Does it get easier?

[G-Man]

Just wondering for those of you that pass up bucks waiting for a big one, if you find it easier to do if you have already taken a bunch of little buck or gotten a t good one 125in plus? i think it is and for those that wait for a big one without ever shooting one..are you missing a hunting experiance/growth step?

[apoallo]

last year I got my wall mount. the 2 seasons prior I passed on everything that I didnt think would look good on my wall. even passed on the doe's. if you  dont shoot there is always a chance you wont get a thing. but if you fill your tag too soon there is that chance that a bigger buck will come out after or in the next few days..... Hunting is a game of chance. you can do things to improve your odds (scouting trail cams etcc) but at the end of the day their is no guarentee. Whether you get a big buck or not it is always an excellent experience in my opinion. For people just starting out Definitely a growth step. Getting a few under your belt is a good idea. it keeps the itch  itchy for years to come.  

Edited September 28, 2013 by apoallo

[NFA-ADK]

I have passed many deer but I enjoy being in the woods so much I could care less if I eat tag soup...  It's a personal preference but I would encourage hunters to just take what ever makes you happy and beginners should get some under their belt for experience if that satisfies them...  People change over years of hunting.  I never even considered shooting doe as my main target but this year I will do my part and enjoy the feast I think...  Watch I wont have a shot on one all year...  O well  TUESDAY!!!  Arg I have to wait until Saturday ARG!  OWW this is a good week to call in sick, cough cough I think by wed or Thursday I will have to take the rest of the week off...  COUGH!!!

[Zag]

I got to the point I wouldn't shoot a buck with the bow unless it was to the ears or wider. After no success for a number of yrs I lost my confidence. It had been so long since I shot one with the bow I felt like I was starting all over. I'll never forget the droptine buck that I drew on 3 times by my stand opening day one yr, I was so out of touch shooting a live target I kept waiting for the perfect shot as he walked by me three times and finally up the hill with two does and another decent buck. Finally I decided to start with a doe. After putting a perfect shot on her I started to rebuild my confidence. Then came the 7pt that only ran 50yrs, now I was feeling good. Then the following yr when the 120inch 8pt offered me a 12yrd shot he ran about 5 steps, stood there and dropped. I still will wait for a big buck but I would rather take a doe with the bow vs the gun to help keep my confidence for the big guy!!

[growalot]

Last year I ate the archery buck tag...no regrets...I passed on a couple of 8's and I had a nice 6pt show up at almost every stand...I mentioned that I had him following me around...he walked under the stand a few times..it got a little tough on the last day...when he looked up and stuck his tongue out at me..but maybe this year the tables will turn...

[GreeneHunter]

This being my first year with the bow I'm thinking taking a Doe would satisfy the need to "get one under my belt" , after that I'll be looking for a decent buck !

[pawle76]

I got to the point I wouldn't shoot a buck with the bow unless it was to the ears or wider. After no success for a number of yrs I lost my confidence. It had been so long since I shot one with the bow I felt like I was starting all over. I'll never forget the droptine buck that I drew on 3 times by my stand opening day one yr, I was so out of touch shooting a live target I kept waiting for the perfect shot as he walked by me three times and finally up the hill with two does and another decent buck. Finally I decided to start with a doe. After putting a perfect shot on her I started to rebuild my confidence. Then came the 7pt that only ran 50yrs, now I was feeling good. Then the following yr when the 120inch 8pt offered me a 12yrd shot he ran about 5 steps, stood there and dropped. I still will wait for a big buck but I would rather take a doe with the bow vs the gun to help keep my confidence for the big guy!!

I totally agree with you. I think it's a good thing for a hunter to take a deer to keep their real world skills keen. Taking a smaller buck is a great way to do that. Targets and decoys only get you so far. It's having a living breathing target in your sights that really gets your blood and adrenaline pumping making you do crazy things that a target just can't duplicate. Bowhunting really lets a hunter experience those things and it gives a hunter a chance to fill his/her tag and still have another opportunity to get another deer. Not to get off topic here but that's why I have a problem with mandatory AR's. It can deny some hunters that chance to gain important experience with taking a smaller buck who want to. And Yes IMO it does make it easier to pass on a buck if you have some deer under your belt already.

