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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 23, 2015 14:48:29 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this lately. Last season, I saw a much nicer buck on my first day than I ended up taking. I passed on him as I saw a lot of deer that day. He ended up having the nicest rack of all that I saw. I was waiting on crabclaw; I think he's hanging on someone's wall now.
After putting in all this work on the food plot, I'd almost hate to take one on the first day. LOL I've never shot a doe. If you were a new guy like me, would you take any buck that is bigger than you currently have, even if it was the first day?
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Post by M4Madness on Aug 23, 2015 16:19:48 GMT -5
I'd end my buck hunting on the first day of every season if the opportunity presented itself. Then, with the pressure off, I could spend the rest of archery season whacking does. It's nice to sleep in during firearms season. LOL!
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Post by 3ptbuck on Aug 23, 2015 16:24:37 GMT -5
Yep. Never pass a deer the first day that you'd take the last.
Or that's what whey say anyways.
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Post by span870 on Aug 23, 2015 18:15:22 GMT -5
^^^^^ this. Little story to go with this. Wyoming hunt several years ago. First hour of the first day passed a 7x7 mulie at 50 yards with 30/06. I'll be able to find something bigger. Guide looked at me like I was crazy. Week after I left guy shot it. Scored a bit over 220". I have a sweet tag mount from that year.
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Post by fowlhunter on Aug 24, 2015 13:53:53 GMT -5
Too much emphasis on size shoot whatever you are happy with. Life is too short to worry about what others think.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 24, 2015 14:06:26 GMT -5
^^^^^ this. Little story to go with this. Wyoming hunt several years ago. First hour of the first day passed a 7x7 mulie at 50 yards with 30/06. I'll be able to find something bigger. Guide looked at me like I was crazy. Week after I left guy shot it. Scored a bit over 220". I have a sweet tag mount from that year. Wow, this is a great story to hear, but not pleasant to tell. I appreciate this, because last year this issue was very difficult for me. The first year, I shot the first deer that I saw. I haven't hunted enough to be very picky. LOL
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Post by jjas on Aug 24, 2015 14:19:29 GMT -5
I'm a firm believer in filling YOUR tag, with whatever legal deer YOU want.....
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Post by span870 on Aug 24, 2015 15:27:10 GMT -5
^^^^^ this. Little story to go with this. Wyoming hunt several years ago. First hour of the first day passed a 7x7 mulie at 50 yards with 30/06. I'll be able to find something bigger. Guide looked at me like I was crazy. Week after I left guy shot it. Scored a bit over 220". I have a sweet tag mount from that year. Wow, this is a great story to hear, but not pleasant to tell. I appreciate this, because last year this issue was very difficult for me. The first year, I shot the first deer that I saw. I haven't hunted enough to be very picky. LOL If you haven't been deer hunting for a very long time, don't get into the trophy hunting mindset of having to shoot a bigger deer year after year. It will ruin it for you before it even begins. I'm in the process now of liquidating every piece of deer hunting equipment I have. The last four years I hunted it became more of a job than enjoyment. The time, money and effort and stress I put on myself completely destroyed deer hunting for me. The last deer I shot I climbed down the tree and realized there was no excitement. To put it in perspective he scored right at 160". It was like finishing a day at work. I wish I could go back to the days that I hunted HNF and started trembling at the sound of leaves crunching no knowing if it was a deer or a squirrel. I had no excitement and much regret after I was done that I knew it was over. Now my time is spent chasing rabbits with my beagles. I can actually say when the dogs are coming back around I get a little extra thump in my chest. I shoot very few rabbits a year, just love hearing the dogs bark. Will I hunt again for deer? Couldn't answer that. Go out. Enjoy your time. Don't get hung up on numbers of inches on a deers head. There is plenty of time for that later if you want. Just know how to moderate it. I am a very competitive person by nature, I couldn't control the need for the biggest.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 24, 2015 16:36:41 GMT -5
