alright you got a 5 1/2 yr old out there about 20 yards and you are after a mature buck but he has a busted up rack. Are you still going to shoot him?
If I could fix it yes. If one half was missing or it was beyound repair NO,Well maybe,OK I would LOL!!! We dont get to many bucks that live that long around here. So just getting a mature buck is a Trophy.
My oldest buck shot is a 4.5 year old whose rack was messed up from a skull injury. I think he scored 11", so yes I would shoot the busted up 5.5.
A 5 1/2 year old buck walks in front of me at 20 yards and he's dead. Personally, I hate seeing programs where people talk about their deer management and how they let the little bucks go and only shoot the "mature" deer and then when a "mature" buck walks by with a rack that isn't big enough or is busted up they let him walk. "Man, he had a busted up left side so I just couldn't shoot him. He's a mature deer for sure, just not what I'm looking for." Give me a break already.
I let a half rack go one time, big mature buck, ended up finding the good side shed and then my neighbor boy found the busted off rack side.. never would have imagined that happening but it made for some interesting history on the buck and the neighbor kid and I had some great times visiting about it. That kid is a grown man now and still comes to visit about whitetails with me once a year. Busted up rack? like a few tines broke or something, I've killed them before; wouldn't stop now.
A broken Brow or a few inches off a Tine yes, But if were talking half a beam of or something like that No. Passed one up in kansas I called back to me after running into each other on a path going to my stand, his left side would have went around 80" and his right side MB was slick as a opossum ass during mulberry season. Pass up another good mature one in Michigan that was broken on his right side just above the brow, they just dont interest me, Does not matter how old they are.
Ferg just wanted to see what the hunting community thoughts were on this. He did nail it on the head, I just hear so much talk about mature bucks then like he said nope not the right rack.
I'm not shooting, but then again I'm not the type that Justin was describing... I could care less if he's mature or not, as long as he's got a rack that would look good on my wall! :d I guess I've let a lot of 2 1/2-year olds in the 110-125" range walk to let them grow... but after that, it's all about the rack, baby!
