Meat Bucks

[Rich M]

Crazy aint it - reverse peer pressure. Mature only online and brown is down in person. LOL!

Shoot what makes you happy. No worries.

[218er]

I personally prefer to shoot a 1.5 year old doe for meat. I however hunt a lot of days in a season and in some areas with fairly high deer density numbers. If opportunities or time are limited where you hunt, or your happy with, go shoot that buck and be proud and happy. I shot a unicorn buck a couple of years ago, I had 3 days to hunt. No apologies, that bad boy was a trophy to me.

[PK_]

If you want to pass then just say it didn’t offer a shot. Keeps you out of that whole stupid discussion.

If you pass, someone will be upset. If you shoot, someone will be upset.

Life is too short to care.

[tmarbut]

Bob - if I’m not mistaken, N Georgia does not have the density or genetics that make it worth passing many opportunities to fill the freezer.
Hunting is a wonderful blessing we have, I say enjoy it based on your own needs & desires.

[tmarbut]

Bob - if I’m not mistaken, N Georgia does not have the density or genetics that make it worth passing many opportunities to fill the freezer.
Hunting is a wonderful blessing we have, I say enjoy it based on your own needs & desires.

[rfickes87]

So I passed a year and a half year old buck yesterday on public land and after my buddy berated me for this (if it's brown it's down mentality) it got me to thinking.

On public land is there really a reason to not shoot a smaller buck when you have the chance? Especially because I only bowhunt and there are no areas here next to agriculture, getting onto deer at all is tough.

I think I have seen too many shows that discourage this where I would feel guilty for taking a small buck for the meat. However, since I am not hunting for horns and my freezer is getting low on meat, I am wondering why pass a nice opportunity to fill it up? We get two tags here, so I could always save one for a mature buck.

Would love the thought of others on this.

Don't worry about what we all think. Do what makes you happy.

[mag1]

If I could shoot 2 bucks, I would take a young one. Seems like whenever I want to try and fill my doe tags, all I see are bucks. Where I am, i get a buck/doe tag plus one doe tag. I shouldn’t be choosy, as I haven’t filled a tag in a few years, but I like to wait for a buck ears or better, though that slips later in season.

[wolverinebuckman]

I had two buck tags in Michigan. Two years ago I shot my first deer, a young basket rack 9, he got my heart pumping when he came in. I had passed on a button a week earlier. After that I hunted for a larger deer with the other tag, even passing a 10 of the same age a week later. Ended up eating the second tag, but was very happy that I got to slap a tag on a buck.
If it makes you happy, and puts food in the freezer, go for it!

[Scott/IL]

Make it legal, make it ethical, and make it fun. If that deer checks all three then swing away. And if not, then just enjoy the moment and wait for the one that does.

[802bowhunter]

If ur hunting meat it should be about taking the biggest deer possible.
My opinion is always go after big bodied deer.
Lots of times big bodys equal big racks.
But im always after that 170-200lb buck
120-130lb doe.
I dont,give a crap about the rack,as,genetics where I live are terrible,for horns

[gsquared23]

To me it depends on what the population is like. If deer density is really low, then the smart thing to do would be to shoot that smaller buck. Conversely, with good deer numbers, it makes more sense to shoot a doe. I was THRILLED to shoot my first deer on public this year, but shooting a small buck wouldn’t excite me. And the population around here is pretty decent.

You need to do what makes you happy with your decision. A great way to accomplish that and avoid the couch hunters’ judgement is to stop posting kills on social media. Share a pic or a story with a non-judemental friend or relative, but don’t post things for the entire world to see, whether it be a monster buck or a dink.

[bigredneck61088]

If I'm not putting him on the wall I'm not shooting him, but that's because I have loads of opportunities at does. If someone wants to shoot a small buck, for the meat, on their own stomping grounds I'll be the 1st to offer congrats. You paid for the tag, put it on whatever the heck you want. Good luck.

My take on this topic 100%

[milkweed-militia]

Live life, have fun, shoot deer!

A legal deer is a legal deer.