As a kid i grew up in "bucks only" family. last year i shot my fist doe at age 51. i've gone from just wanting that first buck to getting "the buck" and now finally just a deer.
as i try to live more simply i just want to hunt and enjoy the experience. my story just wondered how you've evolved?
I am happy with just shooting a deer, but if I know a good buck is in the area i will start hunting him.
I do both. I hunt deer until one gets within 15 yards of me, then I hunt "a" deer. Tough to pass up any deer, they all taste so good. Oklahoma has started trying to thin the herd and has reduced our number of bucks to two a year. Would like to think I could hold out on a small buck and wait on a doe, but I don't always have a lot of discipline in that area.
I've done both......and still do, to an extent.
I'm not picky on does. I'm just picky on when/where I'll take them.
First one that comes along.....buck, doe, yearling. I won't shoot one with spots, but everything else is fair game.
when i was younger , if it had horns i was shooten, now i let the little bucks go, if a nice buck comes by ,great if not does taste just fine
Public hunting here in WI typically you are hunting deer. If you have patterned a deer it has been my experience you are in the middle of now where or its good fortune. I have gone several seasons without having a buck close but lots of does. As I find myself hunting the rut more I see more bucks. I can pattern the dogs, horseback riders, hikers, and kids playing easier than the deer.
Whatever God is willing to put my way, I'll take it. Always hunted public land and never had to time to really search for a deer.
Depends on circumstances.
Now that I am after my 1st trad deer. I am after any deer. Doe or buck w/ no regards to antlers. I need to break the ice. Having my 1st miss w/ trad gear last year.
Usually, It depends on how much I have in the freezer that decides if I'm shootn or not. I try to get a couple of does early then wait or the bigger bucks. Now, I will let smaller bucks walk. That wasnt the case when I was younger. Back in the day, any atlered buck was a trophy.
I have in the past, hunted A deer. Man was he big. Seen him two weeks b4 season opened. Hunted him hard, only to never see him again. Thats my luck. Torwards the end of seson, I killed a couple of does for the freezer.
Like I've read elsewhere "I'm a trophy hunter...until something comes along!" d;^)
I have never been a one deer man. First legal option has as good a chance to get shot at as any.
What ron w said. Here in Illinois we can kill two bucks a year, but can pretty much shoot as many does as we want to buy tags for. If I've already killed a buck and there's still a lot of season left I might hold on to that other either-sex tag just in case I were to happen upon a big boy, but for the most part I'm happy with whatever offers itself up. To tell you the truth, I'd rather have a 1 and half year old doe than just about anything.... mmmmmmm... tasty!
Not picky. We try to use the whole deer from meat to hide. We can harvest 6 deer, so thats lots of meat and hides for my familey and friends.
GOOD LUCK!!! :bigsmyl:
I have a few on my list. :pray:
I'm after one particular buck this year but I may have to shoot a nice doe in the meantime.
where I hunt in Massachusetts I'm lucky to see more than one deer all season....so I cannot pass on many shot ops. so I guess, I hunt deer. in other areas, like Connecticut I can be more choosy (but I'm there to shoot does too)...so it depends.
I bathe in apple cider, and then the deer hunt ME! :bigsmyl:
since i hunt only with the bow now i will take the first legal deer (no spots). once i have meat in the freezer i just hunt. if it feels right i will take another but if not i will just enjoy the encounter. mature bucks are most likely going to feel right but seem to be few and far between.
i just may have to try your tactic this year Roger! :biglaugh:
Big fan of shooting any doe but won't just shoot any buck. Won't shoot yearling or "small" bucks. Instead of shooting just any small buck (just to say I shot a buck) I will shoot does. The landowner likes the doe shooting too by the way. Always pays to keep him happy!!!
Buck or doe, I will reach out for a buck and hunt harder
I get selective after there's meat in the freezer.
Still trying to get my first so, I hunt either. Even after that, I will still probably just be trying to get meat in the freezer.
Either.....any without spots......OK, I have passed on a very few small bucks early in October when I knew I would have vacation to burn later in the year.
