I should mention that I only get one whitetail tag per year.If I use it my season is over and any chance at a big buck is gone as well.As well I only use deer for sausage and jerky while using elk to fill my freezer with steaks and roasts.

without a doubt....

My personal minimum for bucks is a mature 8 point or better. Last season I had a suicidal 6 point that continued to offer me near point-blank range broadside shooting opportunities all season long. I passed on him repeatedly and hope he' s made enough improvements over the off season and then makes the same mistake with me. Small bucks can become real trophies if given enough time.

In NY if you shoot a doe and don' t have a doe tag then you' ll have a new place to live with a girlfriend named Max. It is ilegal to kill a deer in NY without the proper tag.

As far as the question goes I don' t judge a deer by its antlers I try to take them by there size and age. Where I hunt because of nutrition the deer don' t get big racks. I' m not saying there are no big racked deer, I' m just saying there are few. I think a person should atleast try to take mature deer, and let the little guys go until another year.

Re: NoMercy' s comment.

Here in Ontario, you have to enter a draw for anterless tags (anything less than three inch spikes). Everyone can purchase a buck tag and depending where you hunt your chances at acquiring an anterless tag varies. With an anterless tag, you can still only shoot one deer (not two).

As for passing up, I haven' t had the opportunity to do so yet. I shot a small racked eight pointer last fall (one other tine was broken off), but he field dressed at 182 lbs. From what I' ve seen that a good size body, so genetics and the thickness of the woods I hunt must have some bearing.

As long as you have enough property to hold the deer that you pass up and the neighbors arnt shooting everthing they see. I cant tell you how many times I passed up small bucks only to hear the shots on the neighboring property in the direction the bucks went. I am at a point in my hunting life where I get just as much enjoyment and fullfillment watching or videotaping small bucks and does than I do shooting them. I do love the meat so I try to get at least two or three for the freezer every year.

I hunt both public and private land, I pass a lot of deer in a given year, but that is my choice to do so. I also have only 1 " Either" sex tag per year, in which I try and tag a trophy sized buck. I believe the more I pass the better chance I and others will have at harvesting a mature deer. Now you' ll notice I said mature not trophy, I believe in harvesting not only a min trophy score I personally set, but more importantly he is mature. If he scores 150 and is immature he gets a free pass by me. I have no desire or need to kill a young animal, with that being said I would never try and tell others what they should harvest...it boils down to a personal choice. As long as you don' t have regret and are truly happy with your harvest than bang away!!

I' d turn my tag back unfilled before I' d fill with a nonmature buck. Let' em grow. If you want the meat take a doe - otherwise let' m walk. When they get bigger they are much more fun to hunt.

It really amounts to what you want - but sound management says let them go.

Dave

I always hold off for a big boy. Once you shoot a pretty big buck, you' ll never want to shoot a small one again.

in alabama you can shot up to 2 deer a day.. 1 buck and 1 doe or 2 does..I' d pass up on the smaller bucks and would rather take 2 does if i had the chance