Why do you shoot the buck you do?

[Sligh1]

Starting out hunting, I shot any buck that walked by and those hunts were so amazing, I'll never forget them. As years went on, I wanted to challenge myself to bigger and older deer. Each year was a step up on the ladder. Each step I wanted to challenge myself more with older deer and bigger deer.
Fast-forward to where I am now, I don't care about SCORE, all I care about is trying to get a crack at an OLD buck (I don't care if he's 130" BUT 8 years old) because I feel it's the most challenging animal out there AND carries the most Biological benefit to the herd to target him (and Does if needed). That's my preference though and what really makes my hunt- connecting with the smartest animal in the woods - a MATURE buck. Something I consider to be UNLIKE any other deer out there- a MATURE buck is almost a different animal. Now, that's me BUT I'm sure others vary greatly.
Whatever makes a hunter happy, is legal (and HOPEFULLY makes a biologically sound decision in my OPINION) is great! (ok, I do have a strict set of rules for MY land but it does end at those boundaries).
Kids shooting some of their 1st deer is also awesome and I'm sure they have FAR different criteria and goals than me (which is how I started and is AWESOME!).

Just wondering, how do you set your goals, what are they and what criteria do you use? Like I said, I'm into AGE and NOT score BUT I am guessing the general population (ok, not guys on here) will simply shoot a buck with the most impressive rack. Obviously on my land, I want the 3.5 year old with the 160" rack to live while I shoot the 140" 8 point that is 7.5 years old. Unfortunately, the OPPOSITE occurs in most of IA. BUT, anyways, enough of my rambling.... How's it work for you, do you "target" a class of buck and if so what? I'm sure ALL of us have a different outlook on why we hunt and what we are after. Your turn....

 

[Liv4Rut]

connecting with the smartest animal in the woods - a MATURE buck.

I actually think a mature doe is harder to kill. They don't let their guard down for nothing. There is more mature does than bucks though so your chances would be better.

Me personally, whatever makes me grab for the bow I am shooting. I really don't care about age at all. It is all about rack size for me. Plus all I hunt is public ground. I could have a 130 inch 10 year old and a 160 3 year old standing side by side and I would shoot the 160 every day of the week. Since the 10 year old is so smart, he most likely knows that 95% of hunters are wired this way and led the young 3 year old right to my tree. Hey, more does for him!! :drink2::drink2::drink1:

 

[Cooter]

I shoot the deer that makes the hunt. Why is everyone obsessed with numbers? If we quit keeping score maybe more people would enjoy the hunt.

 

[6x6]

I completely agree with you, protecting the bucks with the best genetics and taking the older average bucks, but on my farm if we let every buck reach at least 5 years old the odds are, alot of the younger better bucks would be pushed out before reaching maturity. We put alot more pressure on the more aggressive average bucks at 3 or 4 while they are still more killable. I dont think you can stockpile many 4+ year old bucks especially in november. Most will come back and tolerate each other in december if they survive, but we try to keep the best bucks here untill they are mature and really target the average bully resident bucks. I get alot of new bucks that show up in december and january that I am not so concerned with. I guess to sum it up, at 3 yrs I decide if a buck is something I want to invest more time in, or if he needs to be taken in the next couple seasons. Granted, alot of the "average" bucks by the time they get 5-8 years old can be pretty impressive, but most seem to top out at 145-165 gross.

 

[Sligh1]

I shoot the deer that makes the hunt. Why is everyone obsessed with numbers? If we quit keeping score maybe more people would enjoy the hunt.

I enjoy the hunt, I LOVE the hunt! Don't you????? Challenge is PART of what makes me love this obsession- it's a big part of why I ENJOY hunting. If folks aren't enjoying hunting, there's far more to it than the perceived pressures from others- guess those folks need to do some reflection and searching on why they are out there. I sure LOVE what happens each magical Autumn!!!

 

[Booner]

I'd love to see a 7.5 year old deer every year but quiet frankly not sure I've ever laid eyes on. I'd have to say most guys on here haven't as well. So your farm sligh must be one of a kind. Personally I shoot a deer that makes me also grab my bow. If that deer is a 150 inch 2yr old and I wanna shoot it that's my choice because unless a guy owns 1000acres its almost impossible to change the genetics. Also I'm not one on trying to play god in the deer woods. 10yrs from now our kids kids won't hunt because deer hunting is slowly turning into a sport of outfitters, leases, high tec everything, and shooting monsters. My point you talk to any old timer and ask hhim what he shot this year he'll give you an old timer answer " I shot a nice 10pt 18inches wide". You ask a guy now who is all about his deer he gives you a score and its all about the score. To me, that's not hunting that competing with the next guy to shoot a big buck to brag about score. Just my opinion though. So my answer to your question is I shoot deer that makes me and me only happy. Maybe try and shoot a deer that would put a smile on my pop's face as well.

