Shoot what makes you happy. Don't listen to the prostaffer BS that's spewed by
some people on here. besides nobody will say squat with a small buck for you poppin your cherry.

 

Shoot whatever buck you will be happy with

 

I'm wishing I just took a shot on that big doe, but oh well. I'm not looking for a wall hanger buck for my first buck, but I just don't want to kill a young buck.

Congrats for passing the young ones and holding out....[up]
Plenty of season left to shoot a buck and still fill the freezer with does.

 

To each their own. Shoot what ever makes you happy. If i had a dollar for every little buck i passed on in the last few years i would have enough money for one of them liberty hollow cage hunts.Dont be a victim of shoulda coulda woulda because your worried what others will think. I dont care if its a spike, post the pic, i love seeing dead deer .lol

 

Well I haven't seen a shooter buck show up on my camera just yet but it's only been a few days. I have 3 bucks that came by on camera, the 4 pointer which I passed on, a spike and another 6 pointer who I'd have to see in person to make the call. Got a bad pic of him. But that's not saying a nice mature buck doesn't live there. I sat in the evening Thursday with my climber in a different spot, same area though, and watched a nice buck chasing a doe back and forth in a dried up swamp about 100 yards out. I think there's a really good number of does here and I'd like to just take a mature deer, buck or doe, to get a little reward for busting my ass. I would like to hang a stand near the other swamp as I believe the dominant mature buck probably lives over there.

 

Don't put the P. On a pedestal, heheh

 

And don't rely on your trail cam cause its the rut and anything can happen. Don't believe that read my thread about my 8pt buck yesterday.

 

I'm not passing on young bucks because I care what other people think. I mean if they're ugly, I'll kill'em anyway. But when you see a small 4 or 6, you know that they're a 1-1/2-2 year old deer. I do believe in letting those guys live because maybe next year there will be more shooters there. Although as they get bigger, the probably get harder to kill. My Dad says, first year deer hunting, kill'em all Dave lol

 

I'm in the same position. I want my first bow kill to be a nice buck. I'm not into killing young deer. I've already kind of set a personal buck standard & doe standard. But I'm starting to have more big does come around within easy shot range. I keep telling myself since I have 4 tags, I could be a little less picky, if a doe presents herself again, just get some meat. But just having the deer that close & knowing I could whack one is just as rewarding. I'm just trying to be as patient as possible for a buck because I know some big ones are falling in the area. Just a matter of time before its our turn [up] Do what makes you happy, patience will be rewarded.

 

Just repeating what's already been said, shoot whatever makes you happy. Only time I cringe at spilled blood is when it's a button buck. Other than that, drop'em. I myself won't shoot a doe when bucks are chasing (they are chasing does in my area, why 1- shoot, gut and drag in my setup and disrupt things and 2 - shoot what the bucks are looking for). Got plenty of time left for that. Good luck and absolutely post your kills!

 

When you have a season where you let a buck walk, then you go the rest of the season and not have another shot at one you won't think twice the next time heheh

 

This happened to me. I gave a deer a pass and it ended up being the last deer I had a realistic opportunity for the rest of the year. And when I had a similar opportunity the next year, I didn't bat an eye.

 

Shooting any deer with a bow is an accomplishment. First year out i wouldn't put so much pressure on your self. Just go have fun. Personally and i am not saying this is correct or anyone else has to agree but I only shoot bucks that I would spend the money to put on the wall. Plenty of does out there for meat. But again that's just me and i would never tell anyone else how to hunt so have a great season and sling some arrows

 

Just shoot the buck that gives you the next shot opportunity, stop thinking so much, in the words of your Dad and Metallica, Kill 'em All unk:

 

You will never learn to kill bucks by letting all of them walk. You really need to know that you can kill one. You need to start somewhere. Don't be one of these guys that have to pump their chest about big bucks. Most everyone started by shooting smaller bucks whether they care to admit that or not. The experience will lead you to bigger and better deer down the road.

