Not Big Enough

[Mike Belt]

I stick to my guns. If I pass on a buck because he doesn't meet my criteria size wise early in the season I'll pass on him every time I see him that season even if it means not filling my buck tag/s. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with taking him at a later date if you desire. I just don't do it. Wondering how many others stick to their guns.

 

[tree_ghost]

I agree, know where you stand and stand there.

Ahhhh a familiar statement...

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[landman]

Me

 

[muddyboots]

Yep

 

[duckriver]

Same here

 

[muddyboots]

I did pass one last year and the lease next door killed him a day or 2 later. I saw the deer and said to self. You screwed up. Lol

 

[cbhunter]

I have definitely had my share of success over the years but I think ya'll are a few steps ahead of me if ya'll are seeing the same buck multiple times in the same year. I do occasionally but I'm talking about 1.5 year olds, not something old enough to temp me. However I do remember one year seeing a 3.5 year old 8 point with lots of mass come by me pretty early one morning and although I was tempted, I watched him through the scope and let him walk........about an hour and a half later when he came busting through the woods chasing a doe, he managed to get the ol heart pumping and I very excitedly shot him. Was a great deer, much better than average. Never regretted it one bit. Point is, I guess it depends on the frame of mind at the moment I see them. lol, with all that being said, yes I agree with what your saying and if it happened to me, most likely I would pass again if I passed the first time. lol

 

[Shed Hunter]

Just depends... IMO, you would be best off to weigh probability to possibility. I've been thinking a lot about this now that I'm baclk in the woods.

I'm going to make up a fake situation just as an example.

I'm fine with shooting a 160" deer, but I'm confident I will be able to pursue at least two deer in the 170" range this year whether it be from my pics or just knowing that is what is probable for my land. I also know of that 180" deer's possibility and he is what I'm really looking for. I certainly don't want to fill both tags too early with 160 or 170" deer. With that said, lets say Christmas day, I have a 170" at the taxi and another 170" deer walks in front of me. Season is winding down now isn't it? Should I pull the trigger on a buck that would make me happy? But what about that 180? IMO, at that point while it is still possible I could kill the 180" deer it is fairly improbable. I have a 100% shot opportunity at a 170" deer in front of me. What would be the wise decision? I say shoot the deer. Another scenario-I've got a 170 and its the last week of season. 5.5 year old TN 160 walks by me.. I know enough about TN deer to tell you he probably isn't getting much bigger at this point in his life. In fact, most likely the opposite. You better bet that's a dead deer.

Me in the real world? I'll take a 130 at any point this year because I've only got one "shooter" to my name, but if I had a killed a few 130's and a few 140s and 150s I would start to think a little harder about burning a tag on a 130" deer, but like I said.. no sense in passing it if you feel he has peaked and it is at a point in the season it has became highly improbable to get an opportunity at a higher end deer.

That's just me in general though. Am I going to go into my target bucks home and shoot a 130 in Nov? Not a chance. I'm stickin to my guns on that one.

I think my year will be based on the principle of know what you would be happy with, what you want, what you really want, what the deer could become, and weigh that against the situation you are currently in. Now should everyone do that? No.. and my scores are still just theoretical even in the real world situation.. 130" 4.5 6? Heck yeah. 130" 4.5 10.. nope not a chance period unless I misjudge which is very possible. In that case I have another set antlers and meat... No harm no foul.. just more reason to stick to my target.

Almost forgot.. keep an open mind with yourself on any "standard" Before the season season I wanted 150+ only.. actually heck I wasbt sure I'd shoot any buck.. I still question how much I give a crap about killing them, but I think I like antlers too much for that

 

[Winchester]

I agree, if hes not big enough the first day hes not big enough the last day, same as if hes not big enough to shoot with a gun hes not big enough to shoot with a bow. Size is size IMO! To each his own however.

 

[Viper (tp)]

If I can let him walk the first time it doesn't bother me the rest of the time I see him, only problem is letting him walk the first time!! But by letting older ones walk you do learn how different they act compared to the younger 1.5 to 2.5 years olds act. Hole different animal.

