Is your mind set...........

............before you get to your stand? Let me elaborate.

I was just watching a bowhunting video in which a hunter had a doe approaching his stand in early January. The narrator says he's hunting for a big buck but isn't opposed to shooting a doe either. He gets to full draw but the shot never materializes.

Then, about 10 minutes later a big buck passes by the stand and he whacks him.

So, that led me to this thought. Chances are, if that hunter shoots the doe he doesn't get the buck. Yeah, I hear ya.....And yes, you're right. He certainly COULD have......but we can always 'what if' everything to death. So for the purposes of this conversation, we'll assume he wouldn't have.

Ok, so......Hunter shoots doe, does not shoot the buck. Do you have your mind made up when you're on stand as to what you're targeting that particular day, or do you 'wing it?'

I think most of the time I know what I'm after when I'm in stand. I didn't intend to shoot a doe until I had a buck on the ground, last fall. But, one morning in October I decided I wanted to put a doe down. 15 minutes after legal shot time, doe walks up and I shot her. But had I not made that decision earlier, I would have let her walk.

So how about it? Are you an opportunist or do you know what you're after each hunt?

 

Sounds like you're winging it most of the time, depending on what set you're in eh?

 

I really dont have alot of time in the woods, anymore, and Im not complaining about that- just is what it is. Other hobbies take major presidence over hunting, for me. Any more, shooting does is like work, for me.

What little time I do have to hunt, I'm looking for a buck, because I cant "waste" a hunt on a doe considering time in stand is very limited. If I were to head out with a doe in mind, however, and a shooter comes in first- he gets a ride in my truck.

 

Yea, that response confused me a bit, as well.

I thought you articulated yourself rather directly

 

I shoot does early and late. Never ever will I shoot one no matter what stand I am in around the end of Oct to the middle of Nov

 

Yeah, in SOME OF YOUR SPOTS, right? Ah, nevermind.....

 

Yeah,sorry. Don't know what I was thinking.

 

I rarely go out after a doe.

I kind of weigh my options when one presents a shot.
Will it ruin my chance at a buck this hunt?
Is a buck following her?
Do I need some meat in the freezer?
Will she get downwind and blow the whole gig?
Do I need to kill more does this year?

So, yeah I wing it most of the times on does. But sometimes I just need to kill something too!:D

 

I know what I'm after pretty much each hunt. It's not gender specific early on because I've decided I'll take a doe or decent buck. Usually around Halloween I place most of my focus on buck hunting and don't even think about shooting does. When things start slowing down...then I'm more apt to shoot a doe.

 

I wing it a lot.. it depends.

Sometimes I go especially after does... I do hold off on them from about Oct 23rd-ish or so until after the third week of November these days ... but then again, I've been known to be able to see way behind her to ensure nothing's close enough to hear the shot or her make her death run and drill one -- because I just LOVE shooting deer! :D

(That's how you end up shooting seven in one year's time, LOL...)

 

I have to say it all depends on what our goals are in the property management for the year. If our ratio is out of whack for this season and we're heavy on does then we tend to try and space out our "doe harvesting weeks". I personally don't like to take one durring any phase of the rut. However, I try to stock up my freezer before the end of season to have plenty for the year. All that being said, I personally try to be selective on what I'm going to take for that particular hunt.

 

In October, I'll shoot a doe. I don't go to the woods thinking to myself "I think I'll kill a doe today". But, if given a chance, I put meat in the freezer. Come November, does pass safely.

 

I have not shot a doe since the Great Northern Michigan Doe Massacre. Don't know about my new spot yet, we will see!

 

At a certain time I tighten down. Around October 27th or so I clamp down on not shooting does unless it is a slam dunk and I am not going to hunt that area again for awhile.

 

I don't see enough deer to be picky.

 

The only thing on my mind for the hunt is BUCKS!!!

 

If I got a Doe tag and she pops out and shes a shooter then shes down..I go to the stand with a mind set of 1.The shooter buck and 2.Food for the table.

 

I always have the mindset of see what comes in range and see how I am feeling when it gets there - I will hold off on does in Nov - but I shot my best buck last doe bleating to does the day after Thanksgiving - I had every intention of shooting a doe had they come into range -

My mind alters with the situation I am cold, tired, hungry, do I feel like dragging, I always from Sept till close give the deer time to show up and hopefully have a few minutes to make a decision - I guess my mindset is that I will know when they show up

 

From October 3rd to October 17th this year, any doe (that I have a tag for) that finds herself in the danger zone, is getting a Victory V1 shoved through her lungs, regardless of what's going on. From October 17th to October 24th, I still may kill doe, it will just be at last light or another non buck killing night scenerio. October 24th to November 14th, I would be hard pressed to shoot a doe as I will be wanting to know if she is dragging a big boy behind her.

Late Season, December 26th-January 9th, If I have tags, I will be slinging at does as soon as they are broadside and in range.

 

In my zone we have 2 weeks of antlerless only season before and after the regular season. I try to focus my nanny whacking during those weeks and leave the others for buck hunting.