clrj3514 Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 In your eyes what does a deer need to be a shooter? Is it a certain score, age, width, or just some sort of trigger that particular deer sets off for you? Also, why does that characteristic make that deer a shooter in your eyes? I'm interested to see how different everyone's view is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 In the last few years, it really depends on the circumstances for me. Where am I hunting? What piece of ground am I on? Am I in a tree or stalking one on the ground? What time of year is it? So let's give you my ideal situation, early November on land other than my own, treestand...That deer would have to be over 125" for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 For me it is about what I think is the best or one of the better deer in the area, score is not significant in my decision making and do not care about how many deer I can kill. We are allowed 3 bucks a season here, and I have taken only 2 bucks in the past 3 years, and that not for not having opportunities on deer, canot remember how many I passed on last fall. With trail cam pics can get a fair assessment prior to season on where to set my goals. Usually an eight point or better past his ears will get my attention, although I have passed on a few that I might not have passed on had I not known there were better deer around. If I know we have a mature buck around I am not going to shoot a 2.5 year old, might even let a 3.5 year old walk. Big solid bodied 4.5 year old I am going to take with any opportunity I get regardless of antler size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendonp Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I think a "shooter" deer is a mature buck (age 4+) the antlers are not the telling factor for me. Some old bucks dont have the best headgear. For me it is all about age. Which is very hard to tell sometimes in a snap decision. I will fully admit i have not been right all the time. I have shot a two 3 year olds but they both decieved me with body size, and shape. As well as their attitude around the other deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkoholic Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I am not sure you will see a big difference in opinions on what constitutes a "shooter". Age being the number one consideration in my eyes, but, as already mentioned, it is not always that easy to age a deer under hunting conditions. My primary hunting technique is still hunting and seldom is there a lot of time to evaluate a buck. What I look for is a mature looking body, sway back, drooping belly, neck as thick as the body where it meets the shoulders, long nose/roman nose with signs of graying. When it comes to antlers I look for mass and spread with tine length an added bonus. The shot is the culmination of the hunt and the decision to take that shot may be influenced by many factors, but when a well placed shot results in a clean quick kill, you have a trophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clrj3514 Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I am not sure you will see a big difference in opinions on what constitutes a "shooter". Age being the number one consideration in my eyes, but, as already mentioned, it is not always that easy to age a deer under hunting conditions. My primary hunting technique is still hunting and seldom is there a lot of time to evaluate a buck. What I look for is a mature looking body, sway back, drooping belly, neck as thick as the body where it meets the shoulders, long nose/roman nose with signs of graying. When it comes to antlers I look for mass and spread with tine length an added bonus. The shot is the culmination of the hunt and the decision to take that shot may be influenced by many factors, but when a well placed shot results in a clean quick kill, you have a trophy. Now, what do consider 'still hunting'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 last year it was the only decent buck that I had the opportunity to whack.. .usually 8 pts or better wider than the ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzzleloadernut Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 To me a shooter is a mature buck at least 4+. I have 6 mounts ranging from 120" to 145". I have decided I will not shoot another buck for a mount unless he is over 145". I will however shoot a management buck (8 points of less that is 4+) to get him out of the herd and stop breeding doe's. Now if I have a 160"+ 3yr old walk past it would be mighty hard not to take that deer. Too many other hunters around my area and odds are he would not live another year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Andrus Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 trophy or shooter is in the eye of the beholder pretty much if he trips your trigger hes a shooter around home my standards are a less due to NYs deer herd but lately in my block were shooting bigger bucks Id guess 120 minumum here on the road same thing only have 4-5 days to hunt every day is different Pretty much what Chris said in earlier post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 I would like to shoot bigger deer than I already have. The trouble is that they are few and far between with the pressure here. As it is, I manage to see some decent bucks. Killing them is another story. A buck showing up and tripping my trigger has been known to happen. For me, it is all about the hunt. I take it as it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2hunt Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 140" and up is what I'm out looking for so I guess that's what I would call a shooter. I'ld also call a doe a shooter too. I define a shooter as what I would PREFER to shoot, when I'm in the stand and something works the right way or just trips my trigger I won't hesitate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradog Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 It depends on which weekend of the hunt we're on. We get 3 weekends here. First weekend I'll usually try to hold out for a buck of decent age and rack. Like a 3 1/2 year old or better. Horns aren't real important to me. I want a good sized body. Second weekend It's kind of a toss up. If I see a big doe without a fawn with her I'm happy to take her. With a fawn I might wait. Might take a small buck second weekend too - even a spike. Now on the last weekend if I haven't filled my tag then I'm strictly looking for venison. Though I will usually pass on a small deer even then. But in the last few minutes of daylight on the last day of the hunt if I haven't filled my tag well then brother I'm not too particular. Then a good deer is one I can get into my sights and take a high probability shot at. Three weekends of hunting means I've probably got $300 into the hunt - with gas and tags, etc. and that's not counting extraneous stuff like diesel for the tractor and seed and time putting in food plots either. I do love being out there and hearing the woods and watching the critters do their thing. I love having a deer in my sights but letting him or her walk because it's still early in the season. But ultimately I know I'm out there to bring home a deer. So that and the time I have left to hunt dictates what I consider to be a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Anything 120" or above is what I consider a "shooter" buck. Anything less than that really doesnt get me too excited. For where I hunt, that means that the buck will probably be 3.5 or older. I also know what kind of bucks I have around from trail cams, so I already have a feel for what is out there. I usually get pics of atleast 2-3 bucks that meet my 120" goal, so I will not take a deer less than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 I think a "shooter" deer is a mature buck (age 4+) the antlers are not the telling factor for me. Some old bucks dont have the best headgear. For me it is all about age. Which is very hard to tell sometimes in a snap decision. I will fully admit i have not been right all the time. I have shot a two 3 year olds but they both decieved me with body size, and shape. As well as their attitude around the other deer. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobblerroller Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Now, what do consider 'still hunting'? Slowly walking on a piece of property looking for a deer. That's the technical term anyway. Around here we call treestand hunting "still hunting" because if you're not "still hunting" you're dog hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clrj3514 Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Slowly walking on a piece of property looking for a deer. That's the technical term anyway. Around here we call treestand hunting "still hunting" because if you're not "still hunting" you're dog hunting. That's what I figured because my area is like your area. I don't understand how what most people call still hunting gets that name since your moving & not being still LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 For me pretty much as long as I have a tag for it, it's going down. Unless it's a fawn. I only have a week to rifle hunt and hardly ever get a chance to bow hunt so if I want to fill my tag I can't be picky. We hunt in a group of 6 or 7 guys and it's legal to party hunt in Ontario so if there's 2 antlerless tags in the group, anyone can shoot them. Say we have 5 antlerless tags and I shot one the first or second day, I'd hold off for a buck the second time to give someone else an opportunity to kill a deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 trophy or shooter is in the eye of the beholder pretty much if he trips your trigger hes a shooter............ Agree with you Tim. If it's something that tickles your fancy, it's a shooter. With me, it's hard to tell. I'll only REALLY know when I see the deer in person. But I can weed them out by trailcam pics fairly well. I would rarely have the luxury of waiting for a 140" or 150" deer as they only turn up every few years. Just pulled cards this afternoon. Got a pair of fairly similar bucks. One a wide 8. One a wide 9. The 9..........I will shoot. The 8.........I will not, unless there's something major I'm missing when I eyeball the pic from the trailcam. My standards of "shooter" are the same the last hour of late archery in January as they are the first hour on October 1. I won't come off my criteria. SHOOTER: NOT A SHOOTER: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) It all depends on where I'm hunting. At home, 1st it must be a mature buck (4.5 or older). In most cases it has to be one I think I want to hang on the wall so 8 points is the minimum number of points for mature wallhangers. There are times I'll take out a mature cull buck...last year it was a 6.5 year old 6 point. We get 3 bucks here so using one on a cull doesn't hurt too bad. Examples of each below. Home Turf Shooters Cull Not Shooters On the road, I want the mature big ones that are rare or non-existant on my home turf. That means they must be judged on the hoof to score 140 or better for 8's & 150 or better for 10's. As far a does go...shooters must be 2.5 or older and tend to be chosen depending on where I'm hunting and how bad the drag might be. There's some stands I have where I'd never shoot a doe...those would be a great way to loose friends to help drag...real quick. Edited October 19, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmiley1040 Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Whats a shooter Its in the eye of the beholder. We manage our S. Ga land intensely. The realization is coastal deer just don't grow as big, body or antlers. Occasionally we get pics of mid 120 even had the very rare 130 about three years ago. I personally wont shoot a buck off the property unless I think he's a least 4 1/2. My kids and any other kid that has never shot a buck the rule is whatever that kid wants if they want to shot a spike or they can choose to hold out. Its family property only about three of us hunt it and our rule is 8 point or better. One free if you shoot another you have to mount it for the cabin. So if you are putting time and money into hunting land shoot whatever as long as your happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michiganbowhunter_SQ2 Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 A shooter is anything that is going to make the person pulling the trigger happy. A doe, mature buck, small buck, whatever makes you happy....that's all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 A shooter is anything that is going to make the person pulling the trigger happy. A doe, mature buck, small buck, whatever makes you happy....that's all that matters. SQ are you running for political office with that answer??? LOL just joking, that's actually the correct answer that not enough hunters have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michiganbowhunter_SQ2 Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 SQ are you running for political office with that answer??? I was told I am to smart and honest to be a politician Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebohio Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 i hunt the most mature buck i get on camera. i cant expect to shoot what isnt there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjinail Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 My idea on a shooter is with kids and first timers let them take any deer that will make them happy. For me I have taken enough deer over the years that its a lot more fun for me to watch the young bucks grow and see how they change year after year. What good is it to take a smaller young buck that has the potential to be a wall hanger in 2 years? If you take that small 14 inch wide 7 or 8 point most of the time the horns get cut off and thrown in a box with the rest of small bucks taken over the years. Alot of people say that if they don't shoot it the neighbors will. Well the way I see it is if I don't shoot it and the neighbor does then just maby that neighbor is a kid hunting for the first time that got the small buck and it will be a trophy to him or her. I think all bucks taken by someone that has been hunting for years earn the right to atleast be put on the wall instead of the horns cut off unless its like some have stated as being a cull (6 point 4 year old+ etc). In Most places there are way more then enough does out there to fill the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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