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

I miss the days before the outdoor channel and when a 130 inch deer was a big one and nobody gave a crap how old it was or what he would be in a year or two, seemed like more fun back then

 

[Sligh1]

Maybe I should have run a POLL on whether folks ENJOY hunting anymore?!?!? See guys, that was PARTIALLY the point of this.... What makes you happy, what makes YOU enjoy the hunt, what challenges YOU?!?! If the guy 5 miles down the road wants shoot a 180" deer, why do you care OR why does that make hunting any less ENJOYABLE to you? OR, if the guy PASSES a 4.5 year old 170" deer, how does that make hunting any less ENJOYABLE to you???? (should actually create a lot more 130" bucks that a lot of folks want to shoot & are happy with).

If shooting a 120" buck is awesome to you, GREAT!!!... Have at it!!! No one is stopping you, ENJOY! If you can go 5 years without shooting a buck because you just wanna be out there, good for you too! You wanna shoot 25 does for meat, GOOD FOR YOU! Seems like a lot of guys are letting the FUN and enjoyment out of their hunts for no good reason other than their CHOOSING and how they view other hunters. It's still a free country and state. You still have the right to shoot, hunt and make your experience anything you want to- no one is holding you back. I also have the right to hunt, pass and pursue mature bucks too. Can't we both do these things and all ENJOY hunting?

**also, I'll NEVER change the genetic pool on my land. I've killed several 6.5+ year old bullies that didn't score a lot for the ONLY reasons of: killing a MATURE buck and letting some other younger bucks move in to take their place.

 

[6x6]

Well put Sligh,I know I am not doing anything that is going to change the genetics long term, just having fun trying to decide which bucks I would like to see around a few more years.

 

[Cooter]

Ok then why not the option of

The buck that gave me the most memorable hunt.

Instead of the BS last one. The one that picked.

 

[buckaddict]

Its kinda funny for me and i really dont know why i even have criteria but i have always said 4.5 years or 140 inches whichever comes first. Thinkin about it though i guess thats because where i come from there isnt a 140 or bigger deer around every corner. With that said, i voted for the 140 or bigger but the really funny thing is that other than my judgement on size or age in the field i have never scored any of my deer untill years after ive shot them and my curiosity gets the better of me. If i tell someone about a deer ive shot usually their first question is how big was he? That drives me nuts because i too think that any hunter should shoot what they want, not what they think sounds good or looks good to fellow sportsman. At this piont in my life i guess i just strive to shoot bigger deer because of the challenge, but big to me my not be big to others and thats ok. Its kind of like one mans trash is anothers treasure! either way, good luck to all on their hunts and just keep in mind that hunting is about the hunt and not just about the kill.

 

[nannyslayer]

I try and stick with shooting mature bucks (5 year old +), but that doesn't always happen. If a buck walks in, and I have to grab my bow instead of bino's, at that point I really don't care what his age is.

I have been lucky in the last few years and taken some very mature deer. One was a high "scoring" deer, the other isn't much for score, but I couldn't have been happier with a B and C class animal.

Its more of what gets my blood boiling than anything. I run a lot of camera's all summer long, and usually have 1 or 2 bucks on camera that I would love to get a crack at, but there are also other bucks move in during the rut, and every year I look forward to seeing what will wonder onto the farm. Thats the exciting part about the rut, a deer from a few miles away could chase a hot doe right through my shooting lane.

To each their own on what they want to shoot. I will never, ever look down on someone for shooting a buck that makes them happy. Score doesn't matter to me, if the score is what I am looking for, I could have shot a buck this year that would have out scored the buck that I ended up killing, but the one I passed, just didn't have the "boiling point" affect on me, so he got the pass. Heck, some days I just enjoy sitting out and watching the deer move around and how they act around each other.

 

[TheMadCatter]

8 points or more, if they're a good sized 6 I'll go for it. I don't care to much about age or score.

 

[Thinkin Rut]

I adjust the size of the buck I'm willing to put my tag on to the potential of the property. I wouldn't put my tag on a 130 inch deer If I had the chance to kill a buck at Water Works Park but I wouldn't pass a 130 inch deer on public ground that gets piss pounded. You can't kill a 180 inch 6 1/2 year old if it doesn't exist.

