So whats a "shooter" buck.... For you.

[TreeGuy]

Mature. For some reason I can usually tell within seconds of seeing them, then I go in the zone. I strive for 3.5 and older. I have no problem passing a young buck last day of season with no meat in the freezer,and I can also say that even though it's tough,I never look back on a buckless season full of passed 2.5yr olds. Being in the stand satisfies my reasons for "hunting" and chasing mature bucks keeps me on my toes and creates a legit challenge every year.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

For me any deer killed while walking and still hunting in the adirondacks is good enough for me. I'm for the meat not the bone.

[Gencountyzeek]

For me whatever im happy with, i may not shoot one,  ill shoot a couple doe for meat and wait. 

[Core]

First in range. I'm still reeling from my first two years in which I got a shot opportunity every dozen hunts or so. A bird in the hand for me.

[Reb]

6pt or more for me,I have alot of does on my property so I will take some of those for meat if no older bucks show themselves.  I have a friend that will shoot any buck that moves and thinks I'm crazy,everyone is different.

[nyslowhand]

I generally get some decent, mature, shooter-type bucks around my area caught on trail cams during summer time. I don't assign them a :"top 5 #", have no hit list, rarely name them and do NOT have a single head mount on my wall. Sad fact - When the velvet comes off, there are times you might never see a decent buck again while hunting. I ruined one hunting season by holding out for that "one shooter BB" I'd gotten photos of all summer long. Disappointing & frustration season, only to later learn a neighbor shot him with a 7mm!! It is what it is.

For me, it's all about what gets my adrenaline flowing, the heart pounding & the overall experience or encounter. For the record, I do try and hold out for a mature BB. There are times when a 6pt buck's encounter has gotten my "heart pumping" and I took him. Another time I shot a doe & a basket 8pt within minutes after the bow season opener (~7AM on Oct 1st).  Also times while hunting the last weekend of SZ bow season I've been .. less discriminating with my expectations and smaller bucks become fair game. There have been times in the past when putting meat on the table was the most important objective. Not so much any more, so the overall hunting experience and unexpected encounters are much more satisfying.

Everyone defines a shooter buck differently. It can be meat on the table, a P&Y caliber buck, one taken with more primitive weapons or simply one that gets the heart pumping. No right or wrong answer to OP's proposed question!!.

[farmhunter]

I've hunted 34 years - Since 2010 - my rule has been 2.5 year or older min.  And most years I aim a little higher and let plenty of 2.5 year old's pass. I've gone several years in there without taking a buck (but my doe totals have grown by a lot).  As with some of the others - I've enjoyed harvesting about every size buck over the years and some of my favorite memories involved taking bucks I wouldn't shoot anymore.  I always remember that - not just with the kid hunters - but even those in there 30s etc. 

So while I stick with my min rule - there are times when I wont settle for the min. - I just love the hunt, and the chase.  I like to know what bucks are out there - and have a shooter list that I usually know pretty well.

does are for meat in my world - cannot take enough of them - I took 4 last year

[Larry]

A shooter buck is a buck that looks like its live weight is 200lb or better. I don't chase antlers I chase deer.

One thing I wont do is shoot a buck on the last day of the season that I wouldn't shoot on the first day. the 2^nd thing I don't do is if I kill a buck in bow season I will not kill another buck unless it's bigger than the first buck (here's where I use antler size)the last time I did that was 2004. I use my 2^nd tag to keep going out like I said I like to chase deer.

[Buckmaster7600]

With out giving up your spots if I want to do a lot of walking stalking  on more or less flat ground in the adirondacks what general area is best . 

Flat ground and Adirondacks goes together like oil and water. I’ve hunted from the southern edge of the adks to the st Lawrence sea way and from Vermont to Lake Ontario and there just isn’t to much flat ground. If flat ground is a pre requisite I suggest heading to St Lawrence county. It’s the northern edge of the adks and there are some big flat state land areas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hock3y24]

For me, changes by the season, and location. PA 3.5 YO or better. NY i shoot for 3.5 as long as i fill some doe tags, if not sometimes ill shoot a good 2.5 year old. I'm in this for the food number 1, and to enjoy myself, if all i'm doing is chasing antlers ill give it up. 

[Doc]

15 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Two things that I count myself extremely blessed to have never experienced are: #1, Passing a small "legal" buck, and not being rewarded with a larger one later during that same season (the fastest was about 2 minutes later) #2, Killing a small buck and seeing a larger one, that I could have taken, while hunting later with only doe permit(s) left.  

