Passing up Bucks?

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sageadvice

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More and more i get the impression that many here look forward to shooting the first nice buck they see on their hunts. Granted, some areas across our Country are pretty thin in the big buck department and just finding a legal buck might be doing something. Other places and states though, do and can kick out the occasional bruiser buck yet guys claiming to really want a "big one", will shoot the first little 4X4, maybe smaller, that they see.

I can't do that myself...and i guess that i can only speak for myself. To me, the buck ain't worth killing unless he's gonna float my boat and be something i'll be proud of. All the money that i/we spend on hunting both local and out of state, i'm certainly able to buy hamburger, chicken legs, and pork steak if i don't pull that trigger and take the lesser buck. I like to have a deer in my freezer, i love the meat, i just don't NEED to have one and i personally have trouble shooting another deer just for his meat.

I strongly believe the old saying that you can't kill a monster if you shoot the first nice buck that you see. I also wonder how many of you guys have yet to find out how great it feels to walk away from a dandy buck in search of a better one. Passing up bucks really has it's satisfactions, try it if you haven't, it's a wonderful feeling.

One more thought. I see a lot of print on how "trophy hunting" is wrecking our sport. I'll agree that some of these "newer" policy's and shenanigans going on in some states is clearly not helping our cause but many guys here in these pages and a big bunch from where i came from, have been trophy hunting for 40-50 years or longer and i don't think we were wrecking anything back then.

Lets remember that we're on a trophy hunting website, Monster Muleys, and try to keep this a cool thread. Lets talk about Passing up bucks, maybe one that you regret. Thanks!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-22-12 AT 01:46PM (MST)[p]Since I was 14 and my first hunt I have always tried to kill a bigger buck then I have on the wall. And I have done it for the most part. My first buck was a 17 inch three point, next year I killed a 19 inch three point. My 3rd year was a 19 inch four point then a 22 inch 4 point.
Once I got up to killing 170+ deer it became harder and I passed up alot more deer. And 3 years in a row I killed 170 type bucks and most came on the last day looking for bigger. 2009 I broke the 180 mark with a 30 inch 184 four point. Well I thought I was screwed because thats a big buck and thought it would take many years to kill one better. Then, the very next year and in the same canyon I killed a 203 inch buck and it is my dream deer! I had 2 goals when it came to deer and they were a 30 incher 180+ and my ultimate goal of a 200 inch buck. Ive killed my 2 biggest bucks on the 4th day of the hunt and didnt pass many good bucks before killing them.
I have had years where I pass up 50-100 four points trying to kill my biggest. And I have had years where I saw one 18 incher in 4 days of hunting then killed my biggest buck(203)
If I continue only killing bigger then I have I may never kill a deer again because that is a monster deer to me. So now I will hunt for big bucks and if I like him I will kill him. If I feel I can do better he will live to see another day. The pressure is off now and feel I have met my goals. Maybe I'll set a new goal of a B&C net buck. Dream Big!
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-22-12 AT 01:51PM (MST)[p]That's pretty well been my philosophy too, but on a smaller scale than your bruisers because the area I hunt in Wyoming just doesn't produce the bucks like you are able to see and hunt.
 
Lets look at it from a different angle for a second, please.

There is no difference to the herd if you kill a 2pt of a 4pt. Except potentially a benefit.

So, if you're not going to mount it what difference does it make (unless you have total control of the harvest)? Unless you mount the buck on the wall they're ALL meat bucks.

When bad times come, nature kills the old and the young (not the young healthy meat 4 pt). Mom knows best regardless of what we think.

If you shoot a 2 point now then the small 4 pt (which you thought about shooting) will be bigger next year and breed the does while you're at home by the fire.

I DON'T LIKE SHOOTING 2 PTS SO I DON'T. YOU CAN SHOOT THEM IF YOU WANT WITH ZERO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE HERD COMPARED TO KILLING A MORE MATURE MEAT BUCK.

Zeke

PS: It's a slippery slope when we say "trophy hunting is ruining hunting.... but not MY kind of trophy hunting"
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-22-12 AT 02:30PM (MST)[p]i dont care to kill smaller bucks. I wont shoot one smaller than whats on my wall. i have limits to what i shoot. if it does not float my boat i dont shoot. Right now i wont shoot anything less than 160 and or 26+ wide. If i see it and like it i shoot. I dont need to kill every year to have a great hunt. im just happy hunting for a brusier. I have passed many many decent bucks and its always allowed me to get the opportunity on better bucks. one of these days ill actually connect on the bigger bucks i hunt. Ive never passed a buck that i have regretted passing. I had a new mexico hunt i came home empty handed on because i passed about 5 bucks that just didnt float my boat. i could have killed all 5 but i chose to press my luck for a bigger one and i came home empty handed. It was probably one of my most favorite hunts, good friends good times.
 
I'm pretty much the same as above but it also really depends on the area I'm hunting and even more so, which weapon is in my hand. My standards are lower with a bow. All in all if I'm not willing to put it on the wall and take up what little space I have, I'm not willing to shoot it. Where I typicallso hunt, I rarely see people so I know that if I pass up a decent buck, most likely he will be there next year and he might be a shooter then. I'm sorta in the same boat as dry boot. I've killed a 198" 32 wide typical and a 226" nontypical so it's tough to set my standard there......I'd end up never pulling the trigger. My son will be hunting age this year so that will add a whole new excitement for me!
 
The thoughts that I'm hearing are that when you finally kill that 200+" buck you'll need to be through deer hunting???????? because you'll never shoot a bigger one, right?????? You'll just walk around with "lead in your pencil but nobody to write to"?

