shoot or do not shoot

[sweet old bill]

It is the first day of the bow season and a 4 point buck walks under your stand do you shoot ? or just say I have another x number of days of the season "so I will just wait"

Now it is 2 more days of the season what do you do now shoot or no shoot ?????

I have waited several times and then got nothing but tag soup. SO for me if it is a adult deer I shoot............

[Doc]

This may sound like a cop-out, but it really depends on how I feel. I have done both. A lot depends on my assessment of the herd and what opportunities that I think I might have as the season goes on. It's not much of a concern for me now, but I have also had years in the past when I had to consider my schedule and how much hunting time I would actually have during that season. There have been times when I figured I'd better take the first legal deer that comes along, and other times when I've been feeling pretty confident because of scouting sign, etc. when I've let some pretty nice animals go by with expectations that I could do better.

Doc

[fasteddie]

Unless it was a good sized body 4 point I think I would pass knowing I had 2 more days of bow hunting . If I knew the weather was going to be real crappy , I might shoot the deer and then take the next 2 days and get ready for gun season .

[sits in trees]

i would generally shoot a doe and let a 4 point walk, but wouldnt hold against a hunter for bagging a 4 point if he so desired.

[Doewhacker]

I think I might wait this year but who knows...its awefull hard to pass up a good shot with the bow. Last year I shot a scrubby 6 opening day of bow, if I had looked a little closer I would have realized he was on the small size weighing only 115#. But then again we hunt our one area to kill deer and help the farmer out by thinning out the population, its a tough decision sometimes.

[biggamefish]

  I would always shoot.  Like you said tag soup is a little starchy.

[vipertech]

I hold out for older/larger bucks and wait for does during the early archery season.  Not saying tagging a 4-point is bad but I can't stand the thought that I might "use up" my buck tag only to have a great buck stroll by on the next hunt. The feeling is made worse when I know good bucks are in the area via my game camera. 

[fasteddie]

I hold out for older/larger bucks and wait for does during the early archery season.  Not saying tagging a 4-point is bad but I can't stand the thought that I might "use up" my buck tag only to have a great buck stroll by on the next hunt. The feeling is made worse when I know good bucks are in the area via my game camera.

I totally agree with that ! I am a victim of many of Murphy's Laws . I believe that if I shot a small racked buck , a huge 10 pointer would immediately walk under my stand . I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a doe though .

[Fairgame]

The whole Murphy's law thing happened to me last year.  Shot my eight pointer on the third day of bow season, two weeks later had a bigger eight in front of me.  I am still happy with the deer I got dont get me wrong.

[biggamefish]

  This is where your individual judgment comes in.  Which I think is great.  I let deer walk by sometimes then others I don't can't tell you why.  I hunt in some high presured areas though so when I see one and it is close enough I take the shot.  I think if I had 100 acres or so and I knew there where some nice deer around that weren't overly pressured I would tend to let little deer walk by.

[Fantail]

  This is where your individual judgment comes in.  Which I think is great.  I let deer walk by sometimes then others I don't can't tell you why. ..

I would tend to agree.

[rock]

i let them walk i dont mind tag soup if i want a deer i shoot a doe

[Doc]

Sounds like there are a lot of gunhunters who are not going to have the "doe option" this year.

[CNYlungbuster]

Can't believe this hasn't been said yet "Don't pass something on the first day that you would shoot on the last" - Hunter Proverb lol.  I personally won't shoot a buck unless its at least 2.5 my personal choice to each his own but if I see a nice 2.5 walk past on the first day he'll get an arrow sent to him express air mail.    Won't be waiting around for a bigger one unless I'm hunting a specific buck based off of scouting. 

my $.02

CNY

[woodsdweller]

Get the castiron warmed up and start cutting the onions because i am on my way in with fresh back straps!!!!!!!!!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I pass on the opener....with 2 days left I pull the trigger on the release....unless I have filled my antlerless only tag...then I wait for muzzleloader

[WNYBuckHunter]

If it was on my regular hunting land, Id pass on that deer (assuming its a young deer and not an old guy on the downslope) opening day, Id also pass on him the last day of the season. Just my preference. My preference might be different depending on the time of the year if I was on state land though.

[ny hunter]

I have to let  4pt go do to antler restrictions.Iassume they also are in place for bow season as well.

[burmjohn]

I have to let  4pt go do to antler restrictions.Iassume they also are in place for bow season as well.

Yes they are in place for all seasons.

[furman_ny]

Opening day-pass anywhere, 2 days left in season-pass unless hunting on heavily pressured state land, then I probably think about it too long and he would walk away. Usually many of the bigger bucks around here are taken in muzzleloading season, probably rather save the tag and hope for bigger one then. I have taken quite a few smaller buck early in bow season in the past, rather wait and see what happens now. Although any deer with bow is good one in my mind, so if ya choose to, let er fly.

[agross]

If i was holding my recurve...shoot. (have yet to get a deer with it).  If i'm holding the compound pass and wait for a doe.

[ny hunter]

Thankyou burmjohn I was'nt sure.

[SteveMcD]

Well.. I have been hunting a particular buck for 3 seasons now as of this year. And I have eaten tag soup as a result. This buck will either die of old age, car accident or shot by another hunter. But as of Today, he is still alive and well. And he is the one I am hunting. However, I will take a doe on the Antlerless tag first this time around. Meat for the freezer first. But there is still a single buck I am hunting.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Well Steve...to hold out for 3 seasons he must be a slammer......I can't wait to see a pic of him.....hopefully on the ground with a big smiling Steeve in the background...Good luck

[fasteddie]

Steve ---- when your neighbor shoots that Big Boy see if you can get a picture to post !  : ... :D