pass..pass...pass...bah time running out!

[newbreed]

so this year i have been passing on everything cause theres a big 10 i got on trail cam that i want to kill. i have had 3 incounters with this but that last being yesterday morning he was 25 yards out....one problem is it was 6:15am way to dark to even think about shooting. im starting to think i should just take the next buck i see. the spot i have been in the past 5 sits i have had 8 diff bucks less then 20 yards away everything from spike to small basket eights. i have always killed the 1st buck i have had a shot at. this is getting frustrating

[fasteddie]

Are you a meat or trophy hunter . Take the next buck and hope you can get Mr Big during gun season . I have eaten several Buck Tags passing on 6 points and less .

[Deerthug]

Are you a meat or trophy hunter . Take the next buck and hope you can get Mr Big during gun season . I have eaten several Buck Tags passing on 6 points and less .

I agree 100%. Wait till gun opens next week.

[newbreed]

i hunt for both. just havent hade a shot at a good doe this year.

[newbreed]

im just bored of shooting 1.5 and small 2.5 bucks its time for me to step it up a notch

[dave6x6]

I say step it up a notch and hold off til gun. Sounds like you don't want to shoot a smaller buck so don't. There is no shame in eating a tag and you still have gun and muzzy to try for mr. 10. If you don't shoot one of those small ones this yr then maybe you'll have more than one to get you fired up about next yr. Pretty sure you'll find a way to get a doe or two on the ground and in the freezer so don't settle for anything less than what will make you happy.

[nyantler]

im just bored of shooting 1.5 and small 2.5 bucks its time for me to step it up a notch

that says it all right there..wait it out...don't settle if it doesn't blow your skirt up.

[Hoyt 300]

3 years ago I decided not to shoot any young Bucks. It's been hard but I have held strong. Last Saturday on an all day sit I saw 17 Deer only 3 were Does. A huge 8 pt, 2 good sized 6 pts, a very nice smaller 8 pt and the rest were Spikes . Doe eat very well and I just can't see using tags on young Bucks. If only my neighbors would get on board maybe we could get some real trophies off this hill.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I ate every archery buck tag I ever had, until this year. I had been holding out for a big one, but ended up deciding to take a 6 this year. I was a little disappointed in myself for not holding out, but part of me is glad to just have that monkey off my back. Ill be going back to eating tag soup if I cant take something outside the ears from here on out though. If it makes you happy, and is a legal deer, take it. If basket 8s and such dont do it for you anymore, hold out.

[rong]

it's very hard to hold out,but also can be very rewarding,as mentioned by 6x6,youve got alot of seson to fill the freezer,and if that basket 6,or 8 makes next yr you may be watching him,either way good luck!!

[newbreed]

• thanks for all the advice guys. i got 2-3 more sits this week so hopefully i can get it done.
  

[nyantler]

I have gone 12 years now without taking a buck with my recurve... I have passed on more bucks than most guys have seen in there lifetime... my goal is to take a Pope & Young buck on the ground with my recurve at 20 yards or less... how's that for really handcuffing yourself..??? But thats what is fun for me now... I could have taken a buck every year for those 12 years, but that wouldn't have done it for me... I know that when I finally reach my goal... if I ever do... that buck will definitely be special. and I can't even tell you how many cool experiences I have had watching bucks knowing that I wasn't going to shoot them...and with the bigger bucks that I just couldn't get close enough to.. to each his own I guess..I thoroughly acknowledge that I am a bit strange..lol

[Dave]

I have gone 12 years now without taking a buck with my recurve... I have passed on more bucks than most guys have seen in there lifetime... my goal is to take a Pope & Young buck on the ground with my recurve at 20 yards or less... how's that for really handcuffing yourself..??? But thats what is fun for me now... I could have taken a buck every year for those 12 years, but that wouldn't have done it for me... I know that when I finally reach my goal... if I ever do... that buck will definitely be special. and I can't even tell you how many cool experiences I have had watching bucks knowing that I wasn't going to shoot them...and with the bigger bucks that I just couldn't get close enough to.. to each his own I guess..I thoroughly acknowledge that I am a bit strange..lol

Keep at it Joe as long as you know there are big ones where you hunt. I once read you can't hunt big bucks if you don't have them to hunt. You can only hunt what's there.

[Fletch]

Would it be wrong saying shoot the 1.5 year old buck. The doe you saved will have 1 or maybe even two buck fawns so for 1 deer you saved 3. And the 1.5 year old buck eats real well!! Farmers would agree with me, antler hunters not.

That being said do what will make you happy. No one can tell you what is a success to you.

I have the problem that I see more bucks than does. I know not a problem right! It is if you want to harvest a doe. My # 1 objective is do not leave an empty freezer. I pass a lot of small ones up and have been rewarded the last few years. This year I was running out of time and took a 1.5. I can not count on even getting a shot at any deer after the regular shooting season starts here.Now if I had a private set up on a good chunk of land that might change my answer.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Fletch

[StripedBuck]

You are determinded to get that big boy and you will! Just give it a little more time, you already have and eventually he is gonna make the mistake of getting close to you. Best of luck I'm looking forward to the pics when it all happens.