That "upgrading" thinking would work for most guys but a whole bunch of us would be DONE with deer. I prefere to think more broadly!

Now, if I could just figure out a way to to keep all you guys home.......

Zeke
 
Joey, I trophy hunted my ass off almost every single day of the archery hunts in 2009 and 2010, and I didn't kill the buck I was after. It was honestly the MOST frustrating thing I've ever done...I let so many nice bucks walk away in 09 it's disgusting to think back on it now!! The buck below was the 3rd biggest buck I had scouted that year. I had a goal in my mind (you know what deer I'm talking about) and this buck didn't make the cut...
5823willi.jpg

I had this buck scouted good, I knew exactly where he was going to feed out of opening morning and since I wasn't interested in killing him I sent my uncle and brother in law after him. I gave them very detailed instructions the evening before on where to begin their stalk and they didn't listen. Instead of getting a 20 yard shot they made their final cut towards the buck 30 yards to high up the ridge and my uncle skylined himself just long enough to blow that deer out of the country. My friend, my son, and I were a good 400 yards up the ridge looking down watching the whole thing play out. As soon as I saw the buck notice my uncle then blow out of there I knew I had made a giant mistake letting them go after it instead of killing it myself. I still have zero doubt in my mind that deer was dead meat had I not decided "Admiral or bust"...

2010 was similar with a couple other nice bucks I let walk away, still going after the biggest typical I've ever set eyes on...once again I ate tag soup.

Last year I went back to instinctive bowhunting and just wanted to spill blood again so that's what I did on a buck that I'm not really super happy with but with how I did it, I'm happy enough.

This year I'm hoping to draw a dedicated tag so I can go back to trophy hunting, except this time trophy hunt all 3 seasons each year. I know I can pass big deer so I think this tag would suit me best. Wish me luck in the draw!! I truly want a Monster Muley and I'm willing to hunt my ass off all 3 seasons for 3 years straight to get him on the ground. I'm not saying I'm more committed to scouting or dedicated to hunting than anyone else is but I often wonder how anyone could seriously be more so than I am!! I honestly believe I was put on this earth to hunt bucks, especially velvet bucks, as much as Kobe Bryant was put on this earth to play basketball...I'm extreme about it, I freakin live for this chit!! :D

~Z~
 
Another thought........I've never regretted passing up a buck at the end of my hunt because it usually ended in a better buck but I have THOUGHT I would regret it and lost much sleep over a few bucks during the hunt. When I hired a guide for the henries I knew I didn't need a guide to go kill a great buck......but he was definitely needed to keep my damn finger of the trigger on quite a few bucks. How many places are there in this world that you walk away from multiple 200" plus bucks in a matter of a few days?
 
No zeke, not once you kill it. But you might have to adjust your standards from what they once were. I want to hunt and kill so if I see a big buck 180 or so I'll shoot. If I only kill bigger then my best then I may as well take up golf. I feel I will kill a bigger buck some day because of where and how I hunt, but I'm not holding my breath. I met my goals so now what?
 
All great replies Guys! Really Good, thanks!

I'm a bit busy right now but i'll get back here with some comments and more thought on the subject.

A guy would think that passing up good bucks only to come home empty would be a bad thing...but it's actually not, a guy can feel great about it...

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
Trophy is in the eye of the beholder. I personally like to hunt a hunt out and seldom take a shot earily in a season, unless its a real brute. Depends on the area too. Not all areas are created equal. Some areas if you pass a good deer earily on, might not have a chance later on.... Been times I look back at a hunt and kicking myself for not shooting a certain deer. But, it is a good feeling walking away from a good deer knowing he was dead to rights but hes still alive becuase I passed.
I do not have a certain critera on a animal. Width etc etc. Example Ive seen some 3 points that are huge and wish I could have harvested or narrow deer that are massive and tall with trash. I wont hestiate on either critter like that.
 
Heck if it just trigger pulling shoot those chickens,cow,pigs and Goats and leave the deer to us that like to hunt. LOL

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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zeke your right eventually you couldnt top your old buck. but at that point you decide what you want to kill and the area you are in will greatly depend on what you shoot. henrys i would hold for a big boy. general i would likely not pass on a 170+ buck for many years unless i was after a bigger one that i had scouted or seen before passing on that buck
I know every single season i have not filled my tag there were many times i could have and knowing i could have is my accomplishment but it doesnt mean i want to shoot a small buck. but i know when i could have. this last bow season i had 2 bucks within 5 yards (2 separate days) that were 20-22 inch 4 pts but they were not what i wanted they walked. i had at least 8-10 in bow range i could have shot at but i only shot 1 arrow last year. and i missed my mark. i will never pass on a buck that i want to kill. i usually know as soon as i see him if he is shooter worthy in my book.
 
I admire all you guys who will not shoot an inferior buck to the one you have already killed. I benefit from that mentality..it leaves more mature bucks in the field for me to pursue with my bow. I pretty much put away my firearms about twenty years ago. When I archery hunt I do not put a minimum score or width of buck in my mind. Some areas I hunt will never produce a buck as big as many I have already killed. If a mature buck that appeals to me at the time can be stalked,ambushed, road hunted or in any way be killed I am all over the opportunity. If it gets to the point that killing a nice mature buck does not float my boat I will hunt with my recurve and start all over again.
 