Wow, this is a great story to hear, but not pleasant to tell. I appreciate this, because last year this issue was very difficult for me. The first year, I shot the first deer that I saw. I haven't hunted enough to be very picky. LOL If you haven't been deer hunting for a very long time, don't get into the trophy hunting mindset of having to shoot a bigger deer year after year. It will ruin it for you before it even begins. I'm in the process now of liquidating every piece of deer hunting equipment I have. The last four years I hunted it became more of a job than enjoyment. The time, money and effort and stress I put on myself completely destroyed deer hunting for me. The last deer I shot I climbed down the tree and realized there was no excitement. To put it in perspective he scored right at 160". It was like finishing a day at work. I wish I could go back to the days that I hunted HNF and started trembling at the sound of leaves crunching no knowing if it was a deer or a squirrel. I had no excitement and much regret after I was done that I knew it was over. Now my time is spent chasing rabbits with my beagles. I can actually say when the dogs are coming back around I get a little extra thump in my chest. I shoot very few rabbits a year, just love hearing the dogs bark. Will I hunt again for deer? Couldn't answer that. Go out. Enjoy your time. Don't get hung up on numbers of inches on a deers head. There is plenty of time for that later if you want. Just know how to moderate it. I am a very competitive person by nature, I couldn't control the need for the biggest. I certainly understand what you are saying. I have a couple friends who just got tired of all the hours of hunting. Not working now, it gives me something to look forward to. Now, I can sit at home and not do anything or sit in the woods. The food plot will add a whole new dimension for me. Also, it was fun working the ground. I can't say that I ever got that heart pounding feeling after shooting either deer. It was as if I had a job to do and did it. I think it was just the focus, no different than target practice. When I found them, I was excited. However, I would love to feel the after-shot rush, but I'm not thinking it will happen with deer; however, with turkey, waterfowl and upland birds it's yet to be seen. I think I'll cry, because I've wanted it for so long. It's really not all about the shot for me. I enjoy seeing things in the woods, especially how the animals react to its surroundings and with each other. This is a lot of fun, even the crazy squirrels if I get to see one this year. I've never felt that I've competed with anyone but myself, unless there was a bet involved, even in golf. At my pace, my competition isn't very strong. Right now, my goal is to have enough energy to make it past the first day of firearm season. I just couldn't do it when I worked. Also, using a different weapon is a lot of fun for me. I really like stalking animals, but now I can't walk very far, so I stalk my wife. I think she likes it.
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Post by beermaker on Aug 24, 2015 19:43:40 GMT -5
You will probably not meet a hunter who gives a crap less than I do about harvesting a "trophy" buck. Sure, I would like to shoot a wall hanger someday, but I am not going to sit around and wait for it to happen.
I will not shoot a young buck, period. Let them grow. I will shoot a stereotypical "past the ears" eight pointer simply because they will go through the grinder just fine a typically yield a good amount of meat. I am talking about 3-4 year old bucks.
In my perfect world, I would have three or four does in the freezer before the rut and then hunt for a mature buck at my leisure after that. I too am tired of the hassle of firearms season and would be just as satisfied with taking it easy at camp by cooking, helping others with their harvest, and have a few beverages. Ok, more than a few if there is no real reason to get up early!
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Post by squirrelhunter on Aug 24, 2015 20:44:37 GMT -5
I've only passed on 1 deer and that was a little yearling,which I usually take,but I decided to see if I could get one bigger. Might as well get as much meat as I can with my tag,right??
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Post by nfalls116 on Aug 24, 2015 21:17:27 GMT -5
I've only passed on 1 deer and that was a little yearling,which I usually take,but I decided to see if I could get one bigger. Might as well get as much meat as I can with my tag,right?? be hard pressed to see this fella pass up a yearling, meat is nice to get but yearling meat is even better Jon if it were me and a "shooter" buck walks in front of me after the very beginning of shooting light on the first day, if it presents a shot, Shoot it
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 25, 2015 0:38:46 GMT -5
Thanks guys! I think this does help me. Right now I have no clue what is even in my area. They're not passing through my property much yet, but this doesn't bother me.
I'll move my camera up on the food plot in a couple weeks.
I may not get to hunt Crane. I didn't hear from my buddy to get his information, so I'll apply as a loner. The hunter must have a helper in this hunt. They will have a few IDHA helpers that volunteer, so I could still get lucky. I need to put the app in the mail Tuesday to get there in time.
