Expectations lowered?

[tim]

depends what lowering your standards means I guess. this year I only had trail cam pics of 1 really good buck and the rest were 2 or 3 year olds,i believed the good one was 4 or 5. so that's the one I was going to target. until I checked my cams a week before vacation started and see a buck that would score less but had a very high unique looking rack. so that was my new target buck even though the other buck scored more.then after checking cams pics I realized I might have this same deer on cam from 2012 as a3 year old. so in this case he was probably an older buck but would score less. so depends what your goals are...........I am not a super strict trophy hunter as of yet but I do like holding out for a specific buck as long as I can if I blow my opportunity I will usually move on..........

[fishlips]

I have low expectations

[ Post made via Android ]

Me too, mostly just looking for a good buck with a few years on him. This year I learned things are different when you don't have any meat in the freezer and that can make all the difference. I do miss the good old days too, nice to have some deer around, enjoy it when you do. I've been hunting a bucks only zone for about 5 years now, I did have one place I could take an extra doe for part of that time but this year with a day to go in my rifle hunt and not much free time late season hunt I took a small buck for the freezer. 7 days of rifle hunting yielded only 4 deer sightings in the bigwoods so while its fun to chase bigger deer it sure is nice to have some meat for the freezer. Never actually thought I would shoot a little guys again, even passed dozens of two year olds since I shot a smaller buck. Not sure I would call it expectations changing but maybe priorities. Still had a fun season and can't wait for next year, might do more of the same, chase a big one with the bow and if I don't' connect take some meat with the rifle. Now I just hope for a mild winter because the herd could use a break way up north.

I think change in priorities is a good way to put it. I haven't been able to scout much this year and put 6 hours in the bow stand. Hard to really expect much out of that. Really wanted to shoot a 3 yo + but passed on deer last year and no venny in the frezer now. Will gladly take what I can get. Plus if I am lucky enough to get a basket rack, they look cool in the garage

[ Post made via Android ]

[keb]

Shot what makes you happy, don't regret it.

You can't compare your bucks on public or high pressure to guys who have leased or managed private. Same thing with different states. A 120 Michigan buck from private maybe harder to kill than one from public in Iowa.

So you have to look at the big picture and be real, we all dream of big bucks. But you can not put the score on the outcome of a hunt. Work hard and do what you want.

I shot a buck this year, I knew was not going to score allot, I knew of higher scoring ones, but he was fully mature 5 plus and 4 yards from me on the ground, public land and it had been a rough hunt.

Just as happy to take him as a 160, to be honest

[ Post made via iPad ]

[whitetailassasin]

Shot what makes you happy, don't regret it.

You can't compare your bucks on public or high pressure to guys who have leased or managed private. Same thing with different states. A 120 Michigan buck from private maybe harder to kill than one from public in Iowa.

So you have to look at the big picture and be real, we all dream of big bucks. But you can not put the score on the outcome of a hunt. Work hard and do what you want.

I shot a buck this year, I knew was not going to score allot, I knew of higher scoring ones, but he was fully mature 5 plus and 4 yards from me on the ground, public land and it had been a rough hunt.

Just as happy to take him as a 160, to be honest

[ Post made via iPad ]

That's very true! I've been on the fence this season when my kids are with me. One part of me wants them to experience the kill, the hunt, everything that goes into it and hope it's what they will want to pursue. But that being said the more I think about it, showing them how to hold out and target a specific animal can teach them a lot more than just hunting wise. How to set goals, to stay with them, hard work pays off, etc. I always purchase a few doe permits to stack my freezer for the year, and although tempting in areas to shoot a lesser deer that is a good one for the area, leaves me feeling sick because I know me passing him means better deer next season. I did this with my daughter this season as a young buck came in with a doe right under us with a bow, he had a good doe with him. As I drew she thought I was going to shoot the buck and was watching him and much to her surprise the doe got the ax. We talked and I explained to her where her dad was in his hunting career and how I'm trying to my part to let that buck grow another year, for her or for me. I felt good to teach at that moment as a father. So yeah it used to be whatever came in when my kids where with me, but I'm wanting to change that with them. My daughter was so pumped she was shaking and fist bumping me at 22ft up. At that moment I was superman and she was totally engulfed in the moment. It's what I've waited for with her for a few years now. It's moments like those that you can instill values and teach far beyond hunting. And it also gave me that extra bit of strength to know I've been doing the right thing by passing bucks I know aren't on my hit list and class I'm after.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[stash59]

Shot what makes you happy, don't regret it.

You can't compare your bucks on public or high pressure to guys who have leased or managed private. Same thing with different states. A 120 Michigan buck from private maybe harder to kill than one from public in Iowa.

So you have to look at the big picture and be real, we all dream of big bucks. But you can not put the score on the outcome of a hunt. Work hard and do what you want.

I shot a buck this year, I knew was not going to score allot, I knew of higher scoring ones, but he was fully mature 5 plus and 4 yards from me on the ground, public land and it had been a rough hunt.

Just as happy to take him as a 160, to be honest

[ Post made via iPad ]

That's very true! I've been on the fence this season when my kids are with me. One part of me wants them to experience the kill, the hunt, everything that goes into it and hope it's what they will want to pursue. But that being said the more I think about it, showing them how to hold out and target a specific animal can teach them a lot more than just hunting wise. How to set goals, to stay with them, hard work pays off, etc. I always purchase a few doe permits to stack my freezer for the year, and although tempting in areas to shoot a lesser deer that is a good one for the area, leaves me feeling sick because I know me passing him means better deer next season. I did this with my daughter this season as a young buck came in with a doe right under us with a bow, he had a good doe with him. As I drew she thought I was going to shoot the buck and was watching him and much to her surprise the doe got the ax. We talked and I explained to her where her dad was in his hunting career and how I'm trying to my part to let that buck grow another year, for her or for me. I felt good to teach at that moment as a father. So yeah it used to be whatever came in when my kids where with me, but I'm wanting to change that with them. My daughter was so pumped she was shaking and fist bumping me at 22ft up. At that moment I was superman and she was totally engulfed in the moment. It's what I've waited for with her for a few years now. It's moments like those that you can instill values and teach far beyond hunting. And it also gave me that extra bit of strength to know I've been doing the right thing by passing bucks I know aren't on my hit list and class I'm after.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[oldrank]

I have always looked at it as when I hunt it is my hunting experience. There is always bigger n better no matter what hobbies we do. If u build cars someone will build one faster. If u kill bucks someone will kill one bigger. Some guys hunt 5 acres some hunt thousands. Some kill does some dont. It should really only matter to the guy pulling the trigger. As someone posted on a thread awhile back, what will happen to ur mounts when we r gone? The fact is most people dont care about our hunting achievements. Its kind of a game of solitude. As should be our choices.

[ Post made via Android ]

[bowhunter15]

My standards always shift towards the end of the year, because I lie somewhere between a meat hunter and trophy hunter. I'll put my time in trying for a nice one, but when the odds start dropping late in the year, I'd rather have a full freezer than a nice rack, and I've got plenty of small racks in the garage to prove it.

Times when I would not lower my standards are: when hunting private land, time frames before or during the rut, or when I have a bead on a big one late season and a reasonable time frame to get it done.

[ Post made via Android ]