Getting too picky....

[Football Hunter]

I tried the trophy hunting thing for a while. Had some good success and found it to be way too serious, lonely, and just not fun.

A critical point 102. Some will find the dedication and patience necessary to be successful at that endeavor to be worth it. But most won't. Been there, done that, and it wasn't that much fun.

I dont knoew what term to call it.for me,shooting a young small antlered deer,is not stirring at all,just have no desire to shoot small ones,do like seeing them though.

 

[BSK]

I tried the trophy hunting thing for a while. Had some good success and found it to be way too serious, lonely, and just not fun.

A critical point 102. Some will find the dedication and patience necessary to be successful at that endeavor to be worth it. But most won't. Been there, done that, and it wasn't that much fun.

I dont knoew what term to call it.for me,shooting a young small antlered deer,is not stirring at all,just have no desire to shoot small ones,do like seeing them though.

I'm not even talking about shooting "small-antlered" bucks (although "small-antlered" is relative and a matter of opinion). I'm talking about waiting for only the largest-antlered mature bucks. That cuts way, way down on potential targets!

I guess it would more accurate to say that I sure am having a lot more fun now that I've included middle-aged "medium-antlered" bucks in my target list!

 

[deerhunter10]

The reason i "trophy" hunt when i say that i mean mature deer not just big racked deer is the challenge. It is one of the best feelings in the world when you finally connect with a mature deer. You are being picky but you know what you want to kill and your being disciplined in your hunting. I think a lot of hunters want to be trophy hunters but just don't have the discipline for it nor do they have the patients for it. It is tough and really can drive you crazy but in the end it's one of the most rewarding things a hunter can accomplish. In my opinion

 

[102]

Ok,
I will spill the beans.
I got injured on November 16th and had a nerve in my back render my bow arm (left) too weak to hold my bow while I drew back.

So I got out a muzzleloader that I purchased 10 years ago, but as of this season, had never killed a deer with it.
I killed two with this gun with a gimp left arm (I am right handed).

After that, I kept re-habing my back and rebuilding my strength in my left arm, while occasionally rifle hunting.

Honestly, I have absolutely no desire to kill a small buck, a doe, or a 170 inch Booner with a rifle. Muzzle loader or pistol maybe, bow definitely.

So anyone who says they have no desire to kill a small buck, I understand. I also assume they, for the most part, are speaking of gun hunting.

I, on the other hand, truly enjoy executing a well placed arrow and seeing a deer fall within sight.

Any deer, except fawns. But especially mature deer.

 

[Crosshairy]

I tried the trophy hunting thing for a while. Had some good success and found it to be way too serious, lonely, and just not fun.

A critical point 102. Some will find the dedication and patience necessary to be successful at that endeavor to be worth it. But most won't. Been there, done that, and it wasn't that much fun.

BSK,

I was going to quote the same line of 102's post! The most critical word of that being "lonely". I cannot imagine how much my hunting habits would have to change. My dad, brother, and most of my friends are not trophy hunters by any stretch. I share all of my hunting spots with my family, and most of them with my friends.

If I were going to get truly serious about killing mature deer, most of my spots are so small that I would have to either find somewhere else to hunt or stop bringing them along. That's half the reason of going (if not more)!

If I can't enjoy my time with friends and family, then me standing over a deer with no one to share it with at the end of the day for EVERY SINGLE HUNT has very little appeal. The talks with family and friends on the drives or walking in is what binds us together as "brothers" and keeps us close in spite of sometimes spending little time together otherwise.

I'm not trading that for a deer with a fatter neck and some extra bone on his head.

 

[102]

I tried the trophy hunting thing for a while. Had some good success and found it to be way too serious, lonely, and just not fun.

A critical point 102. Some will find the dedication and patience necessary to be successful at that endeavor to be worth it. But most won't. Been there, done that, and it wasn't that much fun.

BSK,

I was going to quote the same line of 102's post! The most critical word of that being "lonely". I cannot imagine how much my hunting habits would have to change. My dad, brother, and most of my friends are not trophy hunters by any stretch. I share all of my hunting spots with my family, and most of them with my friends.

If I were going to get truly serious about killing mature deer, most of my spots are so small that I would have to either find somewhere else to hunt or stop bringing them along. That's half the reason of going (if not more)!

If I can't enjoy my time with friends and family, then me standing over a deer with no one to share it with at the end of the day for EVERY SINGLE HUNT has very little appeal. The talks with family and friends on the drives or walking in is what binds us together as "brothers" and keeps us close in spite of sometimes spending little time together otherwise.

I'm not trading that for a deer with a fatter neck and some extra bone on his head.

EXACTLY!!! Well said.

I still hunt in an area where I expect to see and kill a Pope and Young deer. But all of us expect this when we hunt this particularly State. And all of us know to be very careful about talking too much until we have punched our tag. After this, we help one another. Before this, it is just too hard.

Finding, hunting, and arrowing a mature, public land buck is VERY difficult. And since public land hunting makes up most of my hunting endeavors, I would be wise to either hunt alone, or keep my mouth shut about what I am seeing and where I am hunting. There is enough pressure from those I compete with that I DON'T know (on public land) to worry about competing with the guys I do know.

THis is why I mix it up a little. I hunt about 2-3 weeks per year for a good buck, the rest of the time, unless I find out about one VERY close to home and convenient to hunt, I am a very "cooperative" hunter. Sharing areas and "average" deer info with family and friends.

 

[passthrough76]

THis is why I mix it up a little. I hunt about 2-3 weeks per year for a good buck, the rest of the time, unless I find out about one VERY close to home and convenient to hunt, I am a very "cooperative" hunter. Sharing areas and "average" deer info with family and friends.

