POLL: How many P&Y bucks did you pass in 2017?

[dan]

Right now looking at the chart we are at 21% that passed one or more P&Y class bucks... That's over 1 out of 5 hunters. Around me only about 1 out of 10 hunters gets a buck, and 1 out of 100 actually passes anything. That speaks volumes on the class of hunter we have here on the site!

[csoult]

I don't think I'll ever pass on a P&Y buck in PA.....

[Rob loper]

i now know where i believe two live and bed so we shall see if my work has paid off this up coming season . i would be happy just to get on film . but a kill would be great too

[Jussbowz]

I am fairly lucky on where I hunt. I hunt some prime private land in Mississippi during October, I passed on 4 the first day before I killed one that day. This is a very special place that has some of the best early season hunting I have ever been on.

On the public land I hunt in Louisiana, the season opens the first weekend in Nov. I missed a chip shot the first weekend, still don't know what I did. Later I passed three other P&Y bucks because I was hunting a lot bigger deer. This is the second season I hunted this deer and he is driving me crazy. If it were not for the "BIG" buck I would have shot one of the other deer.

Even though I have 3 buck tags in Louisiana I just did not want to risk blowing the bigger deer out of the area getting a deer out.

[Josh_S]

Zero....I hunt public 95% of the time in Pennsylvania (where I consider a 3.5 yr old mature) during a 6 week bow season with no Sunday hunting, so I don't see myself passing on a P&Y anytime soon. Not even across the border in Ohio. Just being honest with myself and realizing I'm not anywhere near that level yet.

[iowa whitetail]

Didn't even let an arrow fly this year, drew once but it didn't happen. I voted 4+. I see some bucks are growing stubs.

[First Sit]

I chose 0 but I only hunted 3 sits before I shot a 4.5yr old off heavily hunted public. I chose not to shoot that same buck the previous season as a 3.5yr guess it paid off, shot him in the same tree I passed him in but he was using a different bed. I only hunted that tree 1 time each season too so each first sit in that tree provided and opportunity.

I find it really hard to pass true P&Y caliber bucks, that's a pretty good buck and very few make it much past 1.5-2.5 around me. I've shot mature bucks that didn't even make it P&Y. I got one on my wall that was the largest bodied deer my taxi took in all season in 2013 and it didn't make P&Y! Although he did have a busted off G2 which didnt help. I think that year my taxi had like 80 heads or something with several B&C caliber bucks too, he lives in IL so that was surprising to hear when he told me mine was the largest body all season.

Only roughly 1 in 10 shoot a buck each season in the areas I hunt of which 85-90% are 1.5 yr olds. Those are stats from check logs too back before they pushed to online check ins. It sounds like WW3 on firearm opener i've heard 50-100 shots some years with 3-5 quick shots at a time too and even a lot of private is the same way people just way lay the does and small bucks in gun season.

[Buckshot20]

How do you pass a P&Y class deer? You Midwest guys must be spoiled

[dan]

How do you pass a P&Y class deer? You Midwest guys must be spoiled

Yep, it certainly aint an apples to apples comparison. There are probably some of the greatest hunters in the south, but they just don't get the credit the midwest hunters get cause of size of antlers up here.

[Wetfoot]

How do you pass a P&Y class deer? You Midwest guys must be spoiled

Yep, it certainly aint an apples to apples comparison. There are probably some of the greatest hunters in the south, but they just don't get the credit the midwest hunters get cause of size of antlers up here.

This might add a little bit of perspective.

http://photos.thehuntingbeast.com/displayimage.php?pid=2071&fullsize=1

[pilgrimhunter]

Can't say I passed any on purpose ever. I might have passed a 100" but not a 125". I did have a 140" class deer at 60 yards but he never came in closer. Shot a 135" with my rifle later in the season. Those 2 deer were the biggest I have ever had ever seen during season out of 20 yrs of hunting. While I like to think my hunting style and ability is changing there are just not that many deer of that caliber in my area. Ran 7 cameras last year over mineral licks and had pics of 4 bucks that were pushing 125" or better. Got close on the one and killed another. One of the others lives on private that will allow no hunting.

This is definitely something that will be different from one region to another.. While I enjoy these kinds of questions I also cringe because in the past I have tried to measure up to guys that are hunting in a totally different world than myself and it can take the fun out of hunting if I am not careful. Just an encouragement to those that don't live in those areas that hunting is about having fun! Don't pressure yourself to the point where there is no enjoyment left.

[llcooljames]

I voted one, because I thought I didnt have a shot and did not feel comfortable with the distance. After the fact he was alot closer than I thought. Oh well.

[DEERSLAYER]

I voted one, because I thought I didnt have a shot and did not feel comfortable with the distance. After the fact he was alot closer than I thought. Oh well.

I have a lot of respect for someone who does this. There are quite a few people that are more concerned with getting those antlers than about the suffering they could cause the deer. They say one thing but do another when it comes right down to it. Maybe you will get him this year and he will be even bigger. Either way, congrats on out smarting him even if you didn't realize at the time you had him in range.

[Evanszach7]

Had to pass 3 hunting late season does (January/February) on public. Must be something about the 0-10 degrees and lack of pressure. Only saw 1 October-Christmas. Pretty sure they knew I’d tagged out.