For those who have experienced either of those situations, I would like to know:  1.) How did you feel about it after the season ended ?  If you could go back and shoot or not shoot that first little buck, would you still have done it ?..........................

I don't spend a lot of time anguishing over "would have, could have, or should have" situations. Whether a decision turns out to have been the best or not, I am never disappointed over a decision that was later effected by circumstances of "luck". I make the best decisions at the time that I can and accept the outcomes of these kinds of decisions without a whole lot of regret. Just like so much in hunting, a lot of the outcomes are a result of happenstance and luck. When you get all hung up on the "what-ifs" of the hunt you are taking a lot of the fun and satisfaction out of the activity. It's all good! I'll soon be entering the age where any deer that I get will be a good deal, and I don't intend to spoil any of it with recriminations regarding the size or age of deer I got. I'll just be celebrating another successful year in the woods with an additional bonus of having some fresh venison.

[Team Hoyt]

I would have to say, depends on how full the freezer is. But now with the lease I'd like to let anything 4 points or smaller walk. 

[Five Seasons]

15 hours ago, G-Man said:

tough to tell a bb late season running or at distance . with a bow i would agree 

.gun well ive shot a 103lb dressed button that was bigger than my freid father 101lb spike. really thought i was shooting a doe with 2 fawns. till i rolled it over and it had a sack...lol

i agree that it's not easy to tell and mistakes happen. Hopefully we're trying our best not to shoot at running deer right? Consciously shooting a bb was my point. 

15 hours ago, NYBowhunter said:

Hate to break the news  to you but there are alot of wmu's that already have AR, which by the way has nothing to do with shooting button bucks. By the rules and regs a BB is considered a doe and im sure are factored into part of the annual anterless harvest totals.  Even if AR were to go statewide, how would that protect a BB? 

I didn't think this was complicated. shoot enough bb's and you'll get less 1.5, 2.5's etc. Guys will complain. And those wmu's with ARs (you're not breaking anything to me) will just expand update. So like I said, you can practice good QDM  and we can keep our freedoms of shooting what we want, or we can brown it's down until the state takes action. Right now it's in all of our hands. 

[G-Man]

24 minutes ago, Belo said:

i agree that it's not easy to tell and mistakes happen. Hopefully we're trying our best not to shoot at running deer right? Consciously shooting a bb was my point. 

I didn't think this was complicated. shoot enough bb's and you'll get less 1.5, 2.5's etc. Guys will complain. And those wmu's with ARs (you're not breaking anything to me) will just expand update. So like I said, you can practice good QDM  and we can keep our freedoms of shooting what we want, or we can brown it's down until the state takes action. Right now it's in all of our hands. 

i wont get into ethics ,but shooting running deer is not hard to do and can be learned very easily. there is a saying 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the game and there is reasons behind that. practice is a big one.  

with bow close still shots are the norm and a button can he identified pretty easily. gun is much different  and different methods of hunting are used. id beyond antelered or anterless may be all that is possible

[SilentStalker]

I am much like many who have responded. I usually set goals/standards prior to the year, however if it feels right in the moment, then i am happy with whatever i choose to harvest.  

[Five Seasons]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

i wont get into ethics ,but shooting running deer is not hard to do and can be learned very easily. there is a saying 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the game and there is reasons behind that. practice is a big one.  

with bow close still shots are the norm and a button can he identified pretty easily. gun is much different  and different methods of hunting are used. id beyond antelered or anterless may be all that is possible

i think you and I are mostly in agreement. And I don't think you would deny, that the 10%, which is skilled enough to shoot a running deer, should have better, more efficient meat generating opportunities than the button buck; which despite it's genitalia, is still a small deer.

Edited September 28, 2018 by Belo

[wolc123]

7 hours ago, Doc said:

I don't spend a lot of time anguishing over "would have, could have, or should have" situations. Whether a decision turns out to have been the best or not, I am never disappointed over a decision that was later effected by circumstances of "luck". I make the best decisions at the time that I can and accept the outcomes of these kinds of decisions without a whole lot of regret. Just like so much in hunting, a lot of the outcomes are a result of happenstance and luck. When you get all hung up on the "what-ifs" of the hunt you are taking a lot of the fun and satisfaction out of the activity. It's all good! I'll soon be entering the age where any deer that I get will be a good deal, and I don't intend to spoil any of it with recriminations regarding the size or age of deer I got. I'll just be celebrating another successful year in the woods with an additional bonus of having some fresh venison.