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Post by tynimiller on Aug 25, 2015 7:15:09 GMT -5
I've always been of the mindset if the buck makes you grab the bow and prepare to shoot then I am shooting. My buck named Kicks is a great example of this. He wasn't the biggest buck I was chasing by any means...probably like the 5th or 6th biggest and my heart was set on RD (buck I've chased for years)...yet when he came in I instinctively grabbed the bow and prepared to shoot.
Never doubt your internal desires...this works both ways though too. Should a buck walk out opening day and you don't shoot him, rest easy knowing you're content with however the future unfolds.
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 25, 2015 7:45:16 GMT -5
To me... If I have to think "should I shoot him?" I don't shoot him...
YMMV...
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Post by squirrelhunter on Aug 25, 2015 8:51:04 GMT -5
I've only passed on 1 deer and that was a little yearling,which I usually take,but I decided to see if I could get one bigger. Might as well get as much meat as I can with my tag,right?? be hard pressed to see this fella pass up a yearling, meat is nice to get but yearling meat is even better Jon if it were me and a "shooter" buck walks in front of me after the very beginning of shooting light on the first day, if it presents a shot, Shoot it Yeah I know,the young ones are the most tender,that's why I haven't passed on any since. I had even shot some before then,just that particular time I decided to pass and if I recall didn't get another opportunity the rest of the season and wished I hadn't passed.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 25, 2015 13:47:13 GMT -5
I've always been of the mindset if the buck makes you grab the bow and prepare to shoot then I am shooting. My buck named Kicks is a great example of this. He wasn't the biggest buck I was chasing by any means...probably like the 5th or 6th biggest and my heart was set on RD (buck I've chased for years)...yet when he came in I instinctively grabbed the bow and prepared to shoot. Never doubt your internal desires...this works both ways though too. Should a buck walk out opening day and you don't shoot him, rest easy knowing you're content with however the future unfolds. This is wonderful Mr. Miller. I think part of my problem is that they look smaller to me than they actually are, especially from the side. I'm actually thinking the first one I passed was the one I saw a few weeks ago. The brothers I mentioned surly are not his size yet. I will accept whatever decision that I make regardless of how the rest of my season ends.
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Post by bartiks on Aug 27, 2015 1:58:03 GMT -5
Too much emphasis on size shoot whatever you are happy with. Life is too short to worry about what others think. Absolutely, of course I don't really "trophy hunt" per say. I go for the meat, but don't get me wrong I will shoot at a buck if I see one. Noticed how I said shoot at.
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Post by huntnandplumbn on Aug 27, 2015 8:00:23 GMT -5
At the end of the day hunting is suppose to be fun. Unless the family is going to go hungry if you don't put some harvested game in the freezer.. Have fun first and foremost. I find that hunting with or around friends and family, then sharing the experiences of the hunt is the best part. Shoot how and what you want that will make you happy. For me, I shoot does especially the young ones and I trophy hunt from there. By trophy I mean the first Mature buck that I can drop the string on. Doesn't matter the score just mature. I just like the chess game with the truly mature bucks. The day it stops making me shake is the day I will stop and sell off it all... Guaranteed
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 27, 2015 12:31:03 GMT -5
At the end of the day hunting is suppose to be fun. Unless the family is going to go hungry if you don't put some harvested game in the freezer.. Have fun first and foremost. I find that hunting with or around friends and family, then sharing the experiences of the hunt is the best part. Shoot how and what you want that will make you happy. For me, I shoot does especially the young ones and I trophy hunt from there. By trophy I mean the first Mature buck that I can drop the string on. Doesn't matter the score just mature. I just like the chess game with the truly mature bucks. The day it stops making me shake is the day I will stop and sell off it all... Guaranteed I hope it never stops making you shake. I have fun just sitting in the woods, but 3 weeks without seeing one gets to be a bit much for me, but that's just because I get tired. The memory and story is the best part. I was quite surprised when the four guys in the check in store wanted to hear my story. Man, I don't know if they blinked when I was telling them. This was my first one, so I didn't know what to expect. Now, I'm the same way.
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