Pass or Shoot?

[surewood]

Reading all the debates on the forum about passing on small bucks and hearing that more people are passing on smaller bucks it made me curious to see if there was a changing trend on hunters views whether they pass or shoot. Definitely not intended to start an arguement.I'd like to know if you pass on small bucks to shoot a mature buck or a doe, or shoot anything legal? If you do pass, when did you start? This post is not for judgement, to each their own and good luck with anything one may chose.

I pass on small bucks myself. Typically take my doe during archery and wait for a mature buck the rest the season archery/rifle. I started doing it about six years ago.

[paceman]

I started about 10 years ago.

[Hoyt4]

Take any legal deer. Shoot doe's or bucks. I had 3 deer from last fall and just went back into the freezer and only have a couple roast left.

19yrs ago started.

[juniordo1]

For the first 23 years of deer hunting I didn't pass on the smaller bucks if they walked by and I considered myself lucky if I even saw a buck. 7 years ago my party agreed to start letting the smaller bucks go although at the moment of truth some just couldn't bear to let a buck go.

A funny thing happened as a result of letting the smaller bucks go - I started seeing more bucks and even a couple of bruisers I didn't get a shot at. I'm still looking for a big buck but the season usually ends with me taking a nice doe towards the end of rifle season.

To each their own, hunt safe and eat well!

[Jameson]

Most of the deer season I'll pass on all young bucks. After firearms season in a management hunt, or anywhere if our freezers are low, I'll shoot a young buck.

Couple of years now.

[hockeybc69]

Only "small" buck I will shoot is a wounded buck.

Started in 2002.

Basically I wont shoot a buck unless its 3.5 years old minimum with my rifle, and 2.5 year olds are fair game with my bow or muzzy.

How do I age them you ask??? Educated guessing.

[RIPN LIPS]

Last year I seen 14 deer and never pulled the trigger because are group already had plenty of mature deer on the pole. I think it is more discipline than anything, if you shoot everthing the next season will probably not be as good. This discipline started for me on day 1 when my dad and grandfather started teaching me to hunt.

[Bear55]

10-12 years of passing the little guys. I will target does bow season and hold out for a mature buck after that. A great many tags have been thrown in the garbage but I really wouldn't have it any other way, many great experiences watching and see a lot more deer then I ever did when I shot the first one that went by.

[bobbers up!]

I wont shoot a small buck but what good is this doing when the DNR is handing out "nuisance" permits and allowing "people" to shoot deer out of season?

[bigbucks]

I've been passing on them with the bow for the most part for about 10 years. Probably 5 years now it's been where I just won't shoot a small one with the bow even if it does get to crunch time.

About 5 years with firearms too, unless it's getting into the season quite a ways & our party has very few deer. That really hasn't been a problem yet though. Shot one last year I would not have shot when I saw his one hind leg pin wheeling on him.

I will shoot does, even yearlings whenever the opportunity arises.

[DitchPickle13]

I started passing on small bucks about 4 years ago. I'm a "self taught" hunter and started deer hunting about 12 years ago when I was 19. I shot whatever I could when I started, then started occasionaly passing on deer if it was early season and I thought I had a better opportunity by waiting. I hunt a lot of public land and some private land/special hunts when I can.

Now, I spend more time in the woods and I'll shoot does or even fawns(because they're tasty and have a high first winter mortality rate), but have been going with an 8 or better rule on bucks for the past few seasons...still waiting. : ) Passed on "chip shots" on a 6 & spike with the bow this year and passed on a fork & spike with the rifle. An opening day doe with the bow made for a pretty relaxing season with meat in the freezer...

[mrklean]

our group is starting to pass on smaller deer, were shooting more does and less bucks

[bowhunternw]

I pass on anything I feel is less than 2 1/2 years. I think it is pretty easy to tell the 1 1/2's. Kind of do what some of the others do, look for a doe without fawns and then search for a mature buck. Don't feel like an inferior hunter if I don't get horns.

