What's a public land trophy to you?

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muddy
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby muddy » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:11 am

Whether I'm on public land or not my standards do not change. I let anything I feel is 140 (3 1/2 years old n younger) inches or smaller walk. If the deer looks mature and is under 140 he gets whacked.


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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby PredatorTC » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:22 am

Singing Bridge wrote:
Slider1005 wrote:For me it would be anything. I would love to shoot a mature buck, but I will take a smaller one to get my first with the bow. I refuse to shoot a spiker, but if it's six or bigger i'm letting loose. Sorry guys I got to start somewhere.


Slider, don't get caught up in worrying about how big your buck is or think about being embarassed by it- every buck taken with a bow is a trophy in my opinion. Take your bow and go get your buck, I will be as fired up for you as I will be for any 150 incher posted on this forum!!! ;)


Agree!!
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Pesser144 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:48 am

I'm with slider on this one. Still looking to get my first buck with my bow. Didn't take hunters safety until I was 23 or 24 and didnt actually hunt until I was 26 or so. Always wanted to but growing up when my dad was not into hunting, it was kind of intimidating to pick up on my own at a younger age. Extremely glad I did, and really appreciate what this and the BBO sites have done to give me more confidence and tips to help shorten the learning curve. Not that I'm not out there learning from my mistakes, but I think thats why my buck tag has not been filled...and I'm enjoying every mistake I make. :D
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby PLB » Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:08 am

PredatorTC wrote:
Singing Bridge wrote:
Slider1005 wrote:For me it would be anything. I would love to shoot a mature buck, but I will take a smaller one to get my first with the bow. I refuse to shoot a spiker, but if it's six or bigger i'm letting loose. Sorry guys I got to start somewhere.


Slider, don't get caught up in worrying about how big your buck is or think about being embarassed by it- every buck taken with a bow is a trophy in my opinion. Take your bow and go get your buck, I will be as fired up for you as I will be for any 150 incher posted on this forum!!! ;)


Agree!!


Every bowkill is a trophy! I'm just as proud of all the public land plaques I have on the wall as my headmounts! ;)
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Spysar » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:26 am

muddy wrote:Whether I'm on public land or not my standards do not change. I let anything I feel is 140 (3 1/2 years old n younger) inches or smaller walk. If the deer looks mature and is under 140 he gets whacked.


What about a 3 1/2(or younger) 150"(or bigger)? In other words a young deer with a big rack, do you let those walk?
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Haus86 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:28 am

I'm looking for a 130"+ 3 1/2 year old on public land. On private land I might wait for something bigger. It depends on how big the bucks are in the area. I definately don't want to wait for something that isn't there.
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:30 pm

Looking for a 2.5 y/o at least. Depending on the situation and what I'm seeing that year, I may hold out for a 3.5 y/o.
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby publiclandhunter » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:23 pm

I would say a 3 1/2 or older buck is a great public land buck for anyone in Michigan, but remember, the size of the deer is second only to the effort put forth to obtain it. A young hunter shooting a first buck is a true trophy - or lets say a two-year old taken with a longbow on the ground would be a great trophy. The status must be measured by effort and memories more than a score on paper.

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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:13 am

I would say at least a 3 1/2 year old. Usually I hold out for something that is at least 130".

In the past I went as long as 5 years without a buck because of this. I am O.K. with this since I have shot enough smaller bucks and really don't feel the need to shoot them anymore. If I need some meat I just shoot some does.
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby BigRed » Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:41 am

For me a decent 6 or bigger, im still lookin for my first kill with a bow as well, only been doin it a few years. For a while i was so caught up with tryin to shoot a monster that i was lettin smaller bucks and does go that i shoulda been shooting at for the experience. Not to mention my hunting/scouting time is becoming harder to come by as the kids get older, until the are old enough to tag along. So im just lookin to put some meat in the freezer. Tag soup didnt taste so good last for bow and gun.
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Swampthing » Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:46 pm

I,ll take a 2 1/2 year old eight of better any day. But those are few are far between .
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby muddy » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:17 am

Spysar wrote:
muddy wrote:Whether I'm on public land or not my standards do not change. I let anything I feel is 140 (3 1/2 years old n younger) inches or smaller walk. If the deer looks mature and is under 140 he gets whacked.


What about a 3 1/2(or younger) 150"(or bigger)? In other words a young deer with a big rack, do you let those walk?


Well, honestly, I'd probably smoke him. I'd have to really really know that deer to know he was a 3.5 150 inch buck. I would have to say that on average a 150 inch deer is going to be 4.5 years old. One more off shoot would be that if I'm hunting an area that I KNOW a true hawg is hanging out I will pass that deer. In 2006 I passed a 3.5 year old 140 inch 8 pointer and a 4.5 year old 155 inch 10 pointer in the same night because of the monster in that area. My buddy ended up killing "Kong" who went 164 as an 8 with trash. Do I regret not shooting that 150? A little, but I did manage to shoot that buck with 9 inch brows that season with my bow.

So, all that being said, 9 times out of 10 I'd kill that 150 inch deer because more often than not he's going to be a 4.5 year old buck. If he ended up being 3.5 I'd smile, shrug my shoulders, and still be happy as heck.
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby Arrowbender » Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:27 am

Sage advice Bridge,
Slider, remember that a spiker is more than likely the same age as a 6 pointer. If you want to kill your 1st buck, kill the first one that gives you a good opportunity.
At this stage of your bowhunting career you need to kill, so kill as many legal deer as you can. Every kill is a life lesson and will prepare you for all future opportunity. This really can't be emphasized enough.
Good Luck !
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby chad » Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:49 am

To me any deer I shoot is a trophy, don't get me wrong I'd rather shoot a larger racked deer than smaller, but I'm happy to make memories while out and if it's shooting something smaller so be it.....My most memorable deer hunt was a deer that didn't even have antlers.........
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Re: What's a public land trophy to you?

Unread postby tim » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:35 am

well since i could care less what they score, i go by wow factor, if he looks big (body and or rack) to me . im killing him. also does depend on what piece of private OR public land im hunting. its not a crime to pass bucks on public. if you are on public especially that nobody else much hunts same as private as far as im concerned. and there are plenty of public spots that DO NOT get hammered. i here a lot of people i know cry about public sucks cause there are too many people hunting it-- then go out and do your homework and find some that isnt. ive got plenty of public spots that barely get touched. if you look its there! a mature doe is a trophy to me also!


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