Whats your buck

[outdoor ran]

With bow season slowly approaching. I was wondering what some of your buck goals were. What size buck are you going to wait for.

A) If its brown its down
just antlers
C) Spike, fork or six
D) eight or 10 points
E) Pope and Young

I'll start with E on opener and has each month passes I'll work towards A.

[irvingdog]

Does, until mr. Big comes along........

[benelli_dude2002]

You forgot to mention F as in all of the above. No actually I think A kinda covers all that. Havent shot my bow in a couple weeks but I got some relatives coming this weekend and they said they are bringing their bows. So I guess I will be doing some shooting this weekend. Just have to blow the dust off and hope for the best. Brian

[paceman]

I will wait for golliath to show himself. The first part of the season I won't shoot anything unless he is huge.......

[Mark Christianson]

Actually somewhat complicated now that we can party hunt with the all-season.
Prior to party hunting, I would say my hold out was for an 8 pt minimum. And of course with bonus permits, to take a doe if I felt like it.

Now with the party hunting allowed with the all-season, I would have no problem taking a 6 minimum with my bow, since I have not shot a buck with it yet. With rifle and ML, my minimum is a nice 8pt. No dink basket rack 8's.

[BLACKJACK]

This is a good question to ask yourself BEFORE you get out bowhunting and that deer comes walking under your stand!

Will shoot the first doe I see for the freezer that doesn't have a spotted fawn with her. Will shoot an 8 point or more as long as its antlers are wider than its ears. Come November 1, if I don't have a doe in the freezer, I'll take anything that walks by. After gun season, it depends how I've done so far. If I already have a deer or two in the freezer, then I'll let all small bucks walk. Hopefully they'll be lots bigger next year.

I would encourage beginning bowhunters to shoot a few deer - doe or small buck - before you limit yourself to a big buck. It might be a few years before Mr. Big walks by. You need the practice drawing back without detection, practice making the shot, practice tracking, etc.

[Stratosman]

I typically try to get a doe with no fawn as early as possible, that way I have meat in the freezer and whe the rut comes around there is a better chance that when I let that doe pass by, a buck might be on the trail. As for size, I won't shoot a buck under eight and inside the ears unless it's after the gun season and into December, then it's pretty much any respectable buck. I usually don't need the meat by that time so that isn't priority. I would say to shoot more does and let the small bucks grow. That six pointer this year could be a 140" 8 pointer next year.

But a true trophy is in the eye of the beholder. and to put meat on the table is the reason we all hunt.

[big_fish_guy]

I would say trophey, but last week as I was sitting at the table eating the last backstrap I had from the year old buck i shot last fall, I was pretty much convinced that the young one is the way to go. Nothing like tender meat.

I hunt for food

[TomBow]

Venison--it's not just for breakfast anymore!

It depends on the opportunities, I will hunt a metro hunt and will probably take a nice doe there if given the chance.

AFter that, I'll get selective and see what happens in October. Spotted a velvet 7 point right under my stand a few weeks ago, he might get the nod, but it depends what else I see. I wouldn't mind one for the wall but I'm a meat hunter mostly. Last veni-meal I had was chops on the grill. Mighty tasty!! BEst of Luck!

[B. Amish]

i'm on the same page as stratosman
a doe early, then wait for one to put on the wall

[bigbucks]

As usual, Black Jack thinks almost exactly a like. Paceman & I do too, but he's more selective.

For me it also partly depends on the property I'm on. The one guy's place I'm hunting at pretty much anything without spots or horns. He wants some dead deer & told me to shoot a fawn for his kids in college to eat. Otherwise it has to be an 8 pointer as big or bigger than any I've shot with my bow previously. I look at shooting deer with the bow as kind of a stairway, where your standards gradually rise.

I would agree if you haven't shot deer or very many with your bow, just shoot whatever comes & enjoy it.

[barebackjack]

I have not bow hunted yet, have to make sure the time is there to invest. I like the point blackjack is making, seems like a good idea to a person like myself who has yet to experience it. I have shot a bow and suprised myself with how well I shot, Im looking forward to starting.

------------------
barebackjack IBOT#197
Why ride the wagon when the walk is so scenic?????????

[don62]

Its my first year ever to bow hunt, bought my bow in january and shoot 5 nights a week since then to get ready, sorry, its A for me(within reason) for the first one...

[outdoor ran]

Thats the way to do it. I made my mistakes on does. after getting a few of them I waited for bucks. After a while I was doing good on the smaller bucks. Then I waited for the big ones. Nothing wrong with shooting skinheads thats for sure. Every deer taken with a bow is a awesome.

[Fish- N- Hunt]

I agree with blackjack, for beginner bowhunters I would practice on just trying to take a deer. I myself am not a professional by any means, but if you don't practice on does or smaller bucks you will just get the jitters and screw up when mr. big walks by (speaking from experience). This is the way I tried to start out bowhunting, but now I am selective until it comes down to late season. Then I play the brown it's down game. I would also reccomend not to be to greedy, if you see a nice buck early season take it, it might be the only chance you get.

good hunting

Fish- N- Hunt

[B mac]

No offense to anyone, but......

I do find it interesting that some archery hunters hold themselves to a lesser standard than rifle hunters when it comes to antler size. I hunt for the sport and therefore, I wouldn't shoot any smaller buck with a bow than a gun. My vote is F (125-130), no matter the weapon in my hands. Where I hunt, the group has a standard of 8 pts. and wide as ears only. This is something that gun hunters and archery hunters both abide. Archery hunters don't get a free pass because of the greater challenge.

[Live-to-Fish]

If 15 or 60 and your going for your first Deer,I would shoot a Doe if one came by heck even a Fawn they taste great on the Grill.
I hunted with a guy for about 8 years who always said he would'nt shoot anything that was'nt a P&Y class animal and he would rip on anyone that shot a smaller 6 or 8 pointer. Now everyone has there own objectives. Which I think is fine,as long as they don't try to push there standards down your throat and rip on the 14 year old that just shot Her first deer.A nice Doe might be considered a trophy to another person.A good clean killing shot is more important in my book, then how many points that a animal has. We don't hunt with that Joker anymore.
As far as I know he has not taken a Deer with his bow yet or gun for that matter. Funny how he was always there to get some of the meat though. Sorry for the rambling I am still upset at him for laying into my Daughter about shooting the Doe.

Live-To-Fish

[Froggy4371]

Live-to-Fish,
I would still be upset also. I am 28 years old and got my first deer with the bow last year. It was a nice little 5 point. I have no problems with her taking a doe. In our group I hunt with we take more doe's the bucks by far. We have to many doe's and it is the plain truth. I have no problem with people who trophy hunt because I do it myself. I believe every deer I have shot is a trophy and no one can take that away from me. I do believe that if you are hunting just for meat that a doe is better eating than any buck but that is me. Who am I to judge what someone thinks is a good deer. To them it is a great deer and they are darn proud of it. I hope your daughter continues in the hunting tradition.

Froggy

[sheepheadslayer]

I have yet to shoot a deer with my bow. I have shot many deer with a gun/rifle and a few very nice deer. I guess I would take a doe right away if it was a cool night and didn't have anything to do the rest of the night. I guess I would have to say i would wait on a buck until a nice one presents its self. Prolly around that 120 class.