As far as the growin alot more goes hes not going to this year. He is about maxed out the antlers have lost the big mass at the tips of each point that they have while they are growing so i would say hes about done for the year. as far as a shooter i probably wouldnt but i stand i could chance at shooting a wall hanger here plenty of does to loose an arrow on if im wantin meat.

No, he's not gonna grow much more....just a little more length "tipping out"

As far as being a shooter...only you can answer that

QuoteOriginally posted by Onestringer:
Dude they are all shooters aren't they?

couldnt have said it better myself.  

Should be tasty why not ! Any Deer with a bow is a trophy !

I'd shoot him. Pic is huge by the way, you may want to reduce it before it gets yanked.

What you see is pretty much what you'll get as far as size goes.  

Would I shoot him?  Depends: early season or late, seeing other more mature bucks or not, wanting meat or not, number of days left to be out hunting, etc.  Way too many variables to draw a conclusion here.  All I can say for sure is that I'd be more likely to take him with my bow than with a firearm.  

To me most any deer can be considered a trophy when you get them into arrow range by your own wit and hard work.

I've made a career out of shooting 1 1/2 bucks. Took my first buck that was 5 1/2 years old last season, the wife won't eat it. She said "why didn't you get one of the good tasting ones?" Now that I have the "buck of a lifetime" out of my system it's back to does and young bucks. Can't eat horn. Any critter with a stickbow is a trophy, if that fella was the right distance and angle he'd be done and I'd be darn proud of him.

Swamp buck I know exactly what you are talking about with the go button.  I swear I can be going to let a deer walk one second and 10 seconds later something takes hold of me and I am shootin.  Like said before shoot what you want and I doubt he will be much bigger this year.  But in 2 years he could be a deer I would spend a lot of money to mount just never know for sure what he will do.  There are some big six points out there.

Last night as I was flingin a few arrows I realized that I needed to amend my post to read...

"Shooter is in the eye of the Bow Holder"

That is up to you! For me he will walk,hes no more then 3.5 years old.He will get bigger but not this year.If you hunt in a spot where thers a lot of hunters there a good chance he will get shot.GOOD LUCK!          

In todays society we all get wrap up in the bigger is better mentality to a degree. Most people do not have to harvest a deer to survive but there are those of us who have to hunt to survive. If I hunt ,I kill and eat. It is a personal decision. I have shot big deer and tons of smaller ones. I still have one or two teeth left so there will be more of the smaller ones for me. If it feels right for you take him if not enjoy the moment and don't worry about the other.

You got teeth left, Jeff? Last time I seen you(last August) I for shure figgered you for dead 'fore Spring!

Looking forward to seeing "Ole Toothless" at the TBG Satiday night.

If so many people just meat hunt why don't they just shoot does and ugly raghorns?If they would do that they would still have plenty of meat and the trophy hunters wouldn't have to cuss about passing up young pretty bucks just for someone else to shoot them,saw off their horns and nail it to their barn.If you ain't gonna mount it please shoot a doe.I definately wouldn't shoot him because he has potential,he is a clean racked young deer that will make something nice if he lives long enough.

Any legal deer is a shooter for me... Once I have meat in the freezer I will let the small bucks walk. Does are always in trouble!!


John III

Leatherneck said it best shot what you want and be proud of it.

i'd be proud to get'em

The only reason you're asking is due to the magazines, shows, and vids out there showing every buck on the ground is a hawg...

Let that go and enjoy the moment...

To me, it's the day.  Sometimes a buck like that may take an arrow.  Somedays, I may kill the doe right in front of him, or wait for the buck behind...

You knew the(your) answer the minute you saw that pic.

Enjoy your season.

Happy hunting,
Jason

QuoteOriginally posted by Arrowhead80:
If you ain't gonna mount it please shoot a doe.

I can guarantee, with near 100% certainty, that I will never have a buck mounted.  So I should be shooting only does??

Maybe I'm reading too much into your post or maybe I need to wait for the coffee to kick in, but much of the flack hunters take from the general public is because of trophy hunting and the "need to shoot a big one" mentality.

The whole QDM gets to me too.  Some of the dumbest bucks I've come across have been on QDM properties.  They keep running across hunters who don't threaten them, then become accustomed to them and stopped running away - just like my 'yard deer'.  As a deer ages his body will get bigger, but not necessarily his antlers... I've been watching a 4pt for years.  He's starting to gray in the muzzle now.  There are some spikes running around here that are in their prime too.

I'm in this for the challenge.  Whether that challenge is to chase a particular animal (did that for 2 years starting when the deer was a yearling!), get within range of a big buck or fool an old doe (the hardest imo) doesn't matter.

Off to get another cup of java...

No one can tell you what a shooter is. That's a personal decision.

Shooting all does can get you in trouble.Di it long enough and you will sit many days and start wondering where all the deer are.  :D  You need a balance in things.I am hunting new land this year.Not a lot of deer from what I have seen so far.I will take two or 3 deer this year for the freezer.Depending on what kind of numbers I see will decide what I shoot.If I see numbers od does I will take some.If not many like I think I will kill only bucks,button bucks and fawns.Kill one mature doe and you will have 3 less deer next year.Kill two bucks and you will still have one more deer next year than you have now.I like hunting where I see deer more often than not no matter if I decide to shoot or watch.The always kill does for the freezer thing does not always work to that end.Those big does are the ones that spawn those big bucks some are looking.Use good judgement if you are in this stuff for the long haul.     jmo