[dave6x6]

Would it be wrong saying shoot the 1.5 year old buck. The doe you saved will have 1 or maybe even two buck fawns so for 1 deer you saved 3. And the 1.5 year old buck eats real well!! Farmers would agree with me, antler hunters not.

That being said do what will make you happy. No one can tell you what is a success to you.

I have the problem that I see more bucks than does. I know not a problem right! It is if you want to harvest a doe. My # 1 objective is do not leave an empty freezer. I pass a lot of small ones up and have been rewarded the last few years. This year I was running out of time and took a 1.5. I can not count on even getting a shot at any deer after the regular shooting season starts here.Now if I had a private set up on a good chunk of land that might change my answer.

In this case and in the question you raised in your first paragraph, i would say yes it would be wrong to shoot the 1.5yr old. The original poster stated that he has a goal to shoot a big deer and has even gotten a bit tired of small 1.5's and 2.5's so i think he should hang tough and do all he can to reach his big deer goal. And as far as farmers agreeing with you to shoot the 1.5, i would disagree. Both antler hunters and Farmers would much rather see you take a doe and leave the buck. (Of course the farmer would prefer you take both). But shooting the young buck instead helps neither group. He won't be around to grow another yr. and the doe will be here to drop a couple more fawns into his fields to eat. If i mis-understood your statement, i apologize, but big deer hunters and farmers are usually in agreement on shooting does. Edited November 14, 2011 by dave6x6

[nyantler]

Keep at it Joe as long as you know there are big ones where you hunt. I once read you can't hunt big bucks if you don't have them to hunt. You can only hunt what's there.

i haven't ever found that to be true.. there is always one nice buck in every area... but i suppose there are fellas that only have small places to hunt which means the chances might be smaller of seeing that one big one... I have numerous hunting spots and I often travel to out of the way state property that I haven't hunted just to look for bigger bucks... I spend very little time hunting anywhere that I feel will be unproductive... there will always be big bucks someplace... the harder you look the easier they are to find... sitting in one spot that has never produced big bucks is similar to the definition of insanity " Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results."

[bkln]

... Last Saturday on an all day sit I saw 17 Deer only 3 were Does...

Not for nothing brother, but where do you hunt that you see 17 deer a day?

I have been out 12 times so far this year and only saw 4 deer on 3 occasions (and I missed :-(), seriously, what you see is a deer paradise....

Enjoy it.

[G-Man]

Same here passed little bucks everyday i've been out, shot low on one i liked A nice 8 with a sticker off his mainbeam then had a 140" walk out 125yrds in front of me while tracking. Good news is my friend saw the one i hit low last night so its fine...whew.. 2 miles of tracking eving before and the next mornig kind of had me convinced anyway.(low brisket shot). Sounds like your willing to wait for a nice one and thats the only way it will happen. I take a small game head with me and when i'm getting really fustrated i'll take a squirrl or rabbit or my favorite grouse. Keeps me sharp and lets me refocus on waiting for a good buck!

[WNYBuckHunter]

Not for nothing brother, but where do you hunt that you see 17 deer a day?

I have been out 12 times so far this year and only saw 4 deer on 3 occasions (and I missed :-(), seriously, what you see is a deer paradise....

Enjoy it.

Looks like hes hunting in the fingerlakes area. 17 deer in 1 day isnt that uncommon around here, especially if you have a decent spot. 14 different bucks in one day though, Id say that hes hunting some nicely managed property.

[dave6x6]

Ya 17 deer is pretty much slightly better than normal day in 8H. As long as you have a decent size chunk of turf and some agr. on it.

Edited November 15, 2011 by dave6x6

[Geno C]

i feel you newbreed, ive passed every buck i have seen this season so far with a few in between with no shots or shots i just plain wont take. there is no shame in it and i like yourself are tired of taking 1.5's also. Some dont have the liberty to hold off of deer but if you do, do it...

[Deerguy]

I have passed several bucks this year from a spike to a small eight pointer waiting on something a little better knowing I might eat tag soup. Gun season starts Saturday and I hope I can see something bigger to shoot. This is the chance we take when we trophy hunt.

[Dave]

i feel you newbreed, ive passed every buck i have seen this season so far with a few in between with no shots or shots i just plain wont take. there is no shame in it and i like yourself are tired of taking 1.5's also. Some dont have the liberty to hold off of deer but if you do, do it...

Geno its not fair to compare you passing up on smaller bucks on Long Island where you know there are much bigger bucks running around. My pals hunt Long Island and they have a 6 pt rule or better and they all tag out every year. Why because there are lots of bigger bucks there. Now the guys up north don't have the opportunities you have , no farms and lots of woods deer with little to eat makes for fewer big deer and less opportunity to get one. You can only hunt what your area has to offer. Don't compare apples to oranges and I live on long Island and hunt up north no comparison. This is not to criticize it's just different on long island and the racks are much bigger and more of them.

[newbreed]

well i got a evening sit tonight and i took off tomorrow morning with my dad so we can hunt together hopefully i can get a doe or a nice buck on the ground.