Just speaking for myself I generally will not shoot 3.5 year old bucks unless they hit that 130"+ mark. I have always set my standards at 130 Inches. I've passed many bucks just under 130 Inches and some 3.5's that were In that 130 Inch range. I've also passed on 4.5's that were under the 130 Inch mark. Not to often In my woods do I see bucks bigger then this. Are they around my woods more then I think? I'm sure they are but It's a tough buck to come by In my area most years. One can never be 100% sure on what they have for bucks roaming around but In time you get to know your area well. I've been thinking allot about this since I started scouting this year, It's kinda hard to kill what may not be there. I've been asking myself this question for a good month now, should I take the next best thing or hold out as I always do till the end of the year? For the life of me I can't come to a conclusion with this. It's not that I need to kill a buck every year. The thing Is I'm stubborn and there's probably also some pride being had being I never back out on what I say when I set a goal. Question for you all. In situations like mine where you don't think the caliber of buck you want Is around, do you take the next best representative? Or do you hold out till the end like I've been doing for years?
Me personally, I would probably still hold out. Because they definitely won't get bigger if you kill them before they have the chance. Unless you have a lot of neighbors that shoot anything and everything, then I might lower my standards a bit
Steve, I hunt for me.. and no one else... when I decide to shoot a buck, that's the buck I decided to shoot... I also know my woods, been hunting them for over 30 years now... I set my goals at 3.5 year old as well... and my 3.5 year olds don't go 130"... at least they haven't... do I have some roaming, some...no... one, definitely... That said, when I pull the trigger, it's on the buck I WANT! And I'm proud as hell and smiling in the pictures afterwards... I know you can do the same and I'll be the first to congratulate you on your success!
My dad and brother and are currently in the same situation. I would be too had I not shot my buck last year in IL. But it's been several, several years since they've shot a good buck. We manage pretty hard and hold out for 3 year olds or 120 inch bucks, and they always see them, but just haven't connected in recent years. I give them a hard time telling them they need to shoot the first good buck that gets them excited this year. Yes, we do our best to hold out for bigger and older deer, but at what cost? Not shooting a younger deer because, "we're working really hard to get trophy deer!" That's laughable. It's just plain fun to shoot a good buck, walk up and put your hands around antlers. Will the world come to an end if you shoot a 2 year old 8 instead of a 3 year old 10. Of course not. If it takes shooting a younger or smaller class deer than what you're "holding out for" to give you that spark again, so be it. At the end of the day you need to enjoy your time in the woods and have fun hunting. Don't take this game too seriously.
This is something only you can answer. Ask yourself this. If you take a buck that scores 120, would you be happy with that? Would it be as satisfying to you knowing it wasn't at that 130" mark you set for yourself? Only you can answer that. I know for me, going a long time between bucks wears on my confidence more than anything. I couldn't care less what others think, or that my buddies tag one and I don't. Its about my personal quest to harvest a good buck each year. I still however, pass a lot of decent bucks and go home with a tag in my pocket at the end of the season as well. I think one also has to look at the amount of time you get to spend in the woods each year. If you're anything like me, you have a full time job, kids, house, etc., that eats into the time I get to spend in the woods. For me, my expectations are realistic based on the time I have available to hunt and the bucks in my area. My goal each year is to take an 8pt or better with at least a 15" spread. I don't care so much about score. Sure, I'll hunt one of our resident big boys and set my goals to do so each year. But once the rut hits in our area, all bets are off. Also, when looking at scores. What does it really mean? Honestly, is there that much difference between a 125" buck and one that goes 130"? IMO, you're splitting hairs there. Do what makes you happy. If you're perfectly content passing on 125" deer and don't beat yourself up over it or lose confidence in yourself by the end of the season, then by all means, keep your goals and keep at it. There is absolutely no shame in what you're doing and is commendable in my opinion.
Good post Muzzy, lots of great points! Just so everyone knows, I made this post to see what YOU all do In situations like mine on your hunting land. I'll figure It out and I'm perfectly happy with my style of hunting but like I said I very well could be holding out for what may not be there.
I like killing animals with my bow too much to not fudge on my standards every now and then. I just want a representative buck for whatever area I am hunting. Not a dink, but doesn't have to be a monster either. That said, sometimes as you point out it just doesn't feel right. There is a 2.5 yo 8 pointer I said all summer I'd shoot given the chance, well 2 weeks ago he presented himself 5 times in one morning and I just couldn't do it. I knew it would be a feeling of regret after the high of the moment wore off rather than a feeling of continued elation. Do a trial run this year Steve, kill the first deer that you think grosses mid 120s or better as that seems to be the threshold these mature animals you are seeing are at. If you can't slap the grin off your face afterwards you know that caliber buck is just fine by you...if you feel guilty or ashamed or anything short of happy, you know to continue holding out for the higher mark you set originally. I want my mark set just high enough to challenge me, but still low enough that I don't go long periods without success.