Sage: Yes, us older guys in our group only TrophyHunt, I leave the meat in the freezer to my boys :) When I hunt I am looking for that special buck or elk. I pass on many bucks hoping for a chance at that big one. Looking for that majic 30"incher. "You can't shoot a big one if you shoot a smaller one first". I have eaten plenty of tag soup through the years but the hard work pays off because I have seen my fair share of the special ones. I see most of them at 500-1000 yds and only for a few seconds. You see them glassing and catch a gimpse through an opening in timber but they never seem to say still, they are always moving. Get your rifle set up and they are gone. Those big ones got that way for a reason.

My biggest regrets on the biggest buck I had a chance at will haunt me forever. Back in the mid-1990's in S.E. Idaho I took my Dad 80yrs old on his last rifle hunt trying get him a shot at his last mule deer. We hunted the entire rifle season. One day my Dad was to tired so he stayed in bed. Usually I would take him for rides in the truck or on the ATV. My friend and I went out to the steeps and hunted that day because it was out of range for my dad's physical situation. About 11AM I was glassing down into this steep canyon and spotted a big buck that was a shooter. From the top of the ridge I had that big buck broadside feeding while in my cross hairs finger on the trigger at about 575yds per my range finder. There was a stiff breeze. My 300WBY was sighted in for 400yds. I watched that buck for 20 minutes and didn't take the shot because I wasn't certain with the steep down hill and the breeze that I wouldn't just cripple that magnificant animal. The buck laid down in the brush out of sight but I knew exactly where he was. My buddy game over and I explained where the buck was for him to keep an eye on the buck for me, while I walked out to the ATV and went back to camp to check on my Dad. It was about a 2 1/2Hr. round trip. When I got back to the ridge top my buddy had watched that spot for 3hrs. The buck got up once spun around and laid back down adjusting his spot. By this time it is going on 4pm in October. I told my buddy maybe we should wait till the morning becaise if I sneak down and jump him late we will have a mess and kill ourselves tring to climb out of that steep canyon 1500 ft. elevation change in 2000yds top to bottom. So we waited and went in the next morning. I should of went down and took my chances because that buck wasn't there the next morning. He was in the area but not where we could find him and we were in the last few days of the season. I spent the last few days trying to drum up a buck for my Dad. The next year we went back and got there on the monday driving the weekend. In Idaho that 1995 rifle season opened on a Thursday. A hunter was hunting that canyon opening day and shot that buck in about the same spot he was the previous year. The buck was a typical and measured 36"inches and that buck still haunts me today. I still would not have taken that long shot but I am kicking myself for not dropping off and attempting to get closer and take my chances walking out in the dark. It was one of those spots where you need to grab branches to help pull yourself up in some spots. So I passed on the buck and he won the battle with me in my year. Then the next year a lucky hunter was in the right place at the right time and jumped the buck... the rest is history. :) I am not that picky with my bow but if its not a wall hanger I just pass and hope for that big one.

))))------->
 
wow trophy that would haunt me too. I would like to say i would have went after him but its easier to say that sitting behind the computer. You never know maybe you had intution, you could have fallen and broke your back or something bad may have happened so maybe you just had the intutition not to do it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-22-12 AT 10:37PM (MST)[p]I love hunting Mule Deer
I love putting a deer in my scope and saying bang
I day dream about the ones Ive passed on all winter long

I tell myself, maybe that buck will be something really special in one to two years I hope he makes it

I think about those deer more than the ones I have actually shot

I think I have become a little twisted. 2 years ago my wife drew a late Idaho tag and I made her pass on the same buck twice. She talked me into letting her kill him the third time . I just wanted to keep looking for something bigger. He ended up being 29.5 wide and my biggest buck fits inside his rack with ease
I guess I just dont want the hunt to end

believe me, its not easy,,

I dont mind seeing little bucks get shot and often help kids and novices. Its just as exciting for me. I often go back and try to relocate nice bucks I have passed on with neighbor kids or relatives.. But they just dont stick around..

you know what they say,, the best time to kill a big buck is when you see one

but deep in the back of my mind I tell myself, I hope I can find him down the road in a few years
 
Thank You So Much! Fellas, i really needed a dose of this kinda talk! Nothing wrong with a feller going out and filling his tag but to me, it's the hunt for a good one that lights me up. Seems so many threads have gotten away from good ol buck hunting for a dandy or go home empty. I certainly don't go on most of the trips i have to shoot something smaller than i can get around here on a average decent day.

Anyway, great job guys and keep em coming if you could!! :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
I went to Montana last year and came home with out killing a deer. I have a bunch of good bucks on video though!!! I had many mature 4 point bucks chasing does 100 yards from me but they just weren't "The one" Killing for me anymore is only going to happen if I find the right buck for me...


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!
 
I grew up in Southwest Wyoming during the mule deer heydays. In those days a guy could go out and see 50 four points in a morning hunt. I got used to passing huge bucks in those days, as one could fill his tag about any day he wanted with a nice buck.

Fast forward 50 years and things have really changed as far as mule deer go. I can understand the younger hunters wanting to fill their tags. But if many of them are going to do that, they will have to do it with smaller deer as there just aren't' that many good deer around anymore.

In 1972 i quit rifle hunting and have only bow hunted since that time. I like the challenge of doing what is necessary to get close to critters. And in the past 10 years or so, I have added yet another challenge, in that I now want to photograph the animal I want to take before I pick up my bow and shoot. I have lowered my standards, as far as size goes from the glory days, but I seldom am able to get both a photo and then an arrow in the buck I want.

So in a way I have learned to pass many bucks from the standpoint of having to kill them, and still walk away with a great satisfaction if I can get a decent photo of them.

