Will you wait for a mature buck?

[Stickman]

Since I have been hunting for a number of years I will only shoot older mature bucks unless it is a monster. Otherwise old bucks or young does.

[FFKEVIN]

[font="Tahoma"]I wait for the big buck, but I don't want to. My problem is, since I started using trail cameras, I KNOW there is a big (or bigger) buck on our land. So bucks I would normally have no problem shooting, I pass on, waiting for the monster I saw on the camera to come by. Then I end up not getting a buck that year because I "passed" on the average bucks.[/font][:@]

[DoeEyed]

Precisely why I don't use cameras. I don't want to be in that situation. Not yet anyway.[:)]

[ILBowhunter]

A number of people have rationalized shooting smaller bucks by saying something to the effect of, "if I don't shoot it, then someone on a neighboring property will."  So, it's the neighboring hunters that make you shoot?  They are driving your decision as to what is an acceptable buck to shoot?  They are probably saying the same thing.  Plus, if you shoot an immature buck and they do too, then one that would have lived another year is in your freezer.

No one should use the excuse that my neighbors made me do it.

[Jeff Gochenour]

Do you wait for big bucks or find them and then set up on them? There shouldn't have to be an "excuse" to shoot small bucks. I eat what I kill and I prefer young bucks and young does. Do people usually prefer their beef "old or mature" or young? I enjoy shooting older bucks for one reason only and that is for the accomplishment. Anymore thats not reason enough as that is not why hunt.

[GAbowhunter]

[font=arial]I take 1 One doe each year for meat, the rest of the year I am Rack hunting for a 150 class or better, but in GA a 150' buck is hard to come by and it's getting worst every year . The insane nuts at the GA DNR allow each hunter to take 10 does and 2 bucks every season. The DNR could care less about building a better heard, they must be in the Auto insurance industry's pocket trying to wipe out the heard to save themselves money.[/font]
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[font=arial]Each year I see fewer and few deer, if I saw 100 or 200 deer every year I might could understand a 12 deer limit.[/font]
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[font=arial]I made myself a promise, if I ever win the lotto I'm going to move to either Alaska, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or BC where there are still hundreds of miles of wilderness, where any roads will be of dirt, where there is no electric power. [/font]

[drdaven]

My philosophy goes like this:

If it doesn't get me excited, thinking of how I will retell the story to my friends and family, then it (the buck) isn't big enough.

Nothing ticks me off more than asking someone if they got a buck and they answer with a lack luster, ho-hum "yeah, took a six".  Well geez.....lets not get all worked up about it.

This is supposed to be fun and if it doesn't get me excited then I figure it may just make someone elses year.