Author Topic: Is he a shooter? (Read 819 times)

firstshot · « **on:** October 11, 2004, 04:02:40 PM »

Got the first game cam pics back from my Horseshoe Ridge food plot. Cam was out for a week and took 24 shots on the roll. Most were does, but did get a couple of bucks. One was a spike but other was a decent 8PT. Can't tell if this is two different bucks or two pics of the same buck.

Would you consider this guy a shooter?

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

goose7856 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2004, 04:47:18 PM »

from my POV they look to be diff. deer. The one on the left looks bigger, and may have more mass to his rack........where i hunt the rule is, you shoot and buck, you mount a buck, so neither of those would be shooters in my book.

Paul Barnard · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2004, 04:04:01 AM »

Is it a shooter? In four of the five places I am likely to hunt it is a shooter. They just don't get much bigger. Public land bucks in south MS are kinda smallish. I have a friend who invites me to his trophy club on occasion. There it gets to grow up. My hunting opportunities are somewhat limited, so that could very well be my meat deer for the year.

longwinters · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2004, 07:33:07 AM »

With out a doubt, it would go in the freezer and the horns in my reloading room.

LOng

TXSURVEYOR · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:35:05 AM »

That is a personal choice. For me no. If it is a trophy for you go for it.
I believe every deer is a trophy in its own right. Every hunter has his or her own feelings on deer and hunting them. I have shot a good number of deer and am to a point where if I want meat I shoot a doe, if I want a buck I wait for what I want or what I consider a trophy. If you want that deer go for it . Just a note: as hunters we should support each other in what we do. What I mean is if someone shoots an animal and is proud, be proud for them. Don't give them a hard time about it, support them.
Here in Texas game management is all the rage. That's great, but some times it gets in the way of all the fun of hunting. Everyone (fellow hunters) wants to tell you what you should and should not kill. And why. They look down on some people if they shoot a deer that maybe is not up to "their" standard.
If the hunter is proud of their deer be proud for them. How would you feel
if you shot your best buck ever and it did not measure up? Have great season!!!!!!!!

goose7856 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2004, 10:05:33 AM »

VERY WELL PUT TXSURVEYOR.......ALOT OF IT DEPENDS ON THE AREAS YOUR HUNTING......

Lawdog · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2004, 11:22:10 AM »

Is it a shooter??? All depends whether or not it's th first day of the season or the last day of the season. Lawdog

jhm · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2004, 12:03:22 PM »

Here in Ar. it would just barely be legal due to 3 point rule, and if you look at picture close you can see it is a young deer, here on the farm I personally would pass on it but would not have a problem if some of opur friends/guests taking it.

JIM

firstshot · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2004, 01:44:19 PM »

I think TXSURVEYOR really hit the nail on the head. I too feel the answer is "it depends".

We've just started a QDM program on our lease here in AR and this young 8PT is standing in one of the first food plots we've planted. While he does pass our self imposed 4pts on one side rule (you have to look close, but he is an 8PT), I've shot bigger deer and therfore, I would probably let him walk. Maybe he will be a 10 or 12 pt in a year or two. On the other hand, if my daughter or son were in the stand with me, he would be a wonderful trophy for either of them to take.

We put in 6 food plots this year ranging is size from 1/4 acre up to about 8 acres in our biggest field for total of about 17 acres. We've still got a lot of work ahead of us as our goal is to put in at least another 25 acres of plots and most all of those will be of the 1/4 - 1 acre variety. So hopefully, we'll be providing the quality nutrition this young 8Pt needs to turn into a trophy in anyone's book.

We're putting up box blinds on some of the fields for the younger kids to use, and we also allow our younsters to follow our states "any deer for first deer" rule. That "first" deer is always a trophy![/u] Two of our kids have already taken their first deer (both does) with bow & arrow this season.

I don't know about you, but I can still remember every single detail from when I took my first deer. That doe was a trophy then, and always will be.

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

huntsman · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2004, 05:17:52 AM »

What's your management goal? If it is to produce many animals and antler quality is not an important issue, then he is fine to harvest. If you want to improve the quality of bucks you shoot, i.e., better antler quality, then this is a most important deer to PROTECT. He is most likely only 1.5 years old judging from the photos, and already has an eight point rack. He will be a solid trophy deer given good health and nutrition at 3.5. Wait on him, it will be worth it.

Also, don't buy into the "someone over the fence will shoot him if I don't" theory. While someone may do that, if you want something more than he is, you have to pass on him. Two reasons: 1) he may survive to become a better buck despite even intense hunting pressure all around you, and 2) the kind of buck you'd rather have might walk out 30 minutes later or two days or two weeks from now, and your tag will have been spent on this buck instead (assuming limited buck tags). It always gives me a great feeling to watch and pass on young bucks with great potential like this. It's kind of like catch and release in a way - let the buck live to see another day and another hunter (you or someone else). The pleasure is not always in the kill.

If you want meat, hunt for meat. If you want trophy antlers, hunt for trophy antlers. Don't let circumstances change your hunting goals.

Rmouleart · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2004, 07:32:41 AM »

It all comes down to where your hunting, if you were hunt Pike county Illinois, these deer shown, you should pass up, due to there is many larger mature twelve pointers to be had, you may see hundred deer a day, the feed is Rich and plenty, deer get huge there, now if you were hunting someplace buck to doe ratio is low and there is far and few deer per mile these deer would be freezer deer. Here in NH there are some big mature deer, but far and few, most become nocternal during hunting seasons, those deer shown would be shooters for me here in NH...I also like taking a doe every once in a while, for table fair, I enjoy game meat the most, I eat very little store meats as possible. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2004, 01:38:35 PM »

Hunting has changed over the past 40 years. In the 60's the success rate was 1 deer killed to 10 hunters. Now them college boys tell me it's 1 in 4. In the 60's it was a thrill to just see a deer, and the five years or so of hunting none of the guys I hunted with saw a deer, buck or doe.

Now, it seems that if you don't get one you didn't want one. Seems like now it's all about getting a big rack. No doubt the college boys have done a great job on deer and turkey, as that's where the money's at. Anyone hunted quail or rabbits lately? I see way more deer rabbit hunting than I do rabbits, and that is certainly different than the days when a fellow could walk up a half a dozen or so rabbits in a day.

Seems we have to many deer now, and parts of Tennessee have a limit of 3 deer per day. Heck the limit on rabbits is 5! Come on! Kill a few! Nothing worse than rabbit hunting and jumping a deer with a pack of good hounds on the ground.

goose7856 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2004, 01:54:37 PM »

I totally agree.......deer and turkey's are great....but they seem to have become outrageous in number......and I know in LA, the rabbits are very rare to see.......every now and then you will spook a covey of quail, but not very often (maybe once or twice a year), (also, the land i hunt isnt ideal for quail

)

the limit in LA is one doe per day, and one buck......just thought i would pass that along.....good luck

Hooker · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2004, 05:13:20 PM »

If it's brown it's down :grin: Actually I rather have a young wheat fed doe. I've shot lesser scrub bucks this one is no scrub if fact he's quite respectable. He wont make book but he's a trophy none the less. Some guys will hunt a life time and never take one like him. I've been blessed with 2 monsters. I've lost count of the smaller ones but I have every rack, including the brow tine from a 3 pointer I took that hangs from my key chain. These are'nt the trophies the trophies are the memoiries I get when I look at them. He's a shooter it all depends on what you want from the hunt.

Pat