It all boils down to what YOU want.... If he'd be your biggest then I say kill him dead! Unless you have a wall of P&Y deer that's a very respectable buck. I really don't want to shoot anything under high 30's/Low 40's bc I would mount it since I have a basement full of them. BUT.... If the right deer in that range comes strolling along and gets me excited I'll whack him, especially out of state! Its a shame the hunting industry and media have killed what used to be a pastime and made it into a sport of who can do better. I quit filming for shows for this specific reason. Lost some good friends along the way... just wanted to get back to basics and have fun with it. So what if you kill him this year.... there will be another right back in there next year!
I wouldn't say wall full but I won't be doing any more shoulder mounts of bucks this size unless it has crazy character. I have 3 target bucks and history with 2 or the 3, this buck I have the complete sheds from last year. I'm not set on letting him walk and it will all boil down to that moment in the stand when he approaches shooting range. Saturday when I had eyes on him bow was in hand and I was ready to let one fly if he came in.
I have 70" deer mounted. Yup 70 not 170. I've mounted every buck I've shot. To me everyone has a story of its own. And I love to tell them. My trophy room has animals from over seas, USA hunts, and all my local bucks. Smallest being 70" and largest being a 131". Again everyone has its story so I mount it. I don't let the size determine my story. And I agree Rutin I hate the machoness and competition. I truly think trail cameras although are a great tool, I think they ruined hunting. Now guys are so caught up on a buck they have a few pics of and won't shoot anything else. My favorite part about hunting is sitting there thinking the entire sit that at every noise I hear a giant can walk out. And ultimately not knowing what's out there makes even a smaller buck exciting. I hunt cause I love it. Not for inches on trophies or my man hood.
Well said Chago! Everyone has their own goals. I do however have to say that my favorite deer that I have shot was last year's 7 pointer that my boys helped me track. It was the first time that I was able to have them participate in such an event and I will never forget it.
I agree trail cams have ruined hunting to a point. It's great knowing what's out there but then comes the analyzing of each buck. Do I shoot him or do I let him walk just like the question I asked. A buddy and I were just having this conversation the other night as we hunt some public ground as well and have no cameras out. It's always a mystery what we may or may not see and it's back to the old days of just pure hunting and hoping your scouting has paid off. I don't want you all to think I am only out for the inches because I am not even though my goal is to harvest a mature buck.
Sconley of course not. Make whatever decision makes you happy. I was just saying for me their all awesome stories. 400 see that's exactly what I'm talking about. That story would be just as special if it was a doe or a 150" deer. And the camera debate. Here's a perfect example. My property I haven't even sat yet cause my cameras haven't showed me anything yet. But my permission property I have no cameras on it and I'm hunting it. For all I know there's more deer at my house. But that mystery sucks me in and I keep wanting to hunt there.
Went out last night, had plenty of activity but no shooters. The bucks are starting to get a little frisky, had two young bucks fight for a good 30 minutes just over a 100 yards from my stand around 6pm then as I was getting down they started to go at it again. All in all another great evening in the woods, wont be hunting for a few days as i am heading to Bama tonight to see my brother.
Personally I am a big fan of trail cams mainly for the reason that seeing a big buck on camera gets me pumped up to be out there. I don't try to kid myself and wait around for that huge buck that I have pics of at 2am. I know that chances are slim that he will ever show up in my range during shooting hours. I guess what I am trying to say is that personally trail cams don't change what I will or wont shoot. About 15 years ago we were scouting the front of my brother's property where we had never hunted before on the day before gun season. We were standing there talking (4 of us) and and 2 does come out of the woods and run right by us followed by a fork buck. A few moments later a huge 10 pointer runs out behind them. Right then I decided that I wasn't shooting anything besides a big buck on opening morning. That next morning I saw a nice big doe walk around for at least a half hour. I passed on her and that was the only deer I saw that gun season. Any other year I would have shot her and been happy. I guess even without trail cams you can change your standards on what deer will make you happy.
Heading out for a morning hunt tomorrow, going to sit in 1 of my rut stands and test the water. Don't know what's in there but I hope to find out. Don't have any camera's in there, so I hoping for a good surprise.
