Last day buck??

[Bowtechian]

When I go into a season with a goal in mind, it doesn't make sense to lower that goal just for freezer meat. If there's a young buck & a doe in range, I'd try for the doe. If the buck is alone, I'll hope to see him next year & take some pictures if possible. If it's a buck that looks like it should be removed from the gene pool, I may take it.

[spottedskunk]

ORIGINAL: Bowtechian

When I go into a season with a goal in mind, it doesn't make sense to lower that goal just for freezer meat. If there's a young buck & a doe in range, I'd try for the doe. If the buck is alone, I'll hope to see him next year & take some pictures if possible. If it's a buck that looks like it should be removed from the gene pool, I may take it.

I agree as well. If a buck with a small rack, doesn't produce a big rack at a 3 year old age, he will be taken out as well. Did that sound better than the word "lesser buck"

[Demoderby4]

It depends on what goals and what type of land I am hunting. I never really had any goals going into the season besides this upcoming year. My goal this year is to hopefully see a 2.5 year old buck (while on stand) and to at least shoot a doe. Anything more will be a blessing. I love just being out there! Most of my hunting will be on state land come November and December and if you hunt state land, at least from what basically everybody I have talked to that hunts on state land says, it is almost impossible to find more than a couple hunters on the entire land that have the "let a buck go so it can grow" philosophy. So even though i like to think of myself now as a "let a buck go to grow" hunter, it's hard to keep that philosophy when you know no one else is going to have that same philosophy where you hunt.

If the season starts to wind down and I don't have any meat yet, while I'm on state land and I have both antlerless and antlered tags, anything I see probably be going down regardless of age. That's just the truth. Unless it's a button buck. I like my venison! [;)]
But if I am hunting my own tract or private land (like during bow season) and I have some neighbors who either don't hunt or have the same philosophies as I do I can say that I would be more than willing to pass on a "lesser buck" to know he would have a good chance of surviving next year if the season was winding down.

I like to think of myself as i "mature deer hunter" I know I can hold out for most of the season if I need to, but like I said since I'm mainly on state land, if i see a 2.5 buck or a 1.5 or whatever late in the season, just being honest with myself I would probably take the deer.

[Goose]

I'm not a big believer in the "take him out of the gene pool" idea. There have been studies done that show it is next to impossible to have any effect on the herds genes in free ranging deer. Kind of like taking a cup of water out of the ocean and saying you altered its level.
Just my 2 cents....[:)]

[schlupis]

I have a goal set at the begining of the season as to only take older deer. If season is drawing to a close and a young buck steps out he is going to live to see next season. I would rather eat a tag then kill a young buck or something that I would not be happy with.
 
I dont judge people of shooting young bucks its just not my cup of tea.
 
I know a lot of hunters who set out to kill a big old buck when season starts then when season draws to a close they kill the first spike that walks by just so they can say they killed a buck. But to each his own, I guess.

[msbadger]

Well if I don't have the meat in the freezer and I'll add this to the mix...a younger buck verses a mature doe....Yeppers that buck will hit the ziplocks....
 When all this "you need to shoot your doe" stuff started ...I said they'er making a mistake....just watch
 This year it seems OK in for the "pros" to start back peddle....because in several articles I've read...." Hunters and biologists are learning that it is possible to shoot too many doe in some areas"...hhhmmm really ya do'nt say. I some times think ppl have more of a "herd" mantality then the deer we hunt...........

[OHhunter]

Before the season starts and stick to them until the end.  My goal is to shoot a mature buck and a couple does, if by january I haven't filled my tag I will focus on another doe.

I don't buy into the taking them out of the gene pool theory either, unless your hunting 10's of thousands of acres and everyone on it is doing the same practice, your wasting your time.  Chances are after 1.5 year old buck dispersal the bucks being born on your hunting land are going to be a few miles away.  That and I haven't seen any hard evidence or studies that support taking out the inferor set of antlers will produce better racks in the future. 

[buckhunter21]

It all depends on your hunting philosophy as far as what msbadger stated.  If you like shooting big bucks, and it's the last day and you have a shot at either a younger buck or a mature doe, you're going to either eat your tag or shoot that doe.  More than likely you'll shoot that doe if you're practicing what most people see as QDM.  But, to each their own.  If you're happy with your choice, that's all that matters!

[spottedskunk]

ORIGINAL: schlupis

I have a goal set at the begining of the season as to only take older deer. If season is drawing to a close and a young buck steps out he is going to live to see next season. I would rather eat a tag then kill a young buck or something that I would not be happy with.

I dont judge people of shooting young bucks its just not my cup of tea.

I know a lot of hunters who set out to kill a big old buck when season starts then when season draws to a close they kill the first spike that walks by just so they can say they killed a buck. But to each his own, I guess.

Exactly, what I call "lesser buck" others might see it as a trophy. I hunt old mature bucks!

[msbadger]

BH21 ...I should have clarified...for as I've stated in the past ...down at camp if it's a doe and I have the tags it's going down...here at home it 's the buck that would hit the dirt ...We've been...tagged to death here and now again this year will be another hard hitter....The quote I had was from the newest issue of White tail instutute magazine...ppl need to know their own areas and thats not just your land but the couple of sq. miles around you ...inorder to make any decisions...