Edited September 28, 2013 by pawle76

[NFA-ADK]

I totally agree with you. I think it's a good thing for a hunter to take a deer to keep their real world skills keen. Taking a smaller buck is a great way to do that. Targets and decoys only get you so far. It's having a living breathing target in your sights that really gets your blood and adrenaline pumping making you do crazy things that a target just can't duplicate. Bowhunting really lets a hunter experience those things and it gives a hunter a chance to fill his/her tag and still have another opportunity to get another deer. Not to get off topic here but that's why I have a problem with mandatory AR's. It can deny some hunters that chance to gain important experience with taking a smaller buck who want to. And Yes IMO it does make it easier to pass on a buck if you have some deer under your belt already.

Yep.

[bowaholic]

when I first started hunting I had the "if its brown its down" mentality.  after two small bucks I already wanted more.  I love watching the small ones walk and wonder what they will look like in a few years.  And I can keep my real world skills keen by shooting a big mature doe rather than a young spike that comes in and licks my boot.  But to each their own. 

[pawle76]

when I first started hunting I had the "if its brown its down" mentality.  after two small bucks I already wanted more.  I love watching the small ones walk and wonder what they will look like in a few years.  And I can keep my real world skills keen by shooting a big mature doe rather than a young spike that comes in and licks my boot.  But to each their own. 

There's nothing wrong with taking a doe. I also think if a hunter only hunts during rifle and can't get doe permits there's nothing wrong with taking a smaller buck but with the AR's now that's a thing of the past. My first deer was a spike with my bow and it was a wonderful experience. I learned how to track, field dress, skin and butcher all with that first buck. I still have the skull cap on my wall, while it's not my biggest by a long shot it's still one of my favorite and best trophies on my wall. I just want every hunter to be able to have that is all.

[G-Man]

i agree with everthing people have posted as its my own experiance as well. i just wonder how many hunters out out there touting ar's passing up deer and have little or no experiance and are missing the enjoyment and growth i've experianced myself. and do not know what they are missing... there is more to hunting to experiance than the size of a rack,or i should say worring about the size of a rack.

[cdmckane]

I don't eat antlers.  I enjoy hunting, but I enjoy filling my freezer more.  JMO, but I hate eating tag soup.  I'll take little bucks over big ones every time, they eat better.  Does even more so. My trophy is feeding my family high quality, healthy meat.

[WesternNY]

I have 6 seasons in my farm I bought in 2007, the first year was my return to hunting after a long break for college, travel and lived on the West Coast for a bit.    In 2007 I took 2 1.5 year olds, one was a 6 pt and was my first Bow deer.

 

The next year I went to 8 points or better.... and in 2008 to a 2.5 year old 8,  2009 took a 4.5 year old 9 who's dressed Wt was 198 pounds.  In 2010  I hunted one particular huge buck... between 150 -158 inches.  I ate tag soup, but was fine with it... but I did pass several chips shots at 120 inch bucks that season.  2011 I shot a nice ~128-134 inch buck never found him... that was gut wrenching, I did end up harvesting a 2.5 year old 7 that year.  2012 I got a nice 3.5 year old 9.

 

In those years I have taken 2 doe each year, some years 3 does.   For me I like the challenge of hunting a buck that is older than 1.5, and have set my new goal for 3.5 or older only for me.  My buddy who hunts the farm with me, is still at 8 points or better.  He has a tough time aging bucks.

 

Keeping it fun, challenging and realistic is key IMO... I don't knock anyone who decides to harvest a 1.5 year old, it is indeed a trophy and they should be proud, it is just not for me.

[New2bow]

This is my second season bow hunting/any hunting (no luck in my first!). I learned a great deal last year, and I think I'm on them this year (unless on Monday they change everything lol). I will take any good shot I get , on the first doe or buck I see! Then I'll learn to field dress and butcher (maybe grind and sausage making). I can wait for "The Buck", and as a newbie, I'm not in a hurry to pass for the big one! Maybe this is my year

[A Sportsman]

It bothers me to have people just getting into hunting, having never shot a deer, who would turn down a small buck.  Just my gut here, but I think that these people never really existed until relatively recently with the way hunting is portrayed on TV.  And with the internet banter.

 

the idea that someone would passing up bucks, while they never learned what it was like to take one down, just doesnt sit right with me.  A hunt isnt over when the gun goes off, or when the arrow is released.  You have misses, you have bad shots where you need to trail a deer, gutting, dragging, butchering, etc.  Picture having zero experience with all this, yet someohow feeling like a measly 12 in wide six pointer is "beneath you".  No good IMO. 

