Defeating the urge to shoot.

[dave12341234]

Speaking of nature...Hears a good way to start off the day!

[TruthWalleyes]

Not too often do you get all this neatness in one location...That's called Nature!

[Bear55]

That guy is NEAT!

[pikeguy2003]

This is just one of those subjects you don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole because it is so personal and different for every single person. In my life I have screwed up on 3 really big bruisers. When I get deer over 150 inches in range I get the shakes and battle rattles so bad that I lose the ability to shoot. I have done that and missed cleanly on three different deer. My personal best is a nice clean 10 that scored 119 5/8. Not quite a P&Y, and not on the wall either. The first deer I will put on the wall will be a P&Y or B&C. Just my personal deal. May never happen in my lifetime. A lot of it has to do with deer in the area. I have passed on 8 pointers just to see them get shot during the gun season by other people that have permission to hunt the same property. I am lucky that I hunt a managed area, and I do my best to burn the management tag as fast as possible so I can hunt horns the rest of the season. I shot a 4 1/2 year old doe on opening night of the bow season this year. A true trophy in my mind yet still doesn't have horns. I know I am holding out for a big buck but every week that goes by as it gets colder and colder I am slowly losing my ability to hold back. I am going to muzzleloader hunt for the first time ever coming up in a couple of weeks and will be going to western Minnesota with some friends. If it wasn't for this invite, I proably would have filled my tag as I have had numerous opportunities to do so since the opening night of bow season. I am just thankful that my wife puts up with my whitetail adventures.

[Musky Buck]

My season started with a 5 pointer, a 6 pt., then a Y buck, that was opening day. Never saw another deer until thursday, the 3rd time I moved my ladder stand during the season, finally a 6 pointer following a doe, then a smallish thin 8, then finally the guy I was hoping to see, never had any of the 3 bucks on my trailcam, that's why I hunted there because there were 2 mature does on film with fawns the day before, my gut said mature doe=bucks, when 1 of them comes into heat I may get my chance and did, she'll lead him to me. There were 5 bucks before him that I could have easily put down, those 1.5 year olds aren't very bright yet, they get smarter, but I see them more often then any mature does. They seem so lost,hopeful,wandering around,etc. My dad basically said in 1986 if you shoot another yearling buck you're done, you have 300 pound deer on the hoof in this swamp, the year he made me step up my game came a 22" spread 8 pointer that dressed at 238 pounds after letting 7 bucks pass that year, the rest is history. But like others have said hunt how you wish,harvest what you wish, we all come from different backgrounds, it's all good what makes your hunt successful to you, if you hunt by the book you're a winner man, you really are regardless of what you hope to bag, hey dad was buying me my licenses back then, I was still in any buck is fine mode with only 2 days to hunt, but grandpa's and dad was right, it better be worth our time and effort if you drop one back in that jungle it better measure up, we can pop em on the field edge with no dragging if we want a doe or 2. But I always felt letting him walk I'll never see another 1, then I did and again etc. It was great fun watching those rookie bucks do there thing.

[CC Hurl]

Finally learned how to post a picture. Your all sorry now. Lol

This is the eight point I got this year. I am happy with him but need to hold out longer as there are much bigger in my area. Thanks again for your comments as they will be on my mind while in stand next year.

[Rippinlip]

Congrats CC.

I set me "buck" standards according to camera pics and personal preference and like everyone has stated, Don't waiver from them.

That gets tougher towards the end of the year, but I will not shoot a buck last day that I wouldn't shoot 1st day.

I believe that has been mentioned before.

It is almost December and I have had multiple deer within shooting range, only deer I took my bow off the hook for was this "Ginormous" doe. Being in a HC area, even that was a tough grab. I never pulled back on her.

There are a couple of deer hobbling in our area, that I probably wouldn't have shot at if completely healthy, but they are on our list now.

[PropsterII]

Now I personally disagree with that, or the same thing said a different way which is "don't pass on the first day what you'd shoot on the last day". Example: on the first couple days of a few of my hunts in Iowa over the years I passed on a number of good bucks in that 135-140 class, yet I would have shot a 140 on the last day in a heartbeat. Heck I did it first hunt in Wisconsin this year. Why? Lot of time to hunt yet, beginning of the rut, but most importantly I knew what I might see later that morning or that afternoon or the next sit. On the last day there is no next sit. Is that a matter of lowering my standards later in the season? Might be, but I prefer to think of it as raising my standard even higher early in the season.