Not easy

[Volbuck777]

I had a hard time passing this deer this morning, but I set a goal for myself this year. I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal but I'm trying to go 140 plus. I only hunt East Tennessee so it's far and few between to see this caliber of deer. I had him broadside at 15 yards. I'm happy with my decision to let him go and he very well may run over the ridge and die tomorrow and if so congratulations to the lucky hunter. I just thought yall may like to see a nice 8. I think he'll go just over 120.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Nice one for sure, seen it around before?

 

[Volbuck777]

Nice one for sure, seen it around before?

First time ever seeing him this year. No pics either. I think I passed him last year a couple times if he's the one I think that he is.

 

[Crappieaddict]

I admire your resolve to not let er fly. Tough to do, but potentially more rewarding to wait.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Nice tall buck, no way I could pass one like that around here with archery gear. Hope it pays off for you.

 

[1jamey]

Really nice deer for East TN. I admire you letting him walk, not sure well to be honest no way I would in Hawkins but I guess you never know what is going to come by next if you take that one. Congrats on sticking to your goal.

 

[cbhunter]

It's always a good feeling once it's done and over with and you know you let a deer walk that you would generally shoot. You "won" cause you had him right where you wanted and showed restraint!

With that being said, I have let nice deer walk then shoot them a couple hrs later when they showed back up. Lol

 

[redblood]

Nice buck. I can and do pass lots of nice deer, but try not to make those decisions by score but rather by age. Antker dont impress me much but a massive body snd thick neck will get them dead. The deer in photo may gross 120, but definitely looke like w younger deer to me. Good pass

 

[Volbuck777]

Nice buck. I can and do pass lots of nice deer, but try not to make those decisions by score but rather by age. Antker dont impress me much but a massive body snd thick neck will get them dead. The deer in photo may gross 120, but definitely looke like w younger deer to me. Good pass

I believe he's 4.5. I agree with shooting deer by age also. That's why I said 140 plus. Where I live I personally don't know anyone that has killed nor seen a deer that makes 140 that's not 4.5 plus. In fact I don't know but a couple people that's killed a 140 anywhere around here. It just doesn't happen so when it does he's old. I killed a 100 inch 6 a few years back all because he was 5.5 after passing a nice 3.5 9 pt.

 

[Volbuck777]

It's always a good feeling once it's done and over with and you know you let a deer walk that you would generally shoot. You "won" cause you had him right where you wanted and showed restraint!

With that being said, I have let nice deer walk then shoot them a couple hrs later when they showed back up. Lol

Thanks bud. Yea the 10 I killed in Carroll co. years back I let him walk after grunting him in. 1 hour later I grunted again and he came across the field pissed at the world. Grunting up a storm and stiff legging. Craziest thing I'd seen a deer do at the time. I was pumped up and he got shot.

 

[Ski]

Nice buck and nice goal. Whether you attain your goal or not is yet to be seen but it's impossible if you don't hold yourself to task. Takes fortitude. Well done.

 

[Planking]

Every single buck I have mounted I have passed on in previous seasons when they were nice deer. Most of the ones I have passed didn't make it. Growing them is by far the hardest part of it.

 

[GumbyGuy]

He ain't starving!!

 

[Volbuck777]

Every single buck I have mounted I have passed on in previous seasons when they were nice deer. Most of the ones I have passed didn't make it. Growing them is by far the hardest part of it.

I believe this was him last year if so I passed twice.

 

[Volbuck777]

He ain't starving!!

Crazy how big they get off acorns and other natural foods. Absolutely no ag anywhere around us.

 

[killingtime 41]

Everyone has certain goals in life. Mine is at least 3.5 and older. Maybe if I had my own land to hunt or at least some private. I might up my game. If I let 3.5's walk on public he's guaranteed to be shot. Nice way to handle it by the way. If you settle under your goal you'll never reach it. Good luck on the 140 plus.

