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Joined: Dec 2008
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Do you guys/gals have a minimum size buck you will shoot on your property/lease?
What type of penalty to you enforce if a sub-par buck is shot?
Josh
Life is hard,its even harder when you are stupid.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,475
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I have my own place. For me it's whatever I want to shoot but it's been a while since I shot a buck younger than 3.5
I will let my 8 year old son shoot whatever he wants when he graduates from the 22 to a deer rifle
I let two guys hunt on my land - one of them killed his first deer a few years ago. It was a little 6pt but I couldn't have been happier for him. The other is a big time trophy hunter and pickier than I am. Their kids can shoot what they want
With all that we only kill 1-2 deer per year off my 350 acres. My neighbors 350 acres is the same way so with only 3-4 deer killed on 700 acres I don't sweat it if a new hunter shoots a little deer
The coyotes keep the population down so we don't need to worry about killing does to keep the numbers within the lands carrying capacity
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Having been a member of several clubs I can tell you that rules
and penalties/fines just don't work very well...
What has helped us most is that most members have a video camera and we have almost as much fun looking at the film every day as we do shooting a deer. We identify most of our good bucks and we can decide which ones are on the hit list. We like to shoot bucks above 130 inches, but there aren't that many. We give kids, especially member's kids a by and let them shoot just about anything, especially if it is a first buck.
Sometimes fun and management can collide with bad results. I think we have a good blend of both.
FYI we have about 4000 acres with 15 members. Most members shoot a doe for meat if they want. We let a bunch of 2.5 year olds walk even though they would be shot on most clubs. Gentlemen's agreements between members and common goals work much better than rules and fines.
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Yep we have a low end limit
Must have 4 points on at least one antler.......dictated by Missouri law
Maker of the Frankenstud Sling Keeper
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Joined: Feb 2007
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$50 "fine" for shooting a button buck
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Joined: Feb 2011
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I don't really care what anybody shoots on my land. I want happy hunters, period. As much as we like horns, we like meat more. Deer abound here.
I had a different opinion several years ago. I frowned on little bucks being shot. That all changed....
Dad hunted pretty hard all season, but never saw a decent buck. He'd passed on several smaller deer and the last day of season was upon us. Traditionally, we spend the last day in a really big metal stand on an edge of a field together. Time was running out and it was almost dark. A little buck came out across the field and he decided he wanted to shoot it. After the buck fell, the smile on his face changed my opinion forever.
I realized it's ultimately not the size of the horns that matter...
I enjoy handguns and I really like shotguns,...but I love rifles!
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It's fairly uncommon this far north. If I have a doe tag, I hold out for something that has pretty good mass. If not, it just needs to be legal, which is 3" on one side here.
If you love someone set them free
If they come back no one else liked them
Set them free again
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Joined: Mar 2006
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It used to be that if it was a trophy to me for whatever reason, like a first deer with handgun or traditional archery, then I shot it. Now, even though I am a land owner, the fuggin' elitist antler snobs in my state have gotten the DNR to institute mandatory APR's in my area, even on private land.
If I live to be a hundred I'll never understand why guys see antler size as the only measure of a trophy. Watching too much Michael Waddell, I guess.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan. 
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I've hunted where it was outside spread and where it was points. Neither allowed for the big grey muzzled cow horn spike a friend let walk a couple of times. And neither allowed for the 4X2 170 pounder 4 or 5 year old with the 2 side palmated and stunted that I shot anyway (and didn't get in trouble for). And neither allowed for the 2 to 3 year olds with spindley racks barely making the rules that got shot every year. Rules that rely absolutely on antler config, points, or width will never be perfect or even nearly so. It depends on the deer.
“When Tyranny becomes Law, Rebellion becomes Duty”
Colossians 3:17 (New King James Version)
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
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My preferences will probably change a bit this year. Been seeing more and more young bucks with odd antlers. Maybe 4 points + brow tine on one side with a fork on the other.Others with 3 and 2. Haven't seen a symmetrical 10 pointer in a couple years. I think it's about time to clean the gene pool some. Got a 3.5 - 4.5 year old 9 point and another 8 point that are wide and tall but need a couple years to gain mass. Hope the neighbors don't see them.
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ii hunt clubs that have 16in wide minimums and fines for taking button bucks. i also belong to a club that has no rules on size. i have private land on farms that just want the deer gone so i meat hunt on some and trophy hunt on others.
