How many "big" bucks do you have to kill before…..

[jmharris23]

I'm 38 years old and been hunting "on my own" since I was 8. In that 30 years I've killed a pile of deer, some good ones but only one real big one, a gross 161, with nothing else even coming close.

My goal each year is to kill a mature buck with that being defined for me as anything 3-4 years old and older.

I am not hunting "prime land" with most of my spots being smaller tracts that I've been given permission to hunt, as well as being a member in one lease.

This question is coming from my experiences of the last few years while speaking with other hunters and listening to them talk about passing deer in the high 140's and 130's, while also admitting that they haven't killed but maybe one or two in that bracket.

My question is " how many big bucks do you have to kill before you begin to wait for a bigger one?"

I've always thought that if I could kill a mature deer in the 120's or better, especially given the land that I'm hunting, that I've had a great year.

I consider myself extremely blessed to have killed the big buck I killed(the 161) and I have only seen two bucks that would go that high in my 30 years of hunting.

Honestly, I just don't see myself ever passing on a 120-130 + mature buck in Georgia and my goal is to kill one like that every year.

So what's your stance? Do you hope to kill a "good mature" buck every year or do you wait 5 - 10 years hoping for a "giant"?

 

[bigbuckhunter1]

If a 120 walks by I'm going to shoot it. I really shoot whatever makes me happy, within the law, even if someone else doesn't approve.

For the record spike bucks taste great

 

[Ramey Jackson]

(Georgia) If a 4yo+ buck (regardless of rack) gets into bow range, TWACK.

(Midwest) Not every 4yo+ buck gets an arrow. Age structure is typically significantly better thus I am a little picky on the size of the rack.

Both are just a rule of thumb for me personally. However, I reserve my right to change my mind at anytime.

 

[jmharris23]

Just a few addendum's

I probably should have added that I am not in any way suggesting that people should not shoot what they want, be it spikes, 4 its, etc.

I absolutely believe that a hunter should be able to kill whatever makes him happy, and I will celebrate that kill with them.

I was just asking this question for those that choose to pursue an older class of bucks.

I should probably also have added that I'm talking specifically about Georgia or Southeast hunting, as I completely understand that Midwest hunting is a different animal all together.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I enjoy hunting much more if I don't make all these rules and goals and crap for myself and overcomplicate it. It's hunting. I just go hunt and shoot whatever I feel like shooting that day, or don't shoot what I don't feel like shooting that day, and I always have enjoyed it thouroughly. What I want to shoot that day may not have a thing to do with how old it is or how many horns it has on its head. All deer are good, and worthy of being hunted. I have killed some decent bucks. I have let some pretty big bucks walk. I have let a lot of little deer walk, and I have also mowed down some little bitty ones. What I've killed in the past has absolutely nothing to do with what I want to kill tomorrow. It all depends on the place I'm hunting, the mood I'm in, what I'm hunting with, and the amount of meat in my freezer at the time. To me, it's about getting out there and participating in it, not about how many inches of calcium deposits a buck has on its head or how "mature" it is. I can appreciate a nice buck as much as anybody else, but antlers by far aren't the only thing I hunt for. I hunt just to find myself sometimes.

 

[joey1919]

I base it off the land I'm hunting. do I know I will hunt here next year? how big is the property? how much hunting pressure from neighbors? I killed two nice 8's this year I believe are 4.5yo. i'll confirm that when I pull the lower jaws. not high scorers, only 8 pts and not much for brow tines but that is common for this property. but they are nice mature deer, no less of a trophy. my girlfriend asked why I shot that one, "its not as big as some of the others" referring to a couple of 140's and 150's. shes been after her first buck and I told her if she waits for one like that it may be a long long time.

I have passed younger 120-130 deer on other properties. because I knew they had the potential to be special. but I won't do that everywhere and am happy to take a buck that will barely make p&y.

my GF finally got her first buck last weekend, I was sitting with her. she saw him first. when I saw him his head was down and I couldn't see his rack. just from looking at his body I said "shoot him" she hesitated because we hadn't seen his head up. didn't matter, he was a bull. only 6pt but heavy, I believe him to be 6 or 7 yo. weighed over 200lb. that's as much of a trophy as any set of antlers.

