Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting I just don't care how old a buck is

I finally got pix to where I can post them.

This is the Freak Buck I killed last year. There was no indication of injury anywhere on the deer and the L antler didn't look broken or altered.



This photo is of damage from Another buck GORING him.




SINCE 2102 THIS is the ONLY buck that I have seen TWICE.

Jerry

Another dandy. That’s what I say needs killing.

Dave, I saw that buck in Oct. and named him Freak. Didn't see him again till Dec. 26 OR 27. He was on my hit list.

I can't control all the land OR deer but I can have INPUT. I have another WORSE freak than that one. Have only seen him 1 time in Oct. 2017.

He NEEDS killin too.

Thank You

Jerry

I damn sure don't when I'm filling tags for three old dudes that can't see, shoot or hear for chit anymore, two VN Vets and one Korean Vet.

You guys are absolutely correct, and I stand corrected.

But my meow is the opposite in fact.

In Montana you are not allowed to shoot a spike elk.

In Idaho...they have open OTC spike hunts! But Idaho is always meowing about bull to cow ratio, so my preposition is a spike can become a bull. A cow never will. ....... so why the OTC spike hunts?

I took it just as you said. But leave it to the google gurus to prove someone wrong.
Pretty slim for doe to have horns. Very slim. But they are *right* it happens.

Mr Angus - here’s to busting Does 🍺

Concur, but "tag soup" is not a good excuse to shoot a young buck, except for those at subsistence level. For them, whole different standard is in play and I have no qualms whatsoever.



Obviously the old saying is too subtle and whistled past the point. Restated - quit shooting young bucks. They cannot grow up to be a big deer, whether body or rack size, if they are killed when they are young.

Yes, totally understand about limiting the population to the carrying capacity. In most scenarios, but not all, the most effective way to reduce the population is to reduce does. I've been asked to help cull does on a large property, over 10,000 acres, a few times when they were having a hard time hitting the required numbers to meet the management goals. We'd shoot and fill the back of a pickup bed with does, take them in to be cleaned, go out do it again, and again. Sounds like fun, but it turns into challenging work in a hurry. None of the meat went to waste. It was given directly to families in the area who were quite happy to have it. Same goes for pigs most of the time.

Without question, management criteria need to fit the specific locale, but rarely does that warrant shooting young bucks by which I mean fawns, one and two year olds.

As for kids having fun, the ones that hunt with me follow the same criteria as the adults on the property. They have plenty of opportunity shooting does and every pig we see. If they shoot a buck, they know they met the same standards as the grownups.

Never heard any of them complain and they seem to have lots of fun being treated like a grownup. Have heard a few grown men whining, and I'd prefer that my nephews not grow up to be those men.

My then 11 year old nephew shot his first buck, which was a mature 10 that went 148" and 220 pounds. Right place at the right time for sure, but the foundation for success was the property owner not letting people shoot the young bucks. It was a relatively small property too, just a few hundred acres of mesquite in the middle of a some big ag fields. The deer had lots to munch on at night, and spent the days in this wooded property. So even on smaller properties, letting them grow up can pay dividends.

Spikes are worthy of a thread unto themselves, but the spikes I see all are yearlings and I give them a pass.

If I need to put meat in the freezer, it is whatever fits the management goals for the property with few exceptions, such as shooting a buck with a broken leg this year.

I have hunted on two properties where they wanted any deer seen shot to bring the numbers down, but those were very unusual circumstances.

One of the better criteria put in place on one NWR where I used to hunt was the "earn a buck" rule. Hunters had to bring in a doe before they were given a buck tag. Worked pretty well at cutting numbers.

Mr Bird, thanks for your input and reasoning.

I have had a ‘little’ support here on the ‘fire’ per shooting FAWNS, to be pointed —DINKS.
Whether fawns or young ( small ) bucks they CAN’T grow UP after being kilt ‘.

It makes NO sense to me to kill fawns OR small bucks. You or someone else stated the obvious earlier. Older deer yield MORE meat.

I don’t want to be misinterpreted, I’m NOT a trophy hunter !!!!!! I’m a miserable failure - 45 years of deer hunting and 0 book trophies.
Wherever I hunt I want bucks to be bigger and more of them. Killing nubbins REDUCES the number of antlered bucks where you hunt.

I don’t think that should be hard to comprehend.

Thnx Again

Jerry

Mr jerry, we are on the same line of thinking. Could share a camp.

I’ve only had mounted 1 deer. A heavy horn oddball 7 pt. Scored 126”.

In Colonial times there were hunters. Folks that were good at it,and provided for the encampment or settlement. Woodsmen. Now everyone with the means to participate in "hunting" wants his or her bit of control over the outcome. When I was young it was all about success. If you weren't successful every year,you weren't a good hunter. News flash. Not everyone is. Just like Colonial times. So,through time we have groomed things to make it easier for everyone to be successful. Like it or not,it was monetarily driven.

