RE: deer standards
 

Just like pickin up women, lower your standards raise your average.:D

RE: deer standards
 

Guess your right. Never thought of it like that.

RE: deer standards
 

If you shoot the small ones, you'll never see any big ones. The law of averages comes in at some point. We didn't shoot any bucks on our place for 4 years. Since then our rack size has more than doubled and we see alot more mature deer on place than we ever saw before.

RE: deer standards
 

Thats great if you have the acreage or you can get you neighbors involved. We also have been letting the little ones go and have had good success.

RE: deer standards
 

It really is up to your preference and any regulations your state may have governing the taking of a legal buck. I think that the length of your season or chances to hunt can have sway on this as well. Personally, I will not take an immature buck, and wait. I hunt bow, rifle and ML, so have a longer season, and can only take one buck for the year, so want to make it count on a good one anyways. Plus I can always get some satisfaction from taking a few does as well.

RE: deer standards
 

Really, the only day that I hold out is the first day. After that I mostly just shoot anything other than a spike. However this will be the last year I get to do that because next year I'll have a point restriction.

RE: deer standards
 

I set my standards for deer usually before the season, and I usually set them pretty low:

1. Rack buck
2. Mature Doe

Then as the season/days progress I may up or lower my standards depending on the days I have to hunt, where I'm hunting, the activity or lack thereof -etc.

But, I will not never go below my original standard.

FH

RE: deer standards
 

three and half and older is the way to go. I'm not saying all the bucks I shoot are that old but thats what i try for. the longer youwait the better your chances are for a good buck.I was talking to a guy who hunts one street over from where I do. He said that there aren't any big deer there but he shoots the first buck that comes along. I also think trail cameras help you wait for a better buck because if you get some good pics it will raise your standers.