 

[GA DAWG]

I let some good deer go. I've killed some good deer. Ive killed a boat load of 110" and under. I dont shoot those anymore on my private land or leased land. Ive let maybe 1 130 go. Still regret it. I want do it again either. Anything over 125" Im shooting.

 

[10th Legion]

For me, score does not matter as much as age. I've been lucky to kill some nice deer and even more lucky to hunt some awesome land. On our property we try our best let deer walk until they are 5 y/o. Obviously there are exceptions and errors, but for the most part that is what we and all the surrounding hunters try to do. For the most part we age based on trail camera pictures over multiple years.

And yes, I am one of those guys who has let deer in the 130's and 140's walk, but those deer were 3 or 4 year olds that had potential to be studs the following year or two. I even let a deer walk a couple of years ago that would have been my personal best bow kill as a 3 year old. We never got pictures of him after that season, but I have no regrets because I feel like I did my part and at least he had the chance to pass his genes along for that season.

I have also shot a handful of 125" and smaller bucks that we were confident were over 5.5. For us it is all about letting a buck reach his potential. For some deer that's over 170" and for others its 100". We've got a buck on our hit list this year that we believe to be at least 8 years old. I know for a fact we have pictures of him 4 years ago and we thought he was at least 4 y/o then. He's never topped 125-130" and is probably closer to 115" this year. He's an old monarch and if I get the chance to let the air out of him, I'd be just as proud of him as the 160" 5 year old on my wall.

 

[kidd1134]

jmharris23, I really think that it has to do with the area your hunting. I've been fortunate enough, over the past 15 yrs, to have several farms in Kentucky. With that being said... I do regularly let 140's walk, but thats only due to knowing the potential of my farms and the fact that I have 5 over the 160 mark .
Now.... on the other hand... in south Georgia where I hunt, if a 120 comes along BANG!! lol... even tho I'm pretty pick down here as well and only harvest mature bucks, I just know that the property won't produce 120's caliber bucks.

 

[irishredneck]

I personally wouldn't call a 3 year old deer mature, mature to me is 5.5+ for bucks and 7+ for does. I'll shoot a mature buck if he's a spike, thats a great accomplishment to get one that old. Depending on what I've seen or what I have on camera, if its earlier in the season I'd probably shoot a 120", if its later in the season I'd let him walk. I figure if I see a 120" buck after Thanksgiving, he has figured out where he needs to feed & travel to avoid hunters (apart from me) so I'm positive he will be around next year and even bigger.
Everyone is different & its always nice to hear everyones opinions but remember a trophy is in the crosshairs of the hunter. If hes legal and a trophy to you, make a memory and drop the hammer on him. If he's not quite what you are looking for, let him walk. Dead deer don't grow...or reproduce.

 

[lonesome dove]

age, inches, points - to me none of it matters. If it has horns on it's head, and I decide that I am going to shoot it - I feel like I owe it to the animal to get it mounted.

That being said, my biggest buck is 138". I have never seen one bigger than that while hunting.

Most of the - shoot, don't shoot scenerios that I would fight with would greatly depend on the land that I was hunting.

 

[six]

No rules or rule of thumb for me. I don't deer hunt much anymore. I have passed a 150 class one day, then two days later shot a small four point. All depends if something trips a trigger in my head at that moment. Antlers are way down the list of why I deer hunt if I decide to go.

 

[Jeff Phillips]

I've killed a 110 8 and a 130 10 this year. The 8 should have gotten a pass, but the summer sausage is good!

I shoot 3 1/2 and older, usually. I have passed a bunch of 3 1/2's and a few up to 5 1/2 (broken racks).

I have a bunch between 140 and 183 from Georgia, most from average clubs with good genetics and enough cover to grow old in. I don't have to have one bigger than those to get excited about killing a buck.

