When ya'll first started hunting, did you go after the Biggest buck you could find or would you suggest going after a doe? I know it doesn't really matter, it was just a thought that popped in my head. This will be me second time hunting, First with bow. Another reason I ask is (if i heard correctly) The older the deer the gamier/tougher the meat is. So if you shoot a big buck, it's bound to be older. Right?
When I started hunting a few years ago, I shot (at) what made me happy. The first time I went on a hunt was in germany with my grandfather, he killed a nice roe buck, since then I've been hooked, when I moved here and actually was the one to pull the trigger, I missed endless times, I think about 8 or 9 times until I finally drilled a spike in the heart with my .270, that deer made me happy and IMO that's what it's all about.
And the gamey tastes has a lot of factors that go into it. I have shot older deer and some younger and to me it is all how you prepare the meat to cook as to if it will be super gamey or not. If you wash out all the blood and put the right spices on it, you will have little to no gamey taste.
My 1st deer with a bow was a button buck... it was a good day and one I will most likely never forget.
Like Pitman, my first deer was a button buck with a bow. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget. I try not to shoot button bucks any more, but when you are first starting, shoot any legal deer you can. The experience will help you be ready for the big one!
My first deer with a bow was a little 6 point. He was tiny but I remember the whole hunt. I decided that 1st deer to walk by was dead. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Whether your first, 100th or last, take what you feel comfortable with. As for being tough or gamey, from what we were told by a professional meat processor, the biggest factor is that the meat is aged, packaged and thawed and prepared properly. If you try to cook Venison like Beef, you will probably not be happy.
I shoot my buck a little later in the season. I have climate control in a garage so I hang for 10-14 days then cut it up, always tender. Get it clean get it cool.
Depends on how I feel. As I get older I am a bit more selective. When I first started hunting if it was legal I was going for it.
I'm not a "trophy" hunter, so if it's in bow range, I'm taking a shot. I've missed two and connect on one, but the two I missed on, I've made mistakes in the shot.
When ever I took/take new hunters out I tell them if it is legal and they want to shoot it, they should. Don't get hung up by the big deer you see on hunting shows or magazines. You gain experience by shooting actual deer not targets.
Hunted public land the first several years I hunted deer. My step dad and I always had a saying. Freezers empty? The brown and down. I hunt private land now but I still like to fill the freezer. So I go with how I feel the # deer I've been seeing etc. if it's your first deer hunt or first bow hunt then I would of be too selective. You will find it gets your adrenaline pumping no matter if it's a big buck or a doe. It's addicting. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My first bow kill was back in 1977. It was a yearling doe that I killed from a natural ground blind in Bradford county. I was as proud as I could be, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Back then, a bow kill wasn't an every day thing like it is today, so I actually got a little attention at the gas station.
My First was a 5" spike. It's a day I'll never forget. It was 23 years ago and I'm still a complete bow hunting addict. Where you shoot it, how fast you put it down has a lot to do with the gamey taste.
