All BS aside, be candid; how important is it for you to kill a big whitetail and why?

In life? Not even a blip on my radar.

In hunting? It's my number one goal.

 

Although it would be nice to kill big bucks all the time this year I've come to realize that in my current hunting situation it simply is too hard... Last year I finally had some nice bucks coming in and they were shot illegally with rifles in an archery zone off of my hunting area before a shot was presented to me. So as of right now killing big bucks is not important to me. Anything with legal antlers is coming down this season.

 

Important enough to eat tag soup before drilling something that doesn't do it for me.

 

its pretty important. like others said not as much as family and stuff like that, but come fall its really up there on my list to be honest

 

Pretty much what all you guys are saying- not important to the big picture, but very important to the hunting part of me (which is huge lol). This will only be my 4th season bowhunting, and I already have 2 shoulder mounts on the wall. If I don't kill a big buck, I will feel like I let myself down. Its just what gets me up in the morning, the thought of a big buck walking within bow range of my stand. If I knew it would only be does and small bucks, I would just wait until I wanted meat, then go hunting.

 

I like quicksilver, have an obsession with it. It too is my only real hobby and my wife things I'm totally off my rocker most of the year. I don't get any pleasure out of taking a doe or young buck anymore. Yeah, back in the day, when I first started, as with any young hunter, a deer was a deer. Putting a tag on any deer was a great accomplishment and putting a tag on multiple in the same season was even better. But, as years go by, its turned into more. It's a lifestyle, its a drive in me to hunt for take the best buck in the area, year in and year out. I'm fortunate too, to have an area to hunt that has a good population of mature whitetails. Now, when I see those smaller bucks each year, I think about what he'll be in a few years. Study him now, understand him now and you're well on your way to keeping better tabs on him years later.

I love checking trailcams, hoping to get that big boy on camera before or during season. I rarely feed them into a camera. I want trail picks of these guys, using trails I suspect is being used by a big buck. It's that kind of chess game that I absolutely love. Putting all the pieces together, and have it all culminate on getting that buck within range and putting him on the ground. Its one of those things that until you do it, until you are at full draw on a big buck, you'll never understand that insane adrenaline rush of you about to write the final chapter in that particular deers' book.

A mature buck, and in all honesty, a mature doe is a different breed of animal. Hunting the upper class of a whitetail herd will most likely leave you frustrated, leave you thinking maybe you should lower your standards a bit so you can put your tag on a buck more often. But, for me, it wouldn't mean the same thing. Not everyone is cut out to pass on some decent bucks year in and year out while holding out for that one shot at the big guy of the area. It's a tough road you take when you decide to go all in. But, I wouldn't hunt any other way.

 

Not important at all.
















Ya right !! I love it !!

Tim

 

Its important for me to kill a good buck for my area. I put way too much time into it for me not to. My biggest struggle throughout the season is holding myself back from filling every doe tag i have. I absolutely love shooting any and every deer.

 

Its important to me to kill atleast one big buck a year , if i dont so be it i tried but i'm not happy , i dont normally show it but i know and feel it inside , if i dont come close or into bow range to any of my hit list picks from my trail cams i feel i failed , some times i take it way to seriously ......i try not to let that happen.

 

I'm happy with any deer I kill. It's the whole experience I treasure, not the size of the deer.

- Rudy

 

I just want to see them.

 

I think my wife can answer this better than I can. She always asks why dont you just shoot the first one that walks by and then come home.

I think it is the passion to always want more. I have a nice mount already but I still want bigger. I guess its just that fact that if you harvest a deer with a TON of Bone you will get some publicity?

 

Shooting big bucks is important to me but I look at it as more of a life time goal rather than each season.

I don't expect to shoot a big one every year...but I will put plenty of good ones on the ground before my time is done and enjoy every minute I spend in the woods each season regardless of the outcome.

 

Bruce, outside of you not beating your kids, I think we would get along just fine.

I like big bucks, but here is what it comes down to. I love venison, and I live in an area where older bucks are very rare. I absolutely could put in more time in the off season to possibly give myself an outside chance at a buck 2.5 or older...but I don't. I love to fly fish. I love it more than bowhunting, but just enough that I put more time into it. Fly fishing is 1A, and bowhunting is 1B. I choose not to shoot many 1.5 year old bucks every season. I just like watching them. They are like naive, horny teenagers. Humorous at times. Does on the other hand, I like. I'm a ladies man. Killing a doe, especially one that has given me the slip before, is my booner.

 

Matt...did you spell that last word correctly? It looks like you might have added too many "o's"! j/k!

 

It is important yo me. As far as to why, I really don't know that I can answer that. It is important, I work hard at it and really enjoy trying to out wit a 4 1/2 or older buck.

 

I was SOOOO gonna call B.S. on that!

 

If I didn't have the drive to kill a big buck everytime I went out, it would be hard for me to get up in the morning to hunt.

Sure, I love shooting does, and I love eating venison. But let's be honest, I don't spend countless hours scouting, hanging stands, velvet scouting, and running trail cameras to shoot does every year. I've taken a few deer to put on the wall, but only 1 that I consider to be a real slammer for my area.

With each passing year, I feel like I learn more about my land, and the bucks that use it. Last year I saw a lot of great bucks, and passed some bucks that I probably shouldn't of with both a bow and gun, but I am far from the level that I hope to one day reach.

 

I've killed a lot of deer, and enjoyed them all immensely. But the most fun I've had hunting is sitting in a tree with my son (13)and watching him quiver with excitement as he arrowed his first buck last year. If I happen to be done hunting for some reason, seeing that fulfilled me for a lifetime.

 

Not Important to me. I want to kill a buck, I always do but his size has never mattered to me. Maybe some day when I have the sort of land for good managment it will become more important.