 

[GASeminole]

I used to not shoot a buck if it wasnt bigger than the biggest one on my wall. After seven years of not killing any bucks, and seeing the same quality of bucks year in and year out, it occured to me I may never kill another buck again.

Now I don't have any standards, other than to enjoy myself when I am hunting, and for people hunting with me to do the same. Biggest factor for me is whether I have meat in the freezer or not.

 

[GTHunter007]

For me to pass a 140" buck...I better have pictures of a 150 I am chasing.

The ONLY 140 I have ever let walk was in GA, was on property I KNEW I was sharing the woods with a 180+ giant. I let him go 3 times...found out after the fact that the 180 was dead...I regret that but I had one thing on my mind.

As far as normal situations, it all depends on the potential of the property and what an upper tier mature buck on the property looks like. Even in the best situations, a great property only spits out a 150+ every few years. With 120-140 being the norm, and those 140s generally being the upper echelon of mature bucks walking the land. People expecting much more than that and letting bucks walk IMO are full of it or know a super star stud is walking around. From my experience, these are the people and clubs who have a lot of "mistakes" according to their minimums year after year.

 

[GMAC66]

Well my take is whatever someone sets their own standard at, me personally a lot of years i am lucky to hunt one two maybe three times and those years its brown its down, i still get as much joy out of a button or small doe as a big 8 point or better, got my share of wall hangers but i still enjoy the whole hunt even if some years its limited to whatever chance i get.

 

[PASSBOY]

Blue Collar Answer

"I Believe" shooting two 60's a year would be alot better than a 120 every two years!

 

[badcreek]

I enjoy hunting much more if I don't make all these rules and goals and crap for myself and overcomplicate it. It's hunting. I just go hunt and shoot whatever I feel like shooting that day, or don't shoot what I don't feel like shooting that day, and I always have enjoyed it thouroughly. What I want to shoot that day may not have a thing to do with how old it is or how many horns it has on its head. All deer are good, and worthy of being hunted. I have killed some decent bucks. I have let some pretty big bucks walk. I have let a lot of little deer walk, and I have also mowed down some little bitty ones. What I've killed in the past has absolutely nothing to do with what I want to kill tomorrow. It all depends on the place I'm hunting, the mood I'm in, what I'm hunting with, and the amount of meat in my freezer at the time. To me, it's about getting out there and participating in it, not about how many inches of calcium deposits a buck has on its head or how "mature" it is. I can appreciate a nice buck as much as anybody else, but antlers by far aren't the only thing I hunt for. I hunt just to find myself sometimes.

I don't think I can say this any better! I let a very mature six point walk last week because he was not what I wanted to shoot that day. He was old with a big rack but I just watched him chase a couple of does around with no chance of getting them. He had the classic look of a 4.5+ year old. Heck, that may be the last time he ever gets to chase does. I hope when I am that old somebody lets me chase some does around!

 

[bowbuck]

Its all about where you hunt and the amount of time you have. I was self employed for years and did not work in November. I mostly bow hunted and didnt shoot it unless it was 3.5 or better and usually hunted one or two I had on camera. I have several on the wall and could have tripled that if I chose to use a rifle. Now I work 12 hr shifts, married to a woman that does the same and have three future little deer hunters. My time to hunt has evaporated. I still have a goal of killing two mature bucks each year. I shot a spike this year on NF on a day off. It felt good.


The biggest deer I have let walk was a 135" deer on the first morning of a three day hunt in middle GA. I regret it and killed a 106" 4.5 yr old later in the hunt. Here in the mountains a 100" deer is pretty good and I would not let it walk even though I have them on the wall in the 120s and 130s. Have a great season.

 

[elfiii]

I
Honestly, I just don't see myself ever passing on a 120-130 + mature buck in Georgia and my goal is to kill one like that every year.

Anything over 120 walking by me is Boom! Flop. Since I'm in a 4 points or better county for both bucks it's not hard for me to let that 2 Y/O 90-100 8 pointer slide by until next year. The odds of me seeing a 140+ in my neck of the woods are slim.