Shoot the 4, field dress him and take a big bite out of his heart and send us all a picture! Then get your second tag and hunt the 6 and 8.
I said that when I was first looking to shoot my buck that anything with antlers was going to die. I shot and missed a 4 point buck. Not even 30 minutes later this little fella came by and I dropped him. I mounted him and boy am I happy for doing so. I am very proud of that deer and will never forget the way that it happened. I remember where he came in how the shot went and everything else. I even doubled that day with a doe. Can not ask for anything better than that. I say mount your first too no matter how big it is! I am very glad I did. Here he is with my two other mounts!
Boy that is a tough one. For me I would pass, here is my story. I started bow hunting while in high school. Never even shot a deer with my until my 20's. Then i finally started shooting doe and kept passing small bucks. I finally shot my first bow buck in 2009 and I was 33 years old. I can't believe I was able to hold off that long, but it was worth it. Somehow I had a very strong mind set and was not going to shoot a buck that was 1 1/2 or 2 1/2.
Couldn't agree more. I shot my 1st deer when I was 13 years old. Dad said were mounting It no matter the size. My biggest buck (2007), my 1st buck (1991), my 1st deer (doe fawn, 1987)
great post, awesome replies! This is my first post, I've been reading up for the last year...I love this site. I'm 30 and I started hunting last season, felt great to get in the woods and I was lucky to see plenty of deer. I was not quite ready to kill anything...I had a bow and some equipment but didn't know how to gut a deer. Came to full draw on a nice 6 point but the shooting lane closed before I could talk myself into it. So I'm in the same boat as ohiohunter this year, and I am personally going to wait for a nice 6 or an 8+ for my first deer/buck. Based on the amount of deer in my woods, I will pass on a lot of smaller buck because I want to hunt all of archery season! It's different for everyone, shoot the first one you know you'll be happy with...and thanks everyone for such an encouraging environment! Happy Hunting all!
Let the arrow fly. Get some killing under your belt. You only get a couple of chances. And you cant eat the antlers. I know it sucks that Ohio is a one buck state but you need to get some killing under your belt so when the time comes you have experience and can control buck fever. We all still get it when deer walkin its just being able to control it. Also with Ohio's antlerless tags and depending on what zone you live in you can take some extra does and if not going to use the meat donate to HUSH or local food banks.
Bow Since you said you have never taken a deer with a bow I would break the ice on the first buck by & after that be more selective- just my opinion.
Drop the 4 point in its tracks! I am also fairly new to bow hunting. This season will be my 3rd season with a bow in hand. The first season I didn't get in range of anything. Last year I told myself that it was more important to ME to get that "first bow kill" under my belt. I ended up shooting on a button buck. I know alot of people cringe when I say this, but I had decided that the first thing that gave me the oppertunity would be MY first kill with the bow no one elses. I would not shoot another button buck, but I got that "first bow kill" under my belt. Oh yeah, it tasted really good too!!!!!!!
The first bow kill is very special... like one hunter said your heart will be FLYING. Big deer are the icing on the cake,but if your like me starting off on the bottom just makes it that much sweeter! Remember its' not the harvest that matters...it is the total experience. Good Luck
I'm in a similar situation, except I was lucky enough to take a doe with my bow during my first year(last season). I can't wait to take my first buck, but as Lastoneout says, your heart will be racing no matter what. A good kill is a good kill.
the first deer i killed with a bow was a spike and i knew i had a big 8 piont hangin around but my heart raced anyway get some under ur belt be4 you try to wait on 1 deer who nos u may kill the 4 and the 8 hahaha good luck
personally I'm more concerned with venison burger for the first deer or two after that maybe I'll be more picky.
This will be my first bow deer season and I can not wait to get up in a stand. The first one to walk under or in front of me in at a distance I know I am comfortable with is gettin' dropped!! I love the way deer tastes. I regret not taking a shot at the first close turkey this spring and I still kick myself over it. I won't let that happen again.
I've never done anything but bow hunt (my measley 3 yrs hunting), and the first thing that ran in front of me got me so riled up that I just had to shoot it. It turned out to be a button buck yearling that had a deformed hoof, but to me it was the greatest thing I've ever done. You never know what you're going to do until the time happens. SEIZE THE MOMENT, BECAUSE ONLY THE MEMORY WILL LAST FOREVER.
it depends on how much you are able to be in the woods. If you only have a few days you can hunt each month, I'd shoot it, having only killed one doe with a bow, I am pretty much open to any shot I can. If it were rifle, I'd say wait no question, but with a bow, if you don't have a lot of time to hunt, shoot what moves and makes ya proud, if you have a fairly open schedule, trophy hunt. In missouri you get one antlered and one doe with your archery tag, you can take them in any order in a lot of counties, if this were the case, try to bust a doe first for the meat, then antler hunt. That is often my strategy with rifle when I get a bonus tag.