Here's a photo of a buck I took in 2007 and was able to set my camera down and pick up by bow and get the job done. It really doesn't happen often, I can assure you of that. But I am enjoying hunting more now than I ever have. It's far more about the experience to me now, than the kill.

Bills2007Buckdeeralive.jpg


Have a good one. BB
 
I was brought into mule deer hunting with trophy hunting in mind. This past season we were on 2 deer around 180" (1 officially hit 190, the other 181") and a 30" deer at daylight on opening day.... was way too early to be pulling the trigger. All those deer ended up riding back to TX though, but only 1 did with our party.

2010 I was helping a guy by being an extra set of eyes and watched him pass a 191" typical the first 4 days of season, then his luck ran out when he started getting dumb with the does. With the quality of deer coming from that exact spot it was just better to pull the trigger before everyone and their dog figured it out.

It boils down to if big bucks are your thing, you've got to be willing to gamble.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-12 AT 07:38AM (MST)[p]Been passing bucks for many years.My main standard is age.If I figure he's 4+ yrs old,then I MAY take him,depending on other factors as well.I have MANY regrets,though,LOL.Maybe that's what keeps me coming back.I will,on rare occasions,take a genetically inferior buck out of the gene pool if the situation arises on the last day of season and my freezer is hungry for venison.I also remember the "good old days" in SW Wy.We kinda took big bucks for granted back then,and I wasn't a trophy hunter then like I am now.It was too important for me to fill a tag then.However,killing my first big buck changed me forever.I was converted into the fanatic I am today!Joey-I think when some of these guys are saying that trophy hunting is ruining our sport,they are referring to the tag pimping that goes on in a certain state.Trophy hunting as we are referring to it in this thread is totally different.I get the feeling that not too many tags are filled too often by the responders to this thread.Mule deer conservation in it's highest form?
 
Mr nontypical et al,

I agree with your entire post and feel about the same way. I don't think true trophy hunting hurts the herd either. I don't let too many tag go unfilled but it's not because I whack the first buck I see.

If you read some of my posts you'd think that I'm an advocate of shooting the first 2pt you find....this isn't true. I just don't think WE should be telling others what hunting should be for them. I appreciate a hunter who can show some restraint however.

I also don't agree that you should never shoot a buck unless he's bigger than anything you've ever killed.... unless you want to stop shooting deer after a few short years. Hunting means too much to me to play that way.

Regards, Zeke
 
Great thread. We've all, at one point in time, heard about the evolution of a hunter. Typically there are 4 stages mentioned (5 if you include the learning to shoot stage) first is often referred to as the "developing hunter." This hunter wants to shoot everything, big game, small game, waterfowl, whatever can be hunted and shot. Secondly a hunter becomes more selective and could be referred to a "trophy hunter." This stage goes through mini stages and eventually, goals are met and new challenges are wanted. This leads to the next stage: "The specialist." Specialist hunters start using different weapons, or hunting strategies. Maybe they only hunt one species, whatever they do they become more focused on a specific method or prey and become a master. The final stage is when one begins to care more for future generations and becomes a "conservationist."

I think these stages are not distinct and hunters can reflect attributes of most of these stages at any point in their hunting career. Most go through all of these stages, some more quickly than others. Eventually though, most hunters become more selective and would fall into the category of being a "trophy hunter." Selectivity means passing on animals that don't fit your harvest criteria. There's nothing wrong with it. I think it is commendable to stick by your guns and shoot a buck you are happy with. Only once have I shot a deer that I wasn't excited about and I regret it to this day. Every time I size up an animal, I think about that one, and if I'm not excited, I pass. I can't say that I regret passing on very many bucks. I have missed a few that I regret missing, but that's for another thread.

On the other hand, if someone chooses to shoot a young buck, I can't blame them -- unless they disrespect the animal and the resource in some way.

The bottom line for me is, if It gets me excited and I want to shoot it, I do. I think that is a good way to approach selective hunting.
 
I shot a nice buck 2 years ago. So last year I let a nice big 3 point walk away. Other than a couple smaller ones and a nice whitetail that was it. Tag soup was ok but I did want a nice buck. I missed 3 huge deer in southern utah years ago and they still haunt me....
 
I pass up seasons. When mule deer in my area started to decline so did my need to kill one. I started paying more attention to elk and antelope. When I do feel the need to hunt deer I'm out to get one. A 3point will do just fine. I want to make a good kill, butcher it myself and enjoy every piece of it. That does me for 3 or 4 years. If the deer population ever recovered I would probably hunt more often but that's doesn't seem likely.
 
If there was a winner in this thread it would be WYMOOSE! Well thought out, and well said!

Good reads and fuel for thought from all posters.
I know I've progressed from shooting any legal buck/bull to getting more and more selective with each passing season. I haven't killed a deer in the last three years but I can honestly say that in the last three years, I've been seeing more of the caliber of bucks I dream about and it's a direct result of me passing up on many smaller deer throughout the season. I consider the last three years an educational stage of my muley passion. I have spent countless hours behind the glass just watching and learning the habits of big mature bucks and hopefully this year I will be able to put my new knowledge to the test and harvest one of those special bucks.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-25-12 AT 00:04AM (MST)[p]You betcha, great stuff guys!!

I gotta believe that there are a lot more like minded big buck hunting nuts here who have not responded. I mean a bunch! I found Wymoose's post interesting though i've seen it put similar before. It wasn't until i hunted with my Uncle on a big private ranch that we had permission though, and later on on some great limited entry public hunts, that i really found out what passing up good bucks was all about. Seemed near every day, we'd see many bucks, some as big or bigger than any that i'd ever seen before and still i'd pass.

