I thought it, you SAID it! LOL If anyone has a few minutes, go back to the 2010 bowhunting contest entries, and count the percentage of bucks entered that scored sub-120". I'll bet it's half or more than half. Here in Pennsylvania, where the hunter density is higher than most of you midwest guys are accustomed to, the overwhelming majority of hunters would take the first legal buck that crosses their path. Now, if you narrowed the field to PA bowhunters only, they tend to give themselves more chances to tag out, thus, they can be a little more selective - but I'd still lay a good bet that if I could march a 95" buck past each of their stands, he's get shot at least 50% of the time.
Just for perspective...all great bucks. Lady Forge's 120 Oneshot7's 121 Finch's 107--still a great buck!
100" is my number. I passed on a lot of young bucks last year and this year I hope to reap the rewards.
Since I have yet to kill a deer, then any deer thats legal is getting an arrow. Plus on Florida public land you can't be too picky.
I picked 120-130 I've shot enough bucks smaller than that where it just doesn't do much for me anymore. If a buck doesn't make me feel excited why kill it? Sure I don't get a buck every year now but I can live with that. I only get one buck tag in MN and I enjoy spending the entire fall in the woods even if I end up striking out and eating tag soup.
Q, Spot on with the PA analysis. After you get done marching that 95 by me and I give him a Slick Trick, I'd like to lay him down in front of all the knuckleheads at the butcher shops and watch how many of them call him 120.
125 if he's in velvet, otherwise 135. They need to be a mature deer even though sometimes 2 1/2 and younger bucks with great potential wind up being harvested by neighboring property owners. Been fortunate the two last two seasons with a 155 (bow) and 138 (gun) and 162 (gun).
I'd shoot a unicorn buck with a 2 inch spike if I felt like it that day. I see and hunt some bigger deer but I just can't make myself care about the rack or "maturity" level of a deer very much.
I screwed up last year,,,I WILL NOt shoot anything less that 125" this season,,tagless or not. unless its very unique
With my only buck being the Fergie Clause buck I am hoping that this will be the season that I get to put something on my wall that I am truely proud of. Because I don't have one yet I will take anything over 120! Nothing smaller then that for me though!
