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What is your minimum size of deer you will shoot

For me it really depends on the day...sometimes I feel like shooting something, other times I don't. I don't think I have ever let a buck over say 150" walk away if I had a good, close shot. But saying that, I had a 180"+ at 51 yards in the wide open a few years ago and I didn't feel confident in the shot, so I let him be.

But I have passed up several 140" class bucks over the years and then every now and then will shoot one in the mid 130's. If they come in to a calling sequence all jacked up and ready to fight, they are far more likely to get it from me than if they just amble by.
 
Anything that pleases me at the time, whether it be what I think it will score, character, or the story...although I do try for mid 140-150" and mature. Last year I ended up shooting a buck I had on camera and had a couple sightings of before. Thought I would probably pass him, but he ended up coming within 15 yards when I had my wife next to me. It was her 4th time out hunting with me in 3 years, but the first time I had a good shot on a deer, so I took it.
 
I normal only shoot somthing bigger then my last good buck but hunting in mississippi you can kill 3 bucks a year. So lets say you kill a 140 class deer and later on that year a booner walks by you can kill him also. I don't know how you guys handle only being able to shoot one buck a year. I guess it does make you hunt harder for the "one".
 
I try toguage body size and age, never mind horns.If I have been in the stand 80 hrs or more, a 3 yr old looks pretty good. I waited last year at 2 yr olds and yearlings, for 3 wks, finally a 3 yr old, husky type. It was good I shot, because after that thru late Nov-Nothing,,NO Deer. Tends to be the way around my place. I'd rather a 4 or 5 or 6 yr old though.
 
I agree with several of you'll, i hold out for a 4.5 yr old 140+ most the season but when it comes down to last couple weeks of season any mature buck will do. We only get 1 buck here in ky to so kinda have to be picky if you trophy hunt. My area is slammed with hunters during the rifle season and lots of small bucks are killed. I think its the hunters choice what he/she shoots but it'd be nice if everyone followed the same standards, we'd have alot more big mature deer on public lands as well as private but they pay for tags and license what ever deer makes the hunter happy
 
I have never shot anything smaller than my last buck. I will keep holding to that unless I see a mature buck that has some great character or a lot of mass. It's really like a lot of you are saying. If a nice mature buck has that "wow" factor he's most likely getting stuck with an arrow if I get the chance. Season is almost here, good luck to everyone. I look forward to seeing some trophy's on here.
 
blake said:
I have no minimum size in mind when it comes to whitetail hunting anymore.

I just plain like to hunt whitetails! ;)

However, the closer to the truck the deer is the better the chance I will be skinning it out. :way:
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Exactly!!!!!! :way::way:
 
I'd like to think im going to wait for a 150 this year, but I doubt I'll let any 140 walk. With a 2yr old, hunting time is more limited than what I'd like and waterfowl is also a passion of mine. If a buck tickles my fancy, he's getting a rage;)
 
It's tough here in Indiana because we only get one buck unless you have a urban spot. I've killed bully deer the last two years on Dec 10th and Nov 25th. One was urban one was not. I'm set on one buck this year but that's not to say something else I don't know about walks by. 4.5 is my cutoff unless he's my biggest deer at high 150's.
 
Bigger than what I got on my wall (158 is the largest) unless an smaller 4.5+ comes by that will make a unique mount. I won't hesitate to shoot a much smaller deer if he is lame enough and appears to be suffering.
 
150 is the goal. 1st year hunting IA so I am hopeful. Its gonna be hard not pulling the string on the 135-145 deer I have running around, but I'm hoping it will be worth it.
 
It's all about character and how hard the hunting is; I have a couple deer that look very similar to what I already have on the wall so they might get a free pass. Then again I haven't had a deer bigger than 150 on my cams all summer so with all the pressure around my hunting areas a 140" will probably get stuck.
 
Got to be bigger than my last bow kill!

However, considering that I've not yet killed a deer with a bow, could be anybody :way:

This is my first year on our new farm. Lot's of good bucks running around and some nice ones running through the food plot during the evening or morning in the last two weeks.

There is a strange non-typical running around who is still in velvet; he's a possibility.

Heck, just sitting in the stand is a treat.

Brian
 
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