Thank  you for you honest reply to my questions.  I am of the same opinion, except for the "luck" part.   I asked those questions because I am struggling a little more than usual with the "pass or not to pass" decision this year, for two reasons: First, my wife has plans for the long Thanksgiving weekend that do not allow for any hunting.   That might push me to use my tag on even the first 3" long spike, tiny-bodied buck that wanders into range on opening weekend of gun season.   For me, the worst outcome of hunting season, is an empty freezer, because our family depends heavily on that meat.   Secondly, Due to the "2018 Hunting New York challenge", I would be more inclined than usual to let a smaller antlered buck walk.   Fortunately, one of those "new" developments pushes towards the "pass", and the other towards the "kill", leaving me right where I have been for a few years now: First half of the season(s):  2.5 year and/or 3 or more points on a side - kill.  Second half: Anything goes.   

Have you ever killed a small antlered buck and had a later opportunity to kill a larger one, but you could not because your tag was already punched ?  I remember reading that one popular member here had such a situation (I think it was during archery) last fall.   I do not remember if he had any regrets about that, but the fact that he posted it, leads me to believe there may have been at least a little.   Since it has never happened to me, I can not say with certainty, if I would have regrets.  On a normal year, I suspect that I might.   This year, I probably would not.  At least we will have a little bit of "free" food and my wife will be happy about her "family-time" plans.   I also understand why passing small bucks is no big deal for those who put little or no  value on the meat.       

[dbHunterNY]

18 hours ago, Storm914 said:

With out giving up your spots if I want to do a lot of walking stalking  on more or less flat ground in the adirondacks what general area is best . 

parking lot.

[wolc123]

3 hours ago, Belo said:

 Hopefully we're trying our best not to shoot at running deer right?

That is easy to say, if you place little or no value on the meat and/or get lots of chances to kill standing deer.   Our family depends on that meat for our own survival, I work a lot of hours thru hunting season and don't get a lot of time to hunt.   I practice shooting at moving targets throughout the year (thousands of shots).  I can usually get pretty close to the hair I am aiming at, even if the deer is running as fast as it can.   My shot at one last year struck an inch or two forward of where I intended, but still got the job done.  That shot gave us just enough venison to make it thru to this season.

Here are a couple of friendly reminders for you: 

# 1:  Rather than pointing out the spec in your brother's eye, consider the log in your own.

#2: Think a bit about what you intend to post before hitting "submit"  

[NFA-ADK]

These are all NY bucks. Top 2 from ADK next 2 from Catskill area, last 2 Long Island.  All shooters, hope this gets the blood pumping!!!  Only top 2 are mine. 

 

[moog5050]

1 minute ago, NFA-ADK said:

These are all NY bucks. Top 2 from ADK next 2 from Catskill area, last 2 Long Island.  All shooters, hope this gets the blood pumping!!!  Only top 2 are mine. 

 

Yep - shooters by any standard.  That first one with you in the pic is a hoss.

[NFA-ADK]

Hope everyone at one point gets to wrap there hands around one of these beauties!  Good luck this year! 

[Five Seasons]

2 hours ago, wolc123 said:

That is easy to say, if you place little or no value on the meat and/or get lots of chances to kill standing deer.   Our family depends on that meat for our own survival, I work a lot of hours thru hunting season and don't get a lot of time to hunt.   I practice shooting at moving targets throughout the year (thousands of shots).  I can usually get pretty close to the hair I am aiming at, even if the deer is running as fast as it can.   My shot at one last year struck an inch or two forward of where I intended, but still got the job done.  That shot gave us just enough venison to make it thru to this season.

Here are a couple of friendly reminders for you: 

# 1:  Rather than pointing out the spec in your brother's eye, consider the log in your own.

#2: Think a bit about what you intend to post before hitting "submit"  

so the guy who shoots deer in the ass and relies on jesus to guide his arrow is going to lecture me on his skilled precision shooting 

thank you for reminding me why I left this place for a while. I really don't care what you shoot and how you shoot it. If you think killing button bucks is good for the sport and the herd. have at it.

 

good grief.

[wooly]

I have a very strict criteria for what kind of buck is a shooter to me.

Requirement #1 is it must have some kind of antler....even better if it has TWO antlers!

That's really my ONLY requirement.

Most of the time I'll shoot for something within this range!

[Fletch]

As a lot have said my requirements change with many factors. Primary is how does the freezer look and how late it is in the season. Early season I will let all 1.5s walk. What is different where I hunt is I do not get many doe opportunities. So if I get a chance on a doe early and score then I will continue to hold out for a bigger deer and I mean body size. If the freezer is bare and season is running out well chewing on tags is not why I hunt.