Last year I was legally entitled to five deer, and three turkeys. I took one of each. I certainly could have taken more, but didn't.
On my current lease I took the #2 deer, an 8 point with 16" spread. The largest was a 10 point with 18" spread. Supposedly deer as large as 22" wide have been killed on the lease, according to the landowner. In hindsight I wish I'd let him go another couple years, but he was a sneaky devil, and I didn't get him until the next to last day of the season. I have no doubt he was breeding a lot of does, and passed on his genes. This year I think I'll take a doe early, then hold out for one bigger than him.
It's nice to have meat in the freezer but I am definitely more selective as I get older. There's a couple of young bucks I passed on last year, and I am real curious to see how they've grown, this year.
I also remember one lease years ago, where the "rule" was, don't shoot a deer under 15" spread. I saw one opening weekend, that I judged a hair too small. Two weeks later the lease manager shot it. It was 14"
You have to let deer get big, to have big deer.
