Does The Number Of Years Between Buck Harvests...

lower your standards or does it remain constant?

 

Im at 3, and my standards are still strong

 

Same for me.

 

So far...No

 

As long as all factors remain the same (area I hunt, weapon I hunt with, tags, etc), so will what I choose to shoot. 5 years and counting without a buck and it doesn't bother me.

 

Yes, I lower them if I haven't killed a buck in couple years.

 

Not yet??????:p

 

i didnt get one last year.. but im not gonna shoot a small buck cause i wanna kill a buck.. i can kill a doe that taste good 2... but keep in mind a good buck around here is 80-90 inches..

 

My standards have actually risen after seeing the bucks taken from the properties around me.

 

I have been bowhunting for 12 years now. I have only killed 3 antlered bucks during that time. Of those 12 years, the last 5 (including this one), have been spent "mature" buck hunting.

I tell myself that I refuse to shoot a 2.5 year old. Last year during shotgun season I passed a higher scoring 2 year old for an older, but less impressive 3 year old.

However, with my bow I have been blanked the last 2 season. Not to say I haven't had my chances (a miss and a poor shot), but my standards have not been lowered.

 

When I was younger it may have bothered me a little, but I went ten years without shooting a buck, and it didn't bother me. Although I moved states and went from hunting private to public. I will only shoot mature bucks now even if it means no buck or even worse no meat.

 

No. I haven't taken a buck with my bow in 11yrs, by choice. Man, it doesn't seem like that long.

I've realistically passed 8-12 bucks most years bowhunting since I gave the dinks up, one year alot more. I've shot my share of does, but haven't had the opportunity to take a buck that I want. I've thought about lowering my standards, but honestly...it doesn't matter to me. I don't have an ego to stroke that I "got my buck". I've had quite a few that have been close to being shooters for me...but not quite what I want. I have killed a handfull of bucks with a gun & m/l during that time that HAVE met my standards, just haven't been able to get one close enough with a bow - or when I have, it hasn't come together.

Maybe I just suck! :D

One year back in the late 90's I shot 6 bucks....and thought I was hot stuff. 3 with bow, 1 rifle, 1 m/l, 1 shotgun. At the end of the season, I looked at my awesome accomplishments...and they all added up to about 1 good buck. I realized I was going about it all wrong, and vowed to do it no more and I haven't. Yes, it sucks sometimes....when everyone else is shooting bucks - but its all good. Hoping it will come together this year.

 

VERY close to lowering them this season. This would have been season 7 of no buck down for me if I ended it blanked. This little 5 point kept tempting me, and he almost broke me. Really in truly, a quote from someone on here (can't remember who) kept me determined to hold out. They (whoever it was) said if the buck doesn't get your heart racing and excited, he's probably not "the one." That's all I needed.

 

I don't change on bucks but it's 4 years between brown bear tags here so I've been pretty particular on choosing to only kill a WR bear on my next one but my standard is coming down. I held out for the 11 footer for the past 5 years but this year one of his 10 foot rivals might get stuck if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time... we'll see.

 

That's the good thing about "not" hunting horns. I can live with "no antler standards". Really never understood why others can not.

 

I started carrying a cheap camcorder with me several years ago when I decided to hunt only 4.5 yr old bucks or older. Taking video of the 3.5 yr bucks makes it a lot easier for me to pass them. The last couple years I have actually targeted a mature buck and hunted only him. It has been a blast ( except for the bad shot I put on him last year) although I have eaten tag soup the last couple years as well. He showed up on cam again this year so its game on!

 

Some may call it lowering one's standards...I call it realizing I ain't as good as I hoped I was:D

 

i like that Ryan!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Because everyones' woods are different. A yearling (1.5 year old) buck is the easiest deer in the woods to kill for me. I have way more shot opps at yearling bucks that I do does. At least 2 to 1. I can kill up to 7 does a year, so if I can pass a buck in hopes that it gets a year older, I will. I don't expect or care what others do in different areas or states.

 

Realistically assessing one's woods and its potential while tempering that with your skill level is what one must do in determining their base line. But hey, if someone who has not killed a decent 2.5 year old wants to hold out for a big nasty 5.5 year old buck, go right ahead. (that sentence was not directed at any one particular individual and I have respect for those of you who hold strong to what you believe). I choose to assess what I have in my woods and look at what my skills bring to the table at this particular moment, then I decide what I want to hold out for each year. This year it is a 100 inch buck or a 3.5 year old buck.