Why shoot a 1.5 old buck?

[pointing_dogs_rule]

I couldn't have said it better myself!

One of the best "posts"... if not the best post ever on this site.

good luck to all

the dog

[pointing_dogs_rule]

People who think they have a right to second quess what I shoot sometimes surprise me.

Like, everybody has to have the same values and "ethics"?

Is it my right to question some guys obsession with horns?

Should I harass and harangue about some people who are turning an ancient instinct and joy into a rich man's sport with their optics and gizmos and scent blocks and fancy stands and blinds? Their expensive equipment, cross country flights and their better than everyone else attitude because they have more trophy mounts on their wall?

For the record I hunt on my own land. I play by the rules. I process my own deer and share it with family and friends. I don't get to take 2 weeks off to go deer hunting. Some years I am lucky to see a deer at all. I have spent my share of wet, cold, windy, wintery days in a stand and did not get a deer.

For 35 years I used my HS graduation present from my father - a 30-30 Marlin - as my only hunting rifle and only when my eyes started to change due to age did I break down and buy a .270 with a scope.

I knocked down a lot of deer with that old 30-30 and a lot of them were does, spikes and even fawns.

And I thanked God and praised Him as much for a doe as I did for a buck.

I know this is a site that focuses on Monster Bucks. So there will be people here who think deer hunting is all about bow hunting and giant horns. That is all well and good and believe me I love the MB videos and have the last 15 years worth of them.

But that is not hunting reality to me.

Disdain for your fellow hunter because he does not share your values (if he is careful and ethical, etc) is unbecoming to a man and not good for the sport.

I say leave off the lecturing, second guessing and smugness.

We're all here to share and learn and grow as hunters.

Let that be enough.

One of the best "posts" ever.... if not the best post ever on this site.

good luck to all

the dog

[need2hunt]

And I am please and shocked to see we have went 5 pages and its not locked or some mod/admin member has told us to calm down.

:offtopic::spam::ban:...:oops:...:rockon: LOL

[Ultradog]

I don't get on here every day or even week but it surprises me that this thread is still halfways alive.

I do feel some sympathy for those guys who are trying to do the QDM thing. Especially those who have a limited piece of land and the hunters all around them are not into horns.

They are kind of like a star player on a mediocre team - no matter how well they play personally they will still always lose.

I'd cheer them up if I could but don't know what to tell them. Maybe take up Golf as a sport next time?

By the way, I just went back and reread most of this topic.

One thing I didn't see mentioned was the quality of the venison.

We just had the last of the little cutlets from the fork buck that I took last fall.

So tender and tasty! I've eaten a couple of old bruisers in my life too.

But if you want venison that you can actually chew shoot a young deer.

Oh, and thanks for the kind words from a couple of you.

[NBomb500]

Ya know...that's a good point. I know of some clubs here that shoot spikes for management purposes and let 1 1/2 year old bucks with branched antlers walk. They get special spike tags from the MDWF&P. It's a controversial issue...even wildlife biologist can't agree on it. I just happen to agree with those that support the arguement that you can't tell what a buck's potential is until he's at least 3 1/2. Their facts make a lot more sense to me.

Yeah I hear you on that. I would say in most scenarios it would be pretty hard to judge a buck so young. Maybe if there is an obvious deformity, broken off antler, or in our case out here in eastern mt (And only speaking for about the 50-100 sections we hunt on) the population is much less per section as compared to some more eastern or more southern states and we get to know a lot of the bucks in the area very well and have pictures of them from year to year.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Yep, hard to tell when they're that young. Generally, the "shoot the spikes" argument comes into play when you need to reduce the overall deer numbers and then the spikes will fall more into the same category as the does. Removing the spike means you've removed another mouth.

[MichiganHunter]

long time no post here.....Well when I was younger and being that my dad and uncle grew up in the it's brown it's down erra of deer hunting same as I was brought up in resulted is many 1.5 old bucks taken. HOWEVER I have grown up and have passed many more buck than I have taken in the last few years. I did enjoy taking the first deer I saw when i was younger. I will allow my child to take what ever deer that they deam a trophy, though I will incurrage them to pass on smaller deer.

[huntnfish]

My brother let a young 6-pointer walk this past season numerous times only to see it in the back of a truck at deer camp. Too many older hunters have the mindset if it is brown it is down.