 

[infoman jr.]

Been there; done that. I passed this deer up in the middle of November a few years ago and ended up eating my tag. Oh well.
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[AT Hiker]

It all depends for me. If I know bigger/older animals exist I will try and hold out for them. If I dont and its early in the hunt then I might give him a pass and later kill him toward the end if I dont find anything bigger and Im lucky enough to see him again.

But I do usually have personal standards no matter where Im hunting and if that deer doesnt meet my personal standards then Im never shooting him.

So really its a two part question/answer for me.


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[TNReb]

I trrryyy to stick to my guns.

Last year I saw a buck several times and passed on him without a second thought.

One morning the deer were just chasing everywhere. This big old buck came running through, hot on these does. I immediately knew he was a shooter. I only had a second to shoot or pass. I shot.

Turns out I had a wee bit of buck fever. I thiught he would have scored 120 before I pulled the trigger. Turns out it was the same 2.5 year old 8pt I had been passing on. That was the only time I've ever been disappointed with a kill. My heart just sank when I got up to him. He would have had good potential in another year or two.

 

[easy45]

I agree except for on thing, we have a deer on each piece of land we hunt, one is 4.5 and one is 5.5, both are 8 points and both are lacking antler size. With two buck tags I'm not gonna put one on either deer early because I know the potential of what could be on the places I hunt but later in the season if I still have both tags then I would definitely take either one of them.

 

[redhunterZ71]

Don't know where you guys are hunting but 99% of the time I see a good buck I will never see him again same goes for my trail cam pics. So if I let him go I better be positive I don't want to take him because chances are once I let him walk he's gone for good.

 

[AT Hiker]

Don't know where you guys are hunting but 99% of the time I see a good buck I will never see him again same goes for my trail cam pics. So if I let him go I better be positive I don't want to take him because chances are once I let him walk he's gone for good.

Only recently have I seen the same buck more than once here in TN on our family farm. Its still rare and when it does happen its early season than maybe once during Nov or the very end of season on a green field.

Other than that Im in your boat, if I let him walk he is gone forever.


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[fairchaser]

I'm fallible. I can make a mistake the first time but correct that mistake the second time. Maybe I got a better look the second time. Last season I passed a deer and 5 minutes later shot him thinking it was a different buck. But it was a different view and I could see all 12 points this time even though he was further away. My point is that each time you see a buck he gets evaluated and it may or may not be his day to die. Sometimes your first eval was correct and sometimes the second one is correct. Either way you should be happy with your choice. You owe the deer that much.

 

[TN RDG RNR]

Na, I might pass on a buck one day then get a wild hair and shoot something smaller the next day.

 

[Snake]

I've not got that much patience just like I've said I'm a hunter first bigger buck hunter second . I usually have standards set but I will lower them just depends on the situation . And I have shot deer I let walk earlier in the season by mistake because it is thick were I hunt and you don't have alot of time to make your desicion .Kudos to those who can stick to their guns but there are alot of variables that can help or hurt your desicion most of all property were you know the buck most likely will be around next season .

 

[Setterman]

If I pass on one, he's safe for the rest of the year. Anymore I pass on so many I wonder why I even carry a weapon.

 

[WRbowhunter]

Were I hunt or maybe the way I hunt :?: I get what I consider a wall hanger close to bow range 2 or 3 times a year. Most of the time they turn the wrong way or don't provide a good shot. That being said I am OK with that fact and my expectations are that if I want to kill a buck than its most likely not going to be a wall hanger. I could change those expectations if I wanted to. I could join a lease rather than the WMA I hunt and/ or start gun hunting. But at the moment I have a blast where and the way I hunt. Its fun for me. But if I did hunt somewhere else where it was realistic that I could see a wall hanger about every hunt I am sure I would set my standards higher and that would be fun too. I think "not big enough" is relative to realistic expectations of each location but at the end of the day I shoot what makes me happy at the moment.

 

[deerhunter10]

Very much so. If I pass a deer on day one I'll pass him on the last day.three are a lot of variables but if you don't let him go then you'll never know if he'll make it or not. Although its all personal preference.