Don't blame ya there. I'd do the same hunting the Dakota's or even Wisconsin knowing I'll only be there that one trip.
I am with Scott on this one. I also would like to add that patients and the mental game I still have to work on.
I also believe this is a great idea. Ive been deer hunting both my exclusive properties for 7 seasons now (3 with bow), and i usually just build off what i saw was present last year. A new approach might help me out with things.
This is a great Thread one of the best I have seen in a long time. I have 7 bucks that make the books does that make me good NO WAY, you can never stop learning from these animals if you think you know all there is to know about big bucks I feel sorry for you because they will humble you more times than not. First you have to try and decide what is big in your area because you can't hunt for 150 4.5 year old if they aren't there, then the next biggest thing to me is practice because I don't care who you are if you can't hit it when it happens it doesn't matter how many you have close and practice will make you go into that robot mode I call it when the big boy gives you that chance. Then pretty much what GMATT said get in the woods learn your deer movement and then kill what makes you happy.. Good luck and remember it is a learning experence every time you enter the woods.. Walt
I'd never shoot a smaller buck that wouldn't make books unless obviously It was for management reasons. I did make a thread a while back asking Is It wrong to manage one area (your main hunting grounds) but not the other (grounds that I never hardly hunt) and In that thread I had said I'd probably shoot a smaller buck not caring at all about the management practices and also being It's the late season In Mn. Otherwise Jeff, never would I shoot a young smaller buck ever on my main hunting land!! That would be going against everything I've ever said and have been doing the last 15 years.
Personally I became more productive a hunter when I learned... -It didn't matter if I saw 100 deer this hunt or 1 deer.. cause it's only 1 deer I am after and I only want to see him. -To stop making excuses on lands that were not as good as I want them to be. -There was a BIG difference between hanging to kill and waiting to kill. -Whitetail behavior and when to capitalize on it. -Timing. When to hunt a piece of ground whether it be 5 acres or 500 and more importantly when not to. -I'll only get a chance or two to take the whitetail buck down that I want.. when it happens I must be calm.. and kill him. No mistakes. -The difference between knowing how to hunt whitetail and understanding how to hunt whitetail. And I can't wait to go out and learn more so that I can get a better understanding of what I need to be doing today. -When scouting hours started outnumbering stand hours like 4 to 1. Sometimes greater. -How to shed hunt and what it means to the whole scheme of it all. -Mobility. -The mental game of deer hunting. Through all of this.. I have personally become more productive.
I can answer this in one word, yes.... But, I will elaborate on my thoughts. At home, my "old stomping grounds" where I live and spend most of my time glassing and scouting I will not drop the string unless it is a 140+ buck. Settling for less would be, well, settling and I don't want to do that... My public land hunts (which I favor) I want something solidly into the 130's. A solid 130's public land buck to me is a much greater accomplishment than a a private land buck into the 140's. Right or wrong that is how I see it. Pa public land hunts I want something solidly into the 120's and 3.5+. To me the buck I shot in PA was a pretty big accomplishment... I shot him on public land in another state that I hadn't even scouted in a couple years. I remembered what I saw there those past years and applied it on my first hunt there. Makes you feel good about yourself.
If I'm hunting In Wisconsin or the Dakota's on just a weekend hunt I'll more then likely take the 1st buck that gives me an oppertunity. If I was hunting there for a week or so I'd hold off on the little guys till the last day or 2 and then shoot whatever. Time Is precious and It's more then likely the only time I'll be there. If I was going to be at these places a few more times that year I'd hold off for a bit on the smaller bucks. If I hunt behind my house on my neighbors little chunk of land and It's late In the season I'll take a small buck If that's the only shot opportunity at a deer. If there would be a doe and that small buck I'd shoot the doe then being there won't be to much difference In meat. In my main woods that I hunt I'd never shoot at anything under 130" unless he's an old buck.
One thing i need to do besides re-scout is continue to scout. On the last day of the year this year (Sunday) i was stalk hunting through one of my pieces of properties and i found where the deer had been hammering some berries. Shortly thereafter, i jumped 4 does. A little late to capitlize on it this year, but i know where ill have a stand set up for late season hunting next year. Edit - And today i went through a peice of my property that i didnt hunt all year (But my brother shot his buck here), and it was hammered with rubs and beds and tracks.
