What size bucks do you shoot and why?
10-09-2008, 05:43 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: elmira ny
Posts: 1,676
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
ORIGINAL: Steven McBee
only bucks over 4.5 which usually falls into the 150 or up category but there are some exceptions such as an old buck with bad genes that i would shoot
only bucks over 4.5 which usually falls into the 150 or up category but there are some exceptions such as an old buck with bad genes that i would shoot
Amen to that, or badly wounded/maimed
10-09-2008, 08:13 PM
#24
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 234
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
I've already shaot a 146 and 136 so I will let small bucks pass, with the exception of the occasional fawn that is not ID'd well enough. Fawns and does go down. (deer are considered overpopulated where I hunt)
There has been talk of a very large fork horn (six point) that I will take if I see it. It would be about seven now if it is still out there.
Bob
There has been talk of a very large fork horn (six point) that I will take if I see it. It would be about seven now if it is still out there.
Bob
10-09-2008, 10:34 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,363
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
I have two different places that I hunt and I have different standards on each of them, on one ranch we have a management program in place that limits our bucks to 4.5 year old minimum (no size minimum) if it is a mature deer and it offers an opportunity to the right personit will usually get taken. Then on my family ranch, we try to keep it an 8 point or better thing but that usually doesn't hold for everyone, myself included as you might not see an 8 all year....
10-10-2008, 12:09 AM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gleason, TN
Posts: 1,327
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
If I waited on only "trophy" whitetail bucks to shoot, I would still be waiting for my first deer.[8D]
I usually shoot the first thing that gives me a shot. Why? Because there aren't any trophy bucks anywhere on the land that I have to hunt 99% of the year. There's always that possibility that a big one will wander by during the rut, but if you look around my land, there's no rubs, no scrapes, no big tracks, and no sightings of anything larger than a spike. I just see does. Lots of does, and you would think that during the rut the bucks would be right here. But, somehow, it's like they can't find this place. Last year I saw ZERO rut activity. Does walked around, nothing followed them, and the only buck I saw was one spike with a messed up rack. I thought I was about to see the big boy when a doe came blasting across a field in front of me, but all that was chasing her was a big black dog. That's the way it's been for years around here.
I usually shoot the first thing that gives me a shot. Why? Because there aren't any trophy bucks anywhere on the land that I have to hunt 99% of the year. There's always that possibility that a big one will wander by during the rut, but if you look around my land, there's no rubs, no scrapes, no big tracks, and no sightings of anything larger than a spike. I just see does. Lots of does, and you would think that during the rut the bucks would be right here. But, somehow, it's like they can't find this place. Last year I saw ZERO rut activity. Does walked around, nothing followed them, and the only buck I saw was one spike with a messed up rack. I thought I was about to see the big boy when a doe came blasting across a field in front of me, but all that was chasing her was a big black dog. That's the way it's been for years around here.
10-10-2008, 03:13 AM
#27
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Dover, Ohio. Tuscarawas county.
Posts: 827
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
Sounds like some of you guys have almost no bucks on the property you hunt? That's a shame. On the property my dad and I hunt, we know of 10 bucks that are shooters. Half of them would go over 150 the other half would be between 130-150. 1 of those bucks has avoided us since 2003 when I filmed him as a 3 year old and then he was in the 160-170 range. My dad saw him the next year (2004) and he said he was in the 180s. Funny thing was my dads sights were off and he didn't know and he shot right over his back.Then my dad saw him in 2006 and said he had to be a 200 class TYPICAL. Believe it if you want, don't care if you don't, we saw him and no one else did. Not even the guys who hunt right next to our property. We have yet to get trail pictures of him or film him again, but we know he's still there because we have seen him. Now he's like 8, but he's still a GIANT! Hopefully he makes the mistake and walks in front of one of us while the other is filming, and we get him on camera and of course kill him. He's a tough old buck and he made the mistake once. Luckily for him, my dads sights were off and his bow was shooting high. We can only hope he makes that mistake again, but this time, one of us double lungs him.
That's a shame. On the property my dad and I hunt, we know of 10 bucks that are shooters. Half of them would go over 150 the other half would be between 130-150. 1 of those bucks has avoided us since 2003 when I filmed him as a 3 year old and then he was in the 160-170 range. My dad saw him the next year (2004) and he said he was in the 180s. Funny thing was my dads sights were off and he didn't know and he shot right over his back.Then my dad saw him in 2006 and said he had to be a 200 class TYPICAL. Believe it if you want, don't care if you don't, we saw him and no one else did. Not even the guys who hunt right next to our property. We have yet to get trail pictures of him or film him again, but we know he's still there because we have seen him. Now he's like 8, but he's still a GIANT! Hopefully he makes the mistake and walks in front of one of us while the other is filming, and we get him on camera and of course kill him. He's a tough old buck and he made the mistake once. Luckily for him, my dads sights were off and his bow was shooting high. We can only hope he makes that mistake again, but this time, one of us double lungs him.
10-10-2008, 05:05 AM
#28
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mich
Posts: 652
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
I've shot my share of smaller bucks. As I get older I don't need to shoot the first legal buck I see. I would rather take a Doe for meat, and pass the small bucks to give myself a chance for a 3.5 yr. buck or older. If I shoot that first Spike or Fork horn I see then I'll never know what might be coming behind him.
10-10-2008, 07:50 AM
#30
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location:
Posts: 5
RE: What size bucks do you shoot and why?
I usually try to only take 110 or bigger. Really frustrating alot of times though, Ill let the small ones walk just so my neighbor can put them in the freezer but I've got to give them the chance. On the other hand I will take some smaller bucks with bad racks (one side much smaller than the other orcow horns) the ones that i don't believe will ever produce awall hanger rack.