Well I have high expectations due to where I hunted in the past. Now that that's gone I still fight the same instict to be very choosy. It use to be any deer that I thought would make the pope and Young book I would gladly take. Now with the very limited land I have I know there is one 9 pointer on the property thats over 100". SO far with the pics I have he is my target. I don't believe I have a good shot at beating that. I passed on a small velvet buck opening day. I will hold out until that 9 pointer shows himself until December. After that I will probably open it up to what gives me a shot. I just don't see alot of deer. The alternative is find public land close to my house. Too many waterfowlers in my area. High hunting pressure. I like filling tags and since I don't have access to land worth managing I will be less picky late season.
I want to say on paper my standards won't change as the season progresses, but until a "tweener" steps in front of me on the last evening, I'll never know.
my standards would change prior to last yr when i got my 10 pointer. i used to get antsy the closer the season came to a close, but now its all or nothing... i'd rather shoot nothing than anything smaller than that 10... not so much points wise, cause please believe me if a heavy 8 walked in he'd better duck or bleed!!!! i am just in the frame of mind now that after i get a doe for the freezer i may have to eat that buck tag... and im fine with that.
Troy Ive kind of thought about this more and if it is january and the last weekends hunt I might just lower it a bit. Be cool to get one that last day and the beginning of the new year.
I shot a 140 class 9 pointer 2 years ago and missed a 150 class 10 pointer last year . I always thought I would hold out for a deer that was at least as big as the 140 but your eyes have a very funny way of playing tricks on you on the 5th day in a stand and seeing nothing but forks and spikes! When the first 120 comes by he sure looks like a 140!
I agree with Isaiah. my standards don't change as the season draws nearer the end. I'm hunting for a nice wall hanger throughout the season. As the season progresses to the point it's at now I actually get more and more excited instead of anxious. This is simply because I know the big boys will come out of hiding and start running around. Sometimes I have to think twice about a nice 130-140 class ten point. After all I'm only human, but I ultimately find myself passing knowing that it'll improve my chances next season. So like Isaiah, I'm all or nothing no matter what time of the season it is. However, I love eating venison so there are a few does out there in danger at this point. I am getting hungry for some delicious tenderloins.
Nope I set it at 140 or bigger and that is what it stays at, but age matters also in there and also location, because if I am in Michigan it is 125 or bigger. Walt
I agree with you on this. I'd rather eat my buck tag than shoot a small buck. There are plenty of does to shoot rather than small bucks. Like I said before, the big thing with me is it HAS to be 3.5, then I decide if I want to take it. The size tends to lower a bit by December. I'm weak. But I still won't shoot a small young buck. I'm just not really holding out for a bruiser.(Which I have yet to take).
For me, the standard changes from year to year depending on the situation. A lot of factors go through my mind when it's a "borderline" buck on whether to shoot or not. I don't think that my standards change as the season progresses as much as it does for other people, but that's partially because some of my best bowhunting is in late December.
I haven't been playing this game long enough to pretend.... On October 11th I passed up a 85"-90" buck at 25 yards. If I cross paths with him again this season, I will take a shot opportunity. With my biggest bow kill being a 70" buck, I would be more than happy with him. I just wanted to wait it out at the time. Now if I see him, he will be going down:d
ok most of you seem to be mainly trophy hunters, aand that is fine. but for me, me and my family love the taste of deer meat. the old cliche you cant eat the horns is what i go by. i had rather kill a yearling doe as anything. thats not saying i wnt shoot a buck, as i have 4 deer thatl score between 120-150. but i also wont pass a shot on a spike or a forked horn either. im hunting just to be hunting, but when i shoot its for meat more than anything so i gues u can say that my standards are always as low as they can get.
okcavenman, I see nothing wrong with harvesting a deer for meat whether it's a large doe, small doe, spike, or trophy buck. It's a great time of year to just be out in the woods and if meat is a motivation and it's alright with the property owner (you?) then I say harvest as you please.
My standards don't really change as the season goes on. First thing first, a deer has to be somewhere in P&Y range for a second look, secondly I'll try to age the deer. If he is 125" at 3.5, I'll probably let him walk... if he's 4.5, I probably won't. These are pretty well my standards throughout the season...
My standards change almost daily. I hunt several different properties, some that have trophy potential some that don't. Some I have to walk 1 mile, some 100 yds. I'm not shooting anything but trophies when I'm 1 mile into the timber. I have 3 buck tags so I can pretty much pick and choose as I please. I will not be picky on most of my properties this year. I failed to even see one single buck in 2007 from the stand. So far this season, after 13 sits I've yet to see a buck, in fact I've only seen 8 deer total.
All depends if my freezer is full. I try to take does early, & then get selective, but I'll shoot a young one if I have no food by the end of the season in Jan.
