Author Topic: Would you shoot? (Read 2881 times)

gbjeep · « **on:** August 02, 2009, 06:09:20 AM »

Here's the situation. I shot this fellas mom two years ago (bow season). He has been hanging out ever since, and I passed him up last year, when he was a six point. This year he seems to be at least an eight. Maybe, nine if you count a kicker.

He's only three and could be a great buck next year. Problem is that, I only have about 20 acres, and everyone around me hunts too.

So... Do I take him, given the chance.

Or... Let him walk and hope he makes it.

buck460XVR · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2009, 06:21:32 AM »

IMHO, this is a decision you, yourself must answer. To use someones else's opinion as to whether to shoot it or not means you are hunting to satisfy others, not yourself.

gbjeep · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2009, 06:33:50 AM »

To be honest. This guy is almost like a pet. He hangs out under my stand, and I see him a lot. His dad was a monster 12. I'd love to see him get bigger, but I don't think he'll last the season. The amount of hunting in the area has exploded in the past few years.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2009, 06:36:30 AM »

Its up to you, but if you do shoot him he will definitly not grow any larger.

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2009, 07:55:14 AM »

if YOU don't shoot him someone else will

Quote

He's only three and could be a great buck next year. Problem is that, I only have about 20 acres, and everyone around me hunts too.

He looks like he'll make great chili, jerky and steaks as he is

Oldshooter · « **Reply #5 on:** August 02, 2009, 08:06:11 AM »

Hard call to make! Let us know how it goes.

Skunk · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2009, 09:10:30 AM »

Yep, that's a tough call. He's not yet a trophy, but he looks like he has some real potential. If you don't shoot him, you'll probably never see him again. Like Oldshooter said, lets us know how it turns out.

dukkillr · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2009, 01:09:34 PM »

I wouldnt but if it represents a trophy to you that's what matters.

Halwg · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2009, 01:21:13 PM »

If you lived in WV you would have shot him last year. We don't see many deer that size, so run him by my stand!

Graybeard · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2009, 06:37:23 PM »

Quote

if YOU don't shoot him someone else will

I agree that's likely what will happen. You really can NEVER be sure what buck was his father unless you had them penned so no other had the chance you can merely guess. It is darn seldom that eight point bucks at age three later become ten pointers. Maybe a nine but likely will remain an eight tho will get larger IF IT LIVES which is highly unlikely if you have only 20 acres and all surrounding land is hunted.

jhm · « **Reply #10 on:** August 03, 2009, 03:22:05 AM »

Plan on taking him during the mseason, in fact if the economy stays as slow as it has been he may be gone to someone elses house b-4 the season opens due to poaching. Jim

45-70.gov · « **Reply #11 on:** August 03, 2009, 06:16:43 AM »

Quote from: gbjeep on August 02, 2009, 06:33:50 AM

To be honest. This guy is almost like a pet. He hangs out under my stand, and I see him a lot. His dad was a monster 12. I'd love to see him get bigger, but I don't think he'll last the season. The amount of hunting in the area has exploded in the past few years.

you better shoot him before you name him

i can't eat an animal that has been named

shoot him before he turns you into a PETA member

too bad americans don't cull the infearior ones and leave the trophies to mate

Blue Duck · « **Reply #12 on:** August 07, 2009, 03:44:04 AM »

Yours is the age old question. We all have to make our own choices. I have 40 acres that I have been hunting on for about 20 years now. Its surrounded by public land and gets some hunting pressure. Over the years I have seen several nice young bucks that I have let walk. I don't know for a fact that I ever saw those particular bucks again. They either get taken by someone else, got smarter or moved.
The last several years I have changed my tactics a little. I don't try to grow a praticular buck. It dosen't seem to work for me. I never see them again. What I do is set my standards pretty high in the first half of the season and if I don't get a big one, I lower my standards. Lots of times I have let a pretty nice buck walk in Oct., that I would have loved to have seen in November but didn't. I like venison, so its all hunting. I love the unknown. Each season starts out with high expectations and some just end better then others. One thing to remember tho...... No lead a flying - No meat a frying.........

teddy12b · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2009, 04:02:01 AM »

Quote from: krochus on August 02, 2009, 07:55:14 AM

if YOU don't shoot him someone else will

+1. Especially if there is a lot of hunting pressure around you. There are lots of hunters out there who would be proud to take that buck, myself included. This has been a hard year for a lot of people and the way the economy is, I don't think too many people are planning on letting meat walk on by this year. I hope to get at least two deer this year. The one from last year is nearly gone.

