Well being the discerning hunter that I am and a practicioner of QDM..........quick deer meals, I say quick deer meals there boy........I'll put some ole nanny does in the freezer and for my bucks I'm gonna be looking for old mature deer, great racks would be nice, but heavy mature 8's or better 18", but I'll shoot a buck past his prime too and let the young ones walk for seed and my college boys who ain't quite as seasoned and experienced as the old man is....and if I slip up and get a case of "I couldn't hold off cause he just looked too good" I'll be ok with that too
A decent doe and down she goes. A buck an exremely nice 6 or 7 will work but that rack will have to be mature and "fuuulll grooooowwwnnn" (borrowed that from Coon Dawg). A buddy of mine killed a six pointer with a 19" inside spread several years back so a six similar to that will work for me! I'm thankful for anything I have the opportunity to harvest though.
It's gonna take a Good 'Un fer me to shoot it..........
At least a 3.5 year old buck, with the width being outside the ears (18-20 inches) and some good mass...........
If'n I don't see one that is close to this one........I won't take a buck this upcomin' year.......I didn't take one last year and I'll go another year without one if'n I don't see one somewhat similar to this one........
WHY???????
I've shot way to many deer in the past years, that were smaller and I didn't put 'em on the wall.........No reason to shoot one, just to shoot one when I can shoot a doe for meat......
My chances???????
Probably pretty slim.........But, as long as I can see some bucks (which I have no doubt I will), I'll consider my year good even if'n I don't take a good buck.......
If the deer, regardless of sex, is big enough for me to go through the trouble of dragging, gutting, skinning, butchering, and packaging the meat, it will be shot at.
Any legal deer on a WMA is a shooter for me unless I already have one or two in the freezer. Outside the WMA, I'll be looking for a small racked six pointer and up, or perhaps a doe or two...
My trophy room and my living room is full so if its a buck you will here about him cause hes going to be BiiiiiiGGG!!!
Ill do my best to fill my freezer with does!
In Florida it will be a case of what kind of mood I am in for the day! I try to let spikes, forkhorns and small sixes go but sometimes I get a little itchy with the trigger finger and down he goes. Heck that is why I go hunting, it is fun to go and see deer but if'n I wasn't intent on shooting one I would leave the weapon at home.
In any state other than Florida I will adhere to whatever rules are in place for the land I am hunting. In Alabama for instance they want you to shoot nothing smaller than a 6. I let a couple go and got scolded for not shooting them? Hadn't had that problem any more since then. It makes them happy and it makes me happy! I took a nice buck in Georgia last year (142 7/8's) but wouldn't hesitate to gas one around 120 if given the green light by my host. I still have a lot of bare walls in my house!
Generally, I would say a mature buck of 130 or better. However, a mature buck in the mid 120s with an 8 pt. rack might not make it very far. I let one walk last year that I regretted a little (but he should be a dandy this year).
bow:- good 8pt or better... does 1.5 yrs hopefully a couple 2-4 yo for the freezer...
Rifle:- hopefully a true wallhanger will come my way and I hope to have my freezer needs met by then, if not then late season does after the rut...
most of all, I want to have fun!!! Get my fair share of tasty venison and not get so caught up in looking for Mr. Big that I take the fun away from it... I would love to get a nice buck with my recurve on a wma this year, chances are slim... but I enjoy hunting public land with a bow... you know able to roam and put my instincts to use instead of just sitting in the same old stands days after day....
I agree with Woody. And that's after I've taken some meat for the freezer, but I have not had to worry about that for the last few years. I only saw 2 deer in the woods while hunting last year! And both were does, and I took the largest one! Meat in the freezer!