 

Re Tag Soup,  I have gone a few seasons where I was waiting for a nice buck, and it never came.  In fact, I think a couple of those seasons, i never shot a doe, for whatever reason.   It wasnt the end of the world, but I remember come the following season, I was taking the first good shot  I had _buck or doe.

[kbhunter25]

I started on a farm with 16-20 old time hunters that shot anything with legal horns, so for first 5 yrs I shot any deer i saw with horns all but one was 1.5 yrs old. After that our hunting camp broke up and me and my dad were the only ones left to hunt the farm, so we decided to hut for bigger bucks instead and let smaller ones go. I now only hunt for deer of a certain caliber on all three farms we hunt. To me its up to the hunter to choose what size deer he/she wants to hunt. Waiting for a bigger buck makes hunting fun cause it usually takes a lot of work outside of hunting season for treestand preparation and scouting for good areas which makes hunting season last all year. I do agree tho that younger kids need to go through  learning process of just being out there and shooting something big or small to get them hooked. Hard to get young men and women involved if they sit out there alll year and eat tag soup because they are pushed to wait for a monster

[fasteddie]

I have passed on many small bucks and ended up eating Tag Soup .

I do draw on deer that I don't plan to shoot just to see if I can do it without being busted .

[chiefbkt]

I wouldn't say it gets easier. For me passing on the smaller bucks is self gratifying. Knowing that I had them in range and they were unaware, it's a good feeling. Yeah I could have killed them, I just take a mental photo and hope they make the same mistakes in a year or two.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I started with an 8 point rule, and have only ever deviated from it once. I had a reason to deviate from it. Now, I have an age based rule (3.5 or older), which will probably be as far as I go with the rules, unless something drastic changes and I end up with access to fully managed land.

 

Maybe I am missing out on having a bunch of small bucks under my belt, but its my choice. Nobody forced it upon me, so I am 110% fine with it.

[phade]

I have a pile of 1.5s. Nothing wrong with hunting the way you see fit.

 

I don't particularly like it when people hold out right away for a big deer. You need to get a few under your belt. It is their decision, so that is fine by me, but I just kind of shake my head a bit, thinking, more like knowing, that is a recipe for disaster in most cases when it comes to a long-term, knoweldgeable, hunting "career." From an observation POV, I find most of these people think genetics is more important than anything, food plots will bring in all the big bucks, and to hunt over them is the only way to do it, and that saving stands is a good tactic, rather than hunting the best stand for the situation.

 

They get burned out, get hard headed, and quit. Or, they spend more money on trying to buy their way to a big buck without learning how to kill one first.

[coonhunter]

I think it really comes down to whether you feel you have to kill a buck. I have no problem letting the 2 1/2 eights walk right by at this point in my life. When I first started hunting, I shot the first buck I saw, and for the most part, it was a bunch of 1 1/2s with an occasional 2 1/2 thrown in. These deer taught me proper shot placement, how to hold the hell still when I needed to, and all sorts of woods saavy that all hunters should learn. Most importantly in my eyes, it taught me eventually, to respect my quarry and myself.

 

I don't care what my buddies say when they all have deer down and I am still getting up and hunting for a certain buck, or haven't gotten a shot a mature deer. I am passed all that nonsense. I like to challenge myself, and some years that means taking a couple does and that's it.

 

In this hot weather we are going to have, I will probably be sitting way back with bino's taking an inventory of what bucks are travelling what trails, who is already scent checking, and a few other things I like to keep track of. A few times over the years I have actually scored on bigger bucks when I was trying to stay out of way of my better stand sites so I stay on my toes.

 

You guys and gals have fun this bow and gun season. Shoot what you like and stay legal, and you will never hear a complaint out of me.

[132 eight pointer]

It is easier for me today to pass on young deer buck or doe than it was when I first started hunting.I have not been very successful taking bucks with archery so I would still shoot at younger bucks than I would with a gun.Ideally I would take a big doe or two for the freezer and then hope to find a 2 1/2 yr. old buck or older. Some people only want a mature buck and others want meat in the freezer regardless of the age or sex of the deer. I don't care what other people do because everyone will eventually decide for themselves wheather or not to take a shot.