[surewood]

To add some info to my orignal post. I started hunting deer 18 years ago. My dad and brother would shoot any legal deer. I actually stopped deer hunting for a couple years in my teens then decided to take a new approach. I changed my idea of what I wanted to harvest and my brother decided to buy in. Before that the only mature deer was a ten my brother shot years before. At first it was anything about as wide as it's ears with four points on one side, now we try to harvest 3.5 years or older. In the six years that we've made the decision we have taken two nice eights, a nice seven, and my ten from my avatar pic. Also we've saw atleast four more mature deer that we could'nt close the deal on. We did'nt know deer like that were out there til then, and all on public land. We also do our part harvesting many does over the years.

[ANYFISH2]

During bow season I pass on smaller bucks, started doing this since I started because I do some special area hunts that I see mature animals every year. After 13 years of bow hunting I'm still waiting .

Firearms season is a first deer I see kind of a thing. I hunt with 6 guy/gals only my wife bow hunts(not much after the kids). So this is the only opportunity they have to get venison and wish for the party to shoot deer. Now if I happen to shoot a smaller buck, I will not shoot another buck, unless rediculessly large(never seen one that qualifies with a gun in hand). No need to take others opportunity at a buck away.

I plan on passing all smaller bucks in the future as the party evolves a little, right now it is about venison, I am more than happy to help out, it make them happy to look at the parties deer, same with me! Let it be said our parties best year has been only 3 deer.

[tracker x-2]

Ive been letting small bucks walk about six yrs now.

[knowsnothing]

If I had more land and was not surrounded on three sides by public land I would probably have a different answer. I have seen the benefits of management on a friends 420 acre parcel. With all the people on the public and the not so ethical neighbor, I dont see me passing up a meal increasing the odds all that much. I wait to see how opening morning goes and what was seen. After that I switch to if it is brown its down. I prefer a young doe as a meal anyways. Now I am hungry........ thanks

[matchset]

its not about the number of points for me; age is everything.

i shoot a wide variety of slick heads, to help balance the heard in the particular i happen to be hunting that day.

born, bread, and enthusiastically obsessed with big whitetails, and as many doe tags as i can fill.

[pulleye16]

Only rifle hunt. Pass on everything (unless large buck) for the opening sat and sun then I'll take the first thing I see after that. Limited hunting days and would rather have meat. ONLY thing that would change that is if plenty of others got deer those two days. Been limited passing now for about 5 years.

[bottom-bouncer]

About ten years ago the kight came on for me that if I shoot a small buck it will never become a large buck. for me it has to be 3.5yrs old and atleast 140" or I dont even lift my bow. I fill the freezer with does. I will always shoot a doe that has a button buck with her always.

[Archerysniper]

For me the first six years were brown is down. In'98 I took a basket 8 with my bow and that's when the wheels started turning and I was passing lots of decent buck's. In 2000 I shot my fist P&Y a great tall thick 8 and after that is when I set my guide lines it has to be a 8 that's wider than the ears and tall I wont shoot one unless it goes on the wall. I have only had 2 since then but thats what the fun is for me lots of close call just didn't work out.

Like another poster said I will not shoot a buck for another person unless it's huge. I will shoot any doe or yearling that walks buy as long as I can't see buttons I will also fill doe tags if someone wants me too.

I'm not trying to be on a high horse either it's just my choice and I will never try to push it on others. The trophy is in the eye of the tag holder and I'm not paying for your time off work and everything else that goes into your hunt and the experiance in the field with friends and family.

[candiru]

When the situation is right I will either shoot a doe or a monster (I know it when I see it). The right situation is an antlerless permit, time to hunt, decent weather, and good deer numbers. It has not happened for a few years - deer numbers have been down where I hunt.

[clm]

if its brown, its down.

[Rippinlip]

This will be my 32 year deer hunting, I started at the young age of 12 (wow, didn't realize it has been that long since I just typed it), Man, many years of the brown it's down theory.

I would say for probably the past 10 years my thought process has changed, especially since I have exclusively switched to Bow hunting the past 4 years.

I will pass on young bucks early in the bow season, try to get an anterless deer for the freezer early.

I will be passing this on to my wife, daughter and son-in-law who have all joined the ranks of the Bow hunting family.

Of course I will be proud no matter what they take.

[DHost21]

Pass on anything less than 2 1/2 with the bow and will only take a giant with the gun. I usually take my doe in the metro on a bonus license and take wait for my buck. I dont feel bad at all not taking a buck in the year because most of the time i see plenty to pass up and get plenty of pictures anyways