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How bigs a shooter?

H

horst

Guest
In your area of the state how big does a buck have to be before you or your party will shoot it?I am just curious, i hear a lot about passing up 120 through 140 class deer and we just dont get em that big around here very often.I did miss one this year i believe would have went about 140- 150 and another that was well over 120.But normally during the year we dont get many shots at anything with more than 100 inches of antler.I am glad to say thats starting to change in my neck of the woods and Im seeing more and bigger bucks every year, the last week of muzzleloader i seen a third buck that would easily go 130 or better.I pass on the smaller bucks, dont get me wrong, in fact i havent killed a buck with my bow in 3 years and for 2 of those years i never even drew back on one. Both these bucks missed this year were due to hitting something, first a cornstalk then a limb i didnt see.But on average id say if its got 100 inches or better im gonna shoot it, what about you guys, how do you decide whats a shooter?
 
Hey Horst,I geuss its a work your way up kinda thing.I've shot alotta bucks with bow.3 in the 100 to 125 or so range in the past 6 years with smaller ones in there in late season panic.I ,of coarse would love to get some of that big mass.that seems to be what takes it up to the 135 or better.
My best was one I saw just before holloween and held out for him.Low and behold he comes by 2 days before Thanksgiving.I did'nt hit him good.But I would have to say he'd been a solid 165.Man what a buck.I do like to shoot more than once every other year.
I know a fella that bowhunted for 9 years before he shot.It was a big buck but I always think of a couple nice buck that cuold have been arrowed in the mean time.
 
horst,

Great question and one that I think probably has many good answers.

Here are some of my thoughts. I think the answer depends upon things like, how much time you have to hunt, how many years you have been hunting, how much game you've taken, the age structure of the bucks where you hunt and how you will feel after you have shot the buck.

For me personally, which is how I am interpreting your question, if I don't want to put the buck on the wall I don't shoot it. I try to avoid the mindset that I've got something to prove to somebody else.

At this point in my hunting career I look for a buck that I think is at least 4 1/2 years old and has character. It is more fun if it is a buck with which I have a history. For example one I've previously seen, taped, found the sheds of, etc. The last 4 bucks I've taken I've seen at least twice and two of them I saw at least 6 times. I was able to get tape of all four live, one of them a year before I got him and many times the summer before I got him.

The catch with hunting 4 1/2 year old bucks is that 4 1/2 is also the age where they really start to get hard to harvest or even see sometimes, but, that is what makes it a sport. The bucks that have meant the most to me are the ones I had to work the hardest for. Some of the most memorable were bucks that I hunted for years and never was able to take.

I've also learned a few lessons the hard way. One is if I have to try to talk myself into thinking a buck is big enough to shoot I will most likely be disappointed when I walk up to him. So now, if in doubt, I don't shoot.

I still cringe when I think about a few of the bucks I've shot over the years that had great potential but I took them too early.

I also try to keep my focus not how big a buck I shoot but how much fun I have being out there. I'd much rather spend a season outdoors, see and video tape lots of good bucks and shoot none than to take a high scorer the first time out if I had to be done for the season.

On the other hand, you can only pick from the bucks that are available in your area. During one time span, some time ago, I went 7 years without shooting a buck. Every year I saw and passed lots of bucks including some nice ones. I finally realized I was waiting for something that either wasn't there or was way too smart for me so I lowered my standards a bit.

Great question. Those are some of my thoughts. Ultimately, you have to make up your own mind...every time you see a nice buck walking your way.

Good Hunting,
Old Buck
 
It should be up to each hunter as far as I'm concerned. Only the individual hunter needs to be satisfied with their hunting.

As long as the hunter is abiding by the set laws then that should be good enough. And no one should be ridiculed or made to feel like less of a hunter for legally harvesting any deer. If shooting any deer keeps folks interested in hunting then I say fine.