 

What X7 said x 2. Sitting still and have the bucks walk by ya is great. And passing on some deer is honorable. But, sitting still, drawing back, stopping the deer and making a successful shot are learned skills. If I was you, I'd drop the next decent buck you can get an ethical shot on. Its good to prepare you to take the big one when he walks by. If you see a big one later in the season, just think the same way you have been thinking. If he makes it til next year, he will be even better. JMO. Good luck!

 

Reminds me of the bucks I let walk... Then I ate my tag

 

Reminds me if the bucks I let walk... Then I ate my tag

LOL! Well that's kind of playing in the back of mind too. Spent $28 on a buck tag. In fact I've never used a buck tag...so hmmm. That small 6 wasn't a bad looking deer. I'm letting them be this week and I'll try again Friday morning.

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

Maybe I should shoot any buck and do what Jim Roy says and cut his balls off and soak his tarsal glands in his own piss then tie it to a string and spin it above my head, covering myself, my stand and my area in buck piss soaked glands LOL.

 

Dont know if I would get into any piss slinging but I've spent a lot of days freezing my ass off thinking about the ones I let walk. Times-a-wastin sunshine...knock'em down!

 

Half these guys that wait for big bucks never get one. Want meat shoot anything. My first buck was a spike
And its my favorite to date. .good luck

 

I was hunting the same property with a real nice guy on saturday. After I shot my buck he came down, helped me drag out (hard long uphill drag), took pics for me, gave me a hand gutting. At the end right before we left he asked if he could rub his hunting gear on the buck. I was like... awesome idea!!! Do it!!

hopefully he rubbed some good mojo in there and pops that big boy I missed out on yesterday.

 

I was gonna skin my deer and make hunting clothes out of it...then I realized how silly that would be. I'd probably get shot LOL

 

Get some deer, bucks especially under your belt. Shoot a buck that will make you happy. I think it's important to experience shooting a few bucks before you start chasing the giants. Some guys pass up a lot of deer then can't control themselves when mr. Big walks in and blow the shot. Get a few under your belt and have fun. I don't no what's happened to hunting over the years but to many people are trying to keep up with these idiots on the tv shows. It's not hunting anymore when you are raising and growing deer watching them on camera all year etc. It takes zero hunting skills or woodsmanship skills to do what these bozos do on the tv shows. To many people think that they have to shoot deer like they do which is not reality. I would love to take some of these tv show pro staffers up to the mountains and see how hard they can hunt without a trail am sd card of deer handed to them. Most would probably get lost 100 yards from the cabin. Sorry for the rant. Get a few under your belt and shoot what ever you want. It's your right, your tag, and your experience that you will never forget. Have fun man.

 

When I have to go to the internet to ask, its time for me to give up hunting.

 

Well it's my first season deer hunting man and for as frustrating as it's been, going weeks at a time not seeing any deer, putting more time in learning the woods, the deer, their behavior, their patterns etc., when deer finally do show up in range, I get all amped up and ready to make a kill. The problem with the scenario I posted is that I was ready to shoot that first doe, but then more were coming, so I held off. Then more came, then some went. I had my crosshairs on 3 different deer with the safety off LOL. And in the end, I lost any shot opportunity because I waited too long. If I'd of shot the 1st deer, would it have sent off warning signals and I'd never have a deer come by there again this season? I'm new at this and it's tempting to just let arrows fly at the first deer, but then I hear people say well wait, because it's the rut. And if does are in front of your stand, let them be a chances are a buck will not be far behind. I guess it's something I need to work out on my own. Either take a shot or wait and be ok with watching them all walk away lol.

 

I'm in the same camp as JD_H and others -- shoot what you want and after all is said and done, you will be happy with the choice that you made. Hey, we all want to wait for that shooter buck to come in, but that may never happen. However, let's play with the scenario; let's say that there were no bucks in the area (to your knowledge) would you have shot that doe -- or at least one of them without a second thought? I'm not going to judge you on your decision because you have to be satisfied with the end result and only you can answer that.

 

^ [lol]

Should have read:

Originally Posted by JD_H
Reminds me of the bucks I let walk... until I shot one when it was pitch black out

[ninja]