Quote from: buck460XVR on August 02, 2009, 06:21:32 AM

IMHO, this is a decision you, yourself must answer. To use someones else's opinion as to whether to shoot it or not means you are hunting to satisfy others, not yourself.

I don't think he's trying to satisfy any other hunters, but himself. He's asking if he should risk letting him walk this year for a greater satisfaction next year.

It's definately a personal decision, and I'd like to hear how this ends up for you and him. Good luck this season whatever you decide!

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2009, 07:15:46 AM »

I would shoot him , why not ?

elmer · « **Reply #15 on:** August 09, 2009, 04:38:54 AM »

This is a really tough one. In your situation I would probably shoot. With his height he would be a trophy to me and I can always use the meat.

The very scenario you describe is why Texas keeps expanding the 13" inside width rule. In fact where I hunt we have a minimum age of 4 1/2 years on bucks so it would not be an option. It is tough when we see nice 2 1/2 y.o. 9 points several times in a season and then never see them or get game camera photos of them again. It's 1700 acres, but it's long, narrow, and cattle fenced so they do jump the fences.

RaySendero · « **Reply #16 on:** August 09, 2009, 05:04:26 AM »

Quote from: gbjeep on August 02, 2009, 06:09:20 AM

Here's the situation. .....
Would you shoot?

Nope!

buck460XVR · « **Reply #17 on:** August 09, 2009, 06:51:04 AM »

Quote from: teddy12b on August 07, 2009, 04:02:01 AM

Quote from: buck460XVR on August 02, 2009, 06:21:32 AM
IMHO, this is a decision you, yourself must answer. To use someones else's opinion as to whether to shoot it or not means you are hunting to satisfy others, not yourself.

I don't think he's trying to satisfy any other hunters, but himself. He's asking if he should risk letting him walk this year for a greater satisfaction next year.

Could be, but the impression I got was that the OP has enough experience to know what is a trophy in his area and in his situation. He also knows the consequences, as do most of us that pass on bucks to let them grow. It isn't just other hunters, it's cars and natural causes that may take them. In this case, I'm thinkin' it comes down to the size of the hunt in the buck and not necessarily the size of the buck in the hunt. The signs of maturity in a hunter. Too many put so much emphasis on the size of the horn, that the hunt becomes unimportant.....i.e. high fence shoots of bottle fed monsters for the pics and the mount on the wall, or the shooting of a trophy buck "just a few minutes" before or after legal hunting hours, cause "everyone else" does it. I believe the attachment and the knowledge of the history the OP has of this particular buck is what's makin' his decision so difficult, not the size of the horn.....if it was just another deer, I don't think he would have second thoughts either way.

But then again, I'm wrong about lots of things...............

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:32:10 AM »

Where we hunt there are to many deer they cause way to much damage . I understand those in areas where deer are few giving them a lofty status but around here they are a nusince speices along with crows and other vermin with the exception of a true big rack . All others are little more than freezer filler . Don't confuse this with a lack of respect as we still hunt in a humane manner . Its just deer over load in places .

teddy12b · « **Reply #19 on:** August 10, 2009, 04:02:49 AM »

I wish we had a "deer problem" where I live. Where I hunted in Wisconsin back on '06 it was the first time I was ever exposed to the culture where deer are a nusince. There you have to "earn a buck", meaning kill a doe first and the guys killed the first doe they saw and could care less about it. It was almost kind of sad to see stacks of dead deer just so the hunter could have a shot at a buck. The silver lining was that most of those deer were donated to feed the hungry.

Around here, anything more than a 6 point is a great trophy. I've always shot more deer with a camera than with a riflle, but now that I've learned how to cook deer I may leave the camera at home this year.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #20 on:** August 10, 2009, 04:54:16 AM »

Its funny here never saw a deer out side a park fence until I was 11 . If our group jumped one it was a great week or season if someone got one . Now at 54 we are over run with them . Bet it won't last as we see a die off every few years now some where in the area we hunt . Also the yotes are gaining in number as are MT. Lions . Both make taking a snooze on the stand a little more exciting .

kix · « **Reply #21 on:** August 12, 2009, 05:32:10 PM »

Isn't this the perfect example of why some ranchers in Texas high-fence 15,000 acres and turn it into a "canned hunt"? Kix

dukkillr · « **Reply #22 on:** August 12, 2009, 06:05:04 PM »

Quote from: kix on August 12, 2009, 05:32:10 PM

Isn't this the perfect example of why some ranchers in Texas high-fence 15,000 acres and turn it into a "canned hunt"? Kix

Don't get me wrong, I hate high fences but...