Hunting should be fun, and not all hunters have a need to put something on the wall to enjoy it. No hunter should owe anyone else a big buck. We can earn them ourselves by letting the deer go by of our choice.

I have lots of time and money to waste in the woods so I can set my personal goals high but that is not true of everyone nor does it need to be so. If deer hunting is just the quest for a big set of antlers then we surely have lost something along the way. There is so much more out there to see.

I have been fortunate to hunt in Iowa for a good number of years, and even when the hunting was not as spoiling as it is now, you could still enjoy a hunt in the woods. There is nothing wrong with a little challenge being left for the hunt.

Iowa currently offers great opportunities to everyone that hunts deer. We are very fortunate to enjoy this.

I think everyone can hunt their own hunt and we all can get by just fine. I just hope there's room in the landfill for my trophys after I'm gone and my Grandchildren can afford to hunt.

Gee, I remember when Dad took me hunting it was so simple and still great fun.
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I think this is also a great question! I for one also try to hold out for at least a 125-130" or better. Due to work and family sometimes time does run a little short. But I remember back about 4 years ago a good friend was back home and we went hunting. I rattled up a 100" class buck and shot him. Due to the fact my good friend was home and I was sharing a great memory with him, that deer is logged in my memory for a lifetime. I believe hunts are based on memories not always the size of the racks.
Pupster
 
The best way to explain it is , who are you shooting the deer for yourself, or to impress the boys. If your shooting it for yourself ( 1 out of a 100 do this) your own standards will be the judge. To impress other people ( 90%) you will shoot anything with horns , so you can say I SHOT A BUCK. Listen to what people say to impress others, late season panic, it was getting dark I thought he was bigger, I hit a big one (who cares) but could not find it, I shot a small buck for the meat, etc. I know several people that have taken 10 to 20 record class deer, you will never see them or their deer, he has the best standard. Please don't get me wrong I love too see the big deer people take , it just hurts that I didn't shoot them. So HOW BIGS A SHOOTER, Its all depends on your own standards, not others.
 
Great Question!

I feel it comes down to one key point. What size of buck or animal makes your personal hunting experience enjoyable. We all go through different stages of hunting maturity,...progression. Your hunting "sites" should be aimed at what makes you happy. If you feel great about passing a 160" buck then great, if feel good about taking a smaller buck or a doe then great. Don't be caught up in what anyone else thinks, hunt for yourself and hunt for fun! I know each time I look at my mounts I can go right back to the hours of enjoyment in the outdoors I had hunting for that animal. Hunting is a personal thing for me.

Ghost Walker
 
This year for the first time, I took my camcorder with me instead of my bow and really got an education on what I would shoot and the bucks I would pass. It's amazing how you start to see the potential in an animal by filming him and then viewing the tape over and over again. You kind of take the "kill" factor out of it. I really enjoyed this year more than ever, and I didn't even carry my bow. Sounds weird I know, but for me it was just what the doctor ordered.
Bruce
 
I try to hold out for 140+, but I have absolutely no problem with bowhunters that take smaller bucks if they are enjoying the experience. I am all for QDM, but I'm not for shoving it down others' throats and trying to make them feel like they are less of a hunter because they took a 100 class buck, which unfortunately I have seen firsthand. To some extent it happens here.

If you walk up to that buck and you are uncontrollably smiling ear to ear, that's when you know you made the right decision.
 
horst,
For me personally I like to take mature deer. I am not very good at guessing the age of a buck ( I am getting better) but if he has a rack with a lot of character I like em. Give me a old knarley rack over a perfect one anytime. It is also the individual hunt. This year for instance, I was in an area that I haven't had a lot of luck. I decided I was going to try to take a good buck there. When I got the opportunity at him even though it was early I took him. It was probably one of my favorite and most rewarding hunts I have been on.

It is easy to say that it is up to the individual but the fact is, it is hard to not feel the pressure to harvest a big buck. It's just the way it is. I for one find it easier to shoot a big buck than certain does. I have been after one doe for about three years now and cant seem to get a shot at her. She is a menace and needs to be put down but she is winning the game (can you tell it is getting personal). Sorry I am getting off topic... I get a little rattled when I start to think of her...

