Who only shoots mature bucks?

[lunkerslayer]

https://www.themeateater.com/wired-...ost-whitetail-hunters-never-kill-mature-bucks
I am one of those who only shoots bucks that are atleast 3 years, maybe some may claim thar only a buck that is 4+ years old are considered mature. He states in the article, which he is right that a trail camera is a great tool that helps those track a certain deers habits, one could sit in a deer stand all day like I did a decade ago when cameras where to expensive or lacked the technology to take pics at night. The first cameras I bought we ones from cabelas but the problem was is that they took great pics at night but had such a bright flash it would scare the deer away. I have gone a few seasons when I drew a buck tag where I didn't see anything worth shooting, I guess I was spoiled in the early 2000s when deer were plentiful and you could get multiple tags. If you didn't see a decent buck you had a doe tag that you could use to fill the freezer.

 

[Shockwave]

Fork horns or nothing.

 

[Shockwave]

In all honesty, like everyone else, we are looking for bigger bucks at the beginning of the season. Once the season starts dwindling down, anything goes. Gotta fill the freezer

 

[risingsun]

SPIKES !!!!!!!! Good eatin!!

 

[Rowdie]

If it's brown it's down.

 

[Zogman]

Three of us used to hunt together. After getting a nice buck that I had mounted I was designated to antlerless for 5 years. Have two nice white tail mounts, one Mule deer and one Antelope. Hunted out of a tree stand the last few years. Quit deer hunting 5 years ago.

 

[1lessdog]

I have never seen a deer carrying around a birth certificate. So it is only a guess how old they really are.

 

[riverview]

all the bucks i shoot are mature enough to have horns.

 

[LBrandt]

Regulated by how empty the freezer was. LB

 

[db-2]

If I shoot and even if I take the bow off the wall, and I do not eat deer (why God made beef), buck only and hopefully score 150 or more so I no longer really hunt.
Since 1998, 7 bucks with bow and one small one with my Dodge.

Build food plots, camera and enjoy watching. Got old. 1995 last time i shot a rifle at a whitetail. Got some great pictures so far this year and I do feel 3 or so will net over 150. Bow still on wall. db

 

[lunkerslayer]

I know this is more common tactic with some hunters in Minnesota where only select bucks are taken within a specific group of people. Being able to get a tag every and to be able to hunt the same location year after year gives you the opportunity to watch bucks grow up so that you can pick to only shoot mature bucks.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Spikes and forks are just as tasty as does I hear...

 

[LBrandt]

Spikes and forks are just as tasty as does I hear...

And about 15# more in the freezer. LB

 

[Jiffy]

The only way, and I mean ONLY way QDM works is with a high fence.

Hommie don't play that.

 

[KDM]

For me, trophy quality is directly related to how well I think that deer will taste with onions. No matter how long I boil, fry, bake, or saute' the horns, they still come out crunchy and tough.

 

[Maddog]

Spikes and forks are just as tasty as does I hear...

Fawns should be more tender.


IMO Antlers are for bragging. How many times have you heard "I only shot a doe."

<<>>
Somewhat unrelated, I turkey hunt a lot. I have started to only shoot mature gobblers and not shooting legal jakes. My intent is to hopefully have more mature gobblers available for future years so youth can have greater chance of success on getting one. They all want to shoot the "10 point" gobbler. Even though the jake is legal. LOL

 

[Kurtr]

I havent shot a deer in three years now. Done enough killing big deer or eat the tag. My kid and wife shoot enough for us to have meat.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Interesting article. over the last few years my hunting has changed and in turn so has types of successful animal harvest and goals I have set for myself. I will say though that by the end of the season or even an outing I can always say I "successfully hunted"
Good luck to all this year

 

[Rowdie]

It's weird how everyone's hunting styles change throughout the years. As a kid in JH and HS it was almost all upland. Back then, in SD East River, you could only get a deer tag every 3 years. The SD east river season was only open 2 weekends and the week in the middle. What a cluster F. Then after getting out of HS is was goose and deer. I really didn't hunt for 2 years right out of HS so when I started up again, we started hunting the Rez and with the long seasons, we'd just go for everything. We'd jump stock dams for ducks and grouse hunt while out antelope hunting. We'd shoot turkey and pheasants while deer hunting, but the main focus was always on the big game. When the geese started coming through we wasted a lot of hours scouting and setting up for them. And of course we'd shoot pheasants and grouse too.

Then in the late 90's I got a dog. So I started shooting a lot of birds again. I'd still deer hunt but not as much from year to year. And now I haven't shot a deer for a few years. I may shoot one this year though.

 

[svnmag]

Shot my last buck in '09. 9pt@ about "out there a ways". The ground reduced the mass quite a bit by the time I made it out to him. Shot a few does and ate some buck tag soup over the years as I've never seen anything besting the nine. I get a little more satisfaction taking does as back in the Hills they were mostly forbidden fruit. You'd see 25,000 slicks a day with no fear and most buck kills were spikes and forks.

Talked to Pard the other night: His wife took him on a booze cruise at the end of August all over the county. He tallied around 275 does and exactly three bucks; one was a respectable 8 (115-125) still in velvet. It seems the Hills are reverting back to the 70's and 80's.

Conversely; everytime doe laws are liberalized it seems to bring on a "killer wet winter" and DNR biologists are retards. What does one do--blame the "Farmer's Almanac"?...fun stuff.

If I were King of Deer Season: Texas antler regulations would be in place modified as necessary for spikes, 3pts etc with encouragement to kill does.

I always cringe a bit when cutting off the cock and balls.