Until now with a one deer per year any weapon, I have pretty much hunted any deer. Now that I have a place to hunt an expanded zone that allows me extra deer it will be any deer in the expanded zone, to put meat in the freezer. Once I succeed in that the goal is then to try for a bigger buck.
My family and I eat too much venison to just get 'a' deer. Plus, there are too many deer here to begin with. Bucks are a different story we can only kill one, but does...well, not many get free passes! The young ones are sooo tasty too lol.
I am a deer hunter. And if it is nice and fat I go after that! I have never had the luxury of hunting a particular deer but a nice big buck for my naked wall this year would be nice!
I hunt all deer... 2 buck limit (archery) in MO with unlimited doe tags at $7.00 per tag. I actually hunt to try and kill does. Small bucks get a pass. They will be bigger next year.
I saw several nice bucks last year that I will be looking for. Little usually get a free pass but if any does get in my way prior to the start of the rut or after it ends they are in trouble. Usually there are enough does around to fill my freezer without killing young bucks. I like to hunt till the end of the season anyway!!
if its legal and ethical , i will take a shot
I hunt deer until I have two in the freezer. After that I start looking for a decent buck to hunt if I have not gotten on to one all ready. I will even find a decent buck and keep the pressure on him light by hunting very selectively for him before the rut. Then I will hunt other spots to keep working on filling the freezer. Unless he is really a big one I will shoot what comes along even if I am hunting an area for him. Eating is priority one. Anything 1.5 years and up goes down if it gets close. After #3 or when the rut kicks in I go only for the larger bucks I think are in my hunting area. I just can't shoot small bucks or does during the rut unless the freezer is empty and that would be an unusual year.
I choose to purchase only one deer tag a year (either sex). I will shoot the first deer that comes close enough (except fawns) as all I want is some venison.
Been after the same buck for two years, hope he made it for the third year, had two chances at him for rifle but he was running and didn't want to put a bad shot on him. He is a dandy.
Stalking and Still Hunting is my game. I'll take any deer that The Lord gives me. There was a time I saw a good buck with a group of does. Let the ladies walk right by me at very close range in order to get a shot at him. NOT! Got Busted!
Gotta love this close-up stuff. Gets my heart rate up big time. :)
... mike ...
Well Depends on where I hunt!
I haven't killed a deer yet with a trad bow. Had two close calls when I was a youngster and learned some important lessons. Both times the arrow went where I was aiming but the deer wasn't there yet/anymore!
Planning on getting back to it this year. If I am hunting on friends property it will either be a big doe or big buck. On public property or the horse farm, first good opportunity spots and all. (even though spots are usually gone by mid Oct. here). Just want to get the first one under my belt and in my tummy!
-Charlie
I always start horn hunting but then my belly grumbles every time a deer offers a shot.I never pass up an opportunity to take venison home.After meat in the freezer then I get picky. Of course that can always change in a split second.
Little bit of both, I will always take one of the fat does; Lots of bonus tags here. But lets face it we are all looking for a dandy of a wall hanger.
Good looking hat racks are nice.
D
I hunt any deer, but I have this problem shooting does. Not that I won't, but I always have this feeling that there may be a buck following behind them. Usually, there's not.
PA has a point restriction law, so spikes and forkhorns are off limits. I don't really mind that, but it has foced me to pass on a couple bucks I otherwise would have shot (at). I like big bucks as much as anybody else, but I sorta like litlle "scrub" bucks too, so I'm torn on the antler restriction thing.
Basically, I hunt deer and set up in areas that I figure will have decent traffic that I can get close to. Anymore, I tend to let the younger bucks (<4yrs) walk, but not always. Does w/o fawns are are on shaky ground.
If it's brown it's down around here.
I hunt for the meat. If Biggun shows up first then I just might put him on the wall :rolleyes: but if mama and and yearlings are piddling around to long... Something just comes over me like wiley coyote looking at roadrunner, All I see is steak and taters. :bigsmyl:
Now when Spring turkey get's here it's all about the hunt and finding that boss tom. Ain't much meat on them boogers anyhow and I can't find much better than than that big boy struttin' into range!
Here's the one I'm hunting this year. He eluded me last year so I hope he's around and I get a crack at him.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Hunting/IMG_0535.jpg)