will this buck be a shooter?

[FeelTheHunt]

im thinkin this will be a nice PA buck this year, but do you guys think hell grow alot more?

[SouthMDShooter]

for me probably not, id let him walk and take more pics of him

[leatherneck]

Only you can answer the question of weather he is a shooter or not. You buy your own tag, not anyone else. If he is what you want, then take him. But most of all, be proud of whatever you decide to harvest.
He still has some growing to do. Not a whole lot, but a little. Now lets see some ground pics!
Well better wait for the season to start first.    

Mike

[SteveB]

If you buy the qdma line about "its all about mature deer", then no cause he is way less then 4 to 5 1/2. If you hunt for yourself and its a deer you want to shoot, then yes.

[FeelTheHunt]

well we try to manage the deer, and keep them around so they grow to be mature, but the problem is if i let him walk, the guys on the next ranch will kill him.

[Scrub_buck]

Two words ... MEAT HUNTER!

The only way I'd let this fellow 'walk', is if my freezer was full, and I didn't have anyone close by who wanted/needed some fresh venison.

[GMMAT]

You can't control what the guys on the next property will do.  You can only control what you do.  

There is a 100% chance he won't make it to maturity, if you kill him, now.

Does that make a hill of beans difference, to you?  I don't know.  None of my business.  

Shoot whatever you want, and have no regrets.

[LONGBOWKID]

If the guys on the next ranch kill him, he'll be just as dead as if you killed him.

If you want to shoot him, because he might make it to the next ranch and get shot by them, then you have the wrong mind-set.

If you let him walk then he'll have much more of a chance at living on your land than getting to the next property and being shot.

Is he a shooter? Personally, yes, I'd shoot him in a heartbeat.


"do you guys think hell grow alot more?"

He's going to be a high racked six point and isnt going to get much bigger, not this year atleast. IMO

Good luck.

If you do get a chance at him and decide he's a shooter, we'll want to see pics!

Kid

[buckeye_hunter]

Personally, if he walked in front of me and looked the other way, well....that wouldn't be good for him.

However, if he was standing next to a fatter doe or buck, he would walk. That is, providing the other deer offered a shot. More meat!

I just want the groceries and a peaceful day in the woods.

-Charlie

[acadian archer]

I'd take him. I judge my own trophies and don't care what "experts" think. If if was a good hunt he's no less a trophy than a book buck.

[rod251]

Originally posted by acadian archer:
I'd take him. I judge my own trophies and don't care what "experts" think. If if was a good hunt he's no less a trophy than a book buck.

My thoughts exactly!    

[Onestringer]

Dude they are all shooters aren't they?

[swampbuck]

Very few garrantee's in life but if you kill him when he's small he will never be big...

however only you can say at the moment of truth if he's what you'd like to shoot.

I sometimes let the little ones walk more now than when I was younger BUT if my "go" button goes off when the time comes I'd shoot it all depends on the moment for me

[GR]

Shooter is in the eye of the beholder

[trapperDave]

it will never be a shooter... deer cant shoot.


I hunt for meat, headgear is just a bonus IMO

[James Wrenn]

I would have already killed him before he started to get tough.    

I would not care if deer never grew antlers myself.Would not be nearly as many people in my way when I went hunting if they just stopped growing the darn things.  

[Rick P]

A 6 point your worried about dropping!?! Man you've been watching too many hunting shows! Unless things have changed dramatically since I hunted the lower 48 that is a very respectable buck. Besides you can't eat antler and the young ones are much better table fair. In fact with moose I only draw on spike forks, I'm 42 and I've broken my back twice packing out 900lbs is no fun! I'm headed for the north slope to harvest Caribou in 8 days, we are allowed 5 animals in the area I'll be hunting. I hope to be coming home with 5 animals with racks like that deers, feeding the family comes first my ego last!

[tarponnut]

I'd be proud to take that deer.

[Brian Krebs]

I would not shoot it - but only because I have the unofficial world record for shooting 6 and 7 point whitetails; and I want a doe more than I want another 'less than 8 pointer'. That is just me- I have been seeing several 8 pointers and 10 pointers that are already bigger than the buck in your picture.

I don't believe anyone would slight you for shooting it! As mentioned it looks like it will be a genetic 6 point for ever... if it gives you a shot- take it.

[ethan]

The only way I'd shoot him is if he was in range!!  But I'd respect somebody not shooting him, to each his own.