My answer may not count as I am not really a "mature" or "inch" buck hunter but, believe it or not I do pass on quite a few bucks during the season. As others have already stated, and as you well know, you can only shoot what you have a chance to shoot and it should be something you want to shoot. When I see a buck that gets me excited then it is one I will shoot, age and inches don't matter. Having goals is great but, sometimes we need to reassess the conditions that dictate our goals because, at least in my life, nothing is static or stays the same over the years. To much is out of our control. I am pretty stubborn myself but I have learned that stubborn is only a good trait when you are striving for the possible.
Yeah I'm in a similar situation. I set my goal at around 120" or so. First and foremost you have to know what your lands potential is and what is actually out there. You can't hold out for a ghost. I could say I'm holding out for a 160" buck because I've shot a lot of 120's already. But really that's not going to get me very far. Does one exist somewhere on or around my land? Will one make its way by my stand during the rut? Maybe. If I held out for that possibility I'd go a long time eating tag soup. It's a percentage game really. And the percentages vary on each and every parcel of land. For me a 120-130 is still in a very low percentage of bucks in my area. That caliber bucks gives me the greatest challenge to kill for my area. So that's what I hunt. Also as someone mentioned it's how much time you have to hunt those bucks. I'm fortunate to be in a stand every single day of the season based on my work. I manage to do pretty good at killing such bucks. More because of the time I'm allowed than being a good hunter lol. Best of luck to you on whatever you choose to do. Shoot what makes you happy but above anything else have fun.
As soon as this stops being fun, I am out.... great post, Bro ... if fun is ONLY.shooting a bigger buck than your biggest, have at it ... if it is shooting spikers, enjoy .... whatever males you happy ... these sites can warp our minds about wjlhat makes us happy as subconsciously we try and keep up with.the Jones' ... let the.Jones' hunt the way they want and I will hunt the way I want ... you will be judged either way, so enjoy
Sorry NY, I would put you up against ANY guy on this forum ... you are one of my hunting heroes ... you consistently kill great NY deer ... you are a great hunter ... period.
MM88 stated my thoughts very well. I got a couple real big bucks for my areas 2 years in a row a few years back and suddenly thought I could do that on a regular basis. Then I realized I only got those bucks because they happened to walk by first. I wasn't passing up 100-110" bucks on a regular basis "waiting" on big ones. So I re-evaluated and I will shoot any "nice" buck that gives me a chance, even if I know there could be a few bigger ones around.
I would take whatever makes me happy. Thats what I did last year. I said I was going to shoot the first buck by one morning and it was a 3 point. Never was ashamed or upset with my choice. It sure did taste good! My goal going into every season is always to shoot a nice one. Good luck with your decision and have fun out there.
I can't put a score or minimum width up for a goal. Every buck is cool in it's own way. If he walks out and my heart skips a beat and I loose my breath a bit then he is the one I want. I also realize that there is a good possibility as my standards raise I will be eating tag soup more often and I am fine with that. There are still does out there that need whacking ! Last year I hunted 1 specific buck and was fortunate enough to tag him. It was one of the toughest thing I have tried to do.
I shoot whatever makes me happy sometimes it is a Doe or a smaller buck, sometimes I will let smaller bucks walk and hold out on a bigger one. The only limit I place on myself is to stop when I stop getting exctied bout being in the woods.
Ive been through phases. When i first started in 06', brown its down. Mission accomplished, first deer i ever killed was a 1.5 year old six point from the ground, no blind. Between 07'-10', i had this 3.5 year old 130" standard. I wanted to be cool and shoot big bucks like everyone else. Yea...didnt happen. For 2011', any buck that makes me feel movement is getting an arrow. This whole, i only shoot mature bucks and 130" or bust and "do you think this deer is a 3.5" crap is now rather comical to me. Why i followed along with it for so long just shows me how immature i was....IMO.
I do agree with clichés like "shoot what makes you happy", but I also understand that a lot of hunters have "standards" these days. If you are going to have standards, it is a good idea to make them realistic for your area, and that may have to be adjusted from time to time. They may even change based on the property/area you are hunting. I have killed 1 buck in the last 14 years. In that same time frame, I have elected not to shoot an estimated 100+ bucks that were within my effective range. I get more enjoyment out of killing does than I do 1.5 year old bucks. I just do. That doesn't mean I will never kill a yearling buck again. It hasn't even been a thought in a long time, but this year, I've considered it. Why? Who knows, just seems like a good idea some days. It could be that a 2.5 yo buck is unrealistic for my area. It could also be that muskies have me by the balls this year. The faster I put venison in the freezer, the more I can fish. So, sometimes my "standards" need to be adjusted accordingly.
"It's a personal thing" has been stated and, is true. For me, it gets down to the particular incident. I get just as much, if not more, of a thrill out of putting a good stalk on a skittish old doe as I do shooting a nice buck from a stand or blind. I know that when I fill my tag, the hunt is over, till next year. That might be why I'm out on the last day of the season, a lot of years, just to put some meat in the freezer
