He saved to buy 5 acres and tags a 17 point buck.

[Grouse]

Trail cameras only captured the buck during daylight twice in three years: https://trib.al/cLWm69z

Edited December 23, 2023 by Grouse

[First-light]

Nice deer. It's funny but I own my original piece of property that is about 60 acres. An elderyly couple had a 11 acre parcel next to me. I helped them out here and there and became friends. When the husband died she asked if I would buy the place which I did. We have killed more big bucks on that 11 acres than the 60 I own. Two of my best stands are on that property! 

[Doc]

All it take is the right 5 acres. You can own a thousand acres, but if you are not in the right spot at the right time, it won't do you any good.

[wolc123]

I can relate to that, having gone thru a brief “trophy” stage myself, back before I was married and had kids.  I bought a piece of land that was a smidge over 5 acres, about 1/2 way between our farm and my grandparents farm.  It was in an area known for producing large antlered bucks.  
 

All went well for a few years, and it was especially nice having that other place, so that I could reduce the hunting pressure on the hundred acres on the other two farms where I had hunted all my life.  Up until the year that I killed (2) “trophies” on it, one on opening day of bow and the other on opening day of gun.  
 

It was a narrow slice of land, that cut into a large hardwood forrest.  Word got out, and the following season, neighbors put up (3) stands in sight of (and within 100 yards or so) of mine.  I didn’t see a single antlered deer there the following year, but usually at least one hunter, every time I went.  That’s the trouble with small pieces, no matter how good they might seem at first.  
 

Fortunately, the property had roughly doubled in value in the few years that I owned it and I was able to dump it for much more than I paid.  I used that cash to buy a new tractor and to make improvements on our home farm.  With a few extra hungry mouths to feed, deer hunting has been mostly about the meat for me, for quite a few years now.  

[Four Seasons]

15 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

I can relate to that, having gone thru a brief “trophy” stage myself, back before I was married and had kids.  I bought a piece of land that was a smidge over 5 acres, about 1/2 way between our farm and my grandparents farm.  It was in an area known for producing large antlered bucks.  
 

All went well for a few years, and it was especially nice having that other place, so that I could reduce the hunting pressure on the hundred acres on the other two farms where I had hunted all my life.  Up until the year that I killed (2) “trophies” on it, one on opening day of bow and the other on opening day of gun.  
 

It was a narrow slice of land, that cut into a large hardwood forrest.  Word got out, and the following season, neighbors put up (3) stands in sight of (and within 100 yards or so) of mine.  I didn’t see a single antlered deer there the following year, but usually at least one hunter, every time I went.  That’s the trouble with small pieces, no matter how good they might seem at first.  
 

Fortunately, the property had roughly doubled in value in the few years that I owned it and I was able to dump it for much more than I paid.  I used that cash to buy a new tractor and to make improvements on our home farm.  With a few extra hungry mouths to feed, deer hunting has been mostly about the meat for me, for quite a few years now.  

I find it funny when hunters use the term’s Trophy and meat hunters. You do know that those of us that choose to only kill Trophy mature bucks get just as much if not more meat then those so called meat hunters. Probably More. 

[Grouse]

Not if you pass up all the deer you could've shot for meat while waiting for a trophy that may not get tagged this tear.  And not if you don't fill doe tags.  Very few trophy hunters will put 3 deer in the freezer during rifle season.

[Four Seasons]

32 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Not if you pass up all the deer you could've shot for meat while waiting for a trophy that may not get tagged this tear.  And not if you don't fill doe tags.  Very few trophy hunters will put 3 deer in the freezer during rifle season.

Why do you think guys that hunt for the best in their area would not fill doe tags?  For the most part that must be done if you want mature bucks on your property. If there is a doe or two for every spike and four pointer around you won’t have much.  Anyone I know will fill their freezers yearly without ever shooting another antlered deer. Very few areas force hunters to shoot small bucks and even so a very short ride would put them in areas with plenty of deer to be had. Of course a trophy in most cases is a mature deer, most mature deer come with bigger headgear and most hunters have mature deer on the property they hunt. The question always come downs to do they have what it takes to hunt that deer being hunter skills or the time and passing of smaller deer while hunting that so called trophy. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

1 hour ago, Four Seasons said:

I find it funny when hunters use the term’s Trophy and meat hunters. You do know that those of us that choose to only kill Trophy mature bucks get just as much if not more meat then those so called meat hunters. Probably More. 