The video industry was the best thing ever to help drive the new age of hunting. Everyone wanted to be like Wilbur,or have their "Monster buck moment". Cameras,tree stands,video equipment,calls. All being dragged into the brush. Deer have been groomed for size,shape,age base. All to satisfy our burgeoning egos. Millions of dollars a year dumped into the "sport" of hunting.

Now anyone can do it. So all we have left is judging each other. The age of the deer isn't the real question here. It's the approval of our peers. Again,thanks to the hunting video industry.

Being on the back side of it all now,"old". I hunt to be a hunter. Never used an elevated stand or camera. Not going to start now. It's not about deer age or size. It's not about filling the freezer. It's about squeezing some enjoyment and quiet time out of life. Rest assured,if my loved ones were hungry,deer would die,regardless of their size or shape. I know how to do it. Hey,I use to watch hunting videos you know. Deer weren't put here for me to "manage",but somehow I manage to get my share.

Get up. Get out and hunt! Concern yourself with your own ethics and peace of mind. The rest is bull chit.

If you shoot all the Does , you will end up without any deer! our DNR not so much in bow season , but after rifle season folks are finding alot of dead fork horns that guys shot , and walked up to them to find the 3 third point wasnt there! and I guess they just walk away! I talked to one DNR officer she had been called to 11 bucks that were found dead that didnt make the 3 point rule! I had to pass on a large buck 2 seasons ago that I couldnt make out a third point, had him in the scope 3 times, better safe than sorry. Most of the hunting land in my area is Nat. Forest with private land 5 to 100 acres! Also know 2 old Vets that havent shot a buck in the last few years, ones 80 and wishs to shoot one more buck before he cant hunt anymore! just my thoughts.

This "book" that you speak of should never be a measure of success.
In many instances, it's a measure of whether lady luck has sided with someone or not.

That's been going on in PA for years because of the 3 point rule.

Thanks Scott

My point is in this thread - I'm NOT a trophy hunter. Yes, I want & look for the biggest buck I can find/shoot.
I'm not driven to achieve B & C status. No one can kill what ISN'T there.

You know there are "Ranches" that are NO MORE than deer farms. I'm NOT referring to where You, Paul & Bob have hunted. I appreciate that the owner there does NOT ALLOW, feeders, cameras, etc.

In another "big" State the fee for a "management" or "cull" buck is astronomical let alone the fee for a record SIZE buck. I'm very GLAD that B & C doesn't recognize high fenced bucks.


I'm only trying to reinforce the philosophy - DON'T SHOOT small deer. That does NOT mean only shoot the 'biggest'.

Thanks Again

Jerry

Follow Up



Here are my 2 largest bucks.

A. This is the 140 'class' killed in 2007. We had a LOCAL gun/hunting shop and they were familiar with scoring size. NO ONE officially scored this buck. I know these guys personally and I trust them.
This pic was taken with an OLD phone I no longer have.



IIRC he weighed 182 # (?). I had FUN finding/shooting him. Deer were not moving on our lease. We had a very large REgrowth cut over. Everything was about waist high so I was STALKING into the wind. AKA "rabbit jumping" deer that were bedded down. This guy was bedded WITH a Doe. I got w/in 30 or so yds and they both jumped up. I 'missed' the first shot--DRT him w/the second.


B. This is my Heaviest Bodied Buck, 10 pt. Nov. 2008. I shot him from a stand at a known crossing - 180 yds. *** My FIRST day hunting my Black Shadow 300 WM*** Wonder why I like my 300 ? lol





He weighed 194 # at least, I was reading the scale from below looking up. He probably was a little heavier - NO MATTER.
I have a few racks that are 'close' to these two but NONE were better--SO FAR, I ain't thru!

Jerry

Some big, old deer there Jwall. Very nice.

Personally, If I can't shoot old, very mature bucks, I'd just as soon shoot a doe rather than an immature buck. That goes for whitetails only, as mule deer does are off limits entirely.

Great Bucks Jerry....

The area I hunt is private land bordered by national forest I target specific bucks I get pics of off my trail cams and I dont shoot does if I see a gigantic spike Ill shoot it other than that Its ear width or better unless Im desperate for meat

Thnx J G & battue. Sometimes I get lucky.

I found the ONLY 2 pix I have of another buck I'm particularly FOND of. 11- 2010
First - look over the deer's head. This was another part of that same lease and what we call a Pine Plantation. I happen to catch him crossing and he did NOT expect me to be there. Neither did a friend and pard who was hunting THIS buck.



This is the only other pic. It was between 4:30-5:00 pm, by the time I got back to camp it was dark so no more pix.
He had good length & width but not so heavy. Another Black Shadow kill ! An appropriate name.




Jerry

Some very nice bucks!