 

[cbhunter]

Thanks bud. Yea the 10 I killed in Carroll co. years back I let him walk after grunting him in. 1 hour later I grunted again and he came across the field pissed at the world. Grunting up a storm and stiff legging. Craziest thing I'd seen a deer do at the time. I was pumped up and he got shot.

You still hunt Carroll county?

Yeah the example I gave was:

He strolled through alone early morning. He came back in chasing a doe all over a couple hrs later and it got the ole heart thumping lol

 

[Volbuck777]

Everyone has certain goals in life. Mine is at least 3.5 and older. Maybe if I had my own land to hunt or at least some private. I might up my game. If I let 3.5's walk on public he's guaranteed to be shot. Nice way to handle it by the way. If you settle under your goal you'll never reach it. Good luck on the 140 plus.

Thank you sir I've got 2 over 140. 1 over 150. But the last 2 years I've tagged out before thanksgiving on 4 bucks between 125-133. I'm just trying to up my game a bit. I can remember I hunted here all year one year and saw 4 deer in the woods. Goals were definitely different then.

 

[Volbuck777]

You still hunt Carroll county?

Yeah the example I gave was:

He strolled through alone early morning. He came back in chasing a doe all over a couple hrs later and it got the ole heart thumping lol

No. It's been years now. Definitely a different world out there. I killed a pile out that way.

 

[tndeerman]

It be back,take it the next time

 

[Volbuck777]

It be back,take it the next time

Maybe next year

 

[Snake]

He'd never made it without getting shot at in my neck of the woods . Nice buck but if you set goals then live by them . When I had my leases in middle Tennessee I've let deer like that walk but not many times mostly if I knew a bigger one was using our property or I'd already killed one buck .

 

[Harold Money jr]

I too hunt East Tennessee, Meigs/Roane exclusively. That nice 8 point is pretty typical body and antler wise to a 3.5 year old buck around here. When they make it to 4.5 plus some just keep the same basic frame and put on mass while others blow up to a whole lot more. It's a whole lot easier for me to pass bucks if i can get a pic of them. That's a good pass.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I had a hard time passing this deer this morning, but I set a goal for myself this year. I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal but I'm trying to go 140 plus. I only hunt East Tennessee so it's far and few between to see this caliber of deer. I had him broadside at 15 yards. I'm happy with my decision to let him go and he very well may run over the ridge and die tomorrow and if so congratulations to the lucky hunter. I just thought yall may like to see a nice 8. I think he'll go just over 120.

Takes a lot of self discipline to do that. Hope it pays off for you either later this year or next!

 

[Volbuck777]

Takes a lot of self discipline to do that. Hope it pays off for you either later this year or next!

Hopefully so. November has just started and most of the big bucks I see don't actually show till December.

 

[Volbuck777]

I too hunt East Tennessee, Meigs/Roane exclusively. That nice 8 point is pretty typical body and antler wise to a 3.5 year old buck around here. When they make it to 4.5 plus some just keep the same basic frame and put on mass while others blow up to a whole lot more. It's a whole lot easier for me to pass bucks if i can get a pic of them. That's a good pass.

I use to hunt the roane/meigs line. It was a decent lease and we had some dandy bucks pass through on occasion. Yall definitely had more deer than we have here but I gave the lease up a few years back after a couple years because lease price went crazy.

 

[Snake]

I use to hunt the roane/meigs line. It was a decent lease and we had some dandy bucks pass through on occasion. Yall definitely had more deer than we have here but I gave the lease up a few years back after a couple years because lease price went crazy.

My oldest grandson's dad own's 100 acres right in that area but they don't kill as many good bucks you'd think they would . I know he's not a great hunter but a couple of his friends hunt as well but never kill a decent buck , just small basket tack bucks . I've had the opportunity to hunt it but just didn't want to impose . Think it's many big woods with no bedding .....at times they can be hard to hunt once the muzzleloader season starts . That's my dilemma on my property and the land next to mine . Rifle season is dull .... better not miss muzzleloader or you may miss out completely on seeing deer .

 

[XCR-2]

Here is an example of letting them walk. First pic he's what I believe 2.5, second is this year at 3.5.