Great post, couldn't agree more. The public land I hunt is exactly as you describe, there ARE bucks that make it through the gauntlet each season. If you put the time in and don't shoot the first "legal" buck you see, you will eventually see bigger bucks.
Sometimes we can take the heart and soul out of bow hunting by concerning ourselves with scores and numbers and age and etc.. It all boils down to what YOUR personal goals are. If you are a "trophy" hunter then you can't shoot a deer like that and expect to be a "trophy" hunter. If you base what you shoot on how your season is going then you are probably an opportunist. What I mean. Say you take a doe first week, then you may not shoot another doe. Then say the 3rd week you shoot a 90-100 inch buck. Well the next one "should" be a much better buck, if you are progressing. On the other hand, like me, who has been blessed over the years to shoot some really big bucks have often passed on several small bucks...however, this year I have not killed a deer period, so, the first legal deer I can shoot will get it. At the end of the day, I am a bowhunter who loves to shoot A deer with a bow, so that's what I will do. I will never be a "trophy" hunter because of this. Just an opportunist.
If you're asking this question because you're wondering what he'll turn into next year then pass on him this year, and shoot another buck that's smaller if you're wanting meat for the freezer or the satisfaction of filling your tag. And remember, you can't eat wishes.
I know a guy that has the worlds largest collection of spike buck antlers he had shot over the years. he is a meat hunter and is happy to be just that. he only harvests what his family needs. he just got in a rut and never wanted to do better as in bigger and older deer. he just wanted the meat. a lot of those years he would only get one buck tag because not everyone in PA gets a doe tag. now what bothered me was he was satisfied with his success with the deer size he was taking then whine about never getting a big buck. he excuse was " I'm just not meant to get big bucks!" I kept telling him if you shoot the small ones that guarantees you to not shoot a big one. every year we would go through this conversation. I just gave up. my belief with this whole management issue is that years ago there wasn't many studies on deer. now hunters are becoming more educated about deer. we know there potential of deer and what happens when we let them mature, how they act, what they eat at what time of year, etc. 100 years ago they thought deer were old because the hair on the deer's face was gray no matter the horn size. times have changed we are smarter. all the old hunters I talk to have the same story, "I seen the biggest buck of my life run across the road in front of me today!" management is a big part of that! if this is a decision of whether to hunt the ways of yesteryear or hunt the modern way? i'll choose the latter of the two! If I need meat that bad i'll work a few hours of overtime and just buy it from the store or a local farmer. there isn't one person on this forum that is going to starve if they don't harvest a deer! so it isn't all about the meat! yet!
If there is one person on this forum that will starve if they don't kill a deer, then maybe they could pawn their computer and buy supper, lol. I have to laugh when I hear people try to justify poaching or killing every deer they see by saying they need the meat because they can't afford to eat otherwise. Then when you look at the stuff they own, they generally are driving a big jacked up 4x4 truck and hunting with a $1000 rifle and scope or a $1200 bow...There are a hell of a lot cheaper ways to eat than that in my opinion. 99% of the time, those folks just do it because they like it, as long as they are legal then whatever but the rest of that is just an excuse. And as far as the OP question...to me...no that is not a shooter but everyone has their own goals and has to make their own decisions. To me a shooter is a minimum of 3.5 years old and I try to target only 5.5 as per our ranch management goals however that isn't at all realistic for most people and I have to have time to hunt pretty hard to have any success even under our conditions.
This is a personal decision. You're in the stand by yourself or maybe with one other person. This is a game time decision. If it makes you happy then go for it. But, since you asked, IMO, no. 115 ish.
I don't think anyone on this forum ever claimed that they'd starve unless they shot a deer for that winter's meat. But I would guess that there are at least few where shooting a deer and putting some meat in the freezer helps out quite a bit because money is tighter for them and their family than it is for most people on this forum. However I think that most people on this forum (myself included), when they say the shoot a deer for meat, they're saying that because they enjoy the taste of venison and eating something from the land rather than some hormone/antibiotic infested cow from a farm. [All that said in the least confrontational tone possible ]
Some of us also hunt for other people that are less fortunate. I don't just hunt for myself. I like to donate to Hunters For The Hungry. I also like to share with freinds and family. My neighbor toils in the garden while I'm out fishing and he shares his work with me and I am one for always returning the favor. I take care of others before I take care of myself. How many people I'm able to share the fruits of my labor with matters more than the age of a deer. That doesn't mean I shoot everything, just means I know what really matters. [Also said in the least confrontational tone possible]
I would add that I highly encourage hunters to share their bounty with people that do not hunt. This is one way to encourage non-hunters to support us.
Just being out among them is great but eating the spoils of your efforts and sharing it too is awesome!
This my man, couldn't be further from the truth. It has to do with self achievement and what kind of standards you set for yourself over the course of your hunting career. It's a natural progression that has nothing to do with your ego, or how much television you watch.
Like many have said before, if you are asking, you probably know the answer. He is not a shooter for me. He's a young deer. I like shooting mature deer, antler size has nothing to do with it. Odds are, though, older deer will have bigger racks. This little feller in the pic will score under 100". SCFox
To the OP, it appears to be a young deer with a lot of potential. If he's going to get shot by the neighbors, (if he's on a property that you control) then take that into consideration. If you've never shot a deer that big before, shoot him. If you want to shoot a big deer, you should let him walk and study him and his habits until next year. But most importantly is for you to have fun and be happy when you look in the mirror. I shot a bear last fall that to me was huge. He was only 4 1/2 years old and "IF" I had waited till this year, he might have been a lot bigger. Of course the other guy that hunts that property had been hunting him hard and hadn't taken him. As I walk into our dining room and look at the mount of that bear, it brings a smile to my face every time. (I say that he might have been bigger.... he was 400 pounds and was 6'6" from tip of tail to nose!)
Only you would know if he is or not. The term "Shooter" applies to individual categorization since only one, alone, can make the shot. If you dont know then you'll have to wait for an encounter with this buck. When you're in that moment, no one can take that away from you. No one decides if he is a shooter except you. Unless you are hunting a farm with rules on that thing, in which case the answer would most probably be no. That deer is around 90 ish. Most outfitters ive heard of have around 140 minimums or you pay the penalty.
For me not even close. But your standards and mine may be a lot different. Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions of what's a shooter to them. I try to go by age as much as I can and not horn size. My motto is if you have to ask then let it walk. "Live Life at Full Draw"