 

[LYON]

I try to limit myself to 150 or bigger OR an old mature brute. However, the 150" sometimes doesn't happen due to ground shrinkage. I'm one that does care about score, not because that's ALL that makes me happy, but its a way to measure something against everything else I or others have. I don't care about competing with other for the biggest deer, heck, out of the three people I deer hunt with the most, I have the smallest deer. I don't understand where this misconception has arisen from that if you only go out to shoot a B&C class buck, you are not enjoying yourself or you're not in it for the right reason. There are a lot of days that I see and pass bucks that a lot of people would shoot in a heartbeat, did I enjoy those hunts? You bet I did! I have heard a lot of this through this past season that its getting to be too competitive, why is that a problem? If you don't want to be competitive about it then don't, no one will think less of you (well, some might, but those are the ones that need to be ignored).

This post is not an attack on the author or anyone else in particular, so please don't take it as such. Just my opinion.

 

[loneranger]

When I first moved to Iowa, I thought the deer would be pretty much evenly distributed. Most places you see timber and crops. My place has a good amount of timber and crops nearby. True, I only have a 40 acre travel route between other lands, but I thot I'd see about the same as anyone. Found out my assumptions were wrong! Areas vary widely, dependent on what your neighbors are doing, local poachers, and just the AREA. Amount of land truly is important. How big a safe zone you can keep and how much disturbance the deer encounter, sure effects the quality of hunting. My area is pretty poor by some people's estimates, but it is a big sight better than the state I moved from. I don't see big mature bucks very often, and not a whole lot of deer period, but I enjoy being out there. You never know what might happen one season to the next, and in this mad, noise filled society, just listening to the peace and natural sounds, makes "Hunting", an enjoyment.

 

[hotshott2289]

its all about the challenge.. to those that say they shoot anything thats their deal but i could tag out opening morning on some small six or eight and there would be no challenge to it. i usually go into the season with three or four particular bucks i want to kill and enjoy the challenge that comes with hunting these particular mature bucks. Each to his own but imo killing a 1.5 year old buck isn't very hard unless of course you are just starting out as a hunter in which case anything goes.

 

[Sligh1]

Ok then why not the option of

The buck that gave me the most memorable hunt.

Instead of the BS last one. The one that picked.

Come on now, you gotta have a sense of humor my friend, I was just having a little fun.

I think in a way I am asking you what buck that gives you a memorable hunt. If it's anything with horns, HAVE AT IT, GREAT!!! What buck would you "TARGET" to give you a memorable hunt, say if you had trail cams all over your farm and pretty much knew what was out there.

I don't understand where this misconception has arisen from that if you only go out to shoot a B&C class buck, you are not enjoying yourself or you're not in it for the right reason.

I don't get that either. Because I CHOOSE to target certain deer (however a guy has his criteria) it sure doesn't make me NOT enjoy the hunt!!! I LOVE it!!!! I love passing younger or smaller bucks and letting them walk- it's pure enjoyment!! PERSONALLY, what would make me NOT enjoy the hunt is IF i were hunting a place where there were NO bucks over 1.5 years old (where I grew up in MI that was very COMMON). People shot ANYTHING (which, have at it, whatever floats your boat) BUT I sure did NOT enjoy hunting there for that reason.

I also know my TARGETS would change based on what farms I was hunting. If I were hunting on a 40 acre tract with high pressure OR IA public land, I sure know my target bucks would be different.

I choose to shoot older bucks, THAT'S ME. That's what makes my hunt memorable, CHALLENGING and fulfilling. I ENJOY targeting MATURE bucks, it's INCREDIBLY fun, enjoyable and rewarding. My choice to target a mature buck and how I do it is different that many other folks. Interesting how everyone can have their own personal goals, opinions and ideas of what an enjoyable and challenging hunt is to them.
GREAT POSTS AND FEEDBACK GUYS with the above posts!

I will also say- TARGETING BUCKS has become FAR MORE WIDE SPREAD since MOST of us now run trail cams, pick up sheds, pass bucks from year to year and hunt many of the same farms from year to year. I personally feel that when you know what's on your farms (for the most part, rut sure brings em in from other places though!) it's great to be able to TARGET different bucks for different reasons- whatever those reasons are for you personally. It's just cool. I also like to be educated on what's out there and follow bucks from year to year SO I can make a biologically sound decision on why I shoot him. That's me though.

 

[letemgrow]

If he looks 4.5+, he gets it.

 

[Bill Hartzell]

Sligh1--I think it is a very interesting post and read no matter what the title is. I used to hold out on younger smaller deer and still try to. On public ground it is difficult to wait for a big ol' mature buck. Have never seen a 6.5 or a 7.5 ever to my knowledge. A couple of years ago I changed my goals to "If I will put it on the wall I will shoot it" So, it goes back to whatever makes my blood boil I guess. I am having fun hunting even if I pass on a small buck. No competition with others for me. I'm enjoying what the others have to say as well. Keep em coming guys!!