passing deer

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I think it is harder to pass on a buck sometimes than it is to shoot one.

It is harder to pass too if you know there is almost no chance of seeing a buck or a decent one. It made passing very easy for me this year knowing the 3 spots I hunt during bow hold some real trophies.

[SQ2Hunter]

I havent filled a buck tag in 5years  (not from a lack of opportunities) but I have filled a doe tag every year. I refuse to shoot the easiest and dumbest deer in the woods - a 1.5 year old buck. I dont think anyone should feel obligated to fill all their tags because "thats what we pay for". Remember one of the down falls of hunting in NYState is the liberal amount of tags distributed. For me its a mature buck(which eats just as good as any other deer) or a doe.  The sad part is, I dont see many bucks over 2.5 because of the other down side in hunting NY - the bucks are usaully shot at 1.5. I say shoot what you and your family eats but dont feel obligated to fill every tag purchased.

[Bleitten04]

I havent filled a buck tag in 5years  (not from a lack of opportunities) but I have filled a doe tag every year. I refuse to shoot the easiest and dumbest deer in the woods - a 1.5 year old buck. I dont think anyone should feel obligated to fill all their tags because "thats what we pay for". Remember one of the down falls of hunting in NYState is the liberal amount of tags distributed. For me its a mature buck(which eats just as good as any other deer) or a doe.  The sad part is, I dont see many bucks over 2.5 because of the other down side in hunting NY - the bucks are usaully shot at 1.5. I say shoot what you and your family eats but dont feel obligated to fill every tag purchased.

I dont want to sound like a jerk but why would someone buy a tag that they didn't atleast hope to fill?  I got my mL and bow tags my regular season buck and my two dmp's.  I don't want to sound greedy either but I would fill all 5 if the oppurtunity presented itself.  None of the meat would go to waste and would easilly be gone (atleast for my family) befoe the next deer season.  Anyways what I'm trying to say is if I only wanted two deer or three deer I wouldn't buy every tag that I could. 

[nyantler]

I honestly don't understand how guys don't see deer.. well unless they spend all their time hunting in a stand waiting for a deer to go by.. then maybe. i spend all my time on the ground and see at least one deer a day and in the last 15 years or so have had opportunities to take bucks every year that I have passed on... yet guys that hunt stands on the same land I hunt tell me they aren't seeing anything.. I really don't get it... why stay in the stand then?

[genesee_mohican]

I've been bow hunting 32 years, and have shot my share of 1.5 old bucks. It was great. Today I choose to pass on smaller bucks during archery season and don't have regrets if I get skunked. I figure I can always shoot a doe later in the gun or black powder season for meat. I sit a lot of hours during bow and like being out there. I like the challenge of hunting older bucks and the rewards it can bring. In the past 3 seasons,  I've passed at least 25 bucks that were year and a half old and have not filled my buck tag. I did take one doe with my bow in that time.  I don't see changing as I'm enjoying bow hunting to the max.

[SQ2Hunter]

I havent filled a buck tag in 5years  (not from a lack of opportunities) but I have filled a doe tag every year. I refuse to shoot the easiest and dumbest deer in the woods - a 1.5 year old buck. I dont think anyone should feel obligated to fill all their tags because "thats what we pay for". Remember one of the down falls of hunting in NYState is the liberal amount of tags distributed. For me its a mature buck(which eats just as good as any other deer) or a doe.  The sad part is, I dont see many bucks over 2.5 because of the other down side in hunting NY - the bucks are usaully shot at 1.5. I say shoot what you and your family eats but dont feel obligated to fill every tag purchased.

I dont want to sound like a jerk but why would someone buy a tag that they didn't atleast hope to fill?  I got my mL and bow tags my regular season buck and my two dmp's.  I don't want to sound greedy either but I would fill all 5 if the oppurtunity presented itself.  None of the meat would go to waste and would easilly be gone (atleast for my family) befoe the next deer season.  Anyways what I'm trying to say is if I only wanted two deer or three deer I wouldn't buy every tag that I could.

I never said that I don't intend on filling my buck tag I said I will not fill it with a 1.5 year old buck and I do buy less tags than you do. I think that it is great that you and your family would eat every deer that you could legally kill but that is a minority of individuals. Keep killing 5 deer every year and you will be the first to complain that the numbers are way down. Our DEC doesnt have a clue as to the real numbers out in the field its our responsibility has huners to regulate that. If everyone shot their quota of tags we would be in some big trouble.

[SQ2Hunter]

I've been bow hunting 32 years, and have shot my share of 1.5 old bucks. It was great. Today I choose to pass on smaller bucks during archery season and don't have regrets if I get skunked. I figure I can always shoot a doe later in the gun or black powder season for meat. I sit a lot of hours during bow and like being out there. I like the challenge of hunting older bucks and the rewards it can bring. In the past 3 seasons,  I've passed at least 25 bucks that were year and a half old and have not filled my buck tag. I did take one doe with my bow in that time.  I don't see changing as I'm enjoying bow hunting to the max.

Kudos to you genesee_mohican!!!!

[Bleitten04]

Well I never have killed 5 deer in a year but I'm saying I would if I could.  Thats alot of deer to kill!!!  What you said kind of proved my point.  You buy the tags that you want for the amount of deer you and anyone you share with need.  I never said you didn't have the intentions of filling your buck tag either.  You said that people don't need to feel obliged to fill every tag because "its what we pay for".  I'm saying if I buy a tag I want to fill it if I can.  Why would I or anyone else buy 5 tags and then give up on the rest of the hunting season after 2 or 3 deer?  Again if thats all I wanted thats all I would buy.  There is no need to buy tags for deer I don't want to shoot when someone else who might want them can't because I bought them and don't want to use them.