With very little fat.

[Doc]

I try not to worry too much about why other people hunt. I am just happy that they do hunt. If trophies are your thing that is between you and yourself and not really anyone else's business. If you simply want to hunt regardless of size, that too is just your own business and nobody else's.

At my age, I have stopped worrying about impressing anyone but myself. I am pretty happy that I can still climb that damned killer hill behind the house and live to tell about it.....lol. The first legal deer that comes along that is not a fawn is in big trouble. i guess that is what my version of a trophy has become. I hope there is no one here that thinks less of me for that.

[Four Seasons]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

I try not to worry too much about why other people hunt. I am just happy that they do hunt. If trophies are your thing that is between you and yourself and not really anyone else's business. If you simply want to hunt regardless of size, that too is just your own business and nobody else's.

At my age, I have stopped worrying about impressing anyone but myself. I am pretty happy that I can still climb that damned killer hill behind the house and live to tell about it.....lol. The first legal deer that comes along that is not a fawn is in big trouble. i guess that is what my version of a trophy has become. I hope there is no one here that thinks less of me for that.

Exactly. And if someone has three 130in bucks wandering their property then that will be their trophy. The whole Trophy vs Meat Hunter to me never held water. I won’t kill a buck unless it’s a mature trophy for my area and I don’t always kill a buck every year. But I do fill everyone’s freezer that I need to fill. And when I do kill that trophy I get even more meat then most because it will weigh 170lbs plus most times. 

[Grouse]

That being the case, you are both a trophy hunter and a meat hunter.  Die hard trophy hunters don't shoot anything but trophy bucks.  Many don't even eat the venison.

[Four Seasons]

6 hours ago, Grouse said:

That being the case, you are both a trophy hunter and a meat hunter.  Die hard trophy hunters don't shoot anything but trophy bucks.  Many don't even eat the venison.

I do only shoot trophy bucks. In my hunting area. I find a couple of the biggest mature bucks in my area and will harvest only them or a larger stranger that might show up. Nothing smaller. I also manage our lands to make it the best whitetail property possible. I think this so called Trophy Hunter that only kills top animals and does not consume them are far and few between. Personally at this point In my hunting career I need to find, hunt and harvest the best my area has to offer. To just harvest any whitetail buck in the area kinda takes the hunt out of the equation anymore. Not a real tough thing to accomplish. 

[First-light]

2 hours ago, Four Seasons said:

I do only shoot trophy bucks. In my hunting area. I find a couple of the biggest mature bucks in my area and will harvest only them or a larger stranger that might show up. Nothing smaller. I also manage our lands to make it the best whitetail property possible. I think this so called Trophy Hunter that only kills top animals and does not consume them are far and few between. Personally at this point In my hunting career I need to find, hunt and harvest the best my area has to offer. To just harvest any whitetail buck in the area kinda takes the hunt out of the equation anymore. Not a real tough thing to accomplish. 

I get trhis. Now trhat I', up here full time my time in the woods has gone way up. With that sightings of Trophy deer go up also. We took two mature Doe at Bow and 1 second day of gun. In the last two years I passed so many buck deer that I might not of if "time" was not in the equation. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

I enjoy hunting to be out in nature.  Enjoying what you do is what counts in life. Right?

[Four Seasons]

1 hour ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

I enjoy hunting to be out in nature.  Enjoying what you do is what counts in life. Right?

Exactly. And regardless what prey you are after we all get to enjoy the same nature. It’s just the goals that are different. 

[Daveboone]

Certainly not all 5 acres are created equal, but having your own piece of land tends to mean you really know it, and spend a lot more time out hunting . I have a modest 10 acre chunk with a little cabin, but having a warm place to spend the night and not having to drive to it arriving tired means I am spending a lot more time quality hunting then ever before.