I have a feeling that as my boys start to spend more time with me in the woods, I will start hunting like this as well. The last thing I want to do is bore them and turn them away from hunting because my standards are too high. The three young bucks I mentioned would be great first kills for them.

 

[BSK]

I think a lot of hunters want to be trophy hunters but just don't have the discipline for it nor do they have the patients for it. It is tough and really can drive you crazy but in the end it's one of the most rewarding things a hunter can accomplish. In my opinion

I absolutely agree deerhunter10. Some hunters don't have the discipline or patience to be a trophy hunter. But the point I'm trying to make is that even for those who do have the patience and discipline, sometimes the reward (killing a mature buck) isn't worth the effort.

I'm lucky enough to hunt property that has a few mature bucks every year, and almost always has one or two true "trophy" bucks (high-scoring mature buck). I spent years hunting these bucks, and was successful at it. However, eventually I realized that to me the rewards weren't worth the effort. Eventually, I found that that particular reward wasn't what I really wanted from my hunting experience. But that change in goals probably has more to do with my age and the number of years I've been an obsessed deer hunter than anything else. Basically, what we want from hunting changes with our experience-level.

 

[BSK]

If I can't enjoy my time with friends and family, then me standing over a deer with no one to share it with at the end of the day for EVERY SINGLE HUNT has very little appeal. The talks with family and friends on the drives or walking in is what binds us together as "brothers" and keeps us close in spite of sometimes spending little time together otherwise.

We are definitely on the same page Crosshairy. As I've gotten older, I've come to realize the shared experience of hunting with family is what I really like about deer hunting. For me, it has become far more about the social experience--the stories that will be told, retold, and purposefully exaggerated in fun about those experiences--than the size of the bucks killed.

 

[String Music]

For me, my decision to target only mature bucks evolved over time. I'm fortunate to hunt and manage private property that allows me to personally reap the benefits of letting young bucks pass. My mindset changed only after I had killed several younger bucks. When I would kill a younger buck, I began wondering what he would have looked like the following year had I not killed him.

I certainly would not have the same mindset if I hunted public land or land I could not manage. Monitoring and patterning bucks from their youth until they are mature is part of what makes chasing mature bucks so enjoyable for me. I enjoy the entire process- not just the actual kill. In other words, the actual kill is not the only rewarding aspect of it.

Sharing trail camera pictures with my friends and family is almost as enjoyable as sharing the actual kill with them. Knowing those bucks are out there and that I played a part in their ability to reach maturity is rewarding in itself. Watching a group of does funnel through an area I created results in a succesful hunt for me. The anticipation that the buck I'm after could step in front of me at any time is satisfying enough to keep me coming back for more.

Without the ability to enjoy these aspects of hunting, being too picky could drive a guy insane. Don't force yourself to accept standards that are outside of your ability to control or enjoy. Choose the standards that make hunting enjoyable and let time and experience take care of the rest.

 

[deerhunter10]

great post string music !

 

[BSK]

I'm fortunate to hunt and manage private property that allows me to personally reap the benefits of letting young bucks pass.

I certainly would not have the same mindset if I hunted public land or land I could not manage. Monitoring and patterning bucks from their youth until they are mature is part of what makes chasing mature bucks so enjoyable for me. I enjoy the entire process- not just the actual kill. In other words, the actual kill is not the only rewarding aspect of it.

Knowing those bucks are out there and that I played a part in their ability to reach maturity is rewarding in itself.

Extremely well said, and great points String Music.

In 2013, the hunters on my property (all family) will complete the 20th year of our private-land QDM program. We've definitely seen just what can be accomplished using those harvest strategies. And other than watching the results of a few long-term habitat experiments, we've seen that the results of QDM harvest guidelines eventually "max out" and stabilize.

Perhaps it's just our collective personalities (very "new goal" oriented), but once we've acheived one goal (How far can you push a QDM program on this sized land in this habitat?), we find we need a new goal; to move on to "something else." And our new goal appears to be "What produces the most enjoyable hunting experience?"

 

[BlountArrow]

For me, my decision to target only mature bucks evolved over time. I'm fortunate to hunt and manage private property that allows me to personally reap the benefits of letting young bucks pass. My mindset changed only after I had killed several younger bucks. When I would kill a younger buck, I began wondering what he would have looked like the following year had I not killed him.

I certainly would not have the same mindset if I hunted public land or land I could not manage. Monitoring and patterning bucks from their youth until they are mature is part of what makes chasing mature bucks so enjoyable for me. I enjoy the entire process- not just the actual kill. In other words, the actual kill is not the only rewarding aspect of it.

Sharing trail camera pictures with my friends and family is almost as enjoyable as sharing the actual kill with them. Knowing those bucks are out there and that I played a part in their ability to reach maturity is rewarding in itself. Watching a group of does funnel through an area I created results in a succesful hunt for me. The anticipation that the buck I'm after could step in front of me at any time is satisfying enough to keep me coming back for more.

Without the ability to enjoy these aspects of hunting, being too picky could drive a guy insane. Don't force yourself to accept standards that are outside of your ability to control or enjoy. Choose the standards that make hunting enjoyable and let time and experience take care of the rest.

Couldn't have said it better. That's me to a "T" right there. I have a feeling I don't have as much property as String Music but between our small farm and my neighbor (who has about 3x as much property) we've really taken an area where deer were practically non-existent and made something out of it. It truly is amazing, and for us, the TOTAL experience is what we crave!

 

[Snake]

What ever floats your boat !