Long story short horst I shoot one for the wall or shoot a doe. By the way if I shoot the "iron maiden" she is going on the wall.
grin.gif
 
Limb,

Sounds like a job for the Doemaster.

Anyway, your post made me laugh and cringe at the same time, I had an epic battle with a granny and I lost, it's still a very hard pill to swallow. The hardest part is, you see 'em more often than a mature buck and they still find a way to one up you, like they are just toying with your mind. Outwitted and outsmarted by a bovine.

I'll stop now, I'm getting a bit emotional.
 
Good replies guys.Im gonna be honest, i didnt realize that there were as many people around who didnt shoot the first buck they seen.Growing up and hunting the shotgun season with buck only tags, any antlered deer you seen was gonna get killed, if not by you someone else in your party.

Then i started bowhunting and the first couple years i was done the first week of season, dont get me wrong, i was happy with those bucks but i couldnt figure out why everyone else was still hunting and i was tagged out and done.It dawned on me everyone else was also shooting bigger bucks than me.About 3 years ago i seen a 12 pointer coming out of my stand one night that was big, not a monster but big enough, 22 inch spread, decent tines but not much mass.I started hunting onlyhim and as the season went by i was letting more and more small bucks pass and having a blast.Finally the night came when he gave me a shot and i killed him, it was during the rut and his rack was pretty busted up from fighting but i was thrilled.I chased him for two months and it was almost personal when i killed him.

I havent been able to pattern and kill one individual buck since but that was pretty well the best season Ive had.The next season I didnt kill a deer.The season after I took a doe when time was running short.I was still seeing bucks but not any i wanted.Then this year my luck changed and I missed 2 P&Y class bucks in a week.Seeing them escpecially that big 150 class deer was worth the 3 year wait.I hunt everyday during the season, spend hundreds of dollars on tags and gear and spend most of the year just watching the show, its great.

So i guesse i just progressively got more picky and after a few seasons figured out the size of deer i wanted to shoot was out there, i just wasnt gonna get one by killing the first set of horns to come past.Id like to say i do it for the well being of the deer or deer herd or whatever but i guesse my reasons are a little more selfish, i like to hunt and being picky extends my season considerably(sometimes for 2 or 3 years LOL)And I just dont get the same feeling i used to get shooting small bucks, its less satisfying.Thank the DNR for them doe tags, at least im able to get some venison in the freezer while im waiting
smile.gif
 
I will tell you Doemaster don't think I haven't thought about putting a bounty on her head. She will go out of her way to find me when I am hunting. It is like she checks everyone of my stands and when she finds me it makes her day when she can stand there and snort her fool head off. I have never seen anything like it. The thing that bothers me is that she is passing that gene pool on every year!

Every shotgun season I rush to see what the group that hunts the ground I bowhunt gets in hope of finding her hanging with the rest of em but I know in the back of my mind she is not going to be there.

Anyway, horst I apologize for getting off topic...
 
I also like to take the mature buck. I helped a couple of friends harvest two pretty good bucks this year. I hunted hard from Oct 1 to Jan 5th but did not harvest a deer during the bow or first season gun. I could have shot at least a couple dozen different bucks. My standards are pretty high due to trying to practice some QDM on my own property. I had never black powder hunted until this year. I bought a new TC Encore and headed to the timber. The last day I knew I would be able to hunt this year fell on my birthday Jan 5th. It was a beutiful day and I had been feeling alittle under the weather all week . My hunting had been alittle challenged this year due to some continueing knee problems I have had since injuring myself two years ago. To put into perspective my gun went bang a 3 p.m. that day and I harvested a typical 8 with spit brow tines. Nothing huge but a nice deer by most standards. Yes, I felt alittle selfish due to the fact that I thought he would have been even nicer if I had a chance at him next year. It just made me feel good that day. When it comes right down to it as others have said I think its how it makes you feel and sharing hunting exsperiences with others. Shoot what makes your heart go thump, thump, thump and don't worry about what other people think. Oh yeah, that TC is awsome!!!! Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.
 
