting distance ,
We will fill our doe tags ..
Although if we see a buck first then we fill or buck tags .
Were there to get some venison .
If I lived in S.T. I ,m sure I,d look at it in a different way .
We hunt in one of the top 10 NYS counties for high buck rates.
We usualy end uo with as many buck as does ..
Goodluck to all .
I may need it last year we only brought back 3 dear out of 7 hunters, and 2 were racked bucks ..
Year before we brought back 3 raked bucks and no does between 6 hunters ..