Which 9 point would be your pick?

Would like to get some others opinions on these two 9 points.

 

Pic 3 and 4 looks like an older deer than 1/2.

 

Another vote for pics 3 and 4

 

To me they both look young and if so, they both hold some great potential. If you are dead set on shooting one of them, then I would go with the deer in picts 3/4 as he looks a year older. The deer in 1/2 has huge potential

 

If I were going to shoot one, it would be the second one...good luck

 

I concur, the second one! Give the first guy another year or two and he will be a monster...

 

If I had the pick I'd say the 2nd one... but I'd happily shoot either.

 

This ^^^

 

The first one that gave me a good shot.

 

Let me also say, that I think if you let these deer walk and grow up, that you will have something special on your hands. A lot of people have the mentality that "if I don't shoot it someone else will" but think of it this way, if you do shoot it, there is 100% chance that it will not live to next year. I try to promote hunting based on age and not antler size. By harvesting mature animals you promote the health of the herd and will ultimately have better quality animals in your herd.

I hope you're positioned in an area of private land with very little hunting pressure; that way you can make the decision to let them walk and fell confident that they will make it to next season.

 

That's the only way it really works, letting them walk. On the public land I hunt they would never live long enough to get that size.

 

The older buck in pics 3 and 4. Both nice deer

 

They are on 2 separate farms, the buck in picks 3&4 that everyone is picking is on a farm that has quite a bit of hunting pressure around it. The buck in picks 1&2 is on a farm where it has next to no hunting pressure as I am the only one to hunt that farm in a few years.

 

Thank everybody for your input so far. This is one of the reasons I love this forum. Not only can you learn a lot but you get to communicate with other hunters from all over. The first buck from pics 1&2 is from a newly acquired hunting spot that no one has hunted this farm in several years and camera has only been up for a few days and it caught this 9 point and an 8 point on cam. (Pic #1 deer facing away is the 9 point and deer facing the camera is the 8 point.) I have no idea what else could be on this farm yet. There was a deer hit by a truck on the highway right by this spot just a couple weeks ago that was a heart breaker. (See pic #2.)

 

From what you've said, buck 3/4 is probably the one to target since he is both a more mature deer and living in higher pressure. From the sounds of it, the farm where 1/2 is living could really hold some treasures.

What ever you decide, have a great season and hunt safe.