No. I've noticed a strong undercurrent against trophy hunters for a while now, particularly among those from places where they don't have trophy deer. Look, hunting is an individual sport and so are the goals that go along with it. If I shot a deer like that I'd be disappointed because I blew a good season by shooting an under-developed 2.5-3.5 year old buck. I don’t care about or even want the meat… But I'm fortunate to hunt a great number of days and on ground that will allow bucks to reach full maturity. For someone who doesn't have that opportunity that buck may be the deer of a lifetime.

We had a couple of guys up from Arkansas a couple of years ago. I'd seen a nice buck working along some oak trees and I put one of the guys there and explained what I thought would happen. He shot what he thought was a great buck. When he started tracking it he bumped into the real good buck. He was still geeked about his 115ish deer because it was the best buck he'd killed with a bow, and bigger than most deer he sees in Arkansas. It's all relative, and that's why there is no great answer from any of us on this question. We all have varying degrees of ability, access, and time, not to mention different goals.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 13, 2009, 01:29:31 AM »

I take my hat off to you for at least giving it some thought. Your call...........

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #24 on:** August 13, 2009, 01:49:44 AM »

Will you shoot that deer?...it is a decision that you will make with bow\firearm in hand on that fateful day. Sure, others that are off your property would take it but by the same token, other deer & better trophys will be checking out your patch of woods. You have seen his father and probably know of his grandfather so I am thinking that you may leave him be to get seed out & preserve that blood line.

He does look tasty though and there are many others like him so shoot him if you will.

gbjeep · « **Reply #25 on:** August 13, 2009, 01:58:43 PM »

Thanks for all the input guys. I should have said, that this is an average size deer for this part of Ohio. I've never had the opportunity to watch a buck mature like this before. I just wondered, if in a situation like this, what others would do. If I had more land, and less pressure, I would certainly let him walk. I wanted to know if anyone else had watched a deer for a few years, only to never see him again.
I want to see this guy reach his full potential. However, I doubt another hunter in this area will let him go. Here an eight is respectable, but no trophy.

Only 6 weeks till season opens....

45-70.gov · « **Reply #26 on:** August 13, 2009, 02:47:18 PM »

Quote from: Savage .250 on August 13, 2009, 01:29:31 AM

I take my hat off to you for at least giving it some thought. Your call...........

what he said
just joking on my last post

hogshooter · « **Reply #27 on:** August 19, 2009, 09:03:22 AM »

its just a guess but i'm thinking that the buck is 2 or 3 yrs old and if he has stayed alive this long he may have found a real good hideing place or is just a little smarter than the other bucks.if he is hanging out on your place feed him and try to keep him there. if it was me i'd feed him , use a trail cam to try and keep tabs on him, and let him go at least another year and see how it goes. its all a gamble a mediocer trophy this year or a great trophy next year? like the others have said its up to you.
good luck and let us know how it goes.
hogshooter

john keyes · « **Reply #28 on:** August 19, 2009, 12:04:42 PM »

I would not shoot. I pass on a quite a few bucks but our lease has an eight point or better rule. still I pass on the little basket racks and youngsters, not that the deer shown is anything to sneeze at, I'd be proud of him.

I have an area on my lease that only I can hunt and I would like the deer to get a little comfortable there. In my opinion being able to shoot a deer and then letting it walk is a successful hunt as well. And easier to put your stuff up when you get home

Keep in my mind when watching that "shooter" out there in the open there may well be a smarter bigger buck watching that had not decided to step out yet.

Tn Jim · « **Reply #29 on:** August 30, 2009, 07:20:06 AM »

Where I hunt we are doe poor and rarely see a buck, even a small one. There is a county road on the edge of the property and if I were to let him walk, the road cruising poachers would kill him in a heartbeat. IF I saw him where I hunt he would be going for a ride in the back of the Ram.