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Joined: May 2009
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It used to be that if it was a trophy to me for whatever reason, like a first deer with handgun or traditional archery, then I shot it. Now, even though I am a land owner, the fuggin' elitist antler snobs in my state have gotten the DNR to institute mandatory APR's in my area, even on private land.
If I live to be a hundred I'll never understand why guys see antler size as the only measure of a trophy. Watching too much Michael Waddell, I guess. I agree 1000%. We're going through those changes here now in Florida, and I hate them already.
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Joined: Oct 2007
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we let young bucks walk and try to shoot 3.5 year olds and up. no penalties or fines, it is all voluntary and you can shoot whatever deer makes you happy. I shot a buck last year I normally would have let walk, but my 5 year old was with me. I dont understand what is wrong with shooting does. A couple of our guys want nothing to do with shooting does, but could care less about the antlers.
And there is nothing wrong with caring about antlers. Some people really enjoy them and to imply there is something wrong with that mindset borders on an elitist attitude.
Last edited by Berettaman; 08/19/14.
What you do today is important, you are trading a day in the rest of your life for it.
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Texas has a 13" minimum inside spread in some counties.
John
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
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Joined: May 2008
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I hunt public land in Illinois Pike Co. Years past I would not shoot anything less than 8pts and I used to see plenty to choose from. In the past two years, the best I've seen is one 4pt. Disease, drought and hunting pressure have changed the scenery. I may need to reassess my minimums to put some venison on the table.
Dave
Sticks and stones may break my bones ... but hollow-points expand on impact.
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Joined: Jun 2012
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I hunt several places and most all is private land. One place is surrounded by "if is brown it's down" landowners so management is almost impossible there.
Another place I hunt is a farmer buddy and he says all deer is bean eaters so I have to take several to keep him happy, but have tried to not shoot young bucks the last few years. We have several younger bucks on camera that will be nice deer in a year or two. Hopefully they can make it.
I guess in short I can shoot about whatever I want in most places I hunt but choose not to shoot the young bucks. No penalty for shooting the "wrong one"
Last edited by NMSSHOOTER; 08/19/14.
"If you got it, you got it!" In memory of Pops, gone but never forgotten
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I firmly believe that if everyone hunted their own conscience and minded their own business as far as others we would all be alot happier as hunters. It was never meant to be a pizzin' contest. As always...YMMV
We eat organic in our house, we just have to shoot and gut it first.....
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i shoot only 4.5 yr old bucks and older. I havent shot anything under 5.5 in the last 4 years. Just the way I do it. I see a lot of 140" 3.5 yr olds, but they get a pass. Fortunate to hunt where i do in wisconsin
I kill chit. "The Heathens nest"
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
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Having been a member of several clubs I can tell you that rules
and penalties/fines just don't work very well...
What has helped us most is that most members have a video camera and we have almost as much fun looking at the film every day as we do shooting a deer. We identify most of our good bucks and we can decide which ones are on the hit list. We like to shoot bucks above 130 inches, but there aren't that many. We give kids, especially member's kids a by and let them shoot just about anything, especially if it is a first buck.
Sometimes fun and management can collide with bad results. I think we have a good blend of both.
FYI we have about 4000 acres with 15 members. Most members shoot a doe for meat if they want. We let a bunch of 2.5 year olds walk even though they would be shot on most clubs. Gentlemen's agreements between members and common goals work much better than rules and fines. This sounds almost like a carbon copy of our club. Lots of pictures and/or video of our bucks in the field. Personally, I think showing videos of nice bucks that you let walk helps keep everyone's standards pretty high. Most of the guys in our club are a little older and have shot plenty of good bucks so no one has anything to prove.
NRA Life,Endowment,Patron or Benefactor since '72.
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i shoot only 4.5 yr old bucks and older. I havent shot anything under 5.5 in the last 4 years. Just the way I do it. I see a lot of 140" 3.5 yr olds, but they get a pass. Fortunate to hunt where i do in wisconsin Sounds like a sweet spot to hunt. I'd like to see bigger bucks, too. The issue I have that caused my rant on page 1 is the mandating of APR's on private land. SSB hit the nail on the head-hunt your conscience, stay within the laws and enjoy your time afield.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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