Passing on young deer in hopes to shoot older deer?

[stash59]

It's all up to you! If sitting in hohum habitat with no chance for mature bucks of the quality your after is no longer fun for you. It's probably time for a switch.

Personally I went on a gun elk hunt to Montana in the mid eighties. I read about bowhunting rutting bulls and had a strong desire to do it. I put in for a non-resident tag a couple years and didn't get drawn. Other years I couldn't afford the license fee needed to be sent in with the application in March. I had no other obligations than my job so I quit and moved to Montana. A elk hunter was born. More important I was never happier in my entire life.

So the question is how important is killing mature bucks to you? And can you find a way to accomplish this without causing too much upheavel in the rest of your life.

[john1984]

Bass, how old are you? your a freakin BEAST! my standards are 4.5 months old, not years lol

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[brkissl82]

Jackson marsh said it best. All i need is a decent rack and im happy. O wait this is supposed to be about deer!? Haha

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[whitetailassasin]

I'm looking for 5+, but it is awfully hard to let a nice 4 year old walk and I have only done it twice. Let a 120" 3 year old go by twice yesterday. I think it all depends on what makes you happy and where you are in your hunting career. That 3 year old still gave me a huge adrenaline rush yesterday when he came up out of a bedding area grunting while chasing a doe. He put on a great show throughout the day. Watching him was as much fun as anything.

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I think location plays into a big part. Managed private or highly pressured state. SamPotter, 5.5 yr old deer, has to be some nicely managed land. 5.5 yr old here is like a unicorn. I personally feel if the area you hunt has mature bucks, pursuing those bucks over let's say a 1.5 yr old will be a tough, yet obtainable challenge. But if your area only holds 1.5 yr olds, some 2.5 yr olds, and the occasional 3.5 yr old I could see pursuing bigger 2.5 yr olds and above. This has been discussed many times here. Shoot what makes you happy, also you have to be realistic of what your areas hold. If your not happy with buck size, go find new ground until you can locate what your looking for. Don't get strung along by little bucks. To hunt mature deer, it's way different than hunting just any deer. They are animals of solitude, and when they bed, it's safe, secure, void of human scent, and believe it's in a location that plays into his hands. My personal goal is 3.5+, but I've been really holding out for 4.5 yr olds but occasionally a good 3.5 yr old will get my interest and eat a reaper to the vitals

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[muddy]

I'm on the 4.5+ boat as well. Sometimes it works out sometimes it don't. I don't like the feeling of saying "boy he'd have been nice next year" when I walk up on one. Like BassBoysLLP every stand I go to had specific bucks in mind.

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[Edcyclopedia]

I will most likely only shoot +100 lb Doe's - Any weapon.

+2.5 year old Bucks - Archery.

A real good 2.5 or more likely 3.5 Buck - Gun.

Ultimately trying to better my largest which is 105"...

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[iowa whitetail]

I enjoy passing good bucks for that one buck. Some times it pays off and most of the time he lives another year.

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[parkersdad]

I've never had a buck tell me it's age, and since I don't run cameras I have no idea on age, obviously 2 and under are easy to tell.

I do think it's awesome when a hunter holds out for a mature buck. A guy needs to kill what makes him happy. I'm sure top end hunters enjoy the challenge/chase of a truly mature buck.

Maybe one day I will get to that point, but right now I'm just interested in a good rack and a memorable hunt.

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I was thinking the same thing. I'm always like these guys know how old these deer are? Are they pets or something. I know they run cameras but I don't think most people can tell what buck is what from year-to-year. I just hunt a 510,000 acre national forest that is all woods so I shoot whatever I can when I can. It is also very steep mountains

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[BassBoysLLP]

I've never had a buck tell me it's age, and since I don't run cameras I have no idea on age, obviously 2 and under are easy to tell.

I do think it's awesome when a hunter holds out for a mature buck. A guy needs to kill what makes him happy. I'm sure top end hunters enjoy the challenge/chase of a truly mature buck.

Maybe one day I will get to that point, but right now I'm just interested in a good rack and a memorable hunt.

[ Post made via Android ]

I was thinking the same thing. I'm always like these guys know how old these deer are? Are they pets or something. I know they run cameras but I don't think most people can tell what buck is what from year-to-year. I just hunt a 510,000 acre national forest that is all woods so I shoot whatever I can when I can. It is also very steep mountains

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https://www.qdma.com/articles/aging-bucks-on-the-hoof

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[PK_]

I am mainly looking for 6.5+ anywhere I hunt.

2.5s get in the way a lot tho.

[Hawthorne]

In Ks a 125 or bigger (unless i judge the tack i correctly) is getting shot. In MI-2.5 year old on highly pressured private ground. I am lucky to see one 2.5 year old a year

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My part of Michigan on small private a 2.5 is feasible but you have luck into a 3.5 here. We've gone whole years without seeing or getting a 3 year old on cam.

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[Bucky]

Once they hit 4+.... they are a different animal. Luckily in WI we have access to that age class in almost any part of the state. Finding them is the difficult part... once u find a spot with one... there are likely more! Swamps/expansive marshes/bluff like hills/suburbs/large acreage farms usually increase odds of finding one

Shoot what makes ya happy... but 2yr olds are a dime a dozen. Even on public... not sure about MI though MO and WI I ran into multiple 2yr olds annually when hunting solely public

I will add it is a progression though... if u start out trying to kill mature bucks it will be a major struggle IMO

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[headgear]

Generally speaking I'm after public 3+ year olds but overall if I see something I like I will try and get an arrow in them. The bigwoods 2 year olds are pretty darn small where I hunt so it isn't hard to give them a pass. Heck even some of the 3 year olds don't put on a lot of bone.

[oldrank]

Where I hunt in Michigan I may see one 3.5 yr old buck a yr. Of the few that I have killed or seen killed they all have wounds of some sort. Most of the 2.5s have a wound. If deer are caught in the stateland on opening day they pretty much die. The entire area gets hunted from all sides. If a deer passes by me I usually will hear a shot within a few minutes. There r a few small safe zones but they better be in em n not move or they die. I am happy with any buck with a decent rack. 100" deer r trophies in my eyes and that is my goal. I know from my summer glassing there are a few in that class around each year.

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[olivertractor]

It used to be easy to pass 3.5 yr olds avg 120" (in big woods I hunt), due to fact that I could fill freezer with does. Now that there's a lot less bucks and can't shoot a doe, jury's still out. Next year I'll adjust. Or if I have my son with me I might just shoot anything with antler, lol!

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