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deaddownwind

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As the hunting season nears its end for 2012, I have been noticing myself letting deer go than I had initially planned on killing. I guess my reasoning for that is that they have made it this far into the season so why shoot them the last 10 days unless they are just incredible deer. I have found myself passing several upper 120s and lower 130s during the last week of deer season the past several years. I think I just have a fetish for running trail cameras and hoping to see what a deer will look like next year. I believe I am turning into a deer watcher instead of a deer hunter. Does anyone else feel this way? So, as the year progresses do you tend to let a better deer go or do you shoot a smaller buck because you only have a few more days left to hunt.
 
deaddownwind said:
Does anyone else feel this way?
Click to expand...

Nope, don't know what it is like to pass on several upper 120s and lower 130s. You are very fortunate. I'm THRILLED if I even see a couple on trail cams that hit those numbers...let alone while hunting. Just curious where (county?) are you hunting in TN that you see several 120 and 130 class deer?
 
I hunt in Southern Middle TN. We have several thousand acres spread out over 6 or 7 land owners that do a very nice job of managing. It has taken a long time to get everyone pullng in the same direction but man it is getting fun the past 5 years. One place has been nice for 6 or 7 years now and the other is getting better and better even though there are not as many ppl pulling the same direction there. Between me and another guy, we have killed 6 deer over 138 in three years and only two were over an 8 point
 
Amazing. I used to have a small tree nursery to hunt in Franklin county but never did any good. It was one of those places where the owner was concerned about eradication for obvious reasons and nothing else.
 
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BlountArrow said:
deaddownwind said:
Does anyone else feel this way?
Click to expand...

Nope, don't know what it is like to pass on several upper 120s and lower 130s. You are very fortunate. I'm THRILLED if I even see a couple on trail cams that hit those numbers...let alone while hunting. Just curious where (county?) are you hunting in TN that you see several 120 and 130 class deer?
Click to expand...

I was thinking the exact same thing... :D
 
My standards dont change much, most times if he's not big enough on day one he's not big enough on the last day. I do sometimes simply kill one just because I want too however.
 
deaddownwind said:
We have several thousand acres spread out over 6 or 7 land owners that do a very nice job of managing.
Click to expand...

It truly is amazing what can be accomplished under the right circumstances (extremely low hunter density, most hunters managing for top-end old bucks, and huge acreage). But how many hunters in TN are in that situation? 1 in 1,000? 1 in 10,000?
 
Deaddownwind, u guys along that mountain have a lot of idiots fooled that they can grow em like yall, but the key to yalls method is yall do have 1,000 and 1000's of acres between yall! I hunt 120 acres and can't grow em like yall because everyone around me blast anything with horns! So for me when in Rome!LOL if its 2.5 or better its dead.
 
You guys wouldn't believe some of the deer they have took! My in-laws own land a half mile from them but have about 100 hunters between them and deer mecca! They don't grow 130's but have so many 110-115 in deer it make Ye head spin.
 
The buck standard I have is as follows...

If I can get my cross hairs on his shoulder, he's headed to the freezer.


There's one for the trophyists. :D
 
Jason Bagby said:
strutandrut said:
The buck standard I have is as follows...

If I can get my cross hairs on his shoulder, he's headed to the freezer.


There's one for the trophyists. :D
Click to expand...
Not all the time there shakey.... LOL
:D
Click to expand...

:grin: good times. That 10 pointer is the last deer I've missed. Missed 3 that year.
 
I have no standards. For me it all depends on whether I want to drag it back to the truck or not. I do try to not shoot fawns unless I can tell for sure its not a nob head.
 
I've passed on alot of Tn bucks that most hunters would have dropped in a heartbeat. When I finally have popped a cap the last 2 bucks I've killed are much smaller than many of those I've passed on. Still passing on bucks and still looking for "my" bucks but I'm sporatically relaxing on standards.
 
I get the bucks i have on the list ( or a nice stranger ) and then its after the old does...... that way they wont run off the buttons when they get old enough, keeps more of your bucks in your area. jmo
 
my standards are I shoot what I want to shoot. but this season I have passed on more marginal bucks then I ever have.right now I need 1 or 2 more deer so if one odf these marginal walks by most likely will get an arrow
 
deaddownwind said:
As the hunting season nears its end for 2012, I have been noticing myself letting deer go than I had initially planned on killing. I guess my reasoning for that is that they have made it this far into the season so why shoot them the last 10 days unless they are just incredible deer. I have found myself passing several upper 120s and lower 130s during the last week of deer season the past several years. I think I just have a fetish for running trail cameras and hoping to see what a deer will look like next year. I believe I am turning into a deer watcher instead of a deer hunter. Does anyone else feel this way? So, as the year progresses do you tend to let a better deer go or do you shoot a smaller buck because you only have a few more days left to hunt.
Click to expand...

Not on 120+ deer..................not yet. :D
 
I usually only want 1 or at most 2 deer period. Once I shoot anything, I get very selective because I don't want to shoot more than I eat and eating 2 is about all I can manage in a year! Passing deer with B&C scores of 120 or 130??? Can't even imagine actually seeing one of those. :) To me a 2.5yr old with any rack size is a big buck. I've shot my share of yearling bucks and don't really intend to ever do it again unless I by some miracle get one in range with my 45 Colt single action - then I'll try him. (Not too likely to be sucessfull with that though. LOL) For me, once I pull the trigger on one 2.5yr old buck, there is very little chance of shooting another buck that year. IT would have to be something significantly bigger than what I've already shot. I've only shot 2 bucks in a season once and that was 1992 when I started deer hunting again after an 11 year break. I can't see myself ever shooting 3 bucks in a year. Besides, I like hunting when I KNOW that I'm not going to shoot. It takes all the pressure off and lets me enjoy it more.
 
On our lease you can shoot what you want to mount. Not everybody has the same standards. If the biggest deer you ever killed is a 115" you may want to mount a 125-130". On the other side somebody else may have a 140" on the wall, so they may be looking for one 145"+. So basically our rule is if its worth the price for you to mount we are proud for you. It pays off in the long run for getting mature deer. I look at it that if I'm gonna just cut his horns off and throw them in the shed, wait another year and put them on the wall. I may go a couple years without killing a Buck but that doesn't bother me
 
Depends on how season has been. If I have enough in the freezer I let the young bucks walk. However, if I need another one in the freezer a young buck will fit the bill.
 
i dont look at quote standards i do pass smaller deer but i pay no attention to age if i like him ill make an attempt. i have noticed as i get older i wont kill anything without horns in the evenings especially with the rollercoaster weather. if im gonna stay up late dressing one out its getting mounted which is my general guide line on bucks i dont shoot it if im not gonna mount it.
 

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