How big is this deer?!?!?
 

So, I am having troubles deciding if this deer is one to pass on until next year, shoot the last weekend if nothing else comes by or what! Anyway, the rack is tall, but not very wide and the tines are not very thick looking. I have a 174 B&C on the wall and a buck measured out at 155 and am aware this wouldn't touch those numbers, but it may be the best I can do in the area I am hunting. Any thoughts as to scoring class would be great. Would I be crazy to think this a 125-130 class deer? I am in Nebraska and this is a respectable deer, just not the monster I hoped to hunt months ago!

Happy Hunting to all,
Pete
:rock:

It's a solid deer, no doubt. Are you on your own land? If so and you think he can survive through the hunting season you may pass on him and see if you can get a shot on him next year. If not I say he's a shooter. Maybe not early in the season but definitely a last weekend pickup. Just don't hang him up next to your 170 class buck haha.

Btw, welcome to the forum.

First off, thanks for the welcome. Secondly, it is some family friend's property, but no one hunts it except my brother in law and I, which is the good news. The bad news is that it is next to a decently busy highway (splat), and the quarters next door get hunted pretty regularly from what we understand. This guy is the biggest I've seen so far which has been a little disappointing, but I am not ruling out a monster wondering through the ground. I've always heard deer can travel 10-15 miles from their homes, so to speak, and I know there have been big deer seen and taken within a 10 mile radius of the farm. I guess I will have to keep my fingers crossed!

:rock:

No doubt he's a decent deer. If he's a regular to the area and your trophy hunting, think about him in a year...he'll be a Dandy (of course that is assuming those neighbors practice the same QDM you seem to be and pass on the 125-130 class bucks) anyway, just my .02c :)

My problem is that I am 23 and still learning patience! I just wanna :fighting0007: when I get that buck fever, learning how to control that blast disease! It will be hard to refrain from throwing a little lead, but deep down I know y'all are right. Back to the original question though, what do you think that guy scores, 125-130 or am I just not seeing it correctly? I am just amazed at how tall this little basket is, not too wide but dang hes got decent height. Also, I'll post the other bucks on my wall later today!

Pete
:rock:

How do you guys find the same deer the next year? Do you just go to the aisle marked "deer I passed up last year" and they'll all right there?

If you pass him up, you may never see him again. Even if he stays on the property, he may go nocturnal, weather might be different next year, rut might lead him other places, food might be different, etc....

Unless he's on a leash, in a pen, or you feed and bait, that deer may only give you one glimpse of him in his and your lifetime. Shoot him if you see him......unless he's too small for you.

Personally I don't pass up deer as nobody around me does either. Unless you have a very large tract of land with ample natural sources and/or food plots, why would you pass him up? If I pass up a deer, I will never see him again. All of this QDMA stuff, IMHO, is crap unless you have a large plot of land you can manage. For the vast majority of us, we have to take what we get.

That choice is yours, I would shoot him in a second and not have second thoughts. IMHO the odds you see him again next year, during daylight, during hunting season is slim.

i think he would probably score in the 120's but I might not be seeing it right, he may be a 130. good luck and if you have never taken a deer of this size and you think this may be your best shot at a larger buck take him. If not wait, persistence is the key!!! good luck and go get 'em