SteveCB06

For me it depends on how early or late in the season it is. I only have 1 buck tag, so if a young buck comes by on opening day I will let him walk. However if it is getting towards the end of the season and I have not taken a nice buck, im shooting at anything with visible antlers.

rritchey sr.

Here in Pa. buck season dictates that a buck have at least three points on one side and some areas it is four points on one side. There are some exceptions for jrs and srs. I will admit that I was opposed to the restrictions when they first were imposed, but now some years later we are seeing more mature heavily antlered bucks. One area where we did do major damage was allowing doe season to run concurrently with buck season ( two weeks). There is an alarmingly small number of deer in alot of areas and they are almost nonexistant on alot of state gamelands.

Gangly

Hunting Ethics to me is simply abiding by the laws, both written and unwritten, when legally taking game.

If you can abide by that, I have no problem with what you kill, why you kill it, or how you kill it. Anybody that does have a problem with it needs to get off their high horse and walk a mile in another mans shoes. It doesnt take long to understand or comprehend the reasons why somebody chooses to take certain game a cetain way if you actually try to see it from their point of view.

People sometimes forget that hunting is more than a sport for some people, it's a means to put food on the table. People that hunt for food don't always have the luxury of passing up one deer for another because they can't take the chance on never coming across that second deer.

Personally, I hunt for meat first and foremost. The first legal deer I see is taking a dirt nap be it a buck, doe, spike, or button. If my first few deer are good size, I might will wait to fill my last tag on a mature buck, but I won't hesitate to take 4 does with 4 tags if I need the meat.

Fortunately, my financial status doesn't require that my family lives solely on what I bring home from hunting, but deer meet is far cheaper than angus beef so I try to pack the freezer when I can.

MZS

With these types of restrictions, passing on small bucks is not only required, but you are insured that even on public land the buck will live to maturity.

When I hunt public land by us, I will shoot ANY deer if I have the tag. If I don't, someone else will. On my own land it is a different story. I like to have the options as we do in our state.

Blackelk

If letting bucks go is ethical then I guess sometimes I'm ethical. If knowing your limitations is ethical then I guess I'm ethical. I would say abiding by the laws of your state would be more along the lines of ethical because that was a majority of people that proposed, passed and made those laws not an individuals opinion of ethical. Pretty easy to let a whitetail pass and still get a chance at a bigger one. Not so easy with elk or mule deer on the western front. Does that change the ethical game a trophy hunter has set as a standard? You have to be willing to go home empty handed and not brag about this years hunt.

Vulture6

Uncle Matt made the point I was going to bring up -- Ethics have to do with what is morally right or wrong. So, is it morally wrong for someone to shoot a legal deer that you would choose not to shoot? Get serious.

Now, just for funsies...

Is it ethically/morally wrong to shoot a big buck (8+ points) and not mount it or keep / display the antlers?

Pretty absurd argument, isn't it. Yet it's right in line with the original line of reasoning.

deernmusky

I cant believe that I just wasted 5 minutes of my life reading all of these posts.

jsk1968

Same here, just hunt, be safe, hopefully pass it on to your kids, and have fun. Take the deer you want legally.

pyclub1

I agree that there should be a point restriction, even then people should let some of these 1st and 2nd year boned deer walk IMO. It will only help the deer herd and the QUALITY of the deer herd. As you said, a person that is just starting out I say shoot whatever you want to get a few deer under your belt. I didn't read what anyone else posted because this is my opinion and everyone is entitled to there own.. I passed up a 4.5 yr old buck on thur night that was close to 150" deer if he had both sides. He had a 5 point full right side and had the brow and G2 on his left side and the rack was broke clean off after the G2, 2 guys at work said they would have shot that buck for sure, I asked the simple question, WHY? Unless you would mount that deer there is no good reason for harvesting. My buddy said, someone else will shoot him during rifle season, I said, well, if I would have shot that buck he would have had 0% chance of making it till next year and possibly having a full rack, where if I let him go, he has a 50/50 chance of making through the hunting season. He's a 4.5 year old deer for sure and has made it through thus far, now he has a chance to make it through again.. You can only manage what YOU hunt, don't let the "he's gunna go over the hill and get shot" saying make a decision for you. Even public land can be managed by YOU the hunter. If you let him walk, you never know, he may make it through and be a monster in 2,3,4 yrs that you can harvest, you kill him at 1.5 yrs old, he WILL NOT GET ANY BIGGER. Just my thoughts... This is coming from a guy who hunts public land, not a thousand acres of prime private land and I have taken multiple big bucks... Manage what you have to hunt... Plus it sure is nice having that tag in your pocket when a biggen walks by....Good luck to all this season and be safe....

pyclub1

One last thing, I have truly adopted the old saying, "don't shoot anything the last day that you wouldn't shoot the first day" I am perfectly fine with throwing my buck tag away if I don't get a opportunity at the buck that I am looking for... It's all in personal opinion. Just think how nice it would be though if everyone had the same mentality of letting the little ones go, how many shooter bucks there would be out there. Thats why I love the states/areas that have point restrictions on bucks. I think it's a great idea and wish WI would adopt that system. Would sure help all the guys like me who hunt public land....