I believe like a lot of the other guys that it is about your own personal goals. For me when I was younger it was about getting a deer and a buck but it has become much more than that now. With my bow it is easier generally to get a good look at the deer and get a good score before you decide if you want to harvest the deer or not. With my bow my goal is to make the book Pope and Young I have now done this 2 in 10 years of hunting and find it very gratifying when I pass up smaller deer especially letting a borderline buck pass such as a 120-130 deer pass because there is always ground shrinkage. With a gun it is always more difficult to judge because where I hunt the deer are usually running by and only have a few seconds to choose. So usually I find myself passing several bucks and second guess myself frequently on if I should have taken a shot. Unfortunatly making Boon and Crocket is very difficult and passing on 140-160 deer is very difficult because even though you know that is where they will end up it is hard to be disapline enough not to shoot. My personal opinion is that I would rather not get a deer than something that I wouldn't feel good putting on the wall and it makes for a lot of frusterating seasons. Good luck on your shooting choices!!
 
For me it's a buck that is 3 year's or older,but here in Iowa a 2 year old could be huge.If guy's would just let them age a little we could have a paradise!I think if your not going to mount the deer then harvest a doe and help the herd balance.Just my thought's.
 
for me it would have to be 140 or better with bow or gun we have great potential on the grounds we hunt, if i need meat i'll take a nice fat doe. Hey Limb I also have a doe like yours been trying 3 years to get her she's smarter than any buck i have chased yet. and yes there is a bounty out on her
 
well,when I get the oppertunity to hunt in Iowa(once so far),I do not want to waste my $160 tag on a basket which I can do in Wis for free.Yes, I'm 13,but for $160 I'm not wasting the tag.I shot a wallhanger this year,and now thats my one to beat. I am only gonna shoot ones about like it,maybe a little smaller,but bigger would be better of course.

slayer
 
I WAS JUST SPEAKING WITH MY HUNTING COMPANIONS ABOUT THIS SAME QUESTION. I PERSONALLY WAS RAISED AND TAUGHT TO BE A " DEER HUNTER " NOT A TROPHY HUNTER AS PERSAY. I PROBABLY KILL MORE " SMALLER BUCKS THAN MY COMRADES BUT I HAVE A GOOD TIME AND THE ADRENILINE RUSH IS THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT SIZE THE HEAD GEAR IS. WHEN I TRAVLE OUT OF STATE, I DO RAISE THE BAR ALITTLE AND I TRY TO HUNT FOR THE OLDER BUCKS IN THE 3 1/2 OR OLDER CATAGORY ( AS LONG AS GROUNG SHRINKAGE DOES NOT COME INTO PLAY ) BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE THERE FOR. HERE IN P.A., IF YOU PASS ON A 100" 8 POINT, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT AS SOON AS IT STEPS ACROSS THE PROPERTY LINE THAT SOMEONE ELSE WON'T SHOOT THAT DEER. Q.D.M. HERE IS VERY DIFFICULT WITH SMALL PARCELS OF PROPERTY. IF I EVER GET TO A POINT WHERE I AM FUSTRATED WITH NOT KILLING A " BIG " BUCK I THINK ITS TIME TO HANG IT UP.
 
A shooter is any deer that you would consider to be good deer for the area or the farm that you are hunting whether it scores 120 or 160. From my experiences I have hunted some areas for a 150 plus deer, but they are just not there! I have had cameras up on our farm for 4 years and have yet to get a deer over the 155 inch mark! The people where I hunt are just meat hunters and/or like to kill bucks regardless of size. The area really used to produce some brutes but there is just too many young bucks and deer being shot now to have that kind of hunting.
 
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