One buck rule

[dougdeweydutchmen]

I say it has to start somewhere.  You can't start shooting deer for fear someone else will shoot it.  If you really want to shoot mature bucks you can't let that thought enter your mind. Sure its gonna happen but you can't let it affect what you do. I pass up around 15 different bucks every year. 5 years ago I shot a nice 9 point and although I have seen other nice bucks in the years since I haven't shot any till this year witch was a dandy 11 pointer that grossed in the 160's and was 6.5 years old.  I hunt private land but I'm not the only one who hunts it.  It happened to me this year, I had a 8 and a 6 pointer walk 20 yards away and I passed on them, they continued in the woods when I heard a shot and some crashing.  Then the 6 pointer came running back by me and my first thought was at least the 6 pointer will survive as all the neighboring hunters were tagged out.  Its just the price you pay for going after mature bucks!

[Bryan78]

ORIGINAL: dougdeweydutchmen

I say it has to start somewhere.  You can't start shooting deer for fear someone else will shoot it.  If you really want to shoot mature bucks you can't let that thought enter your mind. Sure its gonna happen but you can't let it affect what you do. I pass up around 15 different bucks every year. 5 years ago I shot a nice 9 point and although I have seen other nice bucks in the years since I haven't shot any till this year witch was a dandy 11 pointer that grossed in the 160's and was 6.5 years old.  I hunt private land but I'm not the only one who hunts it.  It happened to me this year, I had a 8 and a 6 pointer walk 20 yards away and I passed on them, they continued in the woods when I heard a shot and some crashing.  Then the 6 pointer came running back by me and my first thought was at least the 6 pointer will survive as all the neighboring hunters were tagged out.  Its just the price you pay for going after mature bucks!

If that is the way you want to hunt I am all happy for you and wish you well.  But I go with the mindset that I am out there for one reason, and one reason only, and that is to get meat for the freezer.  If I shoot a Doe (is which I killed more of and often) then that is what I get.  If it is a six point Buck, then great.  Like I said, I don't pay much attention to what is on top of its head and I look at Deer as a source of food more then I do a trophy.

I'm sure one day I will be rewarded with a Buck of a lifetime but until then I am not going to put in all the time, effort, and money just to be picky otherwise I am going to be wasting my time and be severely disappointed.