Good luck holt. I've been on good husband duty this weekend lol. I went away for 5 days for moose hunting so I need to make up for it lol This whole week though I have off. Then second week November I'm totally off. Those two weeks are my favorite. I normally punch both my buck and doe tags those two weeks. Ill be hunting daily on those two weeks.
I know what you mean Chago, Sunday's are always my wife and kid day. Since I am not aloud to hunt Sundays in Maryland, it works out pretty good.
No hunting on Sundays???? Is Maryland encouraging sick days from work? Lol. Here in ontario Canada we have no gun hunting on Sundays only in the southern portion. Bow hunting is all good. And up here in central and northern. You can bang away all Sunday lol.
I hate to be the guy to start this, but my god some of those deer in the score sheet are laughable. Unless they are 300lb deer making the antlers look small, but some of those numbers do not add up. Oh well.... Some are at least 10-15" inflated. You see a honest 126" then next deer is a inflated 141". The 126 looks bigger LOL like don't these guys realize no one believes them? Oh well, this week is go time for me boys. Hopefully get my doe this week. Then second week November nail that buck.
We are suppose to have a cool front come in this week. It's about time! This 90 degree stuff is killing me. I watched a small 8 point chase a doe for 30 minutes Thursday evening. I was in a spot that holds big bucks so I didn't let one fly. Hopefully this coming weekend I'll get some good action.
Hey boys. Well I finally have my first deer story of the season. Below I have attached the map of that property I picked up. Remember on the right that purple line is my way to stand. Well if you look through the purple line there's a power line cut where I walk. Then I eventually turn off the cut and go left. But the cut continues to that clearing and pond. Well basically where I make my left into the woods is a hill top. Towards the road and back are lower. So today th wind went from south to west this afternoon so I said he'll with it ill run in at 515 for 1.5 hour sit. I was driving like a nut case to get their ASAP. Pulling in I literally just miss a doe lol. So I pull up a little more and I see a monster 12 point on top of the hill. Just a big ole mature monster. Standing there broadside with head turned. Like a king of the hill. I quickly reached for my bow to get out slowly. Of course as soon as I opened door he walked south into that small wood lot by the pond on neighbours. So I cried of course lol. I grabbed rest of gear and figured ok ill go to my normal stand. Now. I started creeping up to the point where I turn left. When I got there a second buck, really wide 10 point is walking away from me toward that clearing. I creep in on him to about 70 yards. I then grunt at him before he gets behind the tree line. He stops on a dime and literally stared at me for about 5 minutes totally motionless. I was debating over and over to take the shot. He was perfectly broadside, there would be almost no wind in this power line we were in. Eventually he wondered off to the neighbours. I made my way to my normal stand. Nothing much to report after that. What you guys think? I've sat that stand 4 times, no action as of yet. Seems though all the food I laid is gone. Looks like raccoons but there was one pile of deer crap. So something came. My impression is they bed on my side and go off to feed on the other. Maybe I should check it out in the morning. I haven't been there in morning yet. I would imagine they don't normally walk that road. I have never seem deer sign in there. But man o man both these bucks were P&Y easy. The 12 B&C for sure. Ahhhhhhh this is the part of deer season that kills me. The dreaded seen buck that you couldn't shoot lol But see this is what I loved about the no camera rant I had. I had no cameras on this property so being so surprised in person and even getting a chance to stalk was incredible.
That sounds like a great hunt Chago. It might be worth a morning hunt to see what the movement is like or maybe keep the pressure low and wait for the rut to kick in full swing. Are you able to hunt in the area that you saw both these bucks? Maybe get in early and try a all day sit and try to catch them passing thru during the middle of the day.
See my wife is sick so I need to take my daughter to school at 830. I can be in tree by 845. First light tomorrow is 750. You think I'm going in too late?
That deer broadside at 70 yards is haunting me. It was like 5 minutes of the two of us staring at each other. I hope I see him again.
What I have been seeing they are moving late morning. But that may not be the same for you. Going in after sun up take your time and go slow, still hunt as your walking in.
