Blinded by inches...what mature really is.

This post means alot to me because i am new to hunting and bowhunting and a trophy in my eyes is anything that i can harvest ethically, a nice buck is a plus but its not the main goal! thank you for this post!

 

That is exactly the right mindset!!! Let your standards and such be set by you and only changed by you, simply accept the type of hunter you are and build on that! More respect is given to those who do so. Good luck this year!

 

So if I purposely keep shooting 1 1/2 year old bucks for the sheer purpose of aggravating both parties ..... does that make me a bad person? :D

 

I am an inches guy, as long as they are not young looking. If a deer scores 150", but does not have enough mass or tine length, he gets a pass. Last year I passed on a 150" buck that was gnarly looking, but he was spindly also. As long as he has the inches, mass, and overall look he is getting an arrow from me. Just saying how I hunt, not that it's right or that's how others should hunt. Maybe things will change as I get older, maybe they won't. Who knows.

 

I see where you are going and maby i should reclassify my self as a inch hunter that really tries his hardest to shoot mature deer. Yes we manage for inches and harvest mature

 

This is awesome!! Vito would be proud haha!

 

I got ya, just wanted you to say it :D haha! Own it, no shame in it.

 

I'd say I'm still trying to find my position. I've only shot does before because I didn't start hunting until I was 29. I am 32 now and have filled the freezer with slickheads the past 3 seasons. I enjoy that and enjoy the meat. With that being said, I have passed on a bunch of small bucks because I would like my first buck to be something I can mount. I have not even had a shot at a mature deer yet. The bucks I passed on were either spikes or 4 points and I just didn't want any of them to be my first bow buck. I think I just feel differently because I started hunting at a later date. When I have kids, I'm hoping they catch the fever young and by all means shoot whatever will make them happy.

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Hell no!! It makes you a happy and successful hunter!!

 

I am an inches hunter no qualms about it. I just see too many amazing deer up here to be satisfied with a small buck. small bucks are not worth using my tag on when I could possibly shoot a world record buck another day.

at least 150 or bust.......but I can afford to be that way here because it will likely happen.


I did get a laugh tynimiller at how "horns dont matter" yet you have 259 1/8 and counting in your sig line from the "inches of horn contest" we are in.

 

That's right buddy!!! haha! That's team pride. I fully admitted I don't think I'd place myself even in the "only mature" deer category, because I guarantee you any P&Y-ish deer is getting shot no matter the age! I may focus all my efforts on the older ones but if a young stud walks out I will shoot! But I fully admit it.

 

WOW!!!!!! Who Cares What They call themselves. does it really matter... i have never killed a big buck, or a mature buck. But i promise that i put in just as much time and effort as anyone else haging stands, and practicing and so forth. Why do these labels even matter. the fact is that we are deer hunters, and more importantly we are BOWHUNTERS. this makes me very sad to here other hunters label each other. i had someone tell me two weeks ago that my 8 year old son should not be allowed to take a fork horned buck, because i was teaching him the wrong thing. i dont think so. i think it is more important for him to be successful, and become a good outdoorsman, and bowhunter. if we put to much influence on the deer, we only take away from ourselves. just my opinion.

 

To each his own. When it comes down to it, if a hunter didn't want to bag a deer, the arrow wouldn't have been released. I'm already mad at myself for commenting on this pointless thread.

 

look at it as if you are fishing, everyone wants to catch that 36 inch walleye, or that 10# bass, but your not going to through back all the 15'' keeper walleye until you do catch that trophy. you will keep the smaller, and eat them all the same, unless u just fish for sport. it is the same with deer hunting. unless u dont eat deer.

 

Not sure where I fall, but if a 150" 2.5 year old and a 110 5.5 year old step out at the same time, the 2.5 year old will have an arrow in him before anyone would have a chance to "decide" how old they were...

 

I like hunting big, mature bucks. I like inches too........ the more the merrier!

 

I like hunting mature bucks but what I shoot depends on where I am at. On my lease I am not going to use my one tag on a small racked buck whether it is mature or not if I have a couple of big bucks running around. This wont always work and is not for every one, you have to be willing to eat that tag, but to me it doesnt matter. I am not going to shoot something just to shoot it. I get really excited even when I shoot a doe but I hate the feeling of shooting a buck and have that thought enter my mind "I should have left him grow one more year". When I see a buck and I start grabbing my bow before my binos I know I am going to shoot. It doesnt have to be the bigget buck either if a big heavy racked 8 came in I would be shooting first worrying about scoring second.

 

no inches,50 inches, or 150 inches. With some marinade over hot coals they all taste basically the same. Especially with a cold beer(provided you are old enough). Granted if I have a choice at the time of which one to shoot, I will try for the larger rack. But, I am hunting for the fun and excitement of being in the outdoors, the health benefits of walking more often and leaner meat ,and the dollars saved at the grocery store.

 

You guys saying this thread is pointless and labeling is pointless...I think you've missed the boat of what I'm trying to get across. I'm not a fan of hidden truths or anger amongst the ranks based on what should be taken and shouldn't what is mature and what isn't. the bottom line is you should just be honest with what type of hunter you are...mature buck hunter (which this thread focused more on), trophy buck hunter, freezer filler or somewhere in between...just simply be factual on what you are can and should stop a lot of the turmoil in buck discussions. Sorry if I wasn't clear to some, but I appear to have been to others.

 

i was thinking the same thing after reading this...im doing all my scouting and putting up my stands where i think ill have the best chance of bagging the biggest, baddest buck around...that being said i do have multiple tags and cant say i will pass up a chance to put meat in the freezer.