Man, it was hard to hold off those better bucks but every evening when back at his place, i'd again look at those fully mature bruiser bucks up on his walls and that would help me hold off the trigger. Unfortunately for me, i never did get a chance at a true monster, not once! The two or three week hunt would go by, we'd hunt hard every day and i'd rack up the miles on my boots only to finally take a "good" buck the last day or two.

So, that's what i have. Lots of good ones, a 31" but not high 4X4, a 28" 8X6, a 26" 7x5, a super heavy main framed old 24", a nice clean 28" typ, and a few others that maybe not quite as nice but are the result of passing, maybe even bigger bucks up early on in search of a true monster, only to take one of these nice ones on the last day cause they were certainly, nice enough. And yes, a couple trips, as this year, i came home empty having not popped a cap even though a decent buck or two could easily enough have been taken.

The point is, i don't think that this type of buck hunting is all that unusual but we don't seem to hear enough, for me anyway, of it in these pages. Again, nothing wrong with those that are hunting to fill the freezer, i do love having the meat, but getting out there where that odd chance to run across a true Monster, letting the younger and smaller bucks go, and holding off until i guy can't stand it, is a big part of what this game is all about to me and i'd like to read about more of it from our members in these pages. Thanks guys!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
I'm glad guys shoot the first forky they see and go home.
If everyone shot ONLY the oldest, trophy bucks there'd be none left, even less than there are now if that's remotely possible.
That said, I passed 42 blacktails up last year (42 encounters) before finding a shooter.

036.jpg


Even on lightly hunted private land, finding the oldest trophy bucks is damn tough, but I'm already counting down the days until the 2012 season opens.

:)
 
Three years ago i shot myself in the foot i killed a buck running up a hill thinking he was a nice buck cause the angle he was at well turned out he was only a deep forked 3x2 about 22 wide. Seconds after i dropped him my brother that killed his buck that morning called on the radio to get over to him he just seen a huge buck went back to the top of the small ridge seen my brother and asked him where it was just after that i seen two huge bucks running together running away from us about 75 yards going right at my grandpa i called him on the radio and told him they was coming at him well ten seconds later i heard a shot he endend up being a 29 1/2 wide 4x5 i was sick to my gut cause i knew i messed up cause the one with my grandpas buck looked just as big and to just watch them knowing i could not shoot was hard. The next year was just nothing but two points everyday but i was holding out for a nice buck had tag soup but was fine with it i dont need to shoot one every year. 2011 was tough hunt seen only 2 two points tons of does was holding out for a nice one after tons of miles on my feet and thinking about throwing in the towel told myself to keep at it was tired and after seeing only two small bucks was losing hope well the last day of the hunt i got to let a bullet fly biggest buck to date 5x5 24 wide. 2012's deer hunt i dont care to kill one unless he is a toad :) going to focus on helping my lil cousin who is 13 and doing his first deer hunt hope to see a two point cause if a big one walks out sorry cuz haha unless he gets that island tag ;)

8344216.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-25-12 AT 08:22PM (MST)[p]Usually, but no always, I'm hunting in areas that I really don't want to haul out a 2 point. I have shot younger bucks while hunting with my kids just because of the experience. It's all about the experience for me now. I'm not caught up in the "kill" as I used to be which is why I'm not as good of a guide as I used to be (my personal assessment of course), which is partially the reason that I retired. It also depends on the situation. If it's a neat story and I'm looking through my scope at a 150 class buck I will probably trip the trigger. If I just stumbled across him while driving my quad out on "The Cat's" ridge then I most likely will let him walk. I love hunting too much to turn it into a numbers game anymore. I'm in it for the experience. I really don't care how much I spend or the sacrifice it takes to get me there. It's all about who I'm hunting with, the experiences had (both good and bad) and the scenery around me. It's also about finding out what's on the other side of the ridge!



It's always an adventure!!!
 
There is that feeling you get when bucks appear out of the trees. He stops smells the air then he tastes the air and slowly continues walking towards you. All the hard work you have put in over the years learning the country, the confidence you feel knowing you are in the right place for the buck you've caught glimpses of. Everyday of the year untill you are in that spot, it is Your spot You've Earned that buck,He haunts you. The buck walking towards you, no problem he is yours dead to rights you could take him at any time,but NO. He is not the Buck you have seen, He is not the Buck you think You know. You pass him, hoping that your buck will soon be walking out of those trees, just as you have thought about all year. Your cheeks burning, heart Pounding, you are shaking. Whewww you let out your breathe quietly and laugh inside. Thinking, Damn that deer had me excited. I love that feeling passing up good Bucks, Waiting for a Great Buck. That is One reason that i Hunt.
 
To remind me of how stupid I can be,I have kept the horns from the worst buck I ever shot, Southern Idaho around 1990 on opening day I spotted a big heavy high 3x4 within easy shooting range, but because he didnt fork in the back on one side I passed,and that night I started regreting it because it was a really big grey faced buck, I though about it all night, the next morning overlooking the same cliff I saw another buck,he looked tall but not overly wide, I didn't shoot for a while, then he turned sideways and I shot, I went over to him and he was a little tiny faced baby buck, 22 inches wide, 21 high,5x6 with deep forks and quite heavy. If I ever saw a really young buck with record book genetics it was this one, and shamefully I killed him.
 
For me, it is all about the Hunt. I have gone through all the stages that are described above and many times I can be in several stages at one time. But when it boils down to it, I just love the pursuit. Pitting your whits against that of a big ol' mature buck on his home turf is the classic example of man against nature and man against himself. Having the restraint to pass on smaller bucks is just a way to keep the hunt going. I get 3 months a year to hunt. If I shot the first buck I saw, I'd be tagged out opening morning and I'd have to sit out the rest of the season. I like big deer. I'm not afraid to say that. But big deer aren't everything to me. I have been involved in some absolute crankers hiting the dirt over the years. And I have passed on many bucks that most other hunters would give a left nut to kill. But I can tell ya I cherish the memories of hunting with my kids and watching them kill their first animals way more than the memories of the monsters I have seen die.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-04-12 AT 01:52PM (MST)[p]For me, it is ALL about the hunt. Its the time spent on the mountain that I know holds big bucks.

I came to Utah, from Florida...and knew NOTHING about mule deer. The first years there was more error than trial, but I've learned a lot and killed a few nice bucks.

I switched over to solo backcountry archery, after the challenge of rifle hunting went away, and in getting away from the crowds, I've run into some huge bucks. I've NOT arrowed any, but I no longer want to shoot a little buck...my desire is in pursuing big bucks in velvet, or nothing.

That being said, I've hunted Idaho with family, and in the name of showing the brothers how its done, I'll knock down a 22" buck, rather than passing and looking for the biggest boy. But my out of state hunting is limited, and the famiky does like to have a bit of deer in the freezer that they wouldn't get if I wasn't hunting with them.(They wouldn't hunt at all,if I didn't come up for the hunt)

But on MY hunts-i have NO problem eating tags for years at a time....but damn its been too long, I REALLY need to add a set of antlers to the wall! Maybe this year!

-edit- i have to say to each his own. A trophy is in the eye of the shooter! Go hunt hard, shoot straight and never be ashamed of a buck!

48696fc97cd60c01.jpg
 
Great posts guys! This has turned in to one of my favorite posts ever. I keep thinking back to the hunt that Founder killed that pig last year. Looked like he did all the filming himself and really did a admirable job of giving daily reports and showing of what he was seeing. Then he started getting into good bucks but he was passing them up...hard, very hard to do but that's what a guy has to do when he really knows what he wants. Happy ending! By passing all those nice but not monster bucks up, he put himself into a situation where he still had his tag when Mr. Big boy finally showed up.

To them that really wants one in a lifetime, that buck hunt of Founders could be a great lesson and i've not seen a better example.

Keep em coming if you care to guys. It's all good but big ol bucks are even better! :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
I pass up a lot of WTs, but a 130" deer in my country is about the equivalent of a 180" Muley out West. Next yr I'll be laying the hammer down on a little WT buck I've watched for the past 4 years. There will be bigger deer on the place, but he's special and deserves a spot on the wall as a big 6/7 pt.
 
Got my first deer tag when I was 14 in 1992. Missed the first buck I saw and it still haunts me to this day. My hunting party knows what a big buck is and all thought it was around a 210" deer. Looked for him the rest of the time I had and did not fill the tag. Got another tag 2 years later and decided I would shoot the first buck I saw. I harvested the smallest 2 point ever and that buck also haunts me to this day.

I finally took my second buck in 2009. Between 1996 and 2009 I had 7 tags that I did not fill. It had to be 30 wide or 200". I thought my buck met both criteria on the hoof but fell short at 32 wide and 198" but not at all disappointed in the score. My next buck will have to score higher than this one.

I have witnessed many 200" deer hit the ground thru the years and have a thing for big bucks.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-05-12 AT 02:41PM (MST)[p]Were I live (Oregon) you would likely never kill a deer if you held out for a 200" mule deer even a 180" for that matter. There has been very few taken in the last 20 years that go over the 200 mark. It seems a 24' wide 4 point is a good buck here these days, so if your a non-res looking here I wouldn't waste the time or $$ if your standards are that high! I personally have only hunted mule deer 3 times in 30 years here as an Oregon resident, and have only killed 2 mule deer bucks here. Blacktails are what I grew up hunting and have done well on those. I have passed up many small bucks waiting for a good one (115" 4 point is a good Blacktail where I hunt), it has paid off for more than a few times. More often than not I eat my tag though and I have no problem with that. I need to start looking at other states if I want a big Mule deer I believe. Im getting burned out on the Blacktail and they are getting harder to find too.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-05-12 AT 02:57PM (MST)[p]I think we have to go with the philosophy of live and let live, otherwise we start sounding like the ethics cops and pros that troll this site.

In my own opinion, I can go both ways. I believe if you let the younger bucks go, then you'll get a chance at them when they do get big. But, I've hunted with some guys that killed a small buck and were just as thrilled as I am if I kill a big buck. So, to each their own, I guess thats why we get our own tag to put in our wallet and dont have to share with everyone else.

I grew up shooting a lot of small bucks, eventually just killing a deer wasnt a big deal to me, I wanted something I felt good with (meat or no meat). Now adays, I pass up on the bucks I use to think were big bucks! Because of this I havent pulled the trigger on a deer for the last 2 seasons but I have filled my wallspace with some big deer (high scorers and ones that didnt score high).

I have no problems with a guy that shoots a young buck, I tell him congrats, share his excitement, and keep the bummed out feeling of never getting to hunt this buck when he's mature to myself.

Consider this, if it werent for trophy hunting, what use would SFW have for auction tags. Store bought meat is usually cheaper than what your deer will cost per pound.

and a deer doesnt have to score big to be a big buck!
 
2000 in the Pauns I let a monster(200" plus) walk, he was across a draw(I was to fat) and only shot was a walking Texas Heart Shot @ 168 yrds...I could have done differant! (still think of him everyday!).
I was in unit 72 in NV (Jarbridge wilderness...I lost over 140lbs)packing for a scouting place up high and found one! bucks and bulls heaven). I saw maybe 40 deer all working there way up, half does with fawns and the others all 4x4(2x2 that were branching again) bucks...no chit..11 elk, 3 good bulls!
now the working out goes hardcore because the spike camp is easy even with a heavy pack but the hunt will 2k/3k' vertical!!
 
If a buck doesn't get the blood pumping I wont shoot it. However my kids are starting to hunt this year and anything with horns is fair game.

avatar_2528.jpg
 
>There is that feeling you get
>when bucks appear out of
>the trees. He stops smells
>the air then he tastes
>the air and slowly continues
>walking towards you. All the
>hard work you have put
>in over the years learning
>the country, the confidence you
>feel knowing you are in
>the right place for the
>buck you've caught glimpses of.
>Everyday of the year untill
>you are in that spot,
>it is Your spot You've
>Earned that buck,He haunts you.
>The buck walking towards you,
>no problem he is yours
>dead to rights you could
>take him at any time,but
>NO. He is not the
>Buck you have seen, He
>is not the Buck you
>think You know. You pass
>him, hoping that your buck
>will soon be walking out
>of those trees, just as
>you have thought about all
>year. Your cheeks burning, heart
>Pounding, you are shaking. Whewww
>you let out your breathe
>quietly and laugh inside. Thinking,
>Damn that deer had me
>excited. I love that feeling
>passing up good Bucks, Waiting
>for a Great Buck. That
>is One reason that i
>Hunt.

+1
 
Every buck with antlers gets my heart pumping. Just me. I prefer meat to antlers any day. Due to no doe tags, i am limited to shooting bucks only. So if i want meat for the winter, the first legal buck usually hits the dirt. I cant recall passing on any buck. General unit hunts with lack of mature bucks will do that to a person if you want meat. If you want antlers, keep looking i guess.
 
Joey,

I think that more and more you get the impression that people on mm look forward to shooting the first nice buck they see, because people are realizing the general hunts are being walked over by trophy special interests. It is a right we need to keep, or we are all forced to trophy hunt every few years.

There is hardly a direct attack on this site against the guys who have trophy hunted for decades. You will hear trophy hunters get attacked when they start talking like their approach to hunting is far more pure, respectable, and biologically responsible than the guys who kill yearlings.

There is more trash talk against trophy hunting on this website than there used to be. This is because general hunters have been demonized by trophy organizations for years and never really noticed it. The general hunt has been blamed by trophy organizations as the reason the herds declined and general hunters have borne the brunt of all hunting regulations.

General hunters just woke up and realized SFW with all trophy hunters turned Utah into a limited entry hunt. All completed under the auspices that it would fix the herd and be good for everyone. Just this year Don Peay admitted everthing they've done has not worked and now we need to go for the coyotes.

So yeah, you've heard more trash talk against trophy hunters. We woke up last year and realized someone ate our lunch. But don't take it to personal. Afterall, you're the winner. You do have your statewide limited entry hunt, fewer tags, higher b/d ratios and more fees!!!
 
Huh? Oh well.


Sage; I usually approach hunts from a couple different mindsets. If it's a fun hunt, with low pressure, like a family hunt with the grandkids around, then I'll probably try to shoot A buck so the kids can see it and experience some success.

If it's a high pressure, trophy type hunt, with just me and the other trophy hunters then I'll hold out for something that I will put on the wall.

Remember, I've always said that if you're not going to mount the buck then it's just a meat buck regardless of size or age.

Zeke
 
Sage,
Excellent thread BTW.

There are alot of excellent thoughts and NONE ARE WRONG! We all have a different opinion about trophy hunting and that's OK. There's room for all of us out there.

Zeke
 
I think todays trophy mule deer hunter has a more challenging decision than ever before when it comes to passing up a deer or killing one. Our herds are on the decline in most areas. The status quo of mule deer management is not working like before. We as hunters may have more of the blame than we want to admit with all the technology we take to the field, plus hunters are better informed on hunting techniques and so on. But let's also not forget habitat and predators and more has changed. I think we all can agree the mule deer are not looking as good as they once were...

My thought is; As trophy mule deer hunters are we helping the herd more by being more selective and passing up deer until we see the monster buck or cull buck . Should we try as hunters to ONLY kill the deer at the end of their life cycle?? Put a more intense focus on passing young animals to help our herds. Reward or commend hunters for passing up bucks. In a sense take our own step in improved management???

I personally have made the choice go big or go home. Meat in the freezer is usually a cow elk. I enjoy leaving the bucks on the mountain to grow old. But I also dream all year about what that buck I passed last season might look like this coming season...
 
Just another thought then I'll pass on the torch to someone else;

If habitat is in short supply, or in poor condition, then we should remember that it takes LOTS more habitat to grow a 6.5 year old buck than it does a 1.5 year old.

There are so many variables in management that I really don't know the fast answer but I do know this; we either need to manage the 30 units for trophy quality only and stictly limit the number of hunters per unit or we must make room in our minds (and in the units) for hunters of all types.

I don't know what the right answer is to the deer issue and I suspect few of us really do but I like this thread to get us all thinking abain.
Zeke
 
As a small lad growing up in the early 60's, we'd all rush over when we heard that Dad, my uncles, and some friends "They're Back!" Several rigs would be unloading gear, sleeping bags and all sorts of stuff but i paid no mind to anything but the long line of buck heads that were spread out for everyone's inspection up on the sidewalk.

Back then, that group used to hunt a ranch in the Diamond Mountains of Nevada. The smallest buck that those guys took back then would probably be a shooter for most and there were always 4 or 5 bucks that were slugs, huge things that i could hardly take my eyes from.

Fast forward 15 or 20 years and i was leading my own group of friends or going solo on outa state muley trips. Never did hunt the Diamonds but did get to hunt the Ruby's when it was great and helped my Uncle and his friends with their hunts there for many years. I also hit Wy, Colo, Oregon, Utah, and other places in search of big bucks and when i got home, there were about 50-60 guys that i hunted with, same interests, friends and family, that couldn't wait to see what we'd brought home.

Now, fast forward another 30 years and here we are. Some are saying that trophy hunters are wrecking our hunting! Since when? I guess i'm too old to change but i don't think that us guys that have been hunting this way for a long time are to blame because when we hunted, there was lots and lots of game. I do agree that advances in Tech and the growing limited resources are not helping.

Now, I just like to go and at night, i'll remember back to when my Uncle took that 39 point, near 40 incher that he won a 30-30 with at the Commercial or Stockmen's Hotel in Elko or my Dad's big Greys River Forky that his guide swore was a monster and talked him into shooting as his "guaranteed Opportunity." Dad got grief over that buck from his buds, 1963 or so, till the day he left us but it was all in fun and he took it well. Lots of stories, lots of good hunts, can't say i remember them all but seems i enjoyed every one i heard tell.

I'll continue to pass on them young small bucks with maybe a occasional one taken near me here local. Good hunting or bad, i'm going! I don't care much anymore if i get one or not.

Thank again to all who have posted here!!

Joey





"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
"I'll continue to pass on them young small bucks with maybe a occasional one taken near me here local. Good hunting or bad, i'm going! I don't care much anymore if i get one or not.
Thank again to all who have posted here!!"
Joey



*** My exact feelings too after 60 years in the field!
 
sage...now try to remember back. what was different than it is now? besides the deer size and numbers... is the habitat worse? predators? more/ less hunters? access? increases in poaching? what caused this significant fast down turn to our deer herds?what is so different now to cause this? is it just a boom and bust cycle for some unexplained reason? Is it really worse? is it the abundance of other big game? (colorado seems to have good elk and deer hunting proving the 2 can coexist. or is it the fact that too many people are not trophy hunting like the days of before? back then little bucks were not as readily shot like now from what i hear. is it possibly the fact that they almost always shot more mature bucks and passed on the small bucks unlike today?. is it the fact that people are far lazier now and dont put the effort into kill a mature buck and shoot the first dink they see? maybe the 3-4 year old bucks that are far harder working breeders were left to breed and were more successful at breeding?

the biggest thing i have heard from the guys in my area that worked the land is habitat loss. sagebrush overgrowth, p and j overgrowth,and it makes sense a decade before the deer herds starting going down the drain is the same time when fire suppression was really pushed, and leaving and allowing major overgrowth (a decade of allowing overgrowth would allow alot of overgrowth)! i mean back in the 50s and 60s there was so much reseeding and railing and chaining, now its so restricted on blm and forest its gotten so outtawhack. overgrowth causes 2 major problems for deer imo. 1 it absorbs water and diminishes springs. 2 it crowds out the forage for deer. however the water problem is the same for all animals. its gotta be lack of habitat imo. we may never know i just hope we figure something out to at lease maintain what we have now.
 
Theox, i can't answer all your questions and i really never wanted nor intended to make this thread a "how are we gonna fix Utah" thread. I will say that the couple seasons that i hunted there, i had never seen so many hunters out in the field. It was a madhouse to shoot everything in sight and on a couple long hikes to get where i wanted to be at daylight, i soon got the hell outa there when the shooten started.

Most States and places we went, most people just were not going to go where went. They seemed way fewer and we seldom ran into very many hunters, to get as far back in or as rough a places as we did. I think now, it's no secret that if you want bigger, older class bucks, you need to go where they don't get hunted as hard and might get to live to a older age. Because so, a lot more guys started hitting it harder on their hunt so they too could pull out better bucks

Also, most all my friends, family and the guys i grew up hunting with, all were pretty much passing up younger bucks. Very few were out there just for the meat. Even on our own ranch in Coastal Cali, i could just about kill a buck any day as we just didn't need to shoot those smaller bucks. The result was that you saw bucks all the time because they were getting passed, it was better, what i call better, hunting.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-22-12 AT 09:35PM (MST)[p]Interesting thread,
I have to add my 2 bits.
This past fall I was fortunate to cash in 18 hard earned Colorado points for a premium MD hunt. I was even more fortunate to find the "Holy Grail" in my book. An honest 200" B&C typical mule deer that still knocks my socks off! I have been hunting mule deer for 47 years and I finally took my dream buck.
So now that I am thinking about hunting this year, it honestly seems like I have lost some of my passion.
Don't get me wrong. I will always love to hunt and maybe my thoughts will change with a weapon in my hand. But somehow, after reaching a life-long goal, it is hard to imagine topping it.
I am good with that, and for some time I have been more interested in my son's success rather than my own. Maybe that is just part of life and getting older.
Dikndirt keeps going by upping the challenge with a bow (which I have also done). But I am also good with now letting others have a turn.
Zeke is also right in that, unless it is going on the wall, it is just a meat buck regardless of the size!
May your dream buck still be in your future!
Happy Hunting
 

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