A very difficult thing to do when deer hunting.

[Son]

Again this year, like in past years I've decided to hold out for nothing but mature bucks to fill my buck tags. Last year it cost me, as I only got one buck and it was during the last weekend. After the season, I thought back about all those nice two year old's I passed on.
This year, I have taken one nice 8 point of 195 pounds and took two does for meat to last until next season. I have one more buck to get to have the limit. So far I've passed up on four different two year old 8 point bucks. Almost shot the last one because at first he looked older before he gave me a full view of his rack and body. Some of our two year old bucks have impressive racks for their age when it comes to width.
Trail camera photos helps me pass on these younger bucks because we have photo's of some nice mature bucks pre season in velvet, and after the season opened. So far only two of those have been taken, an 8 I took and a 7 a club member got this past week. We've been after that old 7 for at least 4 years I can remember. I'm wondering how many of you enjoy the challenge of holding out for mature bucks? My limit is 3.5 or older, have gotten some five to seven years old over the years. My group has a limit of two bucks and twos per paid member in the club, and about half of them wont shoot does. This has worked well for us for 35 years now. None of us can use ten does, but that is a good management tool if needed. Our area doesn't have the wooded acreage it used to have. At least half have gone to farming or pasture in the last ten years. Hurricane Michael of 2018 didn't help either, many wooded areas were clear cut and not put back into timber. More farms means more irrigation, and that means less water for the wooded areas. When irrigation begins in the summer, our swamps and pond dry up in less than two weeks. Get out and enjoy the woods while you can. One day in the near future you many be riding by and looking where your favorite woods used to be. Posting an old photo of one of my Ga bucks to enhance the post.

 

[Nicodemus]

Again this year, like in past years I've decided to hold out for nothing but mature bucks to fill my buck tags. Last year it cost me, as I only got one buck and it was during the last weekend. After the season, I thought back about all those nice two year old's I passed on.
This year, I have taken one nice 8 point of 195 pounds and took two does for meat to last until next season. I have one more buck to get to have the limit. So far I've passed up on four different two year old 8 point bucks. Almost shot the last one because at first he looked older before he gave me a full view of his rack and body. Some of our two year old bucks have impressive racks for their age when it comes to width.
Trail camera photos helps me pass on these younger bucks because we have photo's of some nice mature bucks pre season in velvet, and after the season opened. So far only two of those have been taken, an 8 I took and a 7 a club member got this past week. We've been after that old 7 for at least 4 years I can remember. I'm wondering how many of you enjoy the challenge of holding out for mature bucks? My limit is 3.5 or older, have gotten some five to seven years old over the years. My group has a limit of two bucks and twos per paid member in the club, and about half of them wont shoot does. This has worked well for us for 35 years now. None of us can use ten does, but that is a good management tool if needed. Our area doesn't have the wooded acreage it used to have. At least half have gone to farming or pasture in the last ten years. Hurricane Michael of 2018 didn't help either, many wooded areas were clear cut and not put back into timber. More farms means more irrigation, and that means less water for the wooded areas. When irrigation begins in the summer, our swamps and pond dry up in less than two weeks. Get out and enjoy the woods while you can. One day in the near future you many be riding by and looking where your favorite woods used to be. Posting an old photo of one of my Ga bucks to enhance the post.

I do.

 

[Spotlite]

I’ve changed over the years, I usually pick a buck from the trail cam that has something interesting about it that catches my eye and stopped focusing so much on age / size.

My hit buck this year was probably a 2.5 year old 9 point. Typical 8 with one drop tine. Might be 16 inches wide at best. Hadn’t got a shot at him yet.

My two hit bucks from last year are attached. One has broken brows, I picked him because I just liked the broken brows. Got two pics of him working a scrape. He went ghost on me. Then one morning he came cruising in at 25 foot from the stand.

The other was a buck that was never seen in any day time pics on trail cam. Every pic was around midnight. I picked him because I figured he was going to give very few opportunities to kill him. He goofed up one day at noon. I eased in my stand at 9am, never knew he was bed down. He got up at noon about 60 yards out.

Neither are probably considered mature bucks. But, I passed on some holding out for these.

 

[Taco4x4]

As I have gotten older I do the same. 4.5 and older is what I look for but on public land this is a challenge. Last year I let three that I think were 3.5 walk that most would have shot private or public. Of course this year they are no where to be found. I like to think maybe someone took one because it was there biggest ever and hung it proudly on the wall or some kid took one as there first ever buck and will remember that day the rest of his life. Most folks tell me if you don't kill um somebody else will.

Honestly I am ok with that.

 

[mallardsx2]

I dont mind or find it difficult to hold out for bigger bucks. If I want meat, I'll shoot a doe. Its literally that simple.

 

[Gator89]

I was 25 when I killed my first deer. I was 42 when I finally tagged two bucks in the same season.

I have yet to experience the need to self implement age restrictions, maybe in another 20 years or so it will happen.

 

[Milkman]

I can’t justify shooting a doe at two of my spots. The ratio is unbalanced by personal sighting and camera.

 

[Son]

Several years ago, I held out to the end for a couple bucks. Gave up the last couple weeks and took two nice bucks I hadn't seen on cameras. Last weekend of the season, found out the bucks I was after, had been killed on an adjacent property. I have a photo of one that was on one of my cams. Now I can't help but wonder if the bucks I'm after this season, hasn't met the same fate this late in the season.

 

[Son]

Having shot a mature doe last week, she ran off into the thickest greenbriar thicket in the area. Help arrived and as we put a rope around her neck he said, grab hold and lets go. I said no, I have a better way. Take the rope as far as it will go, we'll go to the ropes end, then drag her to us. That's how we got the doe out to a trail without greenbriar thorns getting the both of us. I bet many of you have experienced trying to drag through thorns before.

 

[Nicodemus]

I pass up a lot of big bucks every year. Most I take pictures of with my handheld camera. I passed this old boy up in 2019. Decided to kill him in 2020. He was pushing 270 pounds.

 

[Buckman18]

I also enjoy the challenge of hunting mature bucks. I hunt an early rut on the lease in the McDuffie County pine thicket, and also a late November-December rut on public mountain land where I grew up. The bonus tags on mountain WMA'S greatly enhances my opportunity and experience.

My personal goal is to kill 4.5 yr old+ bucks. Sometimes I settle for 3.5 yr olds. I dont go looking for 'high scoring' bucks. In the areas I hunt, anything over 120 inches is exceptionally large, even on old deer. I almost never use trail cams, plots, or feeders. I rely on finding and reading sign, and I prefer to be surprised by what my target buck looks like when I see him. Bears usually destroy our trail cams up here eventually, and im fairly certain that ive never killed a buck I had a picture of. Is my target mountain buck a really wide big framed 6 pt, or a high racked 10 pt? Who cares, i want him to be mature and I want to be surprised. I want him to get my ticker ticking, and if ive already studied 500 pics of him and know he will gross between 126-128, then there's no surprise there. YMMV.

Good hunting.

 

[rugerfan]

My Avatar Speaks for itself!

 

[SakoL61R]

Other than my 85 year old neighbor-buddy, have only hunted with my son 10 yr old the last 5 years. My favorite climber has been gathering dust....
He is, and has been cleared hot on anything that steps out, but we do alot of watching. He's holding off for 8 pter's or better so far this year (that could change at any moment in the stand).
Depending on numbers, he and I will take a couple of does most years.

As far as me, IF I was to hunt by myself currently, I would be holding out for what I know walks around my place. Unsure if I could even pull the trigger on a big mature buck now. Having thought it through, it would definitely be anticlimactic as I want my boy to have every opportunity.
That will change when he's able to hunt solo and I can shimmy up a tree in my Summit, though.

 

[Buckman18]

Other than my 85 year old neighbor-buddy, have only hunted with my son 10 yr old the last 5 years. My favorite climber has been gathering dust....
He is, and has been cleared hot on anything that steps out, but we do alot of watching. He's holding off for 8 pter's or better so far this year (that could change at any moment in the stand).
Depending on numbers, he and I will take a couple of does most years.

As far as me, IF I was to hunt by myself currently, I would be holding out for what I know walks around my place. Unsure if I could even pull the trigger on a big mature buck now. Having thought it through, it would definitely be anticlimactic as I want my boy to have every opportunity.
That will change when he's able to hunt solo and I can shimmy up a tree in my Summit, though.

Kids need to fire at will. I believe that's how you effectively recruit. If they're holding off to satisfy dad's ego, they (and dad) are missing out on a lot of fun. My best memories as a kid was dragging out spikes, 3's, and 5 pointers out with my dad.

 

[buckpasser]

Kids need to fire at will. I believe that's how you effectively recruit. If they're holding off to satisfy dad's ego, they (and dad) are missing out on a lot of fun. My best memories as a kid was dragging out spikes, 3's, and 5 pointers out with my dad.
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Totally agree. I was basically only limited by the law in my childhood deer seasons, and that made it very fun for me. I’m not into restricting kids, but durn if my son wasn’t born a trophy hunter on his own. He tears up frogs, doves, fish and squirrels and we eat them, but he’s not interested in shooting does or bucks that aren’t “big boy” (his label). Haha

 

[ryanh487]

Only time i've ever filled 2 buck tags was on 2 younger deer. the first was a decent 8 for the freezer and the second i thought had a busted pedicle and was a mercy kill. ended up just being a really odd rack that was apparently damaged in velvet to make it cockeyed. I regreted it though, the last weekend of the season I was coyote hunting late afternoon and the biggest buck i've ever laid eyes on came out in the field behind a very healthy 2.5 year old 8. made the 2.5 year old look like a fawn. Main beams out past the nose, spread well outside the ears, and G2s at least 12-14" long. Looked like he had walked off a Cabelas show room display. All I could do was watch him broadside at 125 yards though the scope on my AR in the last few seconds of daylight. I'll never kill 2 bucks again unless the second is similar to that beast.

 

[Son]

Just received word, a 12 year old in our group has taken two rack bucks in three days, A fine 8 and a nice 7. He likes one of my stands. Always like to see youngsters in the woods.

 

[Tight Lines]

I pass up a lot of big bucks every year. Most I take pictures of with my handheld camera. I passed this old boy up in 2019. Decided to kill him in 2020. He was pushing 270 pounds.


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Like a Hereford with antlers!

 

[antharper]

It use to be difficult for me , now I let my daughter fill the freezer. And I try to wait for one I really want . my daughter has been slacking this season so I plan on filling my freezer soon . It also helps to know I can do that about anytime . Here’s a couple I shot this season with my phone .

 

[SakoL61R]

Fully agree kids need to fire at will. I encourage him to every time, and he will if he wants to. His choice. My ego has nothing to do with it.
I've been carrying him to the stand since he was 3. He's seen lots and lots of critters and the interactions they have.
Sometimes, he just likes to watch. Other times, if it's brown (without spots per Mama...), and he can taste the